ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western women's basketball (11-5, 6-2 MIAA) is back home this week for a pair of MIAA rematches. The Griffons first host Central Missouri (11-8, 3-5 MIAA) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and Washburn (10-8, 4-4 MIAA) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast live on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) with Tommy Rezac on the call. The games will be available to watch with a subscription on the MIAA Network.

Last Time Out
KEARNEY, Neb. - Missouri Western women's basketball (11-5, 6-2 MIAA) dropped its rematch with Nebraska-Kearney (13-3, 6-1 MIAA), 73-65, at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney on Saturday afternoon. The Lopers scored 26 fourth quarter points to secure the victory.
 
The first half was a tightly contested back-and-forth affair. UNK led by a slim margin of 18-15 after the opening 10 minutes, but it was MWSU who carried a 34-30 lead into the locker room, thanks to a 14-2 run before the end of the half.
 
Senior Alyssa Bonilla and junior Marie Sepp spearheaded the offense with nine points in the first half. Junior Jessica Ford led the Griffons defensively with eight rebounds, while fellow junior Laura Toffali added six of her own.
 
Western narrowly edged Kearney in the third quarter, leading 48-47 as they entered the final period. However, the Lopers surged ahead with a strong 10-0 run in the fourth quarter and held onto their lead for the remainder of the game, ultimately claiming the 73-65 victory. 
 
Bonilla was the game's leading scorer after amassing 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting. The senior also recorded a team-high six assists, along with three rebounds and three steals. Toffali also stood out for Western, scoring 14 points—just one point shy of her season-high—while also contributing six rebounds, three steals and one assist
 
Nebraska-Kearney shot an efficient 52% from the field compared to Missouri Western's 37%. Rebounding played a pivotal role in the Loper win, as they outrebounded the Griffs 44-26.

Series Histories
Wednesday marks the 80th all-time meeting with UCM. The Jennies lead this all-time series 43-36, but the Griffons currently own a six-game winning streak in this rivalry, including an 86-73 win at UCM on Jan. 11 earlier this season.

Saturday is the 106th all-time meeting with Washburn, with the Ichabods leading that all-time series 58-47. The Griffons have won eight of the last 11 meetings with the Ichabods, and have won each of the last three contests in St. Joseph. Washburn defeated Missouri Western in Topeka earlier this season on Jan. 8, 88-73.

Makin' it Rain
Missouri Western has made 167-of-478 three-point attempts (34.9%) so far this season. Their 167 makes are most in the MIAA and third most in the nation. The Griffons are averaging 10.4 made threes per game - most in the MIAA and second most in the nation.  Missouri Western also ranks No. 2 in the MIAA and 27th nationally with its 34.9% clip from long range.

MWSU's 478 three-point attempts are the most of any team in the MIAA and the seventh most of any team in DII.

Getting to Know the Griffs
Missouri Western hired its 10th head coach in program history this past offseason, naming Ashton Feldhaus to the position on April 15, 2024. Feldhaus took the reins after spending the previous five seasons as the top assistant and associate head coach for NCAA Division II Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In those five years, Eckerd won a combined 91 games and made the NCAA tournament in each of those five seasons. They also won the Sunshine State Conference tournament championship in 2020 and again in 2024.

As for the team itself, Missouri Western returned five players from the 2023-24 team that won an MIAA regular season title for the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2016.

Bonilla Ballin'
Alyssa Bonilla is back for her fourth season, and has taken on a more significant role, becoming perhaps the most versatile guard in the MIAA. Bonilla, so far, is averaging 17.6 points (2nd MIAA), 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists (2nd MIAA, 8th nation) and 3.0 steals (1st MIAA, t-18th nation) per game.

Familiar Faces
Meredith Rieker, Kelsey Johnson, Kassandra Caron and Jaidyn Schomp make up the rest of the returners. Caron, in her junior season, is averaging a solid 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest, including a 10-point and 10-rebound double-double at Central Missouri on January 11. Caron has scored in double figures in three of the last five games.

Schomp has started 14 games thus far, and leads the team with 16 blocked shots. She's also averaging 4.7 points and 3.6 boards per game.

Rieker has appeared in every game so far this season and has made 16 three-pointers on 55 attempts.

