TOPEKA, Kan. – The Missouri Westenr women’s basketball team loast at Washburn Wednesday 59-45. The Griffons fall to 11-12 this season and 4-10 in the MIAA.

Hampered by a slow start, Missouri Western closed out the first half with a fury. The Griffons ended the last 4:36 of the opening half with an 11-2 run. MWSU had an 11:47 stretch where it outscored WU 24-10. Washburn countered Missouri Western with a 31-15 run to close out the game.

The Griffons shot 77.8 percent from the free-throw, the highest percentage since Dec. 14. MWSU was 34.7 percent from the field, its lowest percentage in the last four games.

NOTABLES
– Cera Ledbetter scored 14 points, it is her fourth consecutive game scoring in double-figures

– Missouri Western outscored Washburn 20-10 off the bench

– The Griffons forced 16 Ichabod turnovers, the most by an opponent since Jan. 15

– WU recorded 14 assists, the most MWSU has allowed since Jan. 13

– Washburn’s Reagan Phelan led all scorers with 16 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Emporia State for a 5 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 10.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head football coach Matt Williamson has announced the signings of 38 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent.

The 2018 football signing class includes student-athletes from seven different states: Missouri (20), Kansas (7), Illinois (4), Arkansas (2), Oklahoma (2), Nebraska (1), Nevada (1) and Maryland (1). Williamson’s second signing class as head coach at Missouri Western features 31 high school seniors and seven transfers.

By position group, this year’s class includes three quarterbacks, three running backs, two wide receivers, three tight ends, five offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, seven linebackers, six defensive backs and two specialists.

“We’re very pleased to bring these young men into the Griffon Football Family,” Williamson said. “It was huge for us to be able to hit the ground early in the recruiting process this year and ensure we brought in the types of players who can be successful in our program, in the classroom and in the community. These young men will help continue to move Griffon football forward.”

Williamson and his staff were charged with replacing 17 seniors from the 2017 football team that finished with a 4-7 record. The 2018 season begins Aug. 30 when the Griffons travel to rival Northwest Missouri State.

Jahmel Boarman
DL | 6-3, 225
Raytown South HS | Raytown, Mo.
Two-Time All-District … Two-Time All-Conference

Reggie Certain Jr.
Safety | 5-9, 190
Hazelwood Central HS | Florissant, Mo.
First Team All-Conference … Two-Time Second Team All-Conference

Evan Clark
OL | 6-2, 270
Derby HS | Wichita, Kan.
Three-Time AVCTL First Team All-League … Two-Time First Team All-Metro … Two-Time Kansas 6A State Football Champion

Tate Collum
Ath | 6-2, 170
Grain Valley HS | Grain Valley, Mo.
2017 MOFBCA First Team All-District … 2017 First Team All-Conference … 2017 First Team All-Examiner … 2017 Grain Valley Napier Award Winner … 2017 KMZU Dream Team and Player of the Year … Two Time Team MVP … Two Time All-District Quarterback

Kobe Cummings
Ath | 6-0, 190
Platte County HS | Kansas City, Mo.
Four-Year letter winner … Two-Time All-Conference … Two-Time All-District … Missouri All-State Media Team … Participated in Epic 7 Midwest 7-on-7 … All-State Academic Team … Two-Time Platte County Academic Honor Letter winner

Joshua Davis
DL | 6-3, 235
Lee’s Summit West HS | Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Helped Team to 8-3 Record … Had 62 Tackles in 10 Games

Lane Eggers
OL | 6-4, 295
St. Joseph Central HS | St. Joseph, Mo.
Two-Time All-Conference … All-District … Two-Time St. Joseph New-Press All-City … First Team All-St. Joseph News Press Team

David Ellison
Safety| 5-10, 185
Pattonville HS | St. Louis, Mo.
Class 5 Defensive Player of the Year … Conference Defensive Player of the Year … First Team All-Conference Defensive Back … Second Team All-Conference Running Back … First Team All-District Defensive Back and Running Back … Second Team All-State Running Back … First Team All-Metro Defensive Back … First Team All-USA Missouri

Cameron Grandy
TE | 6-5, 210
Fieldcrest HS | Benson, Ill.
Peoria Journal Star Offensive Player of the Year … News Tribune Small School Player of the year … Academic All-State … All-State Honorable Mention … Unanimous HOIC First-Team All-Conference Quarterback … Second Team HOIC All-Conference Defensive Back … HOIC Honorable Mention Defensive End …Peoria Journal Star Preps Best of Central Illinois

Devon Holmes
WR | 6-2, 185
Wright City HS | Wright City, Mo.
First Team All-State … Two-Time First Team All-District … Three-Time First Team All-Conference

Braden Howell
QB | 6-2, 195
Bishop Carroll HS | Wichita, Kan.
Kansas 5A Player of the Year … Kansas 5A Passing Yards Leaders … led team to the 2017 Kansas 5A State Championship … All-State Top-11 for Kansas … First Team All-State … All-Metro … First Team All-City … Selected for Kansas Shrine Bowl

Thomas Kopcho
Specialist | 5-9, 170
Millard North HS | Omaha, Neb.
All-State Honorable Mention … Helped team to berth in the Nebraska Class A State Playoffs in 2017 and State Quarterfinals in 2016

Nick Kruse
DL | 6-2, 220
Harrisonville HS | Harrisonville, Mo.
Two Time Second Team All-State … Two Time First Team All-District … Two Time First Team All-Conference … First Team All-Conference Offensive Lineman

Ethan Macoubrie
TE | 6-5, 200
Grain Valley HS | Grain Valley, Mo.
Two Time All-Conference … Two Time All-District … All-State … All-Area … KMZA Dream Team

Brenden McClure
OL | 6-5, 260
North County HS | Bonne Terre, Mo.
Two-Time All-Mineral Area Football Conference Red Division Offensive and Defensive Line … Two-Time First team All-District … 2017 SEMO All-Region First Team … Two-Time All-State … Two-Team Class 4 Media All-State … KTJJ/J98 Regional Radio Dream Team Member

Caleb Patterson
WR | 6-4, 200
North Andrew HS | Rosendale, Mo.
Missouri 8-Man Player of the Year … Two-Time All-State … Three-Time All-Conference … Two-Time All-District … Two-Time KAAN and KKWk All-State … Three-Time High School Honor Roll

Theo Price
LB | 5-11, 190
Lindburgh HS | Chicago, Ill.
First Team Unanimous All-State … First Team All-State Media … Three-Time All-Conference … Three-Time All-District … St. Louis All-American …Second Team All-Metro … Four School Records for Tackles in a Game and Season … Two-Time Team MVP

Noah Price
OL | 6-2, 255
Liberty HS | Liberty, Mo.
First Team All-Conference Offensive Line … Second Team All-Conference Offensive and Defensive Line … Two-Time All-Conference Honorable Mention

Terrius Rodgers
Ath | 5-10, 160
Caruthersville HS | Caruthersville, Mo.
Three-Time All-Region … Two Time All-Conference … Two Time All-District

Jared Scott
RB | 5-11, 185
St. Louis University HS | St. Louis, Mo.
Three Time All-Conference … All District Selection

Michael Small
LB | 6-2, 240
Winnetonka HS | Kansas City, Mo.
All-District Linebacker … First Team All-Conference … Two Time Honorable Mention at Defensive Back and Wide Receiver

Tariq Stewart
CB | 5-11, 160
Hazelwood Central HS | Florissant, Mo.
Led high school team to an 8-3 record

DJ Stirgus
CB | 6-1, 175
Benton HS | Benton, Ark.
Arkansas 6A Defensive Back of the Year … Arkansas All-State Team … AR All-Prep Team … Arkansas All-Star Team … All-Area First Team … Participated on the USA Football Under-19 Team

Dakari Streeter
LB | 6-2, 220
Pattonville HS | Bridgeton, Mo.
First Team All-State … First Team All-District and Conference … All-State Track and Field in Javelin and Discus

Nyrel Sullivan
RB | 5-10, 170
Sterling HS | Sterling, Ill.
2017 North Illinois Big 12 Conference Player of the Year … 2017 Sauk Valley Newspaper Player of the Year … 2017 Illinois High School Coaches Association First Team All-State … 2017 Blue-Grey All-American Game Selection … 2016 and 2017 First Team All Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference

Emori Thomas
LB | 6-0, 205
William Chrisman HS | Kansas City, Mo.
Three-Time All-Conference … Two-Time All-State … Three-Time All-District … Two-Time All-Area … Two-Time All-Metro

Anthony Vespo
QB | 6-3, 215
Bolingbrook HS | Bolingbrook, Ill.
First Team All-Conference … First Team All-Area … All-State Honorable Mention … Two-Time Team MVP

Tylen Wallace
DL | 6-4, 275
Schlagle HS | Kansas City, Kan.
67 Tackles and Nine Sacks in 10 Games … Schlagle Defensive Player of the Year

Ryan Wilson
OL | 6-4, 270
University Academy | Kansas City, Mo.
First Team All-State … First Team All-District … Two-Time team captain … Three-Time Lifter of the Year

Jordan Witcher
WR | 6-2, 180
Pea Ridge HS | Pea Ridge, Ark.
First Team All-Conference … All-NWA Second Team

Larmon Witt III
WR | 6-0, 170
Schlagle HS | Kansas City, Kan.
Three-Time All-League … All-State … Special Teams Player of the Year … All-SHUKC Team … Epic 7 Midwest Nike Team

James Bailey Jr.
RB | 6-0, 205
Western Illinois | Kansas City, Mo
Two Time All-State … All-Conference … All-District

Devan Burrell
Safety | 6-0, 185
Cerritos College | Las Vegas, Nevada
52 Tackles in 10 Games … Four Interceptions for 129 Yards …. Three Pass Break-Ups … Also Played Basketball at Cerritos College

Theo Hyppolite
Safety | 6-1, 195
New Mexico Military Institute
51 Tackles For NMMI … Two Fumble Recoveries … One Interception

Jack Rasmussen
Specialist | 6-4, 220
Glendale CC | Baltimore, Md.
First in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference with 16 punts inside the 20 yard line …. Second in the ACCAC with 39 punts …. punted for 1,377 yards

Wyatt Steigerwald
QB | 6-0, 200
Northern Oklahoma A&M | Nowata, Okla.
First Team All-Conference … Set Four Records at Northern Oklahoma A&M …. Led team to Conference Championship … Led Region XIV with 32 Passing Touchdowns … Threw for 2,744 yards and completed 62.5 percent of his passes at Northern Oklahoma A&M

Luke Vang
TE | 6-3, 230
Butler CC | Wichita, Kan.
Second Team All-KJCCA Conference … Three Time All-League … Two Time All-State … First Team Academic All-American

Damen Wheeler Jr.
WR | 6-2 , 170
American River CC
All-American … All-State … All-Conference … Outstanding Player Award … 33 receptions for 556 yards and 4 touchdowns … averaged 46.3 yards per game and 16.8 yards per catch

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In a season of firsts for the Missouri Western track and field team, the biggest one may have come Tuesday as Phil Thompson was named Co-MIAA Field Athlete of the Week.

The transfer from St. Joseph’s College won the triple jump and long jump at the Fred Beile Classic in Crete, Nebraska this past weekend. His 23-5 1/2 long jump gave the senior an NCAA provisional mark in the event. He has hit provisional marks twice already this year in the triple jump. It was a 48-11 triple jump that won him the Fred Beile. Thompson’s long jump at the Fred Beile was the seventh best mark in the MIAA this season. His 49-5 at the Graduate Classic was the second best triple jump in the MIAA so far this season.

Thompson finished 12th in the triple jump at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships as a member of the St. Joseph’s College track & field team.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The 2018 Griffon softball season will begin two days earlier than originally scheduled.

Missouri Western will now open play in the Arkansas-Monticello Division II Challenge on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Bentonville, Arkansas. A less than favorable forecast in the area forced the crossover to be moved up two days. The Griffons’ opponents and game times will remain the same as scheduled.

Missouri Western begins the event against Harding on Feb. 8 at noon. That game is followed by a match-up with Arkansas-Monticello at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8. The Griffons close out the event on Feb. 9 with a 10 a.m. non-conference game against Emporia State and a noon game against Arkansas Tech.

Just like Griffon softball, Missouri Western’s baseball team will not have to wait as long for this week’s competition. The Griffons’ weekend series at Arkansas Tech became a Thursday, Friday series due to the threat of inclement weather in Russellville, Arkansas.

Missouri Western and Arkansas Tech will now play doubleheaders on Thursday, Feb. 8 and Friday, Feb. 9. Both doubleheaders will begin at 2 p.m. The series was originally scheduled to be played Feb. 9-11. The Griffons are 2-1 after a season opening series win at Harding. Arkansas Tech entered the week 3-1 with wins over Central Oklahoma, Emporia State and Washburn last week in Grand Prairie, Texas.

— MWSU Athletics —

SEARCY, Ark. – Eleven unanswered runs on Sunday propelled the Missouri Western baseball team to a 13-7 win at Harding and a 2-1 season opening series win.

