The William Woods University men's basketball team hosts the Second Annual Arris' Pizza and Pub College Basketball Classic this weekend. The four-team event opens on Friday with Columbia College playing Mid-Continent University at 6 p.m. The Owls will tip off against Lindenwood University-Belleville at approximately 8 p.m.
The Schedule
Friday
6 p.m. Columbia College vs. Mid-Continent University
8 p.m. William Woods University vs. Lindenwood University-Belleville
Saturday
4 p.m. Columbia College vs. Lindenwood University-Belleville
6 p.m. William Woods University vs. Mid-Continent University
Last Timeout
The Owls dropped an exhibition contest at NCAA Division II Lindenwood University on Tuesday night, falling 93-58.
Logan Decker scored 14 points to lead the Owls.
Returning To The Nest
Friday will be the first game for William Woods at Anderson Arena in 10 days. It will only be the fourth time this season the Owls have played at home.
Reverse The Trends
Early in the season William Woods is averaging 68.1 points per game shooting .418 on the year. However, the opposition is scoring 70.9 points per game against the Owls and have owned a .440 shooting percentage on the year.
His Reputation Precedes Him
Logan Decker leads the team in scoring with 13.4 points per contest. Since his freshman year at William Woods Decker has led the Owls in scoring every season.
Decker is school's all-time scoring leader with 1,379 points and counting. He passed Dan Anderson's mark of 1,245 on Feb. 18, 2012 at Harris-Stowe.
Making the Most Of His Time
Senior guard
D.J. Hoskins is second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game while averaging only 21.9 minutes per contest.
Collecting the Boards
WWU ranks 44th in the NAIA in total rebounds with 288, an average of 36.0 rebounds per game.
Hitting From Downtown
The Owls are 43rd in the NAIA in three point field goals made with 47 and 50th in three-point percentage at .341.
Senior
D.J. Hoskins ranks 16th in the country in three point field goal percentage, hitting at .500 on the year on 14-of-28 shooting.
A Look At The Field
The Arris' Classic will feature four teams from three different states in this two-day event. Columbia College and William Woods University represent the Show Me State and will be the designated home teams in the classic. Lindenwood University travels from Illinois and Mid-Continent University comes from the panhandle of Kentucky.
Columbia College
Columbia College comes into this weekend's event with a perfect 7-0 record. The Cougars are ranked 13th in the NAIA Division I Coaches Poll.
Columbia uses a balanced and precise offensive attack that features the country's top field goal percentage (.558) and four double-digit scorers, led by the 14 points per game from Devin Griffin.
The Cougars have been able to score in bunches averaging 86.7 points per game, seventh best in the NAIA, while holding their opposition to 58.0 points per contest.
The strength of the Cougars lies behind the arc. Columbia ranks second in the country in three-point percentage at .447 and fourth in three-point shots made per game, averaging 9.7 per contest. Zach Rockers ranks fifth in the nation in three-point percentage at .561 on 23-of-41 shooting.
Columbia has been able to distribute the ball carefully with a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio, second best in the nation. Two players rank among the top 10 in the nation in assist/turnover ratio. Chantel Stanciel ranks seventh at 4.5 and Devin Griffin is close behind at ninth with 4.0.
Mid-Continent University
The Cougars go into the Arris' Classic at 8-5 on the season. Mid-Continent, a current member of the TranSouth Athletic Conference, will enter the American Midwest Conference next season. MCU is 3-2 against AMC teams during the 2012-13 campaign.
Mid-Continent has put up the most total points in the NAIA at 1,036 and average 79.7 points per contest. They shoot .508 from the floor, a mark that is 10th best in the country. They have three players averaging at least 14 points per game, led by Lee Ames's 14.7.
While they score in bunches, the Cougars have also given up 72.7 points per game and allow opponents to shoot .436 from the floor.
Mid-Continent is an accurate shooting team from behind the arc. The Cougars rank seventh in the NAIA in three-point percentage at .405. Lee Ames ranks 15th in the country in three-point percentage at .512 on 22-of-43 shooting.
The Cougars have had a problem staying out of foul trouble this season. They have been whistled for 244 fouls in 13 games this season, with opponents committing 199 fouls. Mid-Continent has attempted 190 free throws so far, while their foes have gone to the charity stripe 262 times.
Lindenwood University-Belleville
The Lynx are making the transition from the United Small College Athletic Association to the NAIA and stand at 8-2 on the season. Lindenwood-Belleville is 4-1 against the AMC this season, including an 82-65 home victory over William Woods on Nov. 6.
LU-B averages 88.2 points per game on .472 shooting from the field. They have three players averaging double-digits with Todd Starks leading the way at 24.1.
The Lynx have controlled the glass this season by averaging 43.5 rebounds per contest, while holding their opponents to 36.5. Matt Sturdivant leads the team in rebounds with 9.1 per game.
Another area Lindenwood-Belleville has excelled at this season is free throw shooting. As a team, the Lynx are shooting .766 and have two players shooting over .800, Todd Starks at .844 on 65-of-77 shooting and Matt Sturdivant at .825 on 33-of-40.
