SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (10-7, 7-4 GAC) looks to snap a two-game skid in a wrap up of its homestand against Southern Arkansas (13-4, 9-2 GAC) tomorrow and Arkansas-Monticello (5-12, 1-10 GAC) on Saturday.
Thursday's tip-off is set for 7:30 pm and will be sponsored by Chick-Fil-A. It will double as OBU's annual White Out game with the first 150 students receiving free White Out T-shirts. Plus, The Franchise (107.7 FM) will be on site for the game in the Noble Complex lobby from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday's matchup with UAM is slated for 3 p.m.
Each game will be called on the Bison Radio Network with play-by-play commentary from Todd Miller and color commentary from Scott Wanish. Fans can watch the contest on the Bison Sports Network with the pregame show beginning at the end of the women's game.
A TEST
This two-game run stretch will test OBU's ability to defend beyond the three-point line with two teams that rank in the top four for three-point makes in the GAC coming to town. Southern Arkansas ranks No. 2 with 157 threes at an average of 9.2 per contest, while Arkansas-Monticello is fourth, netting 8.3 per game for a sum of 143. Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello have recorded seven or more threes in their last three contests.
OBU has the second-best three-point defense in the league, holding its opponents to a 30.9% shooting clip from range. Evidence of this mark, which is 35th in the country, has been displayed in the last few games. Before SNU shot 33.3% from deep on Monday, Oklahoma Baptist held Northwestern Okla. St. and Southwestern Okla. St. to under 30% shooting. Furthermore, the Bison have only allowed double-digit three-point makes in two games this season.
SHOOTING REDEMPTION
Monday's loss to Southern Nazarene was the first time OBU has been held under 51% shooting in their last four games. Here were the Bison field goal percentages during the span: 53.1% (ATU), 51.9% (SWOSU), 51.9% (NWOSU), and 48.1% (SNU). Oklahoma Baptist is 8-1 in 2022-23 when they shoot over 50% from the floor. Additionally, OBU posted a better free throw percentage than its opponent in six of those nine games mentioned. So when OBU hits shots, success at the charity stripe and a win are more likely to follow.
LEADING THE WAY
Sophomore Paul King continues to steer the Bison offensively with the fourth-best scoring average in the GAC (16.2 ppg). King is shooting above 33% from deep and totals the second-most threes on the team (28). He also ranks No. 4 in assists (64) and free throws (56) in the league.
King improved from a 28.6% shooting afternoon at Northwestern last Saturday to a 56.3% performance on Monday. The Monroe, LA, native made nine baskets en route to 23 points against the best defense in Division II basketball. It was the fourth time King has scored over 20 points this season. He added five assists and three boards in the effort.
King needs four more field goals to reach 150 career baskets and six threes for 50 career triples. In just 17 games with OBU, he totals 276 points with the chance to become the fourth Bison since 2020-21 to eclipse 300 points in a season. Only Brantly Thompson (304, '21), Harrison Stoddart (305, '21), and Burke Putnam (580, '22) had done so in the last two seasons.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Junior Trey Green's contribution on the court for Oklahoma Baptist is rarely represented in the stat sheet. With 95 games, including 42 starts, draped in the green and gold, Green is the longest-tenured Bison on the roster. His 302 career points are only second to Nigel Wilcox (496) for the most buckets among active OBU players. Furthermore, Green is four field goals away from 100 career makes.
This season, he has started all but three games and averaged 4.5 ppg on 43.9% shooting. Green ranks third in assists (38) and rebounds (68), while missing just four free throws throws this season (16-20). Green went for a career-best 17 points in the November 17 win over Missouri Western, highlighted by a 4-5 showing from the three-point line. He also charted career-bests in assists (5) and free throw makes (5) against MWSU. Furthermore, five field goals versus Washburn in the same month was a career-high.
SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS
Southern Arkansas is tied alongside Arkansas Tech for second place in the GAC with a league record of 9-2. Overall the Muleriders are 13-4, which has earned them the No. 10 spot in the latest D2SIDA Central Region Polls. Only SAU and Southern Nazarene represent the conference in the standings.
The Muleriders boast a 13-2 record in its last 15 games after starting the season 0-2. SAU picked up its third straight win on Monday, besting Arkansas-Monticello 65-61 at home. It was the third consecutive game the squad has shot over 45% from the floor and forced at least nine turnovers.
SAU has the second-best scoring offense and scoring margin in the GAC, putting up 78.5 ppg while allowing 69.0 ppg for a 9.5 gap. However, the points allowed mark ranks sixth in the league. The Muleriders have scrambled to grab every rebound as its 37.5 boards per game average ranks second in the conference. Furthermore, Southern Arkansas pulls down a GAC-best 13.2 offensive rebounds per contest, which is 20th in the country. SAU has out-rebounded 11-of-18 opponents but has been on the negative side of the margin during its winning streak (HSU -7, HU -5, UAM -2).
Three Muleriders average double figure in points, led by junior Gregory Hammond Jr.'s 12.9 ppg. The guard shoots 45.7% from the field, ranks third in three-pointers (27), and leads the squad with 14 blocks. The others, Blake Rogers and La'Treavin Black, are outputting 11.1 and 10.7 ppg. Black, a senior forward, leads the team in rebounds (123) and field goal percentage (54.9%). Meanwhile, Rogers has the second-most threes for SAU to go along with 26 assists.
Kris Wych is SAU's go-to option from deep, as his 31 triples lead the team and rank sixth in the GAC. Wych's 42.5% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which is tied for seventh-best in the conference, is even more impressive. Sixth-man Carel Ray Jr. averages 9.7 ppg and has the second-most rebounds (111) for the Muleriders. Despite not starting a game, Carel has reached double figures in seven games, including a high of 20 points against Northwestern Okla. St. on Jan. 5.
SCOUTING THE BOLL WEEVILS
Arkansas-Monticello will take on Southern Nazarene tomorrow before heading to Shawnee on Saturday. UAM is tied for last in the GAC with a 1-10 conference record and a 5-12 overall mark. The Boll Weevils have lost eight straight games.
Head coach Chad Tapp is in his second season with the Boll Weevils. He has an overall coaching record of 180-190 (.486), including a 15-30 mark with UAM.
Despite its record, the Boll Weevils has the second-best defense in the GAC, allowing 67.4 ppg. The Boll Weevils have not lost by more than seven, aside from two games (SWOSU -13, SEOSU -28), since beginning conference play. Offensively, Arkansas-Monticello has the 14th-best percentage from the three-point range in the country, netting 39.8% of its attempts. UAM has five games with 10 or more threes in 2022-23.
Sophomore Isaac Jackson paces the scoring charge at 12.8 ppg, shooting 43.7% from the floor. He has pulled down the second-most rebounds on the team (81) and has dished out the third-most assists (34).Teammate Josh Denton has lit it up from beyond the arc, as his 47.7% shooting clip with 88 attempts from range ranks sixth in Division II. Denton is second in scoring (11.1 ppg) and totals the most steals (18) on the squad.
Mario Fantina leads the team with the fourth-most threes in the GAC (44), shooting 36.8% from range. He ranks third on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg), while Edwin Louis rounds out the Boll Weevils averaging double figures at 10.1 ppg.
