The Missouri Western women couldn’t overcome red hot shooting by No. 15 Pittsburg State, falling 86-68 Saturday, Jan. 21 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons fell to 5-11 overall, 3-8 in the MIAA and the Gorillas improved to 16-2 and 10-1.

Western shot 36.8 percent from the field and just 43.5 percent from the free throw line after coming into the game leading the conference in free throw percentage. Meanwhile, the Gorillas shot 49 percent from the field for the game.

Western trailed by 33 with 4:35 remaining in the game but was able to close the gap with a full-court press defense. Jessica Koch extended her streak of consecutive games scoring in double digits to 26 games with 24 points to lead all scorers. Ashleigh Curry finished with a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds. Curry was held scoreless in the first half and didn’t find a bucket until 15 minutes remaining in the game. Alicia Bell added 11 points and Alex Saxen had nine on 3-5 shooting from behind the arc.

The Griffons shot a balmy 22.2 percent from the field in the first half and after going into the game shooting 76.5 percent from the lin,e the women were just 4-8 from the charity stripe. Koch managed 13 points in the first to extend her double digit scoring streak. The Gorillas jumped out to an 11-0 run to start the game. Pitt. went to halftime shooting 61.5 percent from the field and a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line. Drew Roberts was hot from outside in the first, shooting 4-7 and gong to the locker room leading all scorers with 12 points.

The women return to action Wednesday, Jan. 25 when they travel to Emporia, Kan., to take on the Hornets at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Griffon men offensive struggles continued in Warrensburg falling 64-48 against the Central Missouri Mules on Saturday afternoon. The Griffons scored a season low 48 points dropping their sixth straight MIAA game and falling to 6-9 overall and 1-8 in MIAA play.

The first nine minutes of the first half looked good for the Griffons as they took a seven point (14-7) lead after a Reed Mells lay-up. Western went cold the next eight minutes of play missing seven straight shots getting down by 12 at 27-15 after two good free throws by Boo Hunter with 5:23 to play.

The two teams play the rest of the half even as Western went into the locker room down 35-23. Western outscored the Mules 14 to 10 in the paint but got outscored 22 to 8 off the bench. Western made just 33.3-percent (9-27) of their field goals with Lavonte Douglas leading the way with five points. Seven Griffons scored in the first half.

The Mules made 11-of-27 field goals with Widgett Washington leading all scorers with nine points off the bench. The Mules had 12 more rebounds than the Griffons scoring 11 second chance points.

Western battled in the second half but never got closer than nine points. Deionta Mitchell hit a three at the 10:34 mark of the second half cutting the Mule lead to nine at 47-38. The Mules extended their lead to as many as 18 the rest of the way picking up the 16 point victory. UCM improves to 10-4 overall and 6-3 in MIAA play.

Douglas was the only Griffon in double digits scoring 14 points while snaring five rebounds. He connected on 6-of-11 field goal attempts.

The Mules were led by Hunter with 14 points connecting on 8-of-10 free throw attempts. Washington scored 13 off the bench while the Mules outrebounded the Griffons 42 to 27 in the game.

Western will wrap up the first half of MIAA play on Tuesday, January 17 when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. to take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western outscored the Jennies 45-40 in the second half but it wouldn’t be enough as they fell for the first time in 2012 by a score of 72-67 against Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. Jessica Koch dumped in 29 points while setting a career high with 14 made free throws as Western falls to 5-9 overall and 3-6 in MIAA play.

Despite being out of basketball for almost five years, Ashleigh Curry made an immediate impact for the Griffons. Western got off to a slow start getting down 10-0 before Curry made her first appearance. Curry hit her first shot of the game getting Western on the board with a long range bomb with 14:29 to play.

Curry’s basket sparked an 18-4 run by Western giving them an 18-14 lead after a Curry lay-up with 7:36 to play. Western hit just one field goal and scored four points, all by Charlonda Bozeman, the remaining seven and a half minutes of play going into halftime down 32-22.

Western shot just 25.8-percent (8-31) from the field while the Jennies made 42.9-percent (12-28) of their field goal attempts. Curry had seven points while Koch pitched in five. The Jennies were led by Alyssa Rhodes with 10 points making 3-of-5 field goal attempts.

The Jennies jumped on the Griffons early in the second half opening up a 16 point lead after a three from Renae Shippy with 16:29 to play in the game. Curry and Koch took over the rest of the half scoring 42 of the Griffons 45 second half points. Koch’s layup with 10:57 got the lead to fewer than 10 for the first time since the first half. Western never trailed by double digits again.

Western tied the game at 65 after two Curry free throws with 1:37 to play the Jennies outscored the Griffons 7-2 down the stretch picking up the victory. The Jennies improve to 11-4 overall and 5-4 in MIAA action.

Curry finished with 25 points in her first game back connecting on 10-of-20 field goals while snaring a team high seven rebounds. Alicia Bell snared six rebounds while Koch dished out five assists and had two steals. The Griffons shot 48.1-percent (13-27) from the field in the second half but made just 5-of-23 long range shots in the game. The Griffons connected on 20-of-23 free throw attempts including 18-of-20 in the second frame.

