The Missouri Western women’s basketball team struggled offensively in a 62-55 loss against the Emporia State Lady Hornets. The Griffons had just one player score in double figures falling to 12-4 on the season and 5-3 in MIAA play.

The Griffons struggled all day offensively and after starting the game 3-of-13 from the field MWSU found themselves down just three at 12-9 with 12:00 minutes to play in the first half. The Lady Hornets took a 34-26 lead after two Laura Patrick free throws with 48 seconds to play in the frame. The rest of the half belonged to senior Alicia Bell. She made a free throw and a three as time expired cutting the halftime lead to 34-30.

The Griffons were able to stay in the first half by getting 14 offensive rebounds which led to 11 second chance points and by the shooting of Sharniece Lewis. Lewis connected of 5-of-9 field goals for 14 points.

The Lady Hornets made 13-of-28 field goals with Marissa Quick leading the way with eight points. She also had six of ESU’s 17 rebounds.

The second half was a back and forth battle as the Griffons cut the Lady Hornet lead to one early in the half when JaQuitta Dever finished a three point play. Unfortunately the poor shooting continued as the ESU extended its lead to 10 with 13:17 to play after two Partrick free throws.

Once again the Griffons played hard and cut the ESU lead to three with 3:34 to play after Heather Howard connected on a free throw making the score 57-54. It was one of those days as the one scored on point down the stretch falling for just the fourth time this season.

The Griffons out rebounded the Lady Hornets 41-38 with 18 coming on the offensive end of the floor. Missouri Western was just 7-of-28 in the second half and 0-of-10 from long range. Lewis finished with 14 points while Bell had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists. Howard had just five points and picked up nine rebounds. It is just the second time all season Howard has been held under 10 points.

ESU had three players in double digits with Partrick finishing with a game high 17 points. Rachel Hanf and Quick pitched in 12 and 11 while Jocelyn Cummings had 12 rebounds. With the victory ESU improves to 8-6 overall and 3-3 in MIAA play.

The Griffons return to action on Wednesday, January 23 when they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. to take on the 11th ranked Central Missouri Jennies. Game time is set for 5:30 pm from the Multi-Purpose Building.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western running back Michael Hill outplayed many of his big-school counterparts at the first Raycom College Football All-Star Classic on Saturday.

Hill rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the Stripes to a 31-3 victory over the Stars at Cramton Bowl, long home to the now-defunct Blue-Gray game traditionally played on Christmas Day. The Division II product had runs of 44 and 49 yards for two of the game’s biggest plays, both setting up his touchdowns.

Hill was chosen offensive MVP by NFL scouts. The defensive MVP was Charles James of Charleston Southern, who had two tackles and a pass breakup that resulted in a third-quarter interception.

Purdue’s Robert Marve also had a strong performance in the showcase game for pro football prospects. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Stripes.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Hill bounced outside on back-to-back carries for a 44-yarder and then a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He added a 6-yard score midway through the fourth quarter after not logging a carry in the third.

Hill wasn’t added to the roster until six days before the game after rushing for 2,168 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished second in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy given to Division II’s top player and fared well against defenders from bigger schools, too.

Marve connected on a pair of long passes to set up scores for the Stripes.

He fired a 54-yarder to Notre Dame’s Robby Toma in the third quarter but his third-down pass into the end zone was broken up by Air Force’s Alex Means to force a field goal.

Later in the quarter Marve found Roy Roundtree of Michigan with a 39-yard, over-the-shoulder pass down the right sideline. Marve then threw for a 13-yard touchdown to Tyron Laughinghouse of Division II Saint Augustine.

Marve, who ranked third in the Big Ten in passing efficiency last season, also had a ball poked out from behind for a fumble on another promising drive, and the pick came off a deflection. He started 11 games for the Miami Hurricanes in 2008 before transferring.

Virginia’s Perry Jones added 42 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Pittsburgh’s Tino Sunseri was the Stars’ most productive quarterback. He was 8-of-18 passing for 105 yards but was intercepted twice.

Derrick Washington of Division II Tuskegee – about a half-hour from the stadium – gained 57 yards on 10 rushes for the Stars. Jacksonville State’s Washaun Ealey, a Georgia transfer, had seven carries for 42 yards. Jaron Brown of Clemson was the game’s leading receiver with six catches for 63 yards for the Stars.

Defensively, Prentiss Waggner (Tennessee) and Brandon Hepburn (Florida A&M) had interceptions on back-to-back plays in the third quarter, both off deflections.

Mississippi State’s Cameron Lawrence had a game-high seven tackles for the Stripes.

— Associated Press —

Four members of the Missouri Western State University football team earned All-America honors from the Don Hansen Football Committee Friday.

