The William Woods University men's basketball team will look to build on its best conference start in school history on Thursday night as they travel to Hannibal-LaGrange for an American Midwest Conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup
The Owls are 2-0 in the AMC for the first time in school history after picking up wins over Benedictine University at Springfield (66-64) and Harris-Stowe (77-60). Overall on the year WWU is still looking to get back to the .500 mark as they are 6-9 overall. The Trojans dropped their lone AMC game against BenU-Springfield 72-65 on Saturday. Hannibal-LaGrange has lost four of its last five and stand at 3-10 overall on the year.
The Owls hold a slight edge over the Trojans in points per game (68.5-65.2) and overall shooting percentage (.424-.417). The Owls hold a big advantage from beyond the arc, however, hitting at a .374 pace to a .338 accuracy mark for the home team. Hannibal-LaGrange holds a distinct lead at the charity line shooting .721 compared to the Owls .650 success rate at the line.
WWU averages nearly six rebounds more a game than HLGU (36.8-31.1), with both teams nearly identical in the turnover battle (WWU-14.27; HLGU-14.46).
Both squads are giving up 69.2 points per game, they even allow nearly similar shooting percentages with WWU being slightly stingier (WWU- .440; HLGU -.454).
Last Time Out
William Woods improved to 2-0 in the AMC for the first time in school history with a 77-60 win over Harris-Stowe on Saturday afternoon.
Daniel Armah paced the Owls with his second double-double of the year. The 6-6 senior from Ghana tied his season-high mark in points with 20 and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Logan Decker added 17 points and
Jonathon Nutt rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Owls with 11.
A 24-3 second half run put the game out of reach as the Owls were able to put together back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.
AMC Player of the Week
On Monday Senior
Daniel Armah was named the AMC Player of the Week for the week ending on Jan. 6. Armah averaged 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games last week. His 20-point, 10-rebound performance sparked William Woods to its first ever 2-0 start in the AMC.
A Black Star Export
Hailing from the African country of Ghana,
Daniel Armah has been a lifelong fan of the Ghana national soccer team, referred to as 'The Black Stars'. Not only is Armah a fan but he is a talented soccer player as well.
However, Armah is more talented in basketball. The 6-6 forward has been a force for the Owls since returning at the end of the first semester. Since his return he has averaged 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and has collected two double-double's on the year.
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 12.1 points per game on the year, good for third-best, while Sumrell leads the team with 19 steals.
Hitting From Downtown
The Owls hold a small margin in three-point shooting, with a .374 make rate to just a .333 pace for its opponents. The offensive pace is good for 24th 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 .410 pace in his 12 games on the year.
D.J. Hoskins is also having a solid year, ranking 31st in the country with a .434 make rate from downtown.
On The Boards
The Owls are slightly outrebounding the opposition, grabbing 552 on the year and allowing 530 for its opponents. WWU holds the edge on the offensive glass, nabbing 173 to just 153 for the opposition.
WWU is ranked 48th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (25.267) and 49th 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 15 games on the year for head coach
Nick Totta.
A Look At Hannibal-LaGrange
The Trojans have complied a 3-10 overall record, and dropped their first AMC contest to Benedictine University at Springfield 72-65. HLGU has lost four of its last five games. Offensively, two players are averaging double figures for Hannibal-LaGrange, led by Arii Meuel's 17.8 points per game with Abraham Arinyakono chipping in 10.8 points per game. Arinyakono leads the team in rebounding with 6.2 boards per game.
Although the bulk of his scoring comes from inside the arc, Mevel is one of two threats from long-distance for the Hornets, as has let fly with 65 attempts, hitting on 25 for a .385 pace. Alistair McCann is the other deep threat for the Trojans with his team-leading .429 success rate and a team-high 25 trifectas.
Rebounding has been a troublesome issue for HLGU this season as they are being giving up an average of 3.3 boards a game (34.4-31.1) and have allowed 27 more defensive boards than they have collected (315-288).
Just like the Owls, the Trojans have had a difficult time limiting teams on defense. HLGU is giving up 69.2 points per game and allows the opposition to hit .454 from the floor and .377 from behind the arc.
