JOPLIN, Mo. – It looked like the sixth-ranked Missouri Western women’s basketball team was going to suffer its third-straight loss, but someone forgot to tell Sarafina Handy it was over.

The Griffons’ leading three-point shooter launched a line drive three at the rim with 1.4 seconds left and her team down 70-67 that splashed home to tie the game. That just wasn’t enough of a storyline for this day though, as the senior was fouled on the shot and sank her free throw to seal a 71-70 win for the team, it’s first in Joplin since 2008.

Handy’s free throw gave Missouri Western its first lead in the game since the 1:41 mark of the third quarter. The Griffons had built a six-point lead that Missouri Southern would turn into a two-point deficit before the third quarter ended. Southern would jump ahead by as many as five points in the fourth. That was the spread with 3:11 left in the game when Handy knocked down her first three of the game to pull Missouri Western within two at 63-61. From there the two teams traded free throws until Deb Holcomb knocked down her sixth three of the game to give Southern a three-point lead with just under a minute to go. LaQuinta Jefferson made two free throws to cut the lead to one. Missouri Western fouled Sharese Jones on the Lions’ ensuing possession. Jones made the first and missed the second. Jefferson struggled to pull down the rebound, eventually losing it out of bounds. The Griffons would foul Jones again, and again, she made the first and missed the second setting up Handy’s miracle off a Jefferson rebound.

Jefferson led Missouri Western with 17. Miliakere Koyamainavure and Mhykeah Baez each had 12 points. Baez finished with a team-high seven rebounds. Chelsea Dewey added 10 points nad Handy finished with nine. The win improved Missouri Western to 19-2 on the year and 13-2 in the MIAA. It stopped a seven-game losing streak in Joplin.

The Griffons return home next week to host Lindenwood on Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. and Lincoln on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team couldn’t hang on to an early lead in a 94-71 loss at Missouri Southern Saturday.

Hot shooting from Missouri Southern brought the Lions back in front early in the first half and helped them mount a 14-point halftime lead that Missouri Western just couldn’t overcome. Southern shot 57.4 percent from the field for the game, including 70.8 percent in the second half with just seven missed field goals after the break. Missouri Western shot 36.5 percent from the field and 37.5 from three-point range.

Four Griffons scored in double figures led by Aaron Emmanuel’s 14 points. Trey Sampson finished with 13 points. Currie Byrd added 12 and Xavier Newson had 10 points with a team-high five rebounds. The loss dropped Missouri Western to 6-15 overall, 4-11 in the MIAA and stretched the program’s losing streak in Joplin to 10 games.

The Griffons return home next week to host Lindenwood on Thursday and Lincoln on Saturday.

ST. JOSEPH – With five returning starters and 10 returning letter winners, the Missouri Western baseball team is picked fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The Griffons were just two votes behind fourth place Lindenwood in the poll.  Last year’s team went 29-21 with a 22-14 mark in MIAA play, finishing fifth in the MIAA. Headlining the returners are relief pitcher Richard Peoples (2015 3rd Team All-MIAA), first baseman Cosimo Cannella (Honorable Mention All-MIAA), infielder David Glaude (Honorable Mention All-MIAA) and utility man Orencio Fisher (Honorable Mention All-MIAA).

Buzz Verduzco enters his 17th season as the head coach of the Griffons and is just the second coach in the program’s history. Verduzco won his 300th MIAA game last season and now holds a career mark of 463-348 with a 320-229 record in MIAA games. Joining Verduzco’s coaching staff this season is 2013 NCBWA National Player of the Year Michael Schulze. The highly decorated Griffon returns to Missouri Western after a few years playing professional baseball.

Missouri Western begins the season Feb. 6 with a three-game series at Arkansas Tech. The Griffons are scheduled for a home opening series against Washburn on Feb. 26.