Senior Michael Hill earned first-team All-America honors rushing for an MWSU single season record 2,168 yards this past season. Hill was also the runner up in the Harlon Hill race which is an award given to the DII Football Most Outstanding Player. Hill will be competing in the Raycom College Football All-Star on Saturday, January 19. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm in Montgomery, Ala. You can watch the game on CBS College Sports Network.

Senior defensive end David Bass and senior offensive tackle Macon Allan were named to the third team All-America squad while junior quarterback Travis Partridge received honorable mention All-America honors.

Bass finished his career with an MWSU record 56 tackles for a loss and 40.5 sacks. He started in all 52 games in his career for the Griffons as did Macon Allan. Bass will be playing in the East/West Shrine game on Saturday, January 19. The game will kickoff at 4:00 pm EST in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will also be broadcasted on the NFL Network.

Partridge from St. Joseph, Mo. had his best season for the Griffons finishing with 48 total touchdowns (18 rushing, 30 passing). He passed for 2,706 yards completing 65.1-percent of his passes. He also finished with a 155.3 efficiency rating which led the MIAA and was 15th in the nation.

Shippensburg quarterback Zach Zulli, who captured the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy after passing for 4,747 yards and 54 touchdowns, was named the Don Hansen National Offensive Player of the Year. Fort Valley State junior linebacker Deron Furr, who led the nation with 26.5 tackles-for-loss, earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Glenville State running back Rahmann Lee, who rushed for 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns was named the National Freshman of the Year.

Valdosta State’s David Dean, who led the Blazers to a 12-2 record and the program’s third NCAA Division II National Championship, was named the 2012 Don Hansen National Coach of the Year.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western football team had five players named to the D2Football.com All-America team which was announced Thursday morning.

Running back Michael Hill was a first team selection as well as being named the Offensive Player of the Year. Senior defensive end’s David Bass and Ben Pister were named to the second team while junior tight end Reggie Jordan and senior offensive tackle Macon Allan were honorable mention selections.

The Griffons come off a season where they were the outright MIAA Champions for the first time in history and went to the quarterfinals of the DII Playoffs.

They picked up their first two playoff victories in school history defeating Minnesota-Duluth 57-55 in triple overtime at home before defeating Henderson State 45-21 in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Griffons finished with a 12-2 overall record and were 9-1 in MIAA play. The 12 victories was the most in Griffon history.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Wednesday night’s game against Lindenwood was highlighted by four big dunks, but Missouri Western failed to keep the momentum late in the game, and the Lions escaped MWSU Fieldhouse with a 78-69 victory.

Lindenwood took a 30-27 lead into halftime after both teams played tough. Tyler Ressel was 3-for-3 from the field with a total of nine points to pace the Lions, and the Griffons were led by Reed Mells’ nine points. Kalvin Balque stepped off the bench and knocked down a 3-pointer with less than a minute to play in the half to cut the Lions’ 6-point lead in half.

In the first half, Lindenwood was 11-for-16 from the free-throw line, and Missouri Western shot 100 percent, going 6-for-6.

In the second half, both teams stayed close and settled at 39-39. The Griffons took a slim 1-point lead minutes later as Dylan Frantz came off the bench a made a 3-pointer to take the 51-50 lead with 10 minutes, 35 seconds to play.

After the Lions took a 59-56 lead, Alfreeman Flowers made another spectacular dunk going under the hoop and around for the jam. Balque grabbed a steal and went coast-to-coast on a flying dunk that marked the score 63-62 in favor of the Lions.

Still, the Griffons couldn’t capitalize, and Lindenwood finished the night on a 12-4 run in the final 5 minutes to win 78-69.

Alex Bazzell led the Lions with 20 points, going 15-for-16 from the free-throw line to help his team. Cedric Clinkscales had 12 points and six boards to lead the Griffons in both categories. Alex Tuluka-Mfumupembe had 10 points and four rebounds, going 4-for-5 in the game.

Missouri Western next plays Emporia State at Emporia, Kan., Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western women’s basketball team picked up their third straight victory escaping with a 65-59 victory over the Lindenwood Lions. Despite struggling from the free throw line all game long the Griffons were able to make 7-of-9 down the stretch improving to 12-3 overall and 5-2 in MIAA play.

In a half which saw 27 combined turnovers the Lady Lions and the Griffons were able to play to a 23-23 tie at the half. The Griffons started strong building a 12-4 lead with 13:04 to play in the half. Dever led the way scoring six points with five coming in the first two minutes of the half.

The rest of the half belonged to the Lady Lions forcing the Griffons into 14 first half turnovers. The finished the half on a 19-11 run with Marissa Lehnig leading the way with seven points making 3-of-4 free throws.

