ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — After downing a ranked Northwest Missouri State squad earlier this year, Griffon Men's Basketball is set for a rematch with the No. 7-ranked Bearcats this Saturday inside Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Missouri. 

TICKETS + WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Griffon MBB (15-10, 9-10 MIAA) will be broadcast on KFEQ Radio, as fans can tune in with "The Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac 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.

NOTABLES

• Western's 3-point defense is holding teams to 28.7%, the third-best mark in NCAA Division II.
• Thames is seventh in the MIAA with 15.2 ppg. 
• Thames is also third in the conference in field goals made with 145. His clip of 51.1% ranks 14th, and junior guard Taye Fields is 13th at 51.2%.
• Fields is second in the MIAA with 233 boards and 9.3 per game.
• Fields also leads the MIAA with 69 offensive rebounds and 2.9 per game.
• Senior guard Reese Glover is tied for 17th in the MIAA with 41 threes. Junior guard Julius Dixon is tied for 17th with 40 threes.
• Glover needs one more to hit 300 for his career, which would make him just the fifth player in MIAA history to do so.
• Fields is ninth in the MIAA with 92 assists. His 3.8 assists per game rank him eighth.
• With 30 blocks, junior forward Kiani Saxon is tied for sixth in the MIAA. 

2/23 - SCOUTING NO. 7 NORTHWEST MISSOURI | 3:30 PM
Sitting in first place in the conference, Northwest (21-4, 17-2 MIAA) is on a 10-game winning streak, it's longest of the season. The Bearcats are 11-0 at home inside Bearcat Arena this season. Western has already beaten Northwest this season when the Bearcats were ranked No. 14 in the NABC Top-25 Poll.

Who to Watch
Two Bearcats reside on MIAA's top-25 scoring list: senior forward Wes Dreamer with 18.5 ppg (second); and sophomore guard Bennett Stirtz with 14.8 ppg (10th). Dreamer is also sixth in the conference with 6.8 rpg. Hitting 63 threes this season, junior guard Mitch Mascari is third in the MIAA. Dreamer is eighth in with 48.

Head Coach
A Bearcat graduate from the class of 2003, Ben McCollum is in season No. 15 with Northwest. Since starting his DII career in 2009, McCollum is 386-90. He is 29-2 vs. MWSU, 15-0 when the Griffons visit and 7-1 vs. Griffon Head Coach Will Martin.

Rivalry Record Rabbit Hole
Since first playing in 1922, Northwest leads Western 65-36 in the all-time series. Western's last win in Maryville was Jan. 7, 2009. The Bearcats lead  The rivalry first began when MWSU was known as St. Joseph Junior College, splitting two games against Northwest Missouri State Teachers College in 1922 (L) and 1932 (W).

Last Time We Met
Box Score
Breaking a 24-game losing streak against its rival, Western defeated No. 14 Northwest 76-70 on Jan. 13 inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons never trailed in the matchup, limiting Northwest to just 26.7% from 3-point range. Western shot 46.8% from the field and was led by Thames' 16 points. Dixon chipped in with 14m Fields had 12 and junior guard Zion Swader scored 10. Saxon swatted away shots all night long, coming away with a career-high four blocks. 

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MBB HISTORY
Feb. 24 | Box Score
After falling behind by four at halftime, the 2016 Griffons stormed back in the second half to defeat Washburn 74-66 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Rallied by Cole Clearman's team-high 15 points, Western also enjoyed a 30-point showing from the bench. Matauka Koyamainavure tallied 11 points off the bench, shooting 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Kevin Thomas helped MWSU outrebound Washburn 31-28, pulling down his own game-high 11 boards.