EMPORIA, Kan. - Junior Kassandra Caron's career day helped propel the Griffons (18-8, 13-5 MIAA) to a 69-67 comeback victory over Emporia State (10-17, 5-13 MIAA) in the MIAA road finale on Wednesday night. With the win, MWSU extended its win streak to seven over the Hornets.
 
The game was a back-and-forth battle that consisted 17 lead changes and 10 ties.
 
The first half from White Auditorium featured a flurry of scoring. With Caron leading the way with 21 points, Western recorded a shooting percentage of 44%, hitting 15 of their 34 attempts from the field, including five three-pointers. Despite the solid offensive effort, Emporia was able to hold a slim lead, finishing the half ahead 42-40.
 
Following a tightly contested third quarter, the Griffons trailed by nine with under five minutes to go in the game. However, they rallied with a late 14-3 run, featuring 10 points from Caron, which propelled them to victory. Caron exceeded her previous career-high in scoring by 10 points, finishing the game with 33. She made six of her last seven attempts, including the clutch three-pointer with just 1:10 on the clock.  The junior also contributed with six rebounds and an assist.
 
Senior Alyssa Bonilla added yet another strong performance in the victory, scoring 11 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing two rebounds. Junior Laura Toffali played a crucial defensive role, recording a career-high five steals, while junior Meredith Rieker contributed with a career-high eight rebounds.
 
Katie Horya led ESU with 22 points on an efficient 9-for-12 shooting frame. Jayla Cornelius added a solid outing with 19 points.
 
Missouri Western will return to action this Saturday for Senior Day at the MWSU Fieldhouse against the Newman Jets at 1:30 p.m. The MIAA finale will be broadcast live on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) with Tommy Rezac on the call.