The Griffons shot just 27.3-percent (9-33) from the field and 3-of-10 from long range. The Griffons outrebounded the Lady Lions 25-18 with KC Clouser and Heather Howard both collecting seven.

The Griffons came out of the locker room on fire creating turnovers and hitting shots building their largest lead of the game at 37-25 after a three pointer by Sharniece Lewis.

The Lady Lions once again stayed poised using a 10-0 run to tie the score at 40 with 10:11 to play after Caroline Bourlioux nailed to free throws. Once again the Griffons went on a run 7-0 claiming 47-40 lead but were unable to hang on to it as Linendwood stormed back taking a 55-54 lead after Bourlioux hit two more free throws with 1:30 to play.

Down the stretch the Griffons held the Lady Lions to just four points as the Griffons dumped in 11 claiming the six point victory. Lindenwood falls to 4-10 overall and 1-5 in MIAA play with the loss.

Howard collected her ninth double-double of the season scoring 15 points and snaring 13 rebounds while Lanicia Lawrence, Sharniece Lewis and JaQuitta Dever finished with 13, 13 and 10 respectively. Clouser finished with a career high 11 rebounds.

Despite shooting just 35.4-percent (23-65) from the field they forced 28 turnovers and had 13 steals. Dever finished with five steals while Lawrence pitched in four. Missouri Western also had 10 assists with Dever leading the way with four. The Griffons also had 15 more rebounds than the Lady Lions with 24 coming on the offensive end of the floor.

The Lady Lions had four players in double digits led by Sarah Schnieders with 16.

The Griffons return to action on Sunday, January 20 when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to take on the Emporia State Hornets. Game time is set for 3:30 pm from White Auditorium.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Former Missouri Western running back Michael Hill has been selected to play in the inaugural Raycom College Football All-Star Classic in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday, January 19. The game will be played at Cramton Bowl with kickoff schedule for 2:00 pm (CT). The game will be broadcasted live on CBS Sports Network.

The Raycom College Football All-Star Classic is a week long event that features elite college football seniors participating in NFL-formated practices that are open to the public. The Raycom College Football All-Star Classic will be coached by former NFL head coach Jim Bates and Dan Reeves.

Hill will play on the Stripe team which is coached by Reeves.

The Raycom College Football All-Star Classic is managed by a team with more than 250 years of college and professional football experience, ranging from former NFL General Managers to NCAA Division I College Athletic Directors.

It is their mission to provide college and professional football fans with a premiere all-star game that promotes the nation’s elite college football seniors, experienced coaches, and first class facilities in a city and state known for its passion of college football, Montgomery, Alabama.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western outscored Nebraska-Kearney 30-11 in the final 9:27 of the game picking up a 75-64 MIAA road victory. Adarius Fulton had a career night finishing with 23 points and seven steals. The Griffons improve to 6-7 overall and 2-3 in MIAA play.

After getting down early 4-0 the Griffons created turnovers using an 19-7 run claiming its largets lead of the half at 19-11 after an Adarius Fulton three with 6:33 to play in the first half.

From there it would be all Lopers as the Griffons struggled offensively down the stretch scoring just eight points. The Lopers drained four long range shots down the stretch which included one by Drew Sankey as time ran out in the half giving the Lopers the 28-27 halftime lead.

The Griffons scored 17 of its 27 points off 14 Loper turnovers. The Griffons dominated the points in the paint scoring outscoring the Lopers 18-8. The Griffons also had 12 bench points to UNK’s three.

Fulton lead all scorers with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting while collecting three steals. The Griffons shot 40.7-percent (11-27) from the field.

The Lopers were led by Jon Henderson with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. They made 9-of-22 field goals in the frame.

The Lopers opened up the first 10:30 minutes of the second half extending its halftime lead to eight at 53-45 after Tyler Shields nailed a long range shot with 9:27 to play.

From there the Griffons took control going on a 21-7 run building its lead to 65-56 after an Alfreeman Flowers old fashioned three point play with 3:12 to play. The run included four three pointers which included two by Dzenan Mrkaljevic.

The Griffons continued to play well the final three minutes holding on for the big road victory.

The Griffons shot 47.5-percent (28-59) from the field and made 12-of-18 free throws. MWSU forced 24 turnovers which they converted into 34 points. The Griffons also had 40 points in the point and 29 points off the bench.

Flowers collected his first double-double of his career dumping in 12 points and collecting 12 rebounds. Mrkaljevic was the only other Griffon in double digits with 10 points.

The Lopers fall to 4-9 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA. The Lopers made 21-of-49 field goals and 10-of-28 from long range. Jon Henderson had a game high 24 points while Sankey pitched in 10 and Shields added 12.

The Griffons return to action on Saturday, January 12 with a home contest against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats. Tip off is schedule for 3:30 pm in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —