Men's Basketball Closes Regular Season at Home

SHAWNEE - In the final regular season weekend of the season, the Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball will look to continue to solidify its resume while celebrating its three seniors for Senior Day on Saturday afternoon.

The Bison will take on Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday afternoon at 7:30 p.m. before turning around and celebrating Caleb Norris, Dishon Lowery, and Rashad Lewis on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Southern Arkansas. The game will feature coverage on KGFF in Shawnee and live video available on obubison.com with Todd Miller and Scott Wanish.

Oklahoma Baptist remained No. 8 in the NCAA Central Regional Rankings, still holding strong as the final team to make the NCAA Tournament in the region. With a pair of wins this weekend, OBU can earn its first ever 20 win season since joining NCAA Division II, and their first 20 win season since the 2012-13 season.

Lewis comes off being named GAC Player of the Week after a terrific weekend in Arkansas. Lewis averaged 24.0 points per game last week to go with 4.5 assists per game. The point guard shot 18 of 33 (55%) from the field including 5 of 10 (50%) from deep and 7 of 9 (78%) from the free throw line. Lewis also did it on the defensive end, averaging 2.0 steals per game.

Lewis has been on an absolute tear in the month of February beginning on February 2nd as he hit a baseline runner at the buzzer to beat Henderson State. In the last month, Lewis has averaged 14.0 points per game to go with 5.6 assists per game and just over a steal per game. During the run, OBU defeated three-straight teams that were No. 1 in the GAC in Henderson, Southeastern, and Southern Nazarene, has won six of their last seven, and has won four in a row.

Lowery has been equally good in the month of February as he has notched three double-doubles in this month including back-to-back this past weekend, scoring 12 points and 15 boards including the game tying put back dunk at the buzzer to force overtime against Arkansas Tech, and 12 points and 10 boards against Harding. Lowery has scored 10 or more points in nine straight games.

Jaquan Simms and Harrison Stoddart continue to perform from the Bison with Simms averaging 12.5 points per game and Stoddart pitching in 11.5 points per game. Stoddart add 5.3 rebounds per game, 34 blocks, and has scored 10 or more points in seven of his last eight contests. 

Brantly Thompson averages 8.5 points per game and has done a multitude of things on the floor while Jarius Hicklen is up to 9.0 points per game and comes off a 17 points game against Tech including a go-ahead 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper to ice the game in double overtime.

The Bison defeated Arkansas-Monticello 80-77 in Monticello on January 25th behind 21 points from Hicklen and 17 from Simms and Lowery. Since that loss, the Boll Weevils have won six of their last eight including a win at Henderson State.

In one of the most impressive starting fives in the GAC, KJ Lesure leads the pack with 18.8 points per game while Marcus Gilbert pours in 14.0 points per game. A total of five different players average double digit in scoring including Justin Slocum (13.6), Austin Hardy (12.1), and Denzel McDuffey (10.4).

Before that big win over UAM, OBU suffered a very tough loss in Magnolia as they fell to Southern Arkansas 77-60 in a game that got away from the Bison in the second half. Southern Arkansas snapped out a four game losing skid recently with three straight wins coming into Thursday at Southern Nazarene.

Aaron Lucas, Jalen Brooks, and Devante Brooks were all terrific for the Muleriders in the win over OBU and are the leading scorers on the SAU squad. Lucas leads the way with 14.5 points per game while Jalen Brooks adds 13.6 points per game and 7.5 rebound sper game. Devante Brooks pitches in with 13.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game.

The Oklahoma Baptist athletics department will host a military appreciation day Thursday, Feb. 27. All active military and veterans get in for free to both games. OBU will have the Cheer Ring Presentation at halftime of the women's game and their Senior Day presentation at halftime of the men's game. Senior Day will take place Saturday with both the men's and women's presentations taking place in between the women's and men's contests.