Coming off an exciting finish in its American Midwest Conference opener, the William Woods University men's basketball team looks to continue the momentum on Saturday as they host Harris-Stowe State University. Tipoff for the Community Night matchup is set for 4 p.m., with admission free to the public.
The Matchup
Both teams come into Saturday's contest after winning their respective AMC openers, with both wins snapping losing skids. The Owls have compiled a 5-9 overall record on the year with their 66-64 win over Benedictine University at Springfield breaking a two-game skid. The Hornets picked up a 70-64 win over Lyon College to snap an 11-game slide and push their record to 2-12 on the year.
Although the teams are far apart in terms of their records, the tale of the tape is pretty balanced. Both teams average 67 points per game, with WWU slightly ahead with a 67.9 average to a 67.4 average for HSSU, and the teams shoot at an identical .419 pace from the floor. The Owls are better from beyond the arc, however, hitting at a .375 pace to a .287 accuracy mark for the visitors. WWU is also slightly better from the charity stripe, posting a .648 rate on the year to Harris-Stowe's .635 pace.
Both squads average around 36 rebounds per game as well, with WWU again holding the slimmest of leads (36.6-36.4), but the Owls are the better ballhandling team, giving up just 14.4 turnovers compared to 19.4 for HSSU.
The telling difference is on the defensive end of the floor, as WWU has held its opponents to just 69.9 pts/gm on the year on .443 shooting, while Harris-Stowe has allowed its foes to hit at a .466 pace for 76.6 points per outing.
Last Time Out
The Owls visited Benedictine University at Springfield for the first time and despite each team leading by as many as nine during the game, it would come down to a pair of free throws from
Blake Burgess to salt the game away. The Bulldogs opened up their big lead of the game in the first half, but the Owls clamped down on defense, holding BU-S to nine points over the final 10 minutes to take a 36-32 lead into the locker room.
After a slow start for both teams to the second half, WWU opened up an 11-point lead, but the hosts slowly chipped away at the lead eventually closing to within 64-63 with 58 seconds to play. After a miss gave the Bulldogs a chance to take the lead, WWU found a bit of fortune as Burgess grabbed a rebound and was fouled with less than five ticks in the game. The junior knocked home both to put WWU up three before a foul on the ensuing possession sent the Bulldogs to the line. BU-S was only able to convert one of the two bonus tosses for the 66-64 final margin.
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 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game so far.
The Accra, Ghana, native has connected at a .593 pace from the floor, which would be good for 15th 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 12.9 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 .345 pace for its opponents. The offensive pace is good for 22nd in the country.
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 .441 pace in his 11 games on the year.
D.J. Hoskins is also solid on the year, ranking 20th in the country with a .469 make rate from downtown.
On The Boards
The Owls are remarkably even on the boards on the 2012-13 slate, grabbing 512 on the year and allowing 500 for its opponents. WWU holds the edge on the offensive glass, nabbing 156 to just 140 for the opposition.
WWU is ranked 44th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (25.429) and 43rd 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 14 games on the year for head coach
Nick Totta.
A Look At Harris-Stowe
The Hornets have mustered just a 2-12 overall record, although they have a 1-0 AMC mark after beating Lyon College 70-64. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak for Harris-Stowe. Offensively, three players are in double figures for HSSU, led by Wayne Brown's 16.0 pts/gm. He's one of two threats from long-distance for the Hornets, as has let fly with 72 attempts, hitting on 23 for a .319 pace. Dallis Johnson chips in 15.2 points per game and leads Harris-Stowe on the glass, pulling down 7.2 boards per game. James Kenner rounds out the trio for head coach Phil Hunt with 10.5 pts/gm.
Jordan Loveless is the other solid rebounder for HSSU, with his 6.6 caroms per game helping the Hornets hold the slightest of margins (36.4-36.2) on the glass, although they dominate the offensive boards. Harris-Stowe has grabbed 194 offensive rebounds to just 155 for its opponents on the year.
Overall, the Hornets have seen difficulty on defense, allowing 76.6 pts/gm on the year on .466 shooting. HSSU has allowed its opponents to hit at a .415 pace from beyond the arc on the year.
