Coming off a strong 80-65 win over Central Bible College, the William Woods University men's basketball team looks to get its American Midwest Conference slate off to a good start. The Owls host Hannibal-LaGrange in the second game of a doubleheader from Anderson Arena, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m.
Quick Look - William Woods
Although the Owls come into Thursday's contest with a 9-9 record, it could have just as easily been a 11-7 mark as WWU saw a four-point swing with less than five seconds on the clock in its final home game of 2011 and nearly edged out College of the Ozarks in its first game of 2012.
Logan Decker (Kansas City, Mo.) continues to lead the WWU offense, averaging 15.6 pts/gm on the campaign and adding a team-high 19 steals. Decker ranks 19th in the nation in total scoring, with his .403 accuracy from 3-pt range good for 46th in the country.
Andrew Miller (Whangamata, New Zealand) and
Jonathon Nutt (Palmyra, Mo.) are also big contributors to the WWU offense, putting in 9.8 pts/gm and 9/3 pts/gm respectively. Nutt is one of the top rebounders on the team as well, averaging 5.2 boards per game and a team-high 77 off the defensive glass.
Roy McElroy (Aurora, Ill.) also is a strong part of the Owls' dominance on the glass, pulling down 5.9 per game as WWU holds a 40.4-34.7 edge over its opponents. The Owls also outscore opponents on the season by a 2.4 pts/gm margin, holding an edge in all three shooting categories. WWU shoots at a .439 pace from the floor and a respectable .350 from 3-pt range, ranking 39th in the NAIA. WWU also hits at a .670 pace from the free throw line, but its defensive marks are among the tops in the nation.
The Owls hold opponents to just .408 from the floor - 28th among NAIA Division I schools - and smother opponents to just a .290 pace from distance, good for 18th nationwide. WWU has also recorded 49 blocks on the year, led by McElroy's 11.
Quick Look - Hannibal-LaGrange
Hannibal-LaGrange brings a 7-8 record into Thursday's contest and is fresh off a 75-72 win over Lindenwood University-Belleville on January 9. The Spartans have three players averaging in double digits on the season, with Gerrell Wells leading the way with 12.9 pts/gm. Wells is also the leading shotblocker for HLGU with 13 rejections on the year. Arii Meuel also adds 12.2 pts/gm and Jurgen Lico rounds out the double-figure crew with 10.5 pts/gm. Although the squad averages 68.5 pts/gm, they give up nearly 70 per game on the campaign, largely a result of allowing its opponents to hit at a .368 clip from 3-pt range, with 10 more makes on the year, as well as a 167-231 disadvantage in free throws on the year.
Hannibal-LaGrange is a strong-shooting team, hitting at a .474 clip on the season - ranked 30th in the nation - and a .371 mark from distance, 20th best in the country. They struggle a bit from the free throw line, hitting at a .660 pace compared to a .713 success rate for its opponents from the stripe. Rebounding is not a strong suit for the Spartans, as they pull in just 31.6 per game, but their defensive mark of 30.1 reb/gm is good for 12th among NAIA Division I teams.
Looking Back
Bouncing back off a close loss in a hard-fought contest at College of the Ozarks, the Owls rolled to an 80-65 win over Central Bible College in Springfield, Mo., last Saturday.
Logan Decker and
Seth Thomas each racked 17 points in the win, with
Jonathon Nutt falling just short of a double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds in the game.
WWU got off to a slow start, but eventually warmed up and shot nearly 60 percent in the first half to take a 16-point lead into the break. The Owls uncorked a 21-2 run over a seven-minute stretch in the first stanza to put the game well out of reach at 41-22. William Woods never allowed Central Bible College closer than 13 points in the second half.
In The Record Book
Before tonight's game, the Owls will recognize junior
Logan Decker. The Kansas City, Mo., native became the second 1,000-point career scorer for WWU in the Owls' 73-47 win over St. Louis Christian.
