ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Griffon Women's Basketball (12-15, 8-10 MIAA) closed out its home slate in style Wednesday night, defeating Emporia State (14-13, 8-10 MIAA) 72-67 inside the Looney Complex to secure its fourth straight victory and cap off the regular-season home schedule.

MoWest came out aggressive in the opening half, building a 24-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Griffons continued to control the tempo in the second quarter, taking a 40-21 advantage into the break.

Emporia State battled back in the second half, outscoring MWSU 22-16 in the third quarter and 24-16 in the fourth to trim the margin. The Hornets cut the deficit to single digits late, but the Griffons answered at the free-throw line and made key defensive stops down the stretch to seal the 72-67 win, their sixth victory in the last seven games.

Ana Dias Oliveira poured in 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 4-of-8 from three, while adding eight rebounds, seven assists, five steals in 37 minutes.

Sydney Lewis matched the team-high with 18 points, shooting an efficient 9-of-10 from the field. She also grabbed seven rebounds, recorded three blocks, and added a steal in 34 minutes.

Mia Morel tallied 14 points with two three-pointers and went 2-of-2 at the free-throw line. She dished out seven assists, collected three rebounds, and played 37 minutes.

Emporia State shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from three-point range, and 77.8 percent (7-of-9) at the free-throw line.

MWSU shot 28-of-65 (43.1%) from the field, 9-of-31 (29.0%) from three, and 7-of-8 (87.5%) at the free-throw line.

What's Next
Griffon Women's Basketball closes out the regular season Saturday, Feb. 28, traveling to Wichita, Kan. for a 1:30 p.m. matchup at Newman.