KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Western women’s tennis team move to 3-0 on the season after picking up a 5-4 victory over Rockhurst on Friday night.

The Griffons earned victories in the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches. Joanna Abreu Roman and Sarah Giraldo earned an 8-2 win over their opponents. In No. 2 doubles, Sofia Aguilera and Yasmine El Ghazi came out with an 8-5 victory.

In singles matches, the Griffons fell behind 4-3 but got wins from the No. 2 and No. 3 singles to earn the victory. All three of the Griffons wins in singles matches went into a third set. Sarah Giraldo defeated Janine Koleta 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the No. 2 spot. Freshman Joanna Abreu Roman fell behind, dropping the first set 3-6 but rebounded with 6-2, 6-2 wins. El Ghazi recovered from a 4-6 set one loss, claiming 7-5, 6-2 victories in the second and third set.

Singles competition
1. Emma Schelble (RU) def. Aguilera, Sofia (MWSU) 6-0, 6-3
2. Giraldo, Sarah (MWSU) def. Janine Koleta (RU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
3. El Ghazi, Yasmine (MWSU) def. Emma Persson (RU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
4. Abreu Roman, Joanna (MWSU) def. Tamara Santos (RU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Octavia Malin (RU) def. Smith, Meara (MWSU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Justine Berezintsev (RU) def. Chiao, Denise (MWSU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Abreu Roman, Joanna/Giraldo, Sarah (MWSU) def. Tamara Santos/Octavia Malin (RU) 8-2
2. Aguilera, Sofia/El Ghazi, Yasmine (MWSU) def. Emma Schelble/Justine Berezintsev (RU) 8-4
3. Emma Persson/Janine Koleta (RU) def. Beger, Lindsay/Chiao, Denise (MWSU) 8-1

Missouri Western will have its first home match of the season on Friday, February 26th at the Genesis Health Club starting at 12 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western women’s basketball team sits atop the first edition of the 2016 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Central Region Poll.

The regional poll determines which teams advance to the postseason past the conference tournaments. The top-eight ranked teams will be invited to play in the central regional set to take place March 11-14. A bid process will ultimately determine the host, but preference is given to the top seed.

Missouri Western is in the midst of its best season in more than a decade. The team’s 23 wins are one shy of the program record for regular season victories and its 17 MIAA wins are already the most in the program’s storied history.

With three games remaining, the Griffons have a game and a half lead for first place over Fort Hays State in the MIAA standings. Fort Hays State appears at No. 3 in the regional poll. On Missouri Western’s heels is Pittsburg State at No. 2. Emporia State is the other MIAA team listed in this week’s poll, coming in at No. 6. Also in the top-10 are No. 4 Winona State, No. 5 Arkansas Tech, No. 7 Minnesota State-Moorhead, No. 8 Sioux Falls, No. 9 Northern State and No. 10 Augustana.

Click here to view all regional polls.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – After two wins on the road last week, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team is up one spot in the WBCA/USA TODAY Poll to No. 7.

It’s the fifth straight week the team has been in the top-10 and the third straight week the team has moved up in the polls. Last week, the team picked up wins at Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma to move to 23-2 overall and 17-2 in the MIAA. The 17 MIAA wins are the most in program history and one more win will tie the program record for regular season victories.

With three games left in the regular season for Missouri Western, the team holds a game and a half lead over Fort Hays for first in the MIAA standings. After going 1-1 last week, Fort Hays State dropped to No. 10 in this week’s poll. Other MIAA members in the top-25 include No. 19 Pittsburg State and No. 22 Emporia State.

The Griffons wrap a three-game road swing this Saturday with a trip to Northwest Missouri State. Missouri Western closes the regular season next week with home games against Washburn (Feb. 24) and Central Missouri (Feb. 27).

— MWSU Athletics —

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Missouri Western baseball team picked up its third win of the weekend on Sunday afternoon, beating Ouachita Baptist 5-2.  The Griffons are now 4-3 on the season.

Western scored two runs in the third inning, getting out to an early lead when Nick Gawley singled through the left side to bring home Cosimo Cannella and Orencio Fisher. MWSU held the Ouachita Baptist offensive in check for a majority of the game behind brilliant pitching from Evan Jones and Preston Bailey.

