Missouri Western Athletics
ST. JOESPH, Mo. – The Griffon Women’s basketball team will begin its season this week when the team travels to Columbia, Mo for an exhibition game against the University of Missouri.
The Griffons are coming off a 10-16 overall record and a 5-14 MIAA record. This season the Griffons roster includes five returners and welcomes seven newcomers to the roster.
Missouri Western’s key returners will include Kyrsten Crawford, Tiara Hall, and Ariana Novak this season. Ariana Novak started six games last season before a season ending injury occurred. Novak averaged 10.7 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game in her six games played. At forward, senior Tiara Hall started 20 games last season and averaged just over 20 minutes per game. She produced six points and six rebounds per game last season for the Griffons. Also, look for Kyrsten Crawford and Alex Saxen to have an increased workload this season after each averaged over 14 minutes a game last year.
Newcomers Miliakere Koyamainavure, LaQuinta Jefferson, and Sarafina Handy all transfer in with the ability to score the basketball. Each averaged over 15 points per game last season before coming to Missouri Western State University.
The Tigers are coming off of back-to-back postseason appearances as head coach Robin Pingeton begins her fifth season at the helm of Mizzou Women’s Basketball. The Tigers look to continue laying the foundations of success at Mizzou. The team returns 10 players from the 2013-14 season including star three-point shooter, Morgan Eye, and adds three newcomers in freshmen Bri Porter and Carrie Shephard and junior transfer Juanita Robinson.
Morgan Eye returns as the Tiger’s leading scorer from last season. She averaged 12.9 points per game shooting 43-percent from the field. Eye has a chance to set the NCAA career three-pointers record as she is just 109 threes away from tying the current record. Eye has knocked down over 100 threes in two-consecutive seasons at Mizzou.
The Griffons regular season game will begin this weekend when they travel to Quincy, Illinois to take on Robert Morris Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Quincy University Saturday at 4:00 p.m.