Missouri Western Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Smith will add another impressive honor to his resume as he will be inducted into the Valparaiso University Athletics Hall of Fame as part ceremonies taking place this Saturday, February 4th on the Valparaiso campus.

During his playing days at Valpo, he was an Associated Press Little All-American in 1966, the same season he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.  He also served as the captain of the 65-66 team and helped guide the Cursaders to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament under legendary coach, the late Gene Bartow.

Smith took over the head coaching duties of the Valpo program in 1980 and held that role until coming to Missouri Western for the 1988-89 season.

This will be the third Hall of Fame induction for Coach Smith as he is also a member of the Missouri Western State University Athletics Hall of Fame and the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

The formal induction will take place this Saturday in the Community Room of the Christopher Center on the Valparaiso campus at 3:30 PM.  Smith along with the other inductees will be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game that evening against Wright State which tips off at 7:05 PM.

Other inductees include; former men’s basketball coach Homer Drew, volleyball player Katie (Bova) Hoffman 2002-2005, former team physician & football player Dr. James Malayter and volleyball player Lauren Marshall.

As a result of the induction, Smith will not coach the Griffon Basketball game at Missouri Southern this Saturday night as assistant coach Mike Nicholson will assume the duties.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western men (7-13, 2-12) took No. 23 Fort Hays (14-5, 8-5) down to the wire, but a slow second half kept the Griffons from upsetting the Tigers for a third straight year at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Western held Hays to 25 percent shooting in the first half on the way to creating a 10-point halftime lead, but fell 62-58.

Thanks in large part to two Moses Dayee three-pointers from the corner, Western couldn’t claw close enough, and missed some key free-throws down the stretch. Dayee finished 14 points to lead the Tigers on 4-11 shooting from behind the arc.

Lavonte Douglas paced the Griffons with 16 and six rebounds. Reed Mells continued his impressive late season run with 13 points, including a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. James Harris also finished with 13 for Western and added five assists. Western shot 38.5 percent from the field in the second after shooting 47.6 percent in the first.

The Griffons out rebounded the Tigers 38-30 and scored six more points in the paint. The Hays bench outscored Western’s 34-5. The teams were close to even in almost every statistical category, but it was a tale of two halves that ended on Hays’ half.

The Griffons were led by Mells’ 11 first half points. TJ Johnson paced Western with eight rebounds in the first frame to go along with four points. The Griffons held the Tigers to just 25 percent from the field; 15 percent from behind the arc. Western also out rebounded the Tigers 22-14, and took a 10-point lead to the locker room, 31-21.

The Griffons travel to Joplin, Mo., to take on Missouri Southern this Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western women (6-13, 4-10) shot a blistering, season high, 58.9 percent from the field on the way to a 90-78 win over Fort Hays (15-6, 7-6) at the MWSU Fieldhouse Monday (Jan. 30). The win snapped a five game skid for the Griffons and marked numerous season and career marks for the team and its players.

Charlonda Bozeman (10) and Kallie Schoonover (9) recorded season highs for points scored and Emily Romdenne’s seven points were a career high for the freshman guard. Jessica Koch extended her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games with 21 points and nine rebounds. Ashleigh Curry led the Griffons, scoring 24 off of the bench. Western’s bench outscored the Lady Tigers reserves, 48-19.

Koch and the Griffons came out of the break on a mission, scoring four quick points to put the Griffons in front, 37-33 and prompt a Fort Hays timeout less than two minutes into the second half. Romdenne tied a career-high with her seventh point that put Western up by nine. Western shot 72.4 percent from the field after the break.

Koch had a chance to give the Griffons the halftime lead but her half court heave that found nothing but net, was a split-second after the buzzer. Western trailed by one 32-33 on 44 percent shooting from the field at the half. Western held the Lady Tigers to 30 percent from the field, but 13 turnovers hurt the Griffons. Romdenne scored five first half points and was a perfect, three for three from the field with one triple. Western’s bench outscored Fort Hays’ 19-0 in the first frame.

The Griffons head south later this week, starting with a trip to Joplin to face Missouri Southern on Saturday, Feb. 4 before traveling to Russellville, Ark. to play traditional DII power Arkansas Tech. The Griffons will face the Golden Suns at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Will McNeill scored 10 of Washburn’s (14-6, 8-4)last 13 points and put the game out of reach for the Missouri Western (7-12, 2-11) men, who fell 64-55 Saturday (Jan. 28) at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Reed Mells paced Western with a career high, 17 points. Lavonte Douglas just missed his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds. McNeill led all scorers with 26 for the Ichabods.

Western trailed by one with 2:55 remaining, but McNeill put it away for Washburn and ended the Bods’ four game losing streak at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

A Mitchell Martin jumper gave the Ichabods a 32-21 lead going into the break. The Griffons shot 48 percent from the field and were led by Douglas’ 10 points. Reed Mells chipped in nine first half points and TJ Johnson had seven.

