ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Griffon Men’s Basketball (4-3) fell on the road at Missouri – St. Louis (5-1) in the team’s first game of the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic on Friday. The Griffons took their first lead of the second half with just under four minutes remaining, but fell by a score of 74-61.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons trailed by just two going into halftime, holding Missouri – St. Louis to just 39 percent shooting in the half. The Tritons’ five made jump shots gave them the 34-32 advantage going into halftime.
• Missouri – St. Louis stretched the lead to 10 points with just over six minutes remaining.
• The Griffons then made four-straight three-pointers on a 12-0 run to take their first lead of the second half at 59-57 with 3:35 to play.
• The Tritons closed the game on a 17-2 run, forcing four Griffon turnovers.
• Missouri Western outrebounded the Tritons 35-30 in the loss.
• The Griffons shot 42 percent from the field.

LEADERS

• Tyree Martin earned his first career double-double on Friday, finishing with a career high in points (12) and rebounds (11).
• Lavon Hightower scored in double-digits for the 19^thstraight game, finishing with 16 points on five made three’s.
• Bryan Hudson added 12 points on 63 percent shooting.
• Tyus Millhollin dished out a game-high four assists.

UP NEXT

• The Griffons will play their second and final game of the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic against Maryville (3-2) on Saturday.
• The Saints lost to Central Missouri 83-76 on Friday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball (3-3) earned a 93-50 win in its first game of the Fairfield Inn Thanksgiving Classic on Friday night. The Griffons took the lead on their first offensive possession of the game and remained in control until the final buzzer. The 43-point win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Griffons.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons set the tempo right out of the opening tip, jumping out to a 14-0 run and making five of their first seven shots.
• Missouri Western made eight out of their 14 three-point attempts in the first half, good for 57 percent from distance.
• The Griffons had their best shooting performance of the season, shooting 61 percent from the field. The Griffons scored at least 22 points in all four quarters.
• Saint Mary was held to 36 percent shooting.
• The Griffons had the rebounding advantage all night and out-rebounded the Spires 41-22 in the win. The Griffons had three players with five or more rebounds, led by KeShara Scott’s eight boards.
• The second-unit was almost as productive as the starters. The Griffons finished with 40 points from the bench.
• All 12 players that suited up for Missouri Western played in the game, with 11 scoring at least four points.

LEADERS

• Katrina Roenfeldt set a new career-high with 22 points, with 17 coming in the first half.
• Kylee Williams finished with a career high 12 points on four made three pointers.
• Jill Rumpf dished out six assists in her first career start, the most by a Griffon this season.
• Rumpf also set a new career high in points with 13. She made all eight of her free-throw attempts in the win.

UP NEXT

• Missouri Western will host William Jewell (2-2) in the final game of the Fairfield Inn Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
• The Cardinals will be coming off a 24-point win against Northwest Missouri on Friday.

— MWSU Athletics —

QUINCY, Ill. – Missouri Western Men’s Basketball (4-2) fell on the road to Quincy (2-2) 76-63 on Tuesday. The Griffons outscored the Hawks 32-25 in the first half but struggled shooting from the field in the second, suffering their first loss in five games.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons entered halftime with a 32-25 lead thanks to a solid defensive effort. Missouri Western limited Quincy to just 31 percent shooting in the first half.
• Tyus Millhollin’s three-pointer with five minutes remaining capped off a 14-6 to tie the game at 62.
• Following Millhollin’s three, the Hawks closed the game on a 14-1 run as the Griffons missed their last eight shots.
• The Griffons had their worst shooting performance of the season, shooting just 36 percent from the field.
• Quincy had the advantage in getting to the free-throw line all night. The Hawks drew 27 fouls and shot 32 free throws.
• The Griffons turned the ball over just three times in the second half after having 12 turnovers before halftime.
• Tuesday’s road loss ends Missouri Western’s longest win streak since the 2011-12 season.

LEADERS

• Bryan Hudson led the team with 17 points on 50 percent shooting.
• Lavon Hightower added 15 points and a game-high seven boards.
• Sam Siganos led all players with three assists.

UP NEXT

• Missouri Western will head to St. Louis for the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic this weekend.
• The Griffons will play Missouri – St. Louis (4-1) on Friday, Nov. 23.
• The Tritons defeated St. Louis College of Pharmacy 92-80 on Nov. 19.

— MWSU Athletics —

QUINCY, Ill. – The Missouri Western women’s basketball team (2-3) fell on the road at Quincy 59-45 Tuesday. The Griffons fell behind 24-8 after the first quarter and were not able to cut the lead to single digits for the remainder of the game.

NOTABLES

• The Hawks used a hot-shooting first quarter to jump out to an early lead. Quincy shot 59 percent from the field with three made three pointers in the first.
• Melia Richardson stopped the 14-0 Quincy run with a driving layup at the end of the first quarter.
• Missouri Western played its best right out of halftime, outscoring the Hawks by seven in the third quarter. The Griffons out-rebounded Quincy 13-2 and held them to 36 percent shooting in the period.
• The Griffons outscored Quincy 25-15 in a low-scoring second half.
• The Griffons managed to cut the lead to 11 with 3:11 remaining.
• Turnovers were a deciding factor, with the Griffons losing the turnover battle 23-13.

LEADERS

• Katrina Roenfeldt scored double-digits for the fifth-straight game.
• KeShara Scott tied for the team-high with 10 points.
• Scott also led all players with nine rebounds.

UP NEXT

• Missouri Western hosts the Fairfield Inn Thanksgiving Classic on Friday and Saturday.
• The Griffons will play Saint Mary (1-4) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western men’s basketball head coach Sundance Wicks announced two signings for the 2019-20 season.

Wicks added two student-athletes for next year’s roster during the recent signing period. Both come from the high school ranks and both from neighboring regions.

“We love guys that want to be Griffs and these two gentlemen wanted to be Griffs,” Wicks said. “I would say that our biggest initiative moving forward for this 2019 class was to sign players that were not only OKG’s (our kind of guys), but players who came from championship level high school programs and the character upbringing to match.

Alex John and Reese Glover are two of the toughest, most talented and trained winners I have been around! They both come from amazing families and that is important to our program because we recruit parents that fit as much as players that fit. They will be impact players for years to come in our program.”

REESE GLOVER | G | 6-0 | Franklin, Tennessee | Franklin High School
SW: Reese Glover is a winner, pure and simple; a tough-minded, hard-nosed, do whatever it takes winner! In the first game of his senior season he nailed a three pointer with two seconds remaining on the clock to win it. He is definitely the dude you want on your team and not against your team. Reese has the potential to be the best shooter I have ever coached, but it his play making ability that really got me excited. He can do it all off the bounce as well. Our fans will love watching this kid from the volunteer state for the next four years!

ALEX JOHN | F | 6-8 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Champlin Park High School
SW: The first thing you need to know about Alex is that he has already navigated adversity in his young adult life. Overcoming back surgery is no small task. He not only overcame it, but came back stronger than before. Alex is the perfect fit for our style of play. He is extremely mobile, has great athleticism and most importantly has the head, heart, hands and feet that make up a great big. Alex loves the weight room and that jacks me up because that is a huge part of our culture. He’s almost bigger than all of our guys already! I’m so excited about the future of this young man, but I’m even more excited for our fans to get to watch Mr. John for the next four years.

In his first year as head coach at Missouri Western, Wicks has led the Griffons to their best start (4-1) in seven years. Glover and John represent the second wave of signees to join the Wicks era. Wicks’ initial signing class last spring featured six high school players and five transfers. The 2019-20 season is scheduled to feature 14 returning Griffons along with Glover and John.

— MWSU Athletics —

ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri Western men’s basketball (4-1) overcame a 12-point first half deficit to pick up its first road win of the season, 89-79 at Missouri S&T (2-1), Saturday. The Griffons have won four-straight and the 4-1 start is the best for the program since winning the first four games of the 2011-12 season.

Missouri Western trailed by 36-24 with 6:24 left in the first half, but closed the gap to just one point at the break and opened the second half with an 18-6 run.

NOTABLES

• 89 points was the highest total by the Griffons in four years. Missouri Western scored 97 in a home win over Baptist Bible College in 2014
• Missouri Western shot 53 percent from the field, making 33 shots on 62 attempts
• The Griffons out-scored the Miners 57-28 in the paint
• After shooting 64 percent from the line in the first half, the Griffons shot 83 percent from the charity stripe after halftime, making 10 of 12 attempts
• The Griffons led by 13 with 9:21 left, their largest lead of the game

LEADERS

• Lavon Hightower posted his second double-double in his last three games, leading all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and adding a career-high 12 rebounds
• Tyrell Carroll was 7-of-12 from the field for a career-high 19 points
• Bryan Hudson scored 13 points and Tyus Millhollin added 10
• Millhollin had a team-high five assists

UP NEXT

• The Griffons stay on the road with a trip to Quincy with the Griffon Women on Nov. 20.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Regis University (2-1) got the better of the Griffon Women (2-2) in Missouri Western’s home opener on Saturday afternoon in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

In a game where both teams struggled to score, the Griffons shot 33 percent from the field and 21 percent from three-point range.

NOTABLES

• The two teams missed 75 combined shots, going a combined 38-for-113 (33.6%) from the field
• Missouri Western was 4-of-19 from behind the arc and Regis went 3-of-14 from three-point range
• Both teams made 19 field goals, but Regis made 14 of its 21 free throw attempts while the Griffons made nine of their 13 free throws
• The Griffons were charged with 23 personal fouls while Regis was charged with 13
• Missouri Western had one more total rebound than the Rangers, 41-40 and turnovers were close with the Griffons committing 12 and the Rangers, 11
• After shooting 25 percent in both the first and second quarters, the Griffons improved in the second half, shooting 45.5 percent in the third quarter and 40 percent in the fourth

LEADERS

• Cera Ledbetter led the Griffons with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 4-for-4 free throw shooting. She also led the team with eight rebounds
• Katrina Roenfeldt scored 10 points and had six rebounds

UP NEXT

• The Griffons will play a non-conference, men’s and women’s doubleheader at Quincy on Nov. 20
• Missouri Western hosts the four-team Fairfield Inn Classic on Nov. 23 and 24.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Tickets are on sale now for the 2018 Agent Barry Live United Bowl on Dec. 1 in Texarkana, Arkansas. Griffon Football will take on Southern Arkansas in the Griffons’ first postseason appearance since 2012.

TICKET INFORMATION

• All tickets are general admission
• Adult tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the Live United Bowl website
• A limited number of tickets will also be available for purchase in person at the Missouri Western ticket office inside the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex. Those tickets will be available with cash or check only during regular business hours between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28
• Student Tickets are $4 with valid student ID. Student tickets must be purchased either at the Missouri Western box office or at the gate the day of the game. Missouri Western students wishing to receive a free ticket must pick them up in person, limit one per student, at the front desk of the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28.
• Children 5-and-under are free

GAME INFORMATION

• Saturday, Dec. 1 at noon
• Razorback Stadium – Texarkana, Arkansas
• vs Southern Arkansas (8-3)

PRE-GAME EVENTS

• Jeans, Boots & BBQ Banquet on Friday, Nov. 30 from 6 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. at the Texarkana Texas Convention Center. A limited number of $25 tickets is available to order online.
• Community Pep Rally on Friday, Nov. 30 following the banquet at the convention center
• An area designated for Missouri Western tailgating will be announced at a later date

ABOUT THE BOWL GAME

• In its sixth year, the Agent Barry Live United Bowl is played between two of the top teams at the NCAA Division II level.
• The game features the highest place finisher in the Great American Conference that does not qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs against an at-large opponent chosen from either the Lone Stat Conference or the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
• Missouri Western is the fourth MIAA representative to play in the bowl game. The previous three MIAA opponents all won.
• Southern Arkansas is the first school to play in the bowl game twice, losing 24-17 to Texas A&M Kingsville in 2016.

— MWSU Athletics —

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball (2-1) lost its first game of the season on the road to their once-MIAA foe Truman (3-0) by a score of 84-67 on Tuesday. It was the third-straight road game for the Griffons before they return to St. Joseph for their home opener on Saturday.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons shot well right from the opening tip. Missouri Western made five of its six three-point attempts in the first quarter with Katrina Roenfeldt drilling three from deep to give the Griffons a 23-13 lead going into the second period.
• The two teams reversed roles in the second quarter. The Griffons missed all of their three-point attempts while the Bulldogs shot 60 percent, giving Truman the one-point lead going into halftime.
• After a back-and-forth third quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away in the final period. Truman closed the game on a 15-3 run to hand Missouri Western its first loss of the early season.
• Second chance points ended up being what cost Missouri Western the game. The Bulldogs racked up 20 second chance points from their 16 offensive rebounds.
• The Griffons finished with a 46 percent field goal percentage.
• The team played its best defense in the first half, holding the Bulldogs to just 34 points.

LEADERS

• Roenfeldt finished with a career-high 20 points on 64 percent shooting. Her five three-pointers are also a career high.
• Cera Ledbetter had a productive night with 15 points and a team-high five boards.
• Dossou Ndiaye was the third Griffon in double-figures with 10 points.

UP NEXT

• Griffon Women’s Basketball will play Regis in the team’s home opener on Saturday, Nov. 17.
• The Rangers are currently 1-1 and coming off of a 16-13 season in 2017-18.

— MWSU Athletics —