SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (12-12, 9-9 GAC) makes its final trip to Ozark country this week for matchups against Arkansas-Monticello (10-14, 6-12 GAC) and Southern Arkansas (17-7, 13-5 GAC) on Thursday and Saturday.
The Bison look to split the season series versus both teams with tip-offs set for 7:30 p.m. against UAM tomorrow and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at SAU.
The games will be called on the Bison Radio Network featuring the play-by-play of Todd Miller and the color commentary of Scott Wanish.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Oklahoma Baptist hits the highway for the final two parts of its three-game road tour this week. The Bison are 5-6 in away games this season and can match last year's 8-6 road record with three trips remaining. The quest will be challenging as the remaining teams have beaten OBU this season.
Arkansas-Monticello, the first opponent, escaped the grips of Oklahoma Baptist in a 68-58 win in late January. The Boll Weevils limited OBU to 34.7% shooting and surrendered just 10 points in the painted area, the Bison's lowest sum all season. UAM shot 55.6% from the field, including a 63.1% clip in the second half, and knocked down 9-of-18 attempts from deep. Plus, the green and gold were out-rebounded 29-27 (-2).
A week before against Southern Arkansas, the Bison lost by five (88-83). The Muleriders shot better (52.5%-48.4%) and pulled down 10 more boards than Oklahoma Baptist (39-29). Additionally, SAU earned a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint. The lack of contribution in two of the mentioned categories occurred in the absence of forward
Nigel Wilcox, who has shot 66.1% from the floor and averaged 4.7 rebounds per game in the 10 contests he has participated in. While in the lineup, Wilcox has helped OBU to advantages in rebounds and points in the paint versus 6-of-10 opponents.
MUST WINS
Wins this week could help OBU secure a slot in Great American Conference tournament, set to begin March 2 at nearby Firelake Arena. Tied for fifth alongside East Central with a 9-9 record in conference play, the season's final games are vital as Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist creep up in the seventh and eighth spots.
SEASON NUMBERS
Oklahoma Baptist has seen consistent play from several players in the last four games, including forward
D.J. Freeman. Freeman has led the Bison in points per game (16.0), steals (8), and rebounds (24). He has shot over 55% from the floor and netted 66.7% (8-12) of his free throws.
Despite shooting under 40%,
Paul King scored 13.8 ppg and dished out a team-leading 21 assists. Furthermore, his 13 free throw makes at an 81.3% clip was the best of any Bison.
Ricky Brown and
Ethan Scott were the go-to options from beyond the arc, as each hit eight triples. Brown averaged 10.5 ppg and hit 40% (8-20) of his shots from deep, while Scott scored 7.0 ppg and netted half of his three-point attempts (8-16).
SCOUTING THE BOLL WEEVILS
Arkansas-Monticello enters Thursday with a 10-14 record, including a 6-12 mark in league play. The Boll Weevils are the worst-scoring team in the GAC (64.1 ppg), while its defense ranks fourth, allowing 66.9 points per contest.
Still, UAM has been one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 11th in the DII with a 40.4% clip. The Boll Weevils have hit at least nine triples in 11 games this season.
Three players average over double figures in points, led by guard Isaac Jackson's 14.5 ppg. He hits 44.8% of his shots and has pulled down the most rebounds on the team (114). Guards Josh Denton and Mario Fantina are the others, averaging 10.5 and 10.2 ppg.
Denton has a team-best 24 steals to go along with 58 three-pointers, a figure he managed while shooting 46%. Fantina has the same amount of threes and leads UAM with 61 assists.
SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS
Southern Arkansas will take on top-ranked Southern Nazarene before meeting with the Bison on Saturday. SAU is second in the GAC standings with a 13-5 conference record and a 17-7 overall mark. The game will be a big test for OBU as the Muleriders pull down the most rebounds per game in the conference (37.3). Additionally, they are the second-best scoring offense (77.6 ppg) and force the third-most turnovers per game (15.0).
Six different Muleriders score 10.0 per game, led by Gregory Hammond's 11.9 ppg average. Hammond, a junior, shoots 44.5% and has the second-most rebounds on the squad. LaTreavin Black is just under at 11.5 ppg, shooting a team-high 57.8% from the floor. He leads SAU with 171 boards and 38 steals.
