QUINCY, Ill. - Griffon Men's Basketball (1-0) opened the 2026-27 season in historic fashion Monday night, defeating Quincy (0-1) 103-70 at Pepsi Arena behind a dominant second-half performance and six players scoring in double figures.
The 33-point victory marked the Griffons' largest margin of victory over an NCAA Division II opponent since defeating Missouri-Rolla in November 2006. It was also MoWest's largest road victory against a Division II opponent since January 1998, when the Griffons defeated Lincoln 113-76.
MoWest also recorded its first season-opening victory since 2023 and scored its most points in a season opener since the 2005-06 campaign.
The Griffons shot 54.9% from the field (39-of-71) and connected on 16-of-31 three-point attempts (51.6%). The 16 made three-pointers tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.
Defensively, MoWest held the Hawks to 35% shooting from the field and just 4-of-19 (21.1%) from beyond the arc.
The Griffons trailed 7-0 in the opening minutes before responding with an 11-0 scoring run to take control. MoWest built its lead to nine points late in the first half and entered the locker room ahead 42-36.
The second half belonged to the Griffons, who outscored Quincy 61-34 while shooting 62.9% from the field (22-of-35) and 57.9% from three-point range (11-of-19).
MoWest quickly extended its six-point halftime advantage into double digits and continued pulling away, eventually building a game-high 39-point lead with 3:49 remaining.
Bode Goodman led the Griffons with 21 points, adding five assists and three steals. Corbin Johnson followed with 17 points and five rebounds, connecting on five three-pointers.
William Kiburis recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, including 10 defensive boards. He also added three blocks.
Gavin Hershberger contributed 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, while adding four assists and three steals.
Drew Kingery and Crew Gibson rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points apiece. Kingery added six rebounds, while Gibson contributed four rebounds and three assists.
Enoch Rodriguez chipped in nine points off the bench.
The Griffons finished with 42 rebounds, 24 assists and 15 steals while forcing 23 Quincy turnovers. MoWest turned those turnovers into 34 points and held a 42-30 advantage in points in the paint.
MoWest also received 47 points from its bench and finished with 21 second-chance points.
What's Next
The Griffons return to St. Joseph for the 2026 Hillyard Tipoff Classic at the Looney Complex. MoWest will face St. Cloud State on Friday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m., before taking on Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m.