Missouri Western added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning when Kody Matthews came in to pinch hit. Matthews delivered a three-run home run to left center field to give the Griffons a 5-0 lead heading into the ninth inning.

The Tigers produced two-runs and three hits in the bottom of the ninth but Preston Bailey got out of the jam to end the game.

Kody Matthews finished the day going 1-for-1, including three RBI in the game. Three other Griffons had at least one hit in the game. Also, the Griffons managed to pick up seven walks to help the offense produce some runs. Pitcher Evan Jones went 5.1 innings, allowing just one hit and recording just one strikeout. Bailey finished the game with four strikeouts and allowed OBU to three hits.

Missouri Western will begin conference action at home on February 26, starting at 2:00 p.m. against Washburn. The Griffons will play a three-game series against the Ichabods over the weekend.

— MWSU Athletics —

EDMOND, Okla. –  That’s one way to win your first road game of the season.

The Missouri Western men’s basketball team erased 19-point halftime deficit to defeat Central Oklahoma 88-84 in overtime on Saturday in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Cole Clearman scored all 25 of his points in the second half, going 7-10 from 3-point range.  Clearman set career highs for points and made three point field goals in the win. His hot-shooting sparked a 31-8 second half run that saw the Griffons take their first lead with 12:30 remaining in regulation.

The shot that sent it to overtime was one that will be remembered for a long time. With the Griffons trailing 76-73 with just over five seconds remaining, Aaron Emmanuel stepped to the free-throw line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one.  But Currie Byrd tipped the loose ball out to Miles Wentzien, and the freshman netted a three-pointer with three seconds remaining to force overtime. From there, the Griffons took control thanks to back-to-back shots from Byrd. The junior forward finished with 15 points.

Aaron Emmanuel also had 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the victory. Wentzien added 16 points.

The Griffons improve to 9-16 overall and 7-12 in The MIAA.

They will next travel to Maryville Saturday to take on Northwest Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

EDMOND, Okla. – The No. 8 Missouri Western Women’s Basketball team won its 23rd game of the season, 88-78 over Central Oklahoma. The Griffons got off to a blistering start and hung on down the stretch for the team’s 17th MIAA win of the season, the most in program history.

Missouri Western jumped out to an early lead, outscoring UCO 21-6 in the first quarter. The Griffons were outscored by four in the second quarter but still took a 35-24 lead to halftime. Central Oklahoma outscored the Griffons again in the second half, 54-53 but the big, early lead was enough.

Sarafina Handy led Missouri Western with a career-high matching 26 points. Handy broke a personal career record with six made threes in the game. LaQuinta Jefferson scored 18 points. Miliakere Koyamainavure finished with 16 points and six assists. Mhykeah Baez just missed a double-double with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Griffons shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the game and 57.1 percent from long range.

The Griffons improve to 23-2 and 17-2 in the MIAA.  They stay on the road next week with a game at Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ARKADELPHIA, Ar. – The Missouri Western baseball team picked up their second victory of the season with balanced hitting and solid pitching earning a 9-2 victory over Henderson State Friday.

Missouri Western got on the board in the third inning. Ozzie Rodriguez led off the inning with a single to left field and two batters later got waved around to score when Orencio Fisher singled. The Griffons second run came when Cosimo Cannella singled to right field, scoring Fisher from second.

The Griffons added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jeremy Alvarado tallied his first home run of the season to open the inning. MWSU’s rally was started up again as Rodriguez and Fisher both got on base. David Glaude doubled to left center to score both Rodriguez and Fisher. Cannella got his second hit of the night, scoring Glaude from second. The Griffons took a 6-0 lead to the fifth inning.

Henderson State loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning and eighth inning but couldn’t get a run across the plate in either inning. The Reddies managed to score in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run home run by Jared Gage.

MWSU added one insurance run in the sixth, eighth and ninth inning each. All three runs came from Fisher including his first home run of the season.

