FULTON, Mo.- After getting a big win on the road against American Midwest Conference foe Missouri Baptist, the William Woods University men's basketball team (9-6 AMC, 13-15 overall) will look for the upset when #1 ranked Columbia College (15-0 AMC, 29-0 overall) comes to town on Senior Day. Tip-off for the game, which is presented by Cost Cutters, will start at 4:00 p.m.
The Match-up
The Owls are coming off a key 82-66 victory against Missouri Baptist, with six different WWU players reaching double-figures. William Woods started out from the field cold, but began to find their shooting touch mid-way through the first half and were able to lead 41-34 after the first 20:00 minutes. The team continued their hot shooting throughout the entire second half, having a double-digit lead for more than 14:00 minutes and was able to cruise to the 16 point victory.
Logan Decker and
Blake Burgess each led the way with 14 points each,
Daniel Armah added another double-double totaling 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
D.J. Hoskins,
Jonathon Nutt and
Seth Thomas each chipped in 11 points.
The Cougars have continued to play great basketball all season and after a scare against Missouri Baptist last week, the Cougars have beaten Lyon and Harris-Stowe by a combined 36 points. The Owls and Columbia met earlier this season, with the Cougars dominating the first half and going on for the 73-53 victory.
What did William Woods in, was shooting 25.0% from the field in the first half, making only seven shots, which put them behind 33-17 after the first 20:00 minutes. The play in the second half, was much better, however, the deficit was too large to mount a comeback.
D.J. Hoskins and
Blake Burgess led the way with 15 points each, while Columbia was led by Devin Griffin scoring 18.
Senior Day at Anderson Arena
Before the men's game, seniors
Daniel Armah,
Logan Decker,
D.J. Hoskins and
Roy McElroy will be honored for their time and play here at William Woods. All have contributed to the success in the past and now here as Owls. These four seniors have led the Owls to a 9-6 American Midwest Conference record, which is the best record in men's basketball since joining in 2007.
Struggles against the Cougars
The Owls have struggled against Columbia in their past 11 meetings, only winning once. That lone victory came back in 2008, when William Woods won 77-60, led by the play of Lucas Dahl totaling 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. A win against #1 Columbia this season, would be one of if not the biggest upset in the NAIA this year.
Three way tie in the AMC
With their win over Missouri Baptist, three teams are now tied for third place in the American Midwest Conference. #1 Columbia has locked up the top seed and Park University has nailed down the second seed, however, the #3 spot is a bit much more difficult to figure out.
Williams Baptist heads on the road to Harris-Stowe on Saturday and the Spartans will travel to Hannibal-LaGrange on Saturday as well. The Owls are the only team that has a home match-up and are the only team out of the three with their opponent having a winning record.
Records Broken in Last Home Game
A little over a week ago, William Woods fell to Park at home, however, two records were broken that night.
Dontre' Jenkins became the all-time assist leader, breaking the previous mark of 198 held by Dan Anderson.
Daniel Armah had another strong game, totaling 22 points and grabbing down 20 rebounds, which was a WWU school record, breaking the last record by one board.
Defense wins big games
The Owls rank in second place in scoring defense, holding their opponents to 67.1 points per game, which they have done 18 times this year, most recently against the Spartans, holding them to 66 points. They have been scoring 70.1 points per game, which is a scoring margin of 2.29, placing them third in the conference.
Battle of the Boards
William Woods ranks third in the American Midwest Conference in total rebounds per game, with an average of 38.25, and second in total rebounds on defense per game with 33.6.
Daniel Armah leads the way in the rebound category,
averaging 11.3 per game, totaling 193 on the season. In the 17 games that Armah has played this season, he has gotten a double-double 10 times.
Three Owls Rank in Top 20 in Scoring
D.J. Hoskins,
Logan Decker and
Jonathon Nutt all rank in the American Midwest Conference top 20 in points per game. Hoskins ranks the highest at #8 averaging 12.8 points per game in 25 games, Decker ranks in the top 15 at #12 averaging 11.4 and Nutt is averaging 10.4 points per game, placing him at #17 in the conference.
Getting back on the winning track
After losing four in a row back in January, the Owls have re-gained their composure, winning four out of their last six games and all of those wins have come by double-digits. Their best game on defense came against the Spartans, where the team allowed MBU to shoot 50% from the field in the first half, the Owls came out from the locker room and shut down the Missouri Baptist offense, holding them to 28.2%, including 1-of-8 from the free throw line.
Key players step up their game in conference play
Daniel Armah,
D.J. Hoskins,
Jonathon Nutt and
Logan Decker have stepped up their play in AMC play, all averaging double-figures. Leading the way is Armah, averaging 14.0 points per game, on 57.0 shooting from the field. Hoskins ranks second on the team averaging 11.5 points per game, and being third on the team in steals with 12.
Nutt ranks third on the team with 11.2 points per game, first on the team in steals with 18 and shooting just under 50% from the floor. Decker whom is averaging 10.6 points a game, is someone you don't want to put on the free throw line as the senior is averaging 92.3% from the charity line.
A Look at Columbia College
The Cougars come into Anderson Arena ranked #1 in the NAIA and have a perfect record at 29-0, the only undefeated team left. The Cougars have a high-powered offense, play great defense and are very well coached. Out of those 29 games this season, only five of them the Cougars did not beat their opponent by more than 10 points.
Devin Griffin and Jordan Dressler are each averaging 12.9 points a game, while Derrick Dilworth is third on the team in points, averaging 11.6. Dressler from the floor shoots an astounding 62.0% from the field and has grabbed 207 rebounds on the season, which places him first on the team and third in the conference.
The team ranks first overall in scoring offense averaging 80.2 points a game and in scoring defense, holding their opponents to just 55.4 points per game, which puts them first in the scoring margin category at 24.8. The next closest team is Park University, with a scoring margin of 3.0.
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 Cost Cutters of Mid-Mo, 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, Atkins Inc., 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.
