ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Griffon Women's Basketball (6-14, 2-9 MIAA) is back home to take on Rogers State (9-12, 6-6 MIAA) Thursday and Central Oklahoma (8-13, 3-9 MIAA) on Saturday.
 
Thursday's game starts at 5:30 p.m., while Saturday's tips at 1:30 p.m. The games will be broadcast live on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) with Voice of the Griffons Tommy Rezac on the call, alongside former Griffon Women's Basketball coach Rob Edmisson. Pregame coverage for each game starts 15 minutes before tip-off.
 
The games can also be streamed on the MIAA Network with a subscription. Thursday's contest is the annual Pink Out game, while Saturday's matchup will be centered around a celebration of 50 years of women's athletics at Missouri Western State University.
 
Where We Left Off
Griffon Women's Basketball suffered a 75-66 loss to Northwest Missouri State last Saturday at Bearcat Arena in Maryville. MoWest led by as many as eight points in the first half, but trailed 33-31 at halftime.
 
Northwest gained separation in the third quarter, as MoWest's five turnovers in the period led to added scoring chances, and Northwest led 54–46 entering the fourth.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Griffons trimmed the deficit to 66-64 with 1:54 to go, following a free throw from Ana Oliveira Dias. The Bearcats, however, sealed the game by knocking down five free throws over the final two minutes.
 
Mia Morel led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 10-of-17 from the floor, 3-of-7 from three and 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. She added four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
 
Dias finished with 14 points, going 4-of-11 from the field and 6-of-9 at the line. She also contributed four rebounds, five assists and four steals. Nakiya Harris added 12 points, shooting 4-of-12 overall and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, while pulling down eight rebounds.
 
MoWest shot 40.7% from the field (22-of-54), knocking down 33.3% from three (5-of-15), but the Griffons went 17-of-32 (53.1 percent) at the foul line, marking a season-high in missed free throws.
 
First Half Hindrances
MoWest has gotten off to some slow starts this season, trailing at halftime 12 times by an average of 11.8 points. MoWest is 1-12 this season when down or tied at halftime, but 5-2 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 have often come up short, with eight of their 14 losses coming by 10 points or less.
 
Schedule Strength
MoWest's strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 toughest in NCAA Division II, per the Massey Ratings, with four of its first six opponents being ranked 13th or higher. MoWest has one game left against a ranked opponent this season - at No. 11 Pittsburg State on February 11.
 
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 Griffons will have played seven total games this season against ranked opponents - all ranked 13th or higher.
 
Staying Sharp from Long Range
MoWest continues to be a threat from beyond the arc, ranking No. 3 in the MIAA with 159 made three-pointers for an average of 8 makes per game (No. 1 MIAA, No. 25 nation). The Griffs have sunk 33.3% of their attempts from deep (No. 2 MIAA). Mia Morel leads the way with 41 made three-pointers (No. 3 MIAA), shooting 33.9% 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 the MIAA leader in steals (46), averaging 2.4 swipes per game.

Opponents at a Glance
Rogers State (9-12, 6-6 MIAA) has enjoyed steady improvement this season. After going just 8-20 the season prior, Rogers enters the first week of February at 9-12 overall, and its six conference wins are the most for the program since 2021-22. Under third-year head coach Heather Davis, the Hillcats come to St. Joseph on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Newman 65-58 this past Saturday.
 
RSU ranks third in the MIAA in assists per game (15) and No. 2 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.08). The Hillcats returned plenty talent from last season with 11 returners in all and four starters back for 2025-26. Senior guard Samantha Shanks is the lead scorer and rebounder with 9.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
 
Series History
Thursday marks the ninth all-time meeting with RSU. The Griffons are a perfect 8-0 against the Hillcats all-time, including a 4-0 record in St. Joseph. MoWest has beaten Rogers State by an average margin of 19.6 points. The Griffs beat RSU in Claremore, Oklahoma last January, 64-51.
 
Central Oklahoma (8-13, 3-9 MIAA), like MoWest, is fighting for a chance to play in the conference tournament in March. Sitting just one game below the cut line, UCO is 1-5 in its last six games, most recently falling at home to Emporia State, 65-56, last Saturday.
 
Still, things are looking up for the Bronchos, as they've already matched their win total from last season. UCO is under new leadership this year with Hannah Moeller taking over as head coach last April. She spent the previous nine seasons at NAIA Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City, going 202-75 (.729) in that time.
 
UCO returned just three players from last season and welcomed in 10 newcomers. The Bronchos have impressed defensively, holding opponents to just 36.1% from the field (2nd MIAA). Most impressively, UCO leads the league with 116 blocked shots (No. 2 nation), averaging 5.5 blocks per game (1st MIAA, No. 6 nation).
 
Jerney Bennett has led the block party with an MIAA and NCAA Division II-leading 85 blocks.
 
UCO also sits No. 3 in the MIAA in rebounds per game (41.8) and No. 2 in offensive rebounds (13.9). UCO has also been efficient offensively, averaging just 13.2 giveaways per game (2nd fewest MIAA). True freshman Nykaiya Dillard leads UCO in scoring with 12.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Kaitlyn McCarn is second in scoring with 11.2.
 
Series History
Saturday marks the 18th all-time meeting with UCO in women's hoops. MoWest leads this series 11-6 all-time, and has won four straight against the Bronchos since 2022.