The Jennies shot 44.1-percent (26-59) in the game and outrebounded Western 41-to-35 in the game. Nicole Caddell had 19 points including 13 in the second half. She also had a game high eight rebounds.

Western wraps-up the first half of MIAA play on Tuesday, January 17 when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. to take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats. Game time is set for 5:30 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Despite a hard fought game and the best efforts of TJ Johnson’s double-double, Missouri Western Griffons fell to the Truman State Bulldogs 87-86 in overtime at the MWSU Fieldhouse. It was a tight game with neither team leading by more than seven points throughout the contest.

The Griffons held a lead by the smallest of margins at half time, 38-37 over the visiting Truman State Bulldogs. Missouri Western opened with a quick layup by Lavonte Douglas to put the first points on the board and raced out to a quick 7-2 advantage. However, Tom Norton quickly pulled Truman State back into the game with a couple of long range shots as the Bulldogs pulled back to within one. The teams were even for much of the half with seven ties and four lead changes. The Griffons had 12 fouls in the frame, but Truman State was unable to capitalize as they only shot 57% (8-14) from the free throw line.

The second half opened with cold shooting as both teams combined to miss their first 7 attempts from the floor. A technical foul on the Griffons bench allowed Truman State to take a 55-51 lead which they eventually stretched to the largest lead of the game 62-55. The Griffons fought back to tie the score at 72 with 14 seconds left. On the next possession Truman State had a chance for a basket under the rim but excellent defense by Lavonte Douglas forced an errant shot by EJ Hicks and the teams went to overtime.

Missouri Western opened with two quick baskets in the extra frame to take a 76-72 lead, but Tom Norton hit a deep three point shot for Truman to pull back within one point. After trading baskets the Bulldogs emerged with an 83-81 lead on a layup by Mike Carlson with 1:16 left in the game. Truman State was able to milk the clock down and bury their free throws to ice the contest. With the loss the Griffons fall to 1-7 in MIAA play, and 6-8 overall, while Truman State improves to 3-5 in the MIAA and 5-10 overall.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Alex Noble gave the Missouri Western women their first lead of the game with 31 seconds remaining in a 65-64 comeback win over Truman State at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Western’s third straight MIAA win moved their record to 5-8 overall and 3-6 in the MIAA. Truman fell to 8-5 and 3-5.

Jessica Koch brought the Griffons within two after her three found the bottom of the net with 3:30 remaining. Brittany Griswold’s career-high 23rd point tied the teams at 59 with just under two minutes to play. After Nicole Gloor made one of two free-throw attempts to put Truman back ahead 60-59, Koch fired another three that missed, but Noble was there to clean up and give Western the lead for good.

Alicia Bell made four free-throws down the stretch to extend the lead. Beka McHenry brought Truman within one with nine seconds to go but two of Bell’s free-throws sealed the victory. Bell finished with eight points, six in the second half.

The Griffons escaped to the halftime locker room down just nine points. Griswold went into the break having tied her career high with 17 points. The Bulldogs led by as many as 16 in the first frame on the heels of hot shooting. Truman shot 55 percent from the field and 60 percent behind the arc. Breanna Daniels was 2-2 from three and Allie Norton made one of her three triple point attempts. The Griffons took 11 shots from behind the arc, with just two finding the bottom of the net.

Koch extended her double digit scoring streak to 23 games, chipping in 14 including two three’s in the second half. Koch led the Griffons with 8 rebounds, while Griswold and Bell each added seven. Bell was the only Griffon with more than one assist, finishing with five.

Western will return to action Jan. 14 when they travel to Warrensburg to take on the Jennies. The Griffons face off with Southwest Baptist in Bolivar on Jan. 17 before returning home on the 21st to host Pittsburg State.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Former Missouri Western kicker Greg Zuerlein will be participating in the annual East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, January 21, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game will be played at Tropicana Field home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Zuerlein is the first Griffon to have the opporntunity to play in the shrine game.

Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Game has pitted the best college football players from the East and West sides of the United States against one another in a thrilling all-star game played to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children®. The game – and the practice sessions before it – attract dozens of NFL scouts and is often a launch pad to a career as a professional football player. Today’s East-West Shrine Game has grown far beyond its California-based roots into a nationally celebrated and televised event that attracts tens of thousands of fans and raises funds and awareness for the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Throughout the history of the East-West Shrine Game®, players have been chosen because they are the very best in the country. In fact, there are 246 former East-West Shrine Game players on current NFL rosters.

Each year the players visit a Shriners Hospitals for Children® as part of their game-week activities. For many players, this visit is an opportunity to develop a philanthropic relationship that can last a lifetime.
The coaches.

Coaching the East-West Shrine Game is as significant an honor as playing. The coaches are former NFL coaches selected for their knowledge, experience and accomplishments throughout their careers. Each head coach brings along with him three of his own assistant coaches to round out his lead team. The coach for the West squad in 2012 is Brad Childress and Bobby Ross will coach the east.

— MWSU Sports Information —