ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Two of the hottest teams in the MIAA will meet for the second time this season when Griffon Women's Basketball takes on No. 15-ranked Fort Hays State this Thursday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

TICKETS + WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Griffon WBB (15-4, 10-3 MIAA) will once again hit the airwaves of KFEQ Radio, as fans can tune in with "The Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and analyst Rob Edmisson on the call. The games will air on KFEQ - AM 680 and the KFEQ Live Stream. 

Games are also available to watch for a subscription fee on the MIAA Network. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to tipoff. Game admission can be found in the "Tickets" tab.

WHITEOUT NIGHT
Thursday's basketball doubleheader vs. Fort Hays State will have a whiteout theme. All fans are encouraged to wear white, and students will receive free rally towels and a chance to win a gift card.

MACRO MIAA NUMBERS
The Griffons currently lead the MIAA in the following categories:

• Points per game: 78.8 (seventh in NCAA Division II)
• Average scoring margin: +21.2 (fifth in DII)
• Field goals made: 560 (sixth in DII)
• Field goals attempted: 1,217 (eighth in DII)
• Opponent FG percentage: 35.5% (28th in DII)
• Opponent free throw percentage: 64.8%
• Threes made: 158 (10th in DII)
• Threes made per game: 8.5 (11th in DII)
• Assists: 334 (10th in DII)
• Assists per game: 17.6 (eighth in DII)
• Assist/turnover ratio: 1.31 (third in DII)
• Turnover margin: +6.3 (12th in DII)
• Turnovers forced: 374
• Turnovers forced per game: 19.7
• Steals: 226 (17th in DII)
• Steals per game: 11.9 (18th in DII)

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western is tied with Fort Hays State for second place in the MIAA standings. Western currently holds the tiebreaker over Hays thanks to a head-to-head road win on Dec. 9.
• The Griffons are 2-0 vs. top-25 teams this season, winning both games on the road.
• The team received 11 votes in the WBCA Top-25 Poll.
• Western is shooting 46% from the field, good for second in the conference and 10th in the country.
• Western's five-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the MIAA. Missouri Southern has won 12 in a row. 
• With a 3-point clip of 34.9%, MWSU is second in the MIAA and 23rd in DII.
• Western's 3-point shooting defense is holding teams to 26.7%, which is second in the MIAA and 26th in DII.
• MWSU is fourth in the conference with 39.7 rebounds per game.
• With 28.1 defensive rpg, MWSU is fourth in the MIAA. Western is fifth with 11.6 offensive rpg.
• Western only turns the ball over on average 13.4 times per game, good for third in the conference.
• Senior forward Connie Clarke is fifth in the MIAA with 7.4 rebounds per game and 13th with 12.4 ppg.
• Clarke leads the MIAA with 51 steals and 2.6 per game. Her 51 steals tie her for 14th in the country.
• Clarke also leads the team with 18 blocks, tying her for eighth in the league.
• Junior guard Alyssa Bonilla and Clarke both lead MWSU with 51 assists, tying them for 12th in the MIAA.
• Senior guard Brionna Budgetts is sixth in the MIAA with 36 made threes. Junior guard Jayme Jackson (24 threes) is tied for 13th, and fellow junior guard Mackenzie Hart (23 threes) is tied for 14th.
• With one more rebound, Clarke will have collected 700 boards in her career. She would be the seventh Griffon to score 1,000 points and snag 700 rebounds in program history.'

2/1 - SCOUTING NO. 15 FORT HAYS | 5:30 PM
On a four-game winning streak that is currently the third longest in the conference, Fort Hays (16-3, 10-3 MIAA) is tied for second with MWSU. The Tigers are coming off a 72-63 win over Emporia State last Saturday in Hays, Kansas. Hays now comes to St. Joseph with a 7-1 road record, last losing when away on Jan. 11 at Missouri Southern.

The Tigers have the best scoring defense in the MIAA and 14th-best in DII, only giving up 55.1 ppg. Hays is also second in the conference and 21st in the nation with a scoring margin of 14.3. Western's foe is formidable on defense, as Hays is third in the league with 182 steals and third with 76 blocked shots. With an assist/turnover ratio of 1.16, Hays is second in the MIAA and seventh in DII.

Who to Watch
Junior guard Katie Wagner is fourth in the MIAA with 16.3 ppg, and junior forward Olivia Hollenbeck is 22nd with 10.7. Wagner is also tough on the glass, sitting in fourth place with 8.5 rpg. She's also a tough out from the field, shooting a clip of 45.5% that lands her sixth in the MIAA. Wagner also trails Clarke with 44 steals, which is second in the conference. 

On top of it all, Wagner is fifth in the MIAA with 621 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Hollenbeck is fourth in the MIAA with 28 rejections. To round out the Tigers, junior guard Sydney Golloday is third in the conference with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.9.

Head Coach
This year is Talia Kahrs' first season leading the Tigers. With Kahrs serving as an assistant for 11 seasons prior, MWSU is 7-14 vs. Hays with her on staff.

Rivalry Record Rabbit Hole
With MWSU's win earlier this season, the Griffons are now 25-35 all-time vs. Hays since first playing in 1976. Since 1977, Western is 14-12 at home when hosting Hays. The Tigers went 2-1 vs. MWSU in 2022-23, beating the Griffons first at home before Western struck back at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Hays then ended MWSU's season in the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City.

Last Time We Met
Box Score
Picking up their first win over a ranked opponent this season, the Griffons overcame an 11-point deficit and defeated the No. 18 Tigers 61-58 on Dec. 9, 2023, at Gross Memorial. Clarke led MWSU with 18 points and seven rebounds, finding four steals along the way. Johnni Gonzalez also had four steals, seven rebounds and 11 points, while Budgetts chipped in with 10 points. Mackenzie Hart had a handful of heroic moments off the bench, scoring 10 points on 2-of-5 shooting from deep. Western stifled the Tigers' offense all day long, holding Hays to 33.9% from the field and 18.8% from 3-point range.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WBB HISTORY
Feb. 1 | Box Score | Video Recap
Leading by 18 at the half, the 2014 Griffons held on to defeat Lindenwood 65-62 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons held on thanks to big nights off the bench from Quenisha Lockett and Sharniece Lewis, who both scored a team-high 17 points. Lewis was 4-of-10 from deep, making 80% of MWSU's five threes that night. Tiffanie Abrams had 14 points to lead all Griffon starters, dishing three assists in the process.