From St. Petersburg to St. Joseph
The Griffons added five transfers this past offseason, including four from Division I schools. Jessica Ford transferred in from NCAA Division II Eckerd College, following Ashton Feldhaus to St. Joseph from St. Petersburg, Florida.

Originally from Marlborough, England, Ford started 22 games for the Tritons last season, averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a game, helping Eckerd to a 20-win season and a Sunshine State Conference tournament championship.

Ford leads MWSU in rebounding so far this season with 5.4 boards per game. She corralled a career-best 13 rebounds against Emporia State on Dec. 7, 2024. Ford also hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last six games.

Soderlund Shootin'
Matilda Soderlund transferred to Missouri Western from Morehead State, where she played 30 games and made five starts last season. The Stockholm, Sweden native led the Eagles last season with 45 made three-pointers.

Soderlund is averaging 9.9 points per game this season for the Griffs, having scored in double-digits eight times, including a career-best 24 points against McKendree.

Soderlund is one of the sharpest shooters in the MIAA, making 43-of-93 attempts (46.2%) from long range, ranking second in the league and sixth in the nation in three-point percentage. Soderlund is averaging 2.7 treys per game - tied for second most in the MIAA. Her 43 made threes are fourth most in the MIAA and tied for 31st most in the nation.

More D1 Experience
Marie Sepp comes to MWSU after two seasons at Division I University at Albany. She appeared in 54 total games and scored 38 total points in that time. So far at MWSU, Sepp is averaging 12.7 points per contest this season. She has scored 21 points, a career-best, against McKendree, Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn all this season.

Sepp is shooting 54.1 from the field this season, which is the fifth best percentage of all players in the MIAA.

Laura Toffali joins the fold after a two-year stay at Kennesaw State. A Villasanta, Italy native, Toffali played in 38 games for the Owls over the last two years, including four career starts. She scored a total of 114 points over those two years.

Toffali has made 11 starts this season for Missouri Western, scoring a career-best 15 points against Fort Hays State on Jan. 4.

Malgorzata Byczkowska transferred after one year at Tarleton State. A native of Gdynia, Poland, Byczkowska spent the 2022-23 season at Howard College in Big Springs, Texas, earning WJCAC All-Conference honors. She averaged 13.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg that season as well.

Slifer and the Jennies
UCM has had an up-and-down 2024-25 campaign, coming in at 11-8 overall and 3-5 in MIAA play. Since losing to MWSU at home, UCM rattled off double-digit wins against Newman and Emporia State at home this past week.

The Jennies are led by former Missouri Western head man Dave Slifer, who's now in his 21st season in the 'Berg. As Griffon fans well know, Slifer has enjoyed great success at UCM, winning a national title in 2018. He's led his team to 12 NCAA tournament berths, four MIAA tournament titles and two regional championships. He now has 816 career wins - 432 of those with UCM.

Slifer was MWSU's head coach from 1995-2004, and is still the program's all-time wins leader with 206 victories. He won two MIAA regular season and two MIAA tournament titles with the Griffons, and took them to the NCAA tournament in each of his last eight years in St. Joseph.

UCM returned five players from last year, including a pair of starters in Lauren Frost and Allie Clevenger. They also added six players, including four transfers. One of those transfers is Reese Schaaf - a 5-11 junior guard/forward who transferred from Division II power Drury University in Springfield, MO.

Schaaf was the Midwest Region and GLVC Player of the Year last year, and she currently leads the MIAA with 18.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Schaaf boasts nine double-doubles this year - the second most in the MIAA and fourth most in the nation.

Washburn Wisdom
Washburn enters Wednesday's contest at 10-8 overall and 4-4 in the MIAA, most recently beating Newman at home this past Saturday, 77-66.

The Ichabods are led by third-year head coach and Washburn alum Lora Westling. So far, she's 34-41 in her return to Topeka.

Washburn looks to improve off of a 13-16 record last year, which included a 8-14 record in the MIAA. The Bods returned seven letterwinners, but also added seven new players.

Yiibari Nwidadah is a returning starter, and she leads Washburn with 17.3 points per game (3rd MIAA), while shooting a remarkable 66.7% from the field - the best field goal percentage of any player in NCAA Division II women's basketball. Nwidadah also leads the team with 7.8 rebounds (5th MIAA) and 1.1 blocks per game.

Peyton Sterk is Washburn's lead three-point threat. Her 40 made threes ranks as the fifth most of any player in the MIAA.