ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon Women's Basketball (8-14, 4-9 MIAA) is back on the road this week, heading south to face No. 20 Pittsburg State (17-5, 10-3 MIAA) on Wednesday and then Missouri Southern (17-5, 11-2 MIAA) on Saturday.
 
Tip-off from John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, KS on Wednesday is set for 5:30 p.m., while Saturday's bout at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center in Joplin, MO is set for 1:30 p.m.
 
Both games will be broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) with Voice of the Griffons Tommy Rezac on the call. Pregame coverage starts 15 minutes before tip-off. The game is also available to watch on the MIAA Network with a subscription.
 
Where We Left Off
Griffon Women's Basketball saw a 13-point lead in regulation go away, but the Griffons played a strong overtime to beat Central Oklahoma, 80-71, on Saturday at MWSU Fieldhouse.
 
UCO led 32-30 at halftime, but MoWest had a strong response to start the third quarter, dominating those 10 minutes and outscoring the Bronchos 23-8.
 
Leading 53-40 at the start of the fourth, MoWest hit a dry spell, shooting 6-of-16 in that quarter, while UCO shot 10-of-16 and tied the game at 67-67 with 29 seconds left in regulation.
 
MoWest never trailed in overtime, as Nakiya Harris drilled a three-pointer with 4:01 remaining, and the Griffs never looked back. MoWest shot 5-of-7 in OT, including 2-of-4 from three.
 
Harris recorded her fourth double-double of the season with a season-high 22 points to go with 11 rebounds. Ana Oliveira Dias came up big with 18 points to go with six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
 
Mia Morel chipped in 12 points, four assists, four steals and two rebounds. LaNicia Parker came off the bench for 11 points and five rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting. MoWest shot 30-of-70 (42.9%) from the field, hitting 6-of-21 (28.6%) from three and 14-of-24 (58.3%) at the foul line.
 
First Half Hindrances
MoWest has gotten off to some slow starts this season, trailing at halftime 13 different times. MoWest is 2-12 this season when behind or tied at halftime, but 6-2 when leading at halftime.
 
MoWest has trailed at halftime by 14 points or more seven times this season. The Griffons have often shown the ability to fight back, but at times have come up short, with eight of their 14 losses coming by 10 points or less.
 
Crunching Numbers
MoWest's schedule is ranked as No. 7 toughest in NCAA Division II, per the Massey Ratings, with four of its first six opponents being ranked 13th or higher. MoWest is set to play its seventh ranked opponent of the season this Wednesday at No. 20 Pittsburg State.
 
MoWest will have faced six teams this season that made the NCAA tournament in 2024-25, and five teams that finished last season ranked 13th or higher in the WBCA Coaches' Poll. The 14 opponents that have beaten MoWest this season have a combined record of 227-88 (.721). The Griffons have lost to just one team this season with a losing record - at Nebraska-Kearney (12-13) on Jan. 1.
 
Staying Sharp from Long Range
MoWest continues to be a threat from beyond the arc, ranking No. 3 in the MIAA with 171 made three-pointers for an average of 7.8 makes per game (No. 2 MIAA). The Griffs have sunk 32.8% of their attempts from deep (No. 2 MIAA). Mia Morel leads the way with 45 made three-pointers (No. 3 MIAA), shooting 34.4% from deep (No. 2 MIAA).
 
Worth Noting
MoWest ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in total steals (196) and No. 1 in steals per game (9.8). Ana Oliveira Dias is No. 2 in the MIAA in steals (49), averaging 2.3 swipes per game. Dias also ranks No. 3 in the MIAA with 4.5 assists per game.

Opponents at a Glance
No. 20 Pittsburg State (17-5, 10-3 MIAA) has had a nice season after making it to the Final Four last March, though this past week provided its challenges. The Gorillas, this past Thursday, lost on a buzzer beater at Emporia State, 65-63, and then took overtime to win at Newman 81-76 in Wichita on Saturday - a Newman team that's 1-13 in the league.
 
Still, the Gorillas are impressive, ranking No. 2 in the MIAA in free throw percentage (75.9%) and No. 1 in rebounds per game (42).
 
Kaycee McCumber is the best rebounder in the MIAA, and she averages 10 rebounds per game (No. 19 nation) to lead the Gorillas. She's also logged seven double-doubles on the season. Pitt State is averaging 73.2 points per game (No. 3 MIAA), and is led in scoring by freshman Marin Adams, who averages 13.2 points per outing.
 
Series History
Wednesday marks the 92nd all-time meeting with Pittsburg State in women's basketball. MoWest owns a 54-37 advantage in the series, though the Gorillas have taken four of the last five games in the series since 2023. MoWest hasn't lost in John Lance Arena since Feb. 2022.

Missouri Southern (17-5, 11-2 MIAA), despite sitting just one game back of No. 7 Fort Hays State in the MIAA standings, didn't receive a single vote in the latest WBCA Coaches' Poll. Ranked or not, Southern has roared back in 2025-26, sitting at 7-0 at home and winning eight of their last nine games since Jan. 6. The Lions went on the road last week and beat Newman (72-51) and Emporia State (74-69).
 
Southern boasts the No. 2 scoring offense in the MIAA (75.4 ppg) and is tied with No. 20 Pittsburg State for most rebounds per game in the MIAA (42). The Lions are especially good on the offensive glass, averaging 15.4 offensive rebounds per game (No. 1 MIAA, No. 22 nation). Grace Frazier leads the scoring threat with 16.1 points per game (No. 3 MIAA), while Ashlyn Alloway is the top rebounder with 8.8 boards per night (No. 3 MIAA) and eight double-doubles on the year .
 
Series History
Saturday will be the 102nd all-time meeting with Missouri Southern. The Griffons lead the all-time series 62-38, with each of the last eight meetings since December 2020 being split down the middle. MoWest has lost in each of its last three trips to Joplin and has not won at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center since February 2020.