2016 MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Missouri Southern (11) – 166
2. Emporia State (1) – 152
3. Central Missouri (2) – 141
4. Lindenwood – 122
5. Missouri Western – 120
6. Washburn – 114
7. Nebraska-Kearney – 97
8. Central Oklahoma – 87
9. Fort Hays State – 64
10. Northeastern State – 60
11. Southwest Baptist – 47
12. Northwest Missouri – 46
13. Pittsburg State – 45
14. Lincoln – 13

— MWSU Athletics —

The University of Kansas received a verbal commitment on Thursday from five-star prospect Udoka Azubuike.  The 6-foot-11, 275 pound center from Potter’s House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida is ranked no. 27 in the nation by Rivals.com.  He chose the Jayhawks over North Carolina and Florida State.

Azubuike, who is originally from Nigeria, has been in the United States for three years and is averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds this season.

Azubuike is the second played to commit to Kansas.  Mitch Lightfoot, a 6-8, 210-pound forward from Gilbert, Arizona, committed in October to KU.

ST. JOSEPH – MIAA Softball Coaches have released their preseason poll and Missouri Western is picked to finish fourth in the league.

The Griffons did receive one first place vote and 142 overall. Just 15 votes separated Missouri Western and top-vote getter Central Oklahoma (157). Pittsburg State was picked second after receiving more first place votes (6) than any other program. Central Missouri, which won the MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2015 was picked third.

Missouri Western was picked No. 16 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the only MIAA member to appear in the top-25. Last season, MWSU went 36-21, 17-9 in the MIAA. The Griffons posted the third best record in conference play but finished fourth in the standings due to a second place tie between Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State. Seven starters return to this year’s team and nine letter winners. Last year marked head coach Jen Bagley’s 10th 30-win season in her 14 years at MWSU. She enters her 15th season in St. Joseph just 10 wins away from 500 for her career.

2016 MIAA Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Oklahoma (4)  – 157
2. Pittsburg State (6) – 154
3. Central Missouri (3) – 149
4. Missouri Western (1)  – 142
5. Northwest Missouri  – 111
6. Emporia State – 106
7. Washburn – 96
8. Fort Hays State – 92
9. Northeastern State – 76
10. Nebraska-Kearney – 57
11. Southwest Baptist – 52
12. Missouri Southern – 35
13. Lindenwood – 34
14. Lincoln – 13

— MWSU Athletics —

PITTSBURG, Kan. – After winning its first 18 games of the season, the 6th-ranked Missouri Western Women’s basketball team has lost two in a row after dropping a heartbreaker at Pittsburg State, 83-80 on Wednesday.

There were four ties in the final five minutes of the game with each team taking the lead twice after the ties. On the night, the score was tied 12 times with nine lead changes.

Pittsburg State built an eight-point lead with 9:32 left in the game but Missouri Western recaptured the lead with 4:42 to go on two free throws from LaQuinta Jefferson. The senior guard scored 11 points in the Griffons’ 13-3 run to regain the lead. Kylie Gafford tied the game for Pittsburg State at 74 with 4:19 left then gave the Gorillas the lead back with two free throws. Miliakere Koyamainavure tied the game with 3:01 left at 76 and Jefferson tied it again with 2:30 remaining and after a Mikaela Burgess three gave Pitt State the lead back, Jefferson made three of four free throw attempts after being fouled and a technical foul was called on Pittsburg State. Jefferson had a chance to tie the game at 81 with 36 seconds left but made one of two to leave the team down one at 81-80. Pittsburg State would make two more free throws with three seconds left. Sarafina Handy had a chance to tie the game at the end, launching a three at the buzzer that went long.

The stat sheet showed a close contest with the Griffons shooting 49.2 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 72.7 percent at the free throw line. Missouri Western also won the battle on the glass, finishing with 37 rebounds to the Gorillas’ 30. The difference seemed to come at the free throw line where Pittsburg State shot 82.8 percent, making eight more free throws than the Griffons on seven more attempts. Missouri Western went 16-22 from the charity stripe, Jefferson accounted for 13 of the makes and 18 of the attempts. Jefferson, Handy and Julia Torres were the only Griffons to attempt free throws.

Jefferson finished with a game-high 29 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists. Handy added 16 points, 12 in the first half. Miliakere Koyamainavure finished with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The loss dropped Missouri Western to 18-2 on the season, 12-2 in MIAA play. The Griffons stay on the road this week with a trip to Missouri Southern on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team continues to struggle away from home as they remain winless on the road this season after a 95-73 loss at Pittsburg State Wednesday night.