After falling behind 7-2 through two innings, the Griffon bats awoke for one run in the third, three each in the fifth and sixth, another in the seventh and three more insurance runs in the ninth. The Griffon bullpen allowed just one unearned run through 7 2/3 innings. Trevor Carroll picked up the win in relief. He allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

NOTABLES
– Levi Schreiner went 3-for-3 at the plate and walked three times. He had three RBIs and a double, Sunday. Schreiner came home with a 4-for-4 series with three runs scored and three RBIs

– Dusty Stroup was the only other Griffon with multiple hits, going 2-for-6 with 2 RBIs and a triple

– Brooks Day drove in two runs and had a double

– Will Jibas drove in a pair Sunday and went 4-for-8 in the series with two doubles and three RBIs

– Stroup’s RBI-triple in the third gave the Griffons the lead. His RBI-single started a three-run fifth

– Day drove in both of his runs with a double in the sixth

– Schreiner picked up two RBIs with a double in the ninth

– Kellan Richards and Miles Kilgore combined for a perfect eighth and ninth, respectively. Kilgore struck out the side in the ninth. Richards struck out one in the eighth.

UP NEXT
The Griffons go back to Arkansas next weekend for a four-game series at Arkansas Tech that begins with a single game on Friday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team (4-16, 2-112 MIAA) fell to Lincoln University (12-11) 81-72. Missouri Western hit a season-high 14 three-pointers in the game.

A 15-2 run gave Lincoln an early advantage in the first half. The Blue Tigers used the run to take a 39-30 halftime lead. MWSU battled in the second half with a 12-3 run to cut the Blue Tiger lead to one point with 14:29 left in the game. LU countered the run with a 15-2 stretch over seven minutes to pull away.

Lavon Hightower scored a season-high 24 points for MWSU. The Griffons shot just 38.6 percent from the field, the first time in four games they have been held under 40 percent. Lincoln shot 46.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the three-point arc.

NOTABLES
– The two teams combined for 28 assists, Missouri Western’s 16 assists where the most since Nov. 24 against Southeastern Oklahoma State

– Cole Clearman and Trey Brown combined for 13 of MWSU’s 16 assists

– TJ Evans scored 17 points, his best performance since Jan. 20 at Nebraska Kearney

– Lincoln was 8-16 from the three-point arc in the first half, LU hit just four three’s in the second half

– Four different Blue Tigers scored 13 points or more in the game led by Terrance Smith’s 26 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Washburn on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Topeka, Kansas.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – It might not have been the prettiest, but it got the job done. The Missouri Western women’s basketball team (11-11, 4-9) snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 57-44 win over Lincoln (3-19, 0-14) on Saturday.

Rob Edmisson claimed his 100th victory as head coach at Missouri Western. The Griffons were able to overcome 17 turnovers with dominating play inside. Missouri Western out-rebounded Lincoln 43-27 in the game and outscored the Blue Tigers 28-16 in the paint.

NOTABLES
– Cera Ledbetter (12) and Dossou Ndiaye (10) combined for 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting.
– The post players also had a combined 11 rebounds

– KeShara Scott had a game-high 15 rebounds, just one shy of her career-high. Scott added eight points

– Savannah Lentz led all scorers with 13 points

– Missouri Western limited Lincoln to just 30.5 percent (18-59) shooting from the field

– The Griffons went 11-of-19 at the free throw line while Lincoln was 4-for-4

– The win snapped an eight-game losing streak overall, but a nine-game conference losing streak

UP NEXT
The Griffs travel to Topeka, Kansas to take on Washburn (14-8, 6-7) on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

— MWSU Athletics —

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Even with several players recuperating from the flu bug, West Virginia’s defense can still frustrate the tar out of opponents.

One game after allowing the most points in a Big 12 game since joining the league in 2012, No. 15 West Virginia overwhelmed Kansas State with its pressure, and the Mountaineers ended a three-game losing streak with an 89-51 victory Saturday.

“We’re still `Press Virginia,” Mountaineers guard James “Beetle” Bolden said. “We’ve just got to come and play with the same energy every single night.”

West Virginia (17-6, 6-5 Big 12) got a rare win after holding a double-digit lead over the past month. The Mountaineers have had such leads in five of its last seven games but have won just twice.

The illnesses took a toll on the Mountaineers in the past week and coach Bob Huggins was concerned about having enough available bodies to execute any type of defense Saturday, especially after a 93-77 loss Wednesday at Iowa State.

Five players have been sick, and guards Daxter Miles Jr. and Bolden required hospital trips. Bolden recovered enough to make his first career start in Miles’ place, while Miles saw his first action of any kind in a week.

The Wildcats (16-7, 5-5) never led, were held to their lowest scoring output of the season and had more turnovers (15) than field goals (14).

“Our pressure really was pretty good,” Huggins said. “We kind of backed it off at the end — I was just trying to save people’s legs.”

