ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Griffon Men's Basketball (12-5, 4-2 MIAA) captured a momentum-building conference win Saturday, earning an 88–76 win over Central Missouri (13-5, 4-2 MIAA).

Central Missouri opened the game with a 16–9 advantage at the 15:28 mark of the first half. The Griffons answered with a decisive 12–0 surge, turning the deficit into a 21–16 lead by the 12:00 mark. MoWest maintained control from there, carrying a 44–40 edge into halftime.

The Griffon offense caught fire after the break, building its largest lead of the game at 73–57 with 8:07 remaining. Bench production played a major role, as the Griffons outscored the Mules 24–9 off the bench. Central Missouri trimmed the margin to eight points with 4:50 left, but the Griffons closed out a key MIAA victory by a final score of 88–76.

MoWest closed the game shooting 55.9 percent from the field (33-of-59). The Griffons connected on 43.8 percent from three-point range (7-of-16) and finished 15-of-18 at the free-throw line for an 83.3 percent mark.

Central Missouri ended the contest shooting 50.8 percent from the floor (30-of-59). The Mules hit 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-21) and went 9-of-14 at the line, good for 64.3 percent.

Ty Henry led the Griffons by matching his career-best 23 points, delivering an efficient 9-of-12 outing from the field. He connected on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc and went a perfect 2-of-2 at the line, while also contributing two rebounds and three steals.

Noah King followed with 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field, connecting on 1-of-4 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line, while contributing five rebounds and a team-high six assists.

Marko Pavlovic also finished with 18 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-4 at the line, while pulling down nine rebounds and adding a steal.

Trey McKowen chipped in 10 points in 14 minutes, going 3-of-4 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.

What's Next
Griffon Men's Basketball will continue its four-game homestand on Thursday, Jan. 15, hosting Fort Hays State at 7:30 p.m. inside the Looney Complex. The matchup marks the third game of the four-game homestand for the Griffons in MIAA play.