ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — For the third straight year and the fourth overall under Head Coach Candi Whitaker, Griffon Women's Basketball has etched a 20-win season.

Missouri Western got a 29-point performance from the bench on the way to a 58-49 victory against the Northeastern State RiverHawks at home Thursday night at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The No. 24-ranked Griffons (20-4, 15-3 MIAA) had three players score in double figures, led by Connie Clarke, who had 12 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Brionna Budgetts added 10 points and three steals, and Tiani Ellison chipped in as well with 10 points and six rebounds from the bench.

Clarke pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for MWSU, grabbing 15 boards and turning them into 14 second-chance points.

The Western defense held Northeastern (12-11, 8-9 MIAA) shooters to just 31.2% from the field. The RiverHawks did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only nine offensive rebounds and scored seven second chance points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 4-0, MWSU went on a 7-0 run with 5:54 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Kassandra Caron, to take a 7-4 lead. The Griffons then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 13-9 advantage. Western did most of its first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring eight of its 13 points close to the basket.

The Griffons maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 22-19 edge. Western dominated in the paint, scoring six of its nine points close to the basket.

Western wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 14-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Clarke, to expand its lead further to 36-19 with 4:31 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Rive Hawks had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Griffons still entered the fourth quarter with a 38-31 edge. Western played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 16 points in the paint.

The Griffs started tacking on points in the fourth almost immediately, going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 43-31 with 8:58 to go in the contest. The RiverHawks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Griffons still cruised the rest of the way for the 58-49 win. Western took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 14 of its 20 points in the paint.

GAME NOTES

• Western is the first team in the MIAA to reach 20 wins this season.
• The Griffons never trailed after taking a 13-9 first-quarter lead.
• This win split regular-season series between NSU and MWSU.
• Western recorded 16 total assists in the game.
• The MWSU bench made an impact by adding 29 points to its scoring output.
• Western had a 40-36 edge on the boards in the win.
• The Griffon defense forced 22 turnovers.
• Western was active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
• The Griffs cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
• Clarke led the Griffons with a game-high 12 points.
• Western got six rebounds from both Ellison and Connie Clarke.

UP NEXT
The Griffons will celebrate six seniors on Senior Day vs. Rogers State (9-14. 4-13 MIAA) this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. back inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Hillcats have lost three in a row, most recently losing 59-41 against Northwest Missouri State on Thursday in Maryville, Missouri.

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