Missouri Western trailed by one, 30-29, with less than five minutes to go in the first half. Pittsburg State closed the half on a 14-2 run, taking a 44-31 lead to halftime. The run would continue into the second half as Pittsburg State stretched its lead to as many as 25 points. Missouri Western shot 39.7 percent from the field while Pittsburg State shot 55.8 percent.

Trey Sampson paced Missouri Western with 20 points. Aaraon Emmanuel scored 15 with six rebounds and four assists. Xavier Newson chipped in 11 points.

The loss dropped Missouri Western to 6-14 overall and 4-10 in the MIAA. The Griffons stay on the road this week with a trip to Missouri Southern in Joplin on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team will debut the 2016 season with a national ranking. The team is slotted at No. 16 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Softball Coaches Poll.

Missouri Western is the only MIAA school to appear in the poll with Central Missouri just outside the top-25 with 47 votes. The Griffons finished 4th in the MIAA last season, going 36-21 overall and 17-9 in the MIAA. Seven starters and nine letter winners return from last year’s team. Key returners include 2015 All-MIAA selections Janie Smith (P-2nd Team), Morgan Rathmann (OF-2nd Team), Paige Shifflett (DP-2nd Team) and Katie Klosterman (3B-Honorable Mention).

Jen Bagley Trotter is in her 15th year as the head coach at Missouri Western and sits just 10 wins away from 500 career victories (490-296). She has led the Griffons to 10, 30-win seasons, coached 71 All-MIAA selections and has advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament eight times. In 2010, she led the program to its first MIAA Regular Season Championship and followed with its first MIAA Tournament Championship in 2014. Bagley Trotter has been named MIAA Coach of the Year three times (2004, 2009 and 2011).

Missouri Western begins its season on Feb. 6 at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – An unmatched winning streak to begin a season was stopped at 18 games Saturday afternoon as the No. 5 Missouri Western women’s basketball team fell 82-76 to Nebraska-Kearney inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Missouri Western found itself down by as many as 19 in the first half. The Griffons would slowly claw their way back into the game, cutting the deficit to single digits with 2:53 left in the third quarter, but couldn’t stop a hot-shooting Nebraska-Kearney team fresh off a 30-point loss at Northwest Missouri State. UNK shot 55.8 percent from the field, including 65.4 percent in the first half. Missouri Western was close to its season average, shooting 49.1 percent from the field but was just 6-17 from behind the arc and 50 percent at the free throw line.

LaQuinta Jefferson led Missouri Western with 19 points, one of four Griffons to finish in double-figures. Dwanisha finished with 14, Melia Richardson scored 13 and Julia Torres added 10. No Griffon had more than three rebounds, with the team totaling 24 rebounds to Nebraska-Kearney’s 37.

The loss drops Missouri Western to 18-1 and 12-1 in the MIAA. The Griffons hit the road next week, beginning at Pittsburg State on Wednesday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – A hot second half by Nebraska-Kearney put away the Missouri Western men’s basketball team on Saturday in the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons lost 85-66 after trailing by four at the half.

MWSU falls to 6-13 this season and 4-9 in the MIAA.

Nebraska-Kearney shot 55 percent from the field in the second half and went 5-8 from behind the arc after the break, outscoring Missouri Western 46-31 in the half. The Griffons shot 55.6 percent from the field in the first half and went 39.3 percent in the second, going 1-10 from three-point range. For the night, Nebraska-Kearney shot 59.6 percent from the field and 53.3 percent, 53.3 percent from three-point range and 80.8 percent from the free throw line.

Mataika Koyamainavure was the only Griffon to score more than nine points, matching a career-high with 17 points. Aaron Emmanuel added nine. The loss dropped Missouri Western to 6-13 overall and 4-9 in the MIAA. It was the first time the men and women lost at home on the same night since Jan. 10, 2015 against Pittsburg State.

The Griffons travel to Pittsburg State on Wednesday.

— MWSU Athletics —