Knowing West Virginia’s recent tendencies to relinquish big leads, especially in the second half, Kansas State coach Bruce Weber thought his team had a chance down 39-30 at halftime.

“But they just kept pushing it and we got a little frustrated, couldn’t make some shots and it was like a snowball going down the hill and we couldn’t stop it,” Weber said.

Forward Sagaba Konate, who led West Virginia with 19 points and nine rebounds, took advantage of the Big 12’s worst rebounding team. Over a 1:15 stretch late in the game, the 6-foot-8 sophomore scored off a rebound, made two free throws and threw down a dunk as part of a 13-0 run.

Bolden added 13 points, Teddy Allen had 12 points off the bench and Wes Harris had 10 for West Virginia.

Dean Wade scored 17 points and Xavier Sneed had 16 for Kansas State.

BIG PICTURE

West Virginia: The Mountaineers shot 61 percent (14 of 23) from the floor after halftime in beating Kansas State for the eighth time in their last nine meetings. They didn’t look like the stumbling squad that struggled to a 3-5 record in January after rising to the No. 2 ranking in the AP Top 25 on Jan. 8.

Kansas State: The Wildcats made one basket over a 13-minute stretch spanning both halves, allowing West Virginia to take command. Kansas State has lost two straight after winning four in a row.

STRUGGLING BROWN

Kansas State leading scorer Barry Brown was held to just one point after scoring nine against No. 7 Kansas on Monday. Over his last two games Brown is 4 of 19 from the floor.

“He lost a little bit of confidence,” Weber said. “No one works harder than he does. I think he’ll come back. I don’t have any doubt about that.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

West Virginia will likely fall several spots after the double-digit loss at Iowa State.

STOKES RETURNS

Kansas State point guard Kamau Stokes had two points in 10 minutes in his return from a six-game absence with a broken foot.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: Plays at Texas on Wednesday

West Virginia: Looks for its first regular-season sweep of Oklahoma after beating the Sooners 89-76 on Jan. 6 in Morgantown. The game at No. 12 Oklahoma is Monday night.

— Associated Press —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team beat Lindenwood 63-51 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Thursday to snap their nine-game losing streak.

The Griffons improve to 4-15 this season and 2-10 in the MIAA. The Lions fall to 14-8 and 6-7 in league play.

MWSU shook off a cold-first half by scoring 43 points in the second half. Trey Brown knocked down a jumper at the 16:17 minute mark in the second half to spark a 16-2 run. Brown’s jumper also gave Missouri Western the only lead it would need to pull away.

Lavon Hightower scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the second half. The Griffons shot 75 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line in the second half.

MWSU shot a season-high 53.3 percent from the field in the win. It is the second straight game that the Griffons were over 50 percent from the field. Defensively, Missouri Western held Lindenwood to 30 percent from the three-point arc and 40 percent from the field.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western had a 25-6 run in almost 12 minutes, the run started with 1:20 left in the first half

– MWSU outscored Lindenwood 43-29 in the second half after being outscored 22-20 in the first half

– The Griffons outrebounded the Lions 32-23 in the victory

– Lavon Hightower shot 50 percent from the field, three-point line and free-throw line and had a game-high nine rebounds

– Three Griffons scored in double-figures

UP NEXT
Missouri Western stays at home on Saturday, Feb. 3 against Lincoln University. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Griffon women’s basketball team couldn’t close the final gap Thursday night in a 63-55 loss to Lindenwood.

Missouri Western (10-11, 3-9 MIAA) cut the Lindenwood (11-11, 3-10 MIAA) lead to two with 2:48 to play, but couldn’t find a way to capture its first lead of the game.

The Griffons were within a single possession for much of the second half after a 25-11 run through the end of the second quarter and much of the third quarter got the Griffons within one.

Lindenwood made a 7-0 run — all on free throws — to pull away after MWSU had cut the lead to two. Lindenwood reached its largest lead of the game, 31-16 with 2:37 left in the first half before a 9-0 run by the Griffons sparked the 25-11 spurt.

NOTABLES
– Cera Ledbetter recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds

– Melia Richardson led Missouri Western with 18 points

– The Griffons shot 38 percent (18-47) with Lindenwood shooting 41 percent (18-44)

– Missouri Western shot 69.6 percent at the free throw line and were outscored by seven at the line

– Nine Griffons played in the game, the most since Jan. 15

– Lindenwood became the first team to eclipse 60 points against the Griffons since Southwest Baptist on Jan. 15

UP NEXT
Missouri Western hosts Lincoln (3-18, 0-13) on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —