FULTON, Mo.—The William Woods men's basketball team will look to put a halt to its five game losing streak and pick up big wins against No. 18 Culver-Stockton College and Avila University in the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic starting tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.
The Owls (1-8; 0-1 AMC), are coming off a tough six point 69-63 loss at home against Missouri Valley College. Senior
Blake Burgess led the Owls with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor in 31:00 minutes played. Guard
Jonathon Nutt was the only other player to reach double-figures for the team, as the Palmyra, Mo., native chipped in 14 points.
Nate Bitner added nine points off the bench, all of which came from behind the three point arc, while
Matt Helle netted seven points and grabbed down a career and team high 11 rebounds.
Aside from the 106-72 loss at the hands of Bellevue University back on Nov. 29
th, the Owls have been very competitive in each game throughout the season, only falling by 10 points or less in its seven other defeats.
The team is shooting 43 percent from the floor on the year and putting up 81.1 points per game, led by Nutt who is averaging a career high 19.1 points per game and making 42 percent of his shots from the field.
Burgess is also having a career year as an Owl, netting 14.8 points per game, making 46 percent of his shots from the floor and is second on the team in rebounds with 45. Another player that has stepped up as of late is
Patrick Lewis, who in the month of Dec. is averaging 11.7 points per game off the bench.
The Wildcats (9-1; 1-1 HAAC), are putting up an astounding 94.2 points per game, with five players averaging double-figures, led by James Johnson scoring nearly 18 points per game and is shooting a team high 81 percent from the free throw line.
Three of their wins came against current American Midwest Conference teams, as they defeated Missouri Baptist (121-92), and Hannibal LaGrange twice. In one of their meetings, the Trojans held the Wildcats to its lowest point total on the year (59) and field goal percentage (35 percent).
Jonathan Miller is netting 13.6 points per game and is making 54 percent of his shots from the floor. Jalen Jarrett (11.7), Mario Gulley (11.1) and CJ Adams (10.6), will be other players the Owls will need to keep an eye out for on defense.
CSC is a defensive minded as team as well, ranking third in the NAIA in defensive rebounds per game (34.1), fourth in total rebounds per game (48.0) and holding its opponents to a mere 27 percent from the three point arc.
On the boards, the Owls will have to win the battle against Gulley, who has totaled 94 rebounds (9.4 per game) in 10 games this year. Alen Hadzimahovic, a six feet seven inch forward, is second on the team in rebounds, grabbing down 81 (8.1 per game), 73 of which came on the defensive side.
On Sunday, the Owls will square off against Avila University (2-5; 0-2 HAAC) also at 4:00 p.m. The Eagles two victories on the season came against Harris-Stowe University, with their most recent win against the Hornets coming on Dec. 17
th, where the Eagles won 100-84, led by Sedrick Johnson scoring 25 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
Johnson is one of the main players on the roster, as he leads the team in multiple categories including points per game (20.4), free throw percentage (77.6), rebounds (43) and assists (27).
Trey Bales is netting 14.0 points per game, while Brandon Murillo and Tyler Smith are both averaging just over 10 points per game on the season.
The Eagles, however, have struggled from the field through seven games, as they are shooting 38 percent from the floor, while their counterparts are making 49 percent of its shots. The team is averaging 77 points per game on the year, with opponents putting up nearly 87 points per game on them.
Fans should stay updated on wwuowls.com all season for full previews and recaps on the men's basketball season.