Western athletics honored 150 student-athletes at halftime for their academic achievements. Western hosts #23 Fort Hays at the fieldhouse Monday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Despite Brittany Griswold (9.5 ppg), Ashleigh Curry (20.3 ppg) and Charlonda Bozeman (2.8 ppg) sitting in street clothes, the Western women gave No. 14 Washburn all it wanted Saturday (Jan. 28) at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Unfortunately for the Griffons, (5-13, 3-10) it wasn’t enough, dropping its fifth straight, 60-55 to the LADY Blues (18-3, 11-1).

Jessica Koch paced the Griffons with 21 points and nine rebounds. Koch led all scorers and extended her double-digit scoring streak to 28 games. Alicia Bell added 13 on seven of 13 with five rebounds. Abby Stone shipped in 12 for the Griffs.

Western shot 38 percent from the field and was 68.4 percent from the free throw line. The Lady Blues outrebounded the Griffons, 46-31. Western forced 18 Washburn turnovers, to 12 for the home team. Ebonie Williams finished with 19 points, to lead Washburn and Stevi Shultz finished with 16, after scoring 14 in the first half.

Western went to the half down 28-24 after shooting 30.8 percent from the field in the first frame. Koch had nine points and six first half rebounds. Bell chipped in seven points in the first frame on four of five shooting from the field. The Lady Blues went to the halftime locker room having shot 32.3 percent from the field.

The women will host Fort Hays (15-5, 7-5) Monday, Jan. 30 at the fieldhouse at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

After being on the losing end of heartbreaker after heartbreaker, the Western men could finally breathe easy Wednesday night.

The Griffons defeated Emporia State 72-66  in White Auditorium to snap their 8-game losing streak this season, picking up their first road win at Emporia in five years.

Western shot 51.1% from the field and had a balanced offensive effort, dishing out 17 assists, with five Griffons scoring at least 8 points,

James Harris led Western with 20 points, while Lavonte Douglas and Sean Tarver added 12.  T.J. Johnson chipped in 9, while Alex Taluka-Mfumupe had 8.

The Griffons took the lead four minutes into the first half, and never gave it back, leading by double digits most of the game.  Emporia cut the lead to single digits late.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Griffons survived 66.7% first half shooting by the Hornets, and erased a 15-point 2nd half deficit to tie the game at 57-57 on Koch’s 3-pointer with 4:06 remaining, but Emporia answered with a Merissa Quick lay-up at the 3:15 mark to reclaim a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Heather Robben had 27 points for Emporia.  Koch’s 33 came on 12-20 shooting.  She added 5 steals to go along with 4 assists and 7 turnovers.  No other Griffon player scored in double figures.  Abby Stone added 8 points, 4 blocks, 5 rebounds and 3 steals for Western.

Emporia shot 52.1% for the game.  Western shot 46%.

The loss drops the Griffons to 5-12 overall and 3-9 in MIAA play.  Emporia improves to 14-3 and 10-2 in the conference.

The Griffons were without two starters, Ashleigh Curry (team violation) and Brittany Griswold (injured foot).

Koch has now scored in double figures in 26 games dating back to last season.  She also sits at 1,577 career points.  She is now 177 away from tying Western’s all-time scoring record set by Lisa Hughes.

Western returns home Saturday to face Washburn.  Tip-time is set for 1:30 from the Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

A Sam Pugh three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining propelled Pittsburg State over the Missouri Western men 69-67 Saturday, Jan. 21 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Western dropped to 6-11 and 1-10 in the MIAA, their 8th consecutive loss. Pitt improved to 11-7 and 7-4.

After Pugh’s wide-open shot, James Harris was called for a travel on a drive toward the hoop with 3.4 seconds left. On the other end, Andra Bailey made one free throw to put the Gorillas up 69-67 with 2.5 seconds left. Lavonte Douglas’ lob pass for TJ Johnson was intercepted by Pugh as time expired.

Alex Tuluka-Mfumupembe tied the game at 65 with his three-pointer from James Harris with 1:40 remaining. Deionta Mitchell gave the Griffons their first lead since the first half when he sank a free throw with 33.4 seconds remaining, then drained the second to put Western up 67-65.

Harris led all scorrers with 21 points, Johnson had five in the second half to finish with 12. Douglas scored 14 second half points and had eight rebounds in the second frame to finish with 15 and nine. Bailey and JaVon McGee each had 19 for the Gorillas and Courtney Ingram finished with 12 for Pitt. Pugh’s three gave him seven for the game.

The Griffons built a 23-16 lead with 7:01 remaining in the first half before the Gorillas went on a 17-3 run to end the half and go to the locker room up 36-26. Johnson and Harris each scored seven first half points for the Griffons. Western shot just under 43 percent from the field in the first, going 2-7 from three.

Western will head to Emporia to face the Hornets next on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —