The No. 22-ranked Missouri Western Griffons held off a fourth quarter charge from the visiting Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat women's basketball team for a 68-52 victory at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
The Griffons (18-3 overall, 12-3 MIAA) saw their 12-point second-half lead whittled to four with 7:23 to play. However, the Griffons closed the contest on a 16-4 run to knock off the Bearcats (14-7 overall, 9-6 MIAA).
Northwest's Molly Hartnett tallied a game-high 24 points. It is the fifth time in her career that she has reached the 20-point mark in a game. Hartnett went 9-of-16 from the floor.