Fisher finished the day going 3-for-4, managing to score five runs and record two RBI. Cosimo Cannella had a monster day at the plate, going 5-for-6 and picking up four RBI. Six other Griffons had at least one hit on the day. Pitcher Weston Caindec picked up the win, moving to 1-1 on the season. He went 6.2 innings allowing just four hits and adding four strikeouts.

The Griffons will play two games on Saturday, starting with Ouachita Baptist at 11 a.m. and then Arkansas Tech at 3 p.m. Missouri Western faced off against Arkansas Tech last weekend  in a three-game series.

— MWSU Athletics —

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – It was another split for No. 16 Missouri Western Softball as the team won its first game and lost its second of the Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic.

Game 1: #16 MWSU 2, East Central 0

Kailey Green and Paige Shifflett hit solo home runs and Janie Smith limited East Central to four singles in a 2-0 victory to open the 8-State Classic.

Green put the Griffons up 1-0 in the second when she hit a two-out, solo homer to right center that hit a car parked outside the fence. Shifflett hit her first long ball of the year in the following inning, drilling a pitch to right field that left the park in a hurry, giving Missouri Western a 2-0 lead. Smith held the lead, wiggling out of her only real jam in the sixth. With the tying run at first, Smith allowed a single to center but Morgan Rathmann threw a runner out at the plate to end the inning.

Smith moved to 2-1 on the year with her first shutout of the season. The senior struck out six and walked one. Rathmann went 3-4 with a double and Shelbie Atwell was 2-3.

Game 2: Arkansas Tech 8, #16 MWSU 2

A five-run sixth inning for Arkansas Tech turned a tight game into a one-sided one as defensive miscues hurt the Griffons late in the game.

Two errors and three singles hurt Missouri Western in the sixth with all five Arkansas Tech runs that inning coming after Shyanne Saladino had retired two batters. Arkansas Tech tacked on two more in the top of the seventh on a two-run home run to the second batter of the inning. Missouri Western took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a RBI singles from Shifflett and Taylor Hamilton.

Saladino was tagged with the loss, allowing three earned runs on two home runs in seven innings of work. She gave up nine hits and struck out one. Shifflett went 2-4 at the plate and Green went 2-3.

The loss dropped the Griffons to 3-3 on the year. The team is scheduled to play Southern Arkansas, Saturday at 9 a.m. and Missouri S&T at 11 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 8 Missouri Western Women’s basketball team turned on the after burners after a slow first quarter of an 88-57 win at Northeastern State. The win improved the Griffons’ record to 22-2 overall and 15-2 in the MIAA. It’s the first time since the 2002-03 season the team has won more than 21 games in a season.

Early in the second quarter, Missouri Western trailed by two, but then Sarafina Handy knocked down a three that set off a 24-7 Griffon run to end the half. Missouri Western shot 69.4 percent from the field on the night, 72 percent in the second half. LaQuinta Jefferson led the Griffons with 21 points, going 9-11 from the field. Handy finished with 16 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc. The Griffon defense held its own, holding Northeastern State to 40.4 percent shooting from the field, just 31 percent in the second half and 11 percent from three-point range after the break.

The 15 MIAA wins this season are one less than the program record. The win also clinched a spot in the top-four of the final MIAA standings. The top-four seeds in the MIAA Tournament receive a bye in the first round and play their first games at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

— MWSU Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team’s road struggles continued Thursday night at Northeastern State where the Griffons dropped their 10th road game of the season, 88-62.

In a game with postseason implications, Missouri Western shot just 33.9 percent from the field. In the first half, MWSU was limited to eight field goals on 25 attempts. The Griffons’ 15 turnovers proved costly, with Northeastern State scoring 21 points off the giveaways. MWSU scored six points off turnovers.

Three Griffons scored in double figures, led by Trey Sampson’s 12. Miles Wentzien added 11 and Aaron Emmanuel had another double-double, finishing with 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

The loss dropped MWSU to 8-16 overall, 6-12 in the MIAA and 0-10 on the road. It also moved Northeastern State back above the Griffons for 12th place in the MIAA standings, the final qualifying spot for the MIAA Tournament.

— MWSU Athletics —