By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
HAYS, KS - Who thought Missouri Western would be here this season?
A Griffon team that won six games the season prior, was picked eighth in the preseason conference poll and lost five of their last seven regular season games.
"Going from winning six games to 23 is insane," said freshman Jordan Cunningham, who was on last year's roster. "I think we know how good we are and how good we can be and I think that pushes us to work had every day."
A 9-0 start caught people's attention. Being 18-3 in early February also turned some heads. A win over Central Missouri in the MIAA tournament helped, but a loss to Missouri Southern in the semifinals the following day left things in question.
Would Missouri Western, at 21-9, the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament, get into the big dance? And how would they fare if they did?
Getting in as the No. 7 seed in the Central Region bracket, Missouri Western (23-9) has put it all on the line in Hays these last few days, and it's paid off beyond the Griffons' wildest dreams.
"I don't think any of us expected to be here," guard and St. Joseph native Jaelyn Haggard admitted. "But, obviously that's kind of the goal. So, I think we kind of set a standard for the program. But, we're really excited to compete and make a run for this thing."
An astounding 111-77 win over No. 2 seed Southwestern Oklahoma State in the first round and a 72-59 victory over No. 6 seed and MIAA foe Nebraska-Kearney in the semifinals has put Missouri Western women's basketball back into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1997.
"I think we know how hard we work," third-year head coach Candi Whitaker said. "I think we know what we're capable of and we're also very accountable when we don't perform. We've learned from all of those outings where we weren't very good. I think this group has always wanted to learn and get better."
Awaiting the Griffons now is another familiar adversary - No. 1 seed and regional host Fort Hays State (30-3). The two teams meet for a third time this season on Monday night at 7 p.m.
The Tigers, MIAA regular season and tournament champions, have won 11 straight games. They also beat Missouri Western twice in the regular season - 74-61 in St. Joseph on January 15 and again on February 23 in Hays, 78-69 in overtime.
There's something about Hays' arena, Gross Memorial Coliseum, where the Central Region tournament has been held.
The Griffons have played well there as of late. They took sixth-ranked Hays to overtime there in late February on their senior night. On Friday, they scored a school-record 111 points while making 15 three-pointers against SWOSU.
On Saturday, Missouri Western beat Nebraska-Kearney for the first time in seven meetings with the Lopers and had four players finish in double figures.
"We like this gym," Cunningham said of Hays' home court. "Regular season, we shot well, and all of these games we have. So, it gives us a little confidence knowing the ball is going in and that helps us."
The strong team effort hasn't just been happening Hays. Missouri Western's depth, its bench, has been an advantage all season long.
Of the 32 games the Griffons have played so far this season, their bench has scored 20 or more points in 22 different games.
Missouri Western is 18-4 this season when their bench scores 20 or more, 9-2 when they score 30 or more and 3-0 when scoring 50 or more.
They had a whopping 57 bench points in Friday's win over Southwestern Oklahoma State.
"The ability to go to your bench and sub and not have drop-offs is wonderful to have for a coach," Whitaker said. "You have to be able to try different things when things aren't going your way."
"We are so good because we have so much depth," Cunningham added. "The fact we can play 15-16 (players) per game and some teams are stuck with their top six. It's why we get to run and score and have a good time."
Missouri Western now aims for its first regional championship since 1995.
With nine total players back from last year's 6-16 team, combined with four new freshmen and three transfers, Missouri Western defied expectations this season, getting back into the Big Dance for the first time in six years.
Now one win away from their first Elite Eight berth in 27 years, this Missouri Western team is not preoccupied with whether or not they should be here. Or how they got here. Or how they compare to other teams around the country.
The facts are that this Missouri Western team is talented, deep, connected and they want to keep this season going for as long as they possibly can.
"I've had the most fun playing with this team and these coaches," said Haggard, a fifth-year player who transferred in from Northwest Missouri State. "Hopefully, we can keep running with that for a little while."
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