ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western men's basketball (10-4, 2-2 MIAA) will travel this week for the first time in over a month to face the No. 2 Washburn on Wednesday and Central Missouri Mules on Saturday. MWSU will look to build off its momentum from the win over FHSU last time out.
 
Wednesday's contest against the Ichabods will tip off at 7:30 p.m. from Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas. The game will be broadcast on the MIAA Network.
 
Saturday's matchup with the Mules will be the MIAA Game of the Week on '38 The Spot.' The action from the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m.
 
Tommy Rezac will call both contests. Pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes before the game, live on the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen.
 
WATCH - MIAA NETWORK
All MIAA football, women's soccer, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball, baseball and softball regular season conference games will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The MIAA Network showcased over 1,500 live broadcasts for its 14 member schools last season. For more information, visit https://www.themiaanetwork.com/.
 
MIAA GAME OF THE WEEK ON '38 THE SPOT'
Fans of Missouri Western can catch the Griffons play on Saturday, January 11, at 1:00 p.m. live on local television, specifically on Optimum Channel No. 17, as they face off against Central Missouri in Warrensburg.
 
LISTEN - GRIFFON SPORTS NETWORK (Varsity Network App & GoGriffons.com/listen)
Live streams of Missouri Western athletics are now available on The Varsity Network app! All home and away football and men's and women's basketball games will be available to listen to for FREE on the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen. Available on iPhone and Android, fans can access free audio streams for game days on the Varsity Network App. Fans can also receive push notifications as reminders for upcoming games and broadcasts.
 
Once you download The Varsity Network app, search 'Missouri Western' and select which Griffon teams you want to follow. For more information on The Varsity Network and how to listen to the Griffons, click here. Audio broadcasts can also be found at GoGriffons.com/listen. Audio broadcasts will also be archived at GoGriffons.com/listen in the 'On Demand' section, and on the Griffon Sports Insider Podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple and wherever you podcast.
 
MIAA STANDINGS

School	Conf	CPct.	Overall	Pct.	Streak
Washburn	4-0	1.000	13-0	1.000	W13
Northeastern State	3-1	.750	9-4	.692	W4
Pittsburg State	3-1	.750	7-6	.538	L1
Missouri Western	2-2	.500	10-4	.714	W1
Fort Hays State	2-2	.500	9-4	.692	L1
Newman	2-2	.500	9-4	.692	L2
Rogers State	2-2	.500	11-5	.688	W1
Central Oklahoma	2-2	.500	8-5	.615	W4
Central Missouri	2-2	.500	7-6	.538	W1
Missouri Southern	2-2	.500	7-6	.538	W2
Nebraska Kearney	2-2	.500	4-8	.333	W2
Emporia State	1-3	.250	4-9	.308	L3
Northwest Missouri	1-3	.250	3-10	.231	L3
Arkansas-Fort Smith	0-4	.000	6-7	.462	L2

 
 
TOP GRIFFON PERFORMERS
Zane Nelson is having an outstanding season with the Griffons. The senior tops the team with 122 points, boasting a shooting percentage of 45% (78-for-172) from the field. He averages 15.9 points per game, placing him tied for fourth in the conference, and his 62 assists are tied for fourth in the league.
 
Zion Swader has also had an impressive senior season. He averages 11.1 points per game on 45% (59-for-132) shooting. On the defensive end, he has recorded 30 steals, ranking fifth in the MIAA. Furthermore, he has accumulated 67 rebounds and 34 assists.
 
Senior Julius Dixon leads the Griffs with 84 rebounds (5th-MIAA), while fellow senior Kiani Saxon has accumulated a team-leading 18 blocks (3rd-MIAA). Moreover, senior Justin Bubak has tallied 119 points, 52 rebounds, 10 steals and seven blocks.
 
ABOUT THE ICHABODS
Washburn finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 19-11 (14-8 MIAA) record and was picked to win the MIAA with 161 points and eight first-place votes in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The Ichabods have been performing exceptionally well. They are currently ranked second in the nation with an undefeated record of 13-0. The team established dominance early in the season, with its closest game being an 81-73 victory at home against William Jewell. Notably, it began the season with a decisive 85-68 win against the defending national champions, Minnesota State, who were ranked No. 1 at that time.
 
In MIAA play, the Ichabods have claimed wins over Nebraska-Kearney, Fort Hays State, Central Missouri and Emporia State. They are the lone undefeated team in the conference.
 
The Washburn player to watch is sophomore Brayden Shorter. The guard has tallied 218 points (16.8 AVG/G) on 78-of-161 (43%) shooting. Additionally, the Springfield native has recorded 57 rebounds, 18 steals, 10 assists and five blocks.
 
ABOUT THE MULES
Central Missouri finished last season with a record of 13-15 (8-14 MIAA) and was projected to finish seventh in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 96 points.
 
The Mules head into the week with a 7-6 (2-2 MIAA) record. In non-conference play, they finished 5-4, with a notable 53-52 win coming against No. 9 North Georgia at the River City Holiday Classic.
 
UCM is currently 2-2 in league play. Their first win in MIAA play was a 59-57 nail bitter over UNK, and their second was a 72-69 thriller over Emporia State. Both victories were on the road.
 
The player to watch for Central Missouri is senior DeAirius Barker. The guard has recorded 158 points (12.2 AVG/G) this season with a shooting percentage of 40%, converting 49-of-123 attempts. In addition, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native has recorded 27 rebounds, 24 assists, 42 rebounds and 21 steals.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
After this week's games against the Ichabods and Mules, the Griffons will cap off their four-game road stint with rematches at Fort Hays State (1/16) and Nebraska-Kearney (1/18).