Missouri Western experiences eventful road trip; coach Candi Whitaker secures 200th win
Jan. 30—Missouri Western women's basketball was on the road this past weekend, looking to continue a win streak that began on Dec. 17 and reached as high as 11 straight wins. The weekend was more eventful than some may have thought, and the time spent away from St. Joseph featured the highs and lows of basketball.
The road trip prepared the team for one more month of regular season competition before the MIAA Conference Tournament.
The Griffons' road trip began in Hays, Kansas, when they took on a good Fort Hays State team. Western was riding a 10-game win streak and extended it to an impressive 11 straight wins after a double overtime, 82-81 victory, avenging an early season loss.
"It was an emotional game. We had some major swings," head coach Candi Whitaker said. "We had a fantastic first quarter and then a terrible third quarter, and kind of had to withstand some runs from Fort Hays, and just be proud we could come out with the win."
Besides extending the win streak, the win at Gross Memorial Coliseum marked Whitaker's 200th win of her 17-year career. In her four years with Western, her best season was in 2021-22, carving the program's best season since 1995. The program achieved its first NCAA Regional Championship and Elite Eight appearance in 27 years.
Since arriving at Western in 2019, she has set a standard for Griffons women's basketball, and it's due to her dedication and those surrounding the program.
"It's really a reflection of the people you have around you, from administration to great assistants to great players," Whitaker said. "Players make plays, and I've always said that, you know, if you can build a great team with great players you're going to win games."
The turnover was quick, as two days later the Griffons were in Kearney, Nebraska, taking on the No.13-ranked Lopers.
The fact Nebraska-Kearney shot over 61% from the field, and Western was battling some sickness, was enough for the Lopers to end the Griffons' win streak at 11 games.
"We had several under the weather sick, and I think regardless of if we were healthy or not, when you shoot the way they shot the ball, you're going to win games," Whitaker said. "I just wish we could have battled a little bit better and been healthy, but, you know, we're going to move on."
While Whitaker and her team looks ahead and puts this previous weekend behind them, they were able to take something positive that was built during the streak with them.
"We had a lot of close games. You know, opponents in this league are all good, but they show different defenses," Whitaker said. "So I think finding ways to win has come out of that winning stretch."
