Returning to the regular-season schedule after a short foray into exhibition play, the William Woods University men's basketball team is set to close out the 2012 calendar year at the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic hosted by Columbia College this weekend. The Owls will battle Culver-Stockton College at 4 p.m. on Saturday before taking on Indiana University-South Bend in a 4 p.m. Sunday tilt.
Saturday's Matchup
The Owls face an uphill battle on Saturday, as Culver-Stockton College comes into the contest with an 11-2 record on the year and averaging 82.8 pts/gm. The Owls have mustered just four wins in 11 contests on the year and are averaging 69.3 pts/gm.
Looking at the shooting percentages for the teams, WWU is closely-matched, hitting at a .421 overall pace on the year compared to a .437 success rate for CSC. The Owls are a bit better from distance, hitting at a .365 rate to a .358 pace for the Wildcats, but CSC averages four more makes per game on the year.
The Wildcats have been better on the glass as well on the year, grabbing 42.2 rebounds per game to 37.3 for the Owls. Both teams outperform their foes on the year, but CSC does a much better job, nabbing 6.3 more caroms per game than its opponents compared to 0.3 for WWU.
Sunday's Matchup
NAIA Division II Indiana University-South Bend enters the weekend with a 9-5 overall mark, but have only managed 60.8 pts/gm on the year. The Owls have posted a better offensive pace at 69.3 pts/gm on the way to a 4-7 mark. WWU has yet to embark on its conference schedule, while IUSB is already 10 games deep into the slate and has compiled a 7-3 mark in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
IUSB is shooting slightly better than the Owls on the year, posting a .445 overall mark to WWU's .421 pace, but the Owls hold the edge from beyond the arc, hitting at a .365 pace and making 7 treys per game to just a .328 pace and 4.8 makes per game from the Titans.
Averaging 37.3 caroms per game, the Owls are much better on the glass than the Titans, who have averaged only 27 per outing. IUSB manages to protect the ball a bit better, averaging just 13.5 turnovers per game to 15.4 for WWU.
Last Time Out
The Owls saw a solid return from
Daniel Armah, who nabbed a double-double in his return to the court despite a 74-66 exhibition loss at the University of Central Missouri. The redshirt senior was one of five Owls in double digits, adding 14 rebounds to his 11-point outing.
Roy McElroy and
Logan Decker each knocked in a dozen, but the Owls couldn't overcome a .280 first-half shooting pace in the loss to the NCAA Division II foe.
Will It Work In Peoria?
D.J. Hoskins and
Demarius Sumrell have both stepped up and made an immediate impact for the Owls this year. The Peoria, Ill., natives have each stepped up into a leadership position for WWU this year. Hoskins averages a team-high 13.1 pts/gm on the year, while Sumrell leads the team with 16 steals.
Earning A Spot
After averaging 13.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game off the bench for WWU,
D.J. Hoskins earned his way into the starting lineup, where he's been a spark plug for the Owls. After going 0-5 with Hoskins in a reserve role, the Owls have gone 3-2 when he starts.
Hitting From Downtown
The Owls hold a small margin in three-point shooting, with a .365 make rate to just a .327 pace for its opponents. The offensive pace is good for 30th in the country, with the defensive mark good for 49th.
William Woods hit a season-high 12 three point field goals in their last regular-season outing, a 81-64 win over Haskell Indian Nations University.
Seth Thomas led the way for the Owls with his 5-of-6 performance behind the arc en route to a career-high 21 points, and is connecting at a .500 pace in his eight games on the year.
D.J. Hoskins is also solid on the year, ranking 18th in the country with a .476 make rate from downtown. Thomas is just shy of the 75-percent cutoff for ranking, having missed three of WWU's games on the year. His .500 pace would put him in a five-man block in 10th.
On The Boards
The Owls are remarkably even on the boards on the 2012-13 slate, grabbing 410 on the year and allowing 407 for its opponents. WWU holds the edge on the offensive glass, nabbing 123 to just 120 for the opposition.
WWU is ranked 37th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game and 48th in total rebounds.
Mix And Match
The Owls have done a bit of juggling in the starting lineup throughout the early part of the season, with 10 different players starting at least one game for WWU.
Logan Decker has been the only constant, starting all 11 games on the year for head coach
Nick Totta.
Owls In The Cougars Vs. Cancer Classic
William Woods has been a part of this tournament for the last four seasons, posting a 4-4 overall record during the span. The Owls went 1-1 in the 2011-12 edition of the event, falling 64-75 to Cumberland University before downing Hastings College by an 88-78 margin.
The Owls have tangled with the Wildcats on the neutral grounds of the Arena at Southwell Complex before, with WWU coming out 87-80 winners during the 2009-10 season.
A Look At The Wildcats
Culver-Stockton College comes into Saturday's matchup with a 11-2 record on the year and has opened its Heart of America Athletic Conference slate with a perfect 3-0 mark. CSC is a perfect 4-0 as well against American Midwest Conference foes this year, having swept both Hannibal-LaGrange and Benedictine University at Springfield in home and home series. The only losses on the Wildcats' resume this year are an 84-80 road loss at Mount Mercy and an 81-73 reversal at the hands of NCAA Division I foe South Dakota.
The Wildcats have been impressive on offense, averaging nearly 83 points per game behind a quartet of double-digit scorers. CSC's 82.8 pts/gm ranks 17th in the nation, and the balanced attack yields a pair of top-40 rankings. James Johnson ranks 31st in the country and averages 17.538 pts/gm, with Marshawn Norris' pace of 16.846 per game good for 40th. Austin Keaton (12.8/gm) and Alen Hadzimahovic (10.5) round out the quartet.
CSC has shown a definite preference for the trey, letting fly with 400 attempts in 892 total shots on the year. Despite allowing opponents to hit at a better pace (.390 to .358), the Wildcats make up for it in bulk, hitting 143 treys - the most of any NAIA Division I squad and the second-highest per-game pace (11) in the country.
They have also dominated the boards, pulling down 42.2 per game (ninth in the country) and allowing just 35.9. Their margin of 6.308 is good for 22nd in the country.
A Look At The Titans
Indiana University-South Bend brings a 9-5 record into the weekend's action, and has played nearly half of its conference slate already. The NAIA Division II squad has the lowest offensive output of any of the teams in this weekend's tournament, mustering just 60.8 pts/gm, but has made up for it on the defensive end, holding opponents to just 58.1 pts/gm on the year, good for fifth-best among NAIA Division II schools.
Individually, three players make up the bulk of IUSB's offense, with Chris Beam (12.9 pts/gm) and Alanzo Bass (12.7 pts/gm) running step-for-step. Steven Heatherly has chipped in 10.9 pts/gm on the year, and the trio has started 11 of 14 games for the Titans.
Despite a low output, IUSB has been very accurate on the season, hitting at a .445 pace from the floor and a .683 pace from the line. However, they've allowed opponents to hit at a .412 pace on the year. As a result of their accuracy, they have only mustered 28.0 rebounds per game, but have allowed just 29.1 to opponents.
