ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Western men's basketball team (3-1) will return to the court for an in-state clash against Maryville (0-3) on Saturday night in St. Louis. Tip-off from Moloney Arena in Simon Athletic Center is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
SWEEPING THE HILLYARD TIPOFF CLASSIC
The Griffons continued their hot start to the 2024-25 season last weekend with wins over Northern State (S.D.) and Augustana (S.D.). of the NSIC to sweep the Hillyard Tipoff Classic.
On Friday, Western secured its second victory of the season by defeating the Wolves 75-61. They shot 49.1% from the field, compared to 47.9% for Northern State, and dominated in the paint with 38 points.
Zane Nelson led all scorers with 15 points on a 5-for-11 shooting performance. He also tallied five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Swader notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists and four steals. Additionally,
Justin Bubak and
Kiani Saxon contributed with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
The weekend ended on a high note with an impressive 82-61 win against a tough Augustana team, which marked MWSU's third regional victory of the season. The Griffs had a shooting percentage of 52.6%, successfully making 30 out of 57 shots. From beyond the arc, they managed 11 out of 30 attempts (36.7%). They also performed well at the free throw line, sinking 11 of 14 shots.
Nelson topped the scoring chart with 21 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field. He also contributed seven rebounds and four assists.
Julius Dixon achieved his first career double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Ethan Kilgore set a new personal best in college with 14 points off the bench, showcasing an impressive 6-of-8 shooting. Swader rounded out the overall team effort with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
TOP GRIFFON PERFORMERS
Nelson has excelled for the Griffons since joining the program for his final season. The native of Birmingham, Alabama, has scored a team-leading 66 points, averaging 16.5 points per game on 23-for-44 shooting (52%). He has also collected 17 rebounds, 14 assists and seven steals.
Swader has been performing well this season, averaging 11.8 points per game and leading the team with 13 steals. Additionally, the senior has recorded 24 rebounds and 11 assists.
Dixon has led the team with 26 rebounds, while Saxon has a team-leading four blocks for the Griffons.
HISTORY AGAINST MARYVILLE
Tomorrow's matchup will be the third all-time meeting between the Griffons and the Saints. Missouri Western won the inaugural game in 2016 with a score of 69-67, while Maryville evened the series the following season with a 90-75 victory. Both games were held in St. Louis.
ABOUT THE SAINTS
Maryville finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 12-14 (8-12 GLVC) record and was picked to finish 12th in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 49 points.
The Saints have had a challenging start to the season, still in search of their first win after three attempts. They began the season with two losses, first to North Michigan (78-59) and then to Michigan Tech (88-84), both in Wisconsin. Most recently, they lost to Central Missouri, 67-55, in Warrensburg.
LOOKING AHEAD
Missouri Western will have a quick turnaround. Next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., they will host another in-state foe in Rockhurst at the Tom Smith Court before traveling to Russellville on Friday at 7:00 p.m. for another regional test against Arkansas Tech.
