FULTON, Mo.- The William Woods men's basketball team will look for redemption in Thursday night's annual court warming action against the Park University Pirates, to avenge a 78-70 OT loss at Park back in January. Tip-off for the game, which is presented by Atkins Inc., is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup
The Owls three game winning streak was snapped in Arkansas yesterday, as the team dropped a heart breaker to Williams Baptist, falling 74-69. The loss to the Eagles puts the Owls in fourth place in the American Midwest Conference standings with a record at 8-5, as the team trails Missouri Baptist by just one game for the third spot. WWU will try to creep close to the .500 mark in their overall record, with the team standing at 12-14 overall.
The Pirates are playing well this season holding second place down in the AMC (10-3 16-8 overall), and have won eight out of their last nine games, with the lone loss being at the hands of #1 ranked Columbia College.
At the end of regulation in their previous meeting, the Owls and Pirates were all square at 66-66. In overtime, Park took the game over, outscoring William Woods 12-4, holding on for the eight point victory.
D.J. Hoskins was the leading scorer for the Owls, totaling 22 points on 7-14 shooting.
Last Time Out
After leading 40-31 at the half over the Williams Baptist Eagles, the Owls went into the locker room at halftime feeling very confident. However, after shooting 53% from the field in the first half, the team was held to just 38% in the second half. The team went 4-14 from the three point arc in the final 20:00 minutes, while the Eagles shot an astounding 53% from the field and 70% from the arc.
WBC went on to out-score William Woods 43-29 in the half and held on for the comeback victory 74-69, handing the Owls a tough road loss.
D.J. Hoskins was the leading scorer chipping in 21 points on 8-17 shooting. Also having a strong night from the field, was
Seth Thomas adding 16 bench points and
Jonathon Nutt netting 10.
New Rebounding Record Holder
Last night at Williams Baptist, junior
Jonathon Nutt stood at 359 career rebounds and was just two away from breaking the all-time record held by
Adam Otto at 361. The 5-10 guard ended the night with four rebounds, breaking the record and now holds his own at 363. He has three games left and the AMC playoffs to continue adding onto his new record.
Jenkins to break assists record
Also, last night at Williams Baptist, junior
Dontre' Jenkins tied the all-time assist mark at 198 that is also being held by Dan Anderson. The 6-1 guard will look to break a second record this week for the Owls, against the Pirates on Thursday night.
Armah Earns Player of the Week Honors
Daniel Armah a 6-6 forward was recently named AMC Player of the Week, propelling the Owls to a 2-0 record by defeating Hannibal-LaGrange University and Lyon College. Armah averaged a double-double on the week totaling 16 points and pulling down 10.5 rebounds. His best game came against Lyon College, where the redshirt senior added 16 points and 13 rebounds, leading the team to 76-63 victory.
Hot Shooting Owls in Conference
Daniel Armah,
D.J. Hoskins,
Jonathon Nutt and
Logan Decker are each averaging double-figure in American Midwest Conference play.
Daniel Armah leads the way averaging 13.5 points per game in 13 games, shooting 60% from the field and ripped down 142 total rebounds. All players will be looked upon for continued success and to move up in the standings.
Owls Improve At the Free Throw Line and Beyond
With their recent victories and rising shooting percentage, the Owls rank third in the AMC in free throw percentage at 68%. Behind the arc, William Woods ranks second at 36%, trailing only Columbia College at 38%. Senior
Logan Decker leads the team in both categories at 41% from the three point line and 79% from the charity stripe.
A Look At Park University
The Pirates are holding second place and are on a three game winning streak, defeating the likes of Lyon, Williams Baptist and Harris-Stowe State. The Pirates are led by Venton Wilder who is averaging 11.8 points per game and is second on the team in steals with 24.
Park averages 72 points per game, while holding opponents down to 70. The team has played much better in conference play, averaging 76 points, while holding AMC foe's to 70. Besides Wilder, a player to keep an eye on is Xavielle Brown, whom is averaging a team leading 12 poings per game in the conference.
Voice Of The Owls
Returning to the broadcast booth this season is the duo of
Darren Munns and Craig “Boomer” McAndrews. In addition to their coaching duties for WWU Baseball, Munns and McAndrews serve as the primary broadcast tandem for the Owls webcast.
Get Social With The Owls
In addition to the traditional outlets, fans can keep up with the latest news about William Woods Athletics via our social media channels. Checkout our Facebook page (Facebook.com/WWUOwls) and twitter feed (@WWU_Owls).
Corporate Partners
Tonight's game is sponsored by Atkins Inc., Throughout the 2012-13 season, William Woods will take many opportunities to thank our corporate partners for their support both on and off the field for our student-athletes. Thanks to State Farm, Central Dairy, Coldwell Banker Niedergerke & Co., Columbia Orthopedic Group, Cost Cutter of Mid-Mo, Jack's Gourmet Restaurant, Holiday Inn Express, Joe Machens Dealerships, Mid-City Lumber, Mo-X, PEAK Performance, Red Weir Athletic Supplies, State Farm/Don Woodson and White Dog Promotions.For more information on the WWU Corporate Partner programs, contact the William Woods Athletic Department at 573.592.1624.
