The William Woods University men's basketball team looks to break a two-game skid as it opens the American Midwest Conference portion of its schedule on Thursday night. The Owls head to Springfield, Ill., to take on AMC newcomers Benedictine University at Springfield in a 7:30 tipoff.
The Matchup
Both teams enter Thursday's game with nine losses on the campaign, with the Owls having one additional victory on the year at 4-9 to a 3-9 mark for BU-S. The Owls have been the more productive of the two squads offensively, averaging 68.0 pts/gm to 63.1 for the Bulldogs. WWU also holds a slight shooting edge (.417-.406) but pulls away from beyond the arc, hitting at a .371 pace to a .288 pace from the Bulldogs. The teams are dead-even from the free throw line at .652 on the year.
The Owls are also better on the boards, pulling down 36.8 rebounds per game to just 35.4 for the Bulldogs. WWU is also in front in the margins, averaging .769/gm better than its opponents compared to a -3.917 margin for the Bulldogs. WWU has been slightly better in protecting the ball, giving up just 15.0 turnovers to a pace of 16.75 for BU-S.
There is a trio of shared opponenents on the docket between William Woods and Benedictine University at Springfield, as the teams have both played Lindenwood University-Belleville, St. Ambrose University and Ashford University on the year. The Bulldogs picked up the lone win for the AMC in the contests, with an 80-67 road win at St. Ambrose.
Coming Back Strong
Daniel Armah returned to the William Woods lineup after sitting out the first semester due to NAIA eligibility rules. The senior was granted a hardship season after missing most of the 2011-12 season due to injury, but was coming up against his 10 semesters of permitted attendance. He sat out the fall semester, returning to the team for the conference slate and has averaged a double-double with 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game so far.
The Accra, Ghana, native has connected at a .632 pace from the floor, which would be good for fifth in the country were he at the 75% games-played threshold.
Will It Work In Peoria?
D.J. Hoskins and
Demarius Sumrell have both 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 13.1 pts/gm on the year, good for second-best, while Sumrell leads the team with 19 steals.
Hitting From Downtown
The Owls hold a small margin in three-point shooting, with a .371 make rate to just a .327 pace for its opponents. The offensive pace is good for 26th in the country, with the defensive mark good for 48th.
William Woods hit a season-high 12 three point field goals in their 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 .455 pace in his 10 games on the year.
D.J. Hoskins is also solid on the year, ranking 19th in the country with a .476 make rate from downtown. Thomas passed the 75-percent cutoff for ranking last weekend, having missed three of WWU's games on the year, and he ranks 29th on the list.
On The Boards
The Owls are remarkably even on the boards on the 2012-13 slate, grabbing 479 on the year and allowing 469 for its opponents. WWU holds the edge on the offensive glass, nabbing 147 to just 134 for the opposition.
WWU is ranked 44th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (25.531) and 50th 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 11 different players starting at least one game for WWU.
Logan Decker has been the only constant, starting all 13 games on the year for head coach
Nick Totta.
A Look At The Bulldogs
Making their American Midwest Conference debut this year, Benedictine University at Springfield has put together a 3-9 record in non-conference action. The Bulldogs have averaged 63.1 pts/gm on the year, but their roster lacks a double-digit scorer. Reggie Thomas and Justin Smith each average 9.4 pts/gm on the year, with Smith one of just four players who've played in all 12 contests on the season. Stephen Shepherd leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per game and is the third-leading scorer on the team with 8.7 pts/gm.
The Bulldogs have given up an average of 39.3 rebounds per game on the year, grabbing 35.4 on the year. The biggest part of the margin comes on the offensive glass, as BU-S has grabbed just 101 while allowing 153 for its opponents. They've also given up 201 turnovers on the year and forced just 162.
They have been outshot on the year across the board, allowing a .421 success rate to its opponents and hitting at a .406 pace. They've given up a .343 pace from beyond the arc on the year compared to their .288 pace, and hit at a .652 pace from the line to a .658 pace for opponents.
