Griffons win MIAA championship white taking care of rivals from up north

The Missouri Western women’s basketball team won their fifth regular season MIAA title with a win over rival Northwest.

The Western women beat Northwest 77-58. They used a balanced attack to beat the Bearcats. They were lead in scoring by Jill Johnson; she had 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

A regular season conference championship was a goal for the team coming into the season.

Head coach Josh Keister felt the conference championship was huge for the team.

“First goal every year is to win a conference championship,” Keister said.

The Griffons had three players in double figures. Besides Johnson, Tera Petersen and Ashleigh Curry were in double figures. Curry had 17 points while Petersen added 14. Petersen also became the 12th player in Griffon school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

By clinching the regular season MIAA title, the Griffons will get the No. 1 seed in the MIAA championships, which will take place March 1-4 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The Griffons also pushed their record to 27-1 overall and 16-1 in conference.

The Griffons shot well from three in the first half connecting on 57 percent of their three point shots in the first half. They used the momentum of the 3-pointers to cruise to a 45-36 halftime lead. The Griffons showed poise all year to win a tough conference.

The women’s MIAA has three teams, including Missouri Western, ranked in the top 15.

Missouri Western is ranked No. 2, while Washburn is No. 6 and Emporia State is No. 11. Keister felt the Griffons showed strength by winning such a tough conference.

“To win this many games in a tough conference is a huge accomplishment for the team and the program,” Keister said.

If the Griffons can take care of business and win the conference tournament, they have a chance of hosting the regional.

“With the great fans we have, it would be a huge advantage to play the regional at home,” Keister said.

The Griffons will look to finish strong this season. With one goal already wrapped up, they will look to attain the rest of them.

“We have to play it one game at a time and not look ahead,” Keister said.

The Griffons ended their regular season Saturday at Missouri Southern in Joplin, Missouri.