The struggles continued for the Missouri Western 9-16 (4-13) men’s basketball team as they lost 73-68 to the Truman State Bulldogs 5-19 (4-11). The Griffons lost for the ninth time in the last ten games.

The Griffons jumped out to an early 23-9 lead. The Griffons had a balanced attack early on as many players contributed. Head coach Tom Smith attributed the fast start to playing well offensively.

“We shot the ball well early and we had some good possessions early,” Smith said.

The Griffons had lapse on the defensive end for the rest of the half as the Bulldogs ended the half on a 28-13 run. The run was capped by a 75-foot heave at the buzzer by Banks Estridge, which gave the Bulldogs a 37-36 lead heading into the half. Sophomore Reggie Bunch thought the shot took a little out of the team. (Full story)

Reggie Bunch, a Western Men’s basketball player, is concluding a great season.

Bunch is a sophomore and has a lot of potential for his future years here at Western. He led the team in per game minutes with 32.9, with that much time on the court it was hard for him not to lead the team in other categories. Bunch had more rebounds than any other player with an average of 7.7 a game, and comes in a close second with 16.8 points per game.  His 6’5” frame and excellent shooting skills, it is hard for Bunch not to score points when he is shooting about 14 shots per game. (Full story)

Basketball can’t find wins on the road

The men’s and women’s basketball team couldn’t find the right formula to win on their recent road trips as they both went 0-2.

The men fell in their first game 67-54 against Pittsburg State. The Griffons were as close as 41-40 with 12:42 left in the contest, but the Griffons couldn’t overtake the Gorillas. (Full story)

The Missouri Western Griffons (8-8) had trouble shooting the ball in their 69-55 loss to the Pittsburg State Gorillas (12-4).

The Griffons managed to shoot only 36 percent from the field. Head Coach Tom Smith believes the Griffons need to be more disciplined during games.

“Our shot selection was poor from beginning to end,” Smith said.

The Griffons got off to a fast start as they jumped out to a 12-6 lead. The Gorillas closed the half out on a 20-11 run to take 26-23 lead into the half.

The Gorillas came out hot in the second half beginning the half on a 11-4 run. Coach Smith believes turnovers played a role in that run.

(Full story)

The men’s basketball team barely secures a win over the Lincoln University Blue Tigers, 78-77.

Western was struggling throughout the game and could not overtake Lincoln.

The game came down to the last seconds with Western fans sitting on the edge of their seats.

The Griffons came within three points with the clock running down but could not secure the game-winning basket.

With 2 seconds to go, Lincoln’s Mata fouled and that sent Western’s Moss to the free-throw line to shoot for three points. With the game on the line, Moss delivered those crucial points giving Western the win.

With this win, the men’s basketball team goes to 2-0 for the season.

Western’s Moss and Bush was named members of the Hillyard Classic All-Star Team.

The men’s basketball team defeated the Upper Iowa University Peacocks 76-69. The Peacocks proved to be a very difficult opponent to beat with Western struggling to maintain a lead throughout the game. At one point in the game, Western was trailing behind the Peacocks but fought back to gain the lead and ultimately winning.

The men finished an under achieving season with a loss to Missouri Southern 82-70. (Full story)