FULTON, Mo.—The William Woods University men's basketball team will look for an upset win on Saturday afternoon, as the Owls host No. 3-ranked Freed-Hardeman University. Tip-off starts at 4 p.m.
The Owls (11-6; 7-2 AMC), are coming off a 71-67 victory over Williams Baptist College on Thursday night. The team shot 46.0 percent from the floor and dominated the glass, having a rebounding advantage of 55-34.
Deon Pettigrew led the way on the night, having a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, 10 of which came on the defensive side.
Kevin House contributed 14 points and five rebounds, while
Keith Jackson earned himself a double-double, netting a season-high 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing down 10 rebounds.
A win over the Lions (12-4; 6-2 AMC), would give the Owls its eighth AMC win already, a mark they didn't hit last year until February 21
st.
In AMC play, the team has been dominant, scoring 82.4 points, while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and outrebounding its opponents 403-327. Pettigrew has continued to play well against AMC foes, having a team-high average of 16.1 and also leads the Owls with 83 rebounds.
Austin Lowery, a St. Charles, Missouri, native, has a 13.2 point per game average in nine AMC games. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the floor, 44.7 percent from beyond-the-arc and 92.3 percent from the charity-stripe.
House, meanwhile, an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native, is shooting 54.8 percent from the field, which has upped his average to 12.3 points. The senior guard has continued to be a threat when the ball is in his hands, as he has dished out a team-high 37 assists.
DJ Johnson, is the fourth Owl averaging double-figures, as he owns a 12.2 average in five AMC games, while hitting 57.1 percent of his shots.
On the season, Pettigrew is pacing the offense with his 15.4 average, 122 rebounds and 20 steals. House, is averaging 13.3 points, has a field goal percentage of 51.8 percent, is shooting 82.5 percent from the line. He continues to be ranked in the top-10 nationally with his 5.78 (sixth) assists per game and 81 assists (seventh).
Lowery, a senior, is shooting over 44.0 percent from the field and from downtown, while ranking third on the team in points per game (12.8). Johnson, has seen average (10.9) climb since returning to the lineup and has netted 55.7 percent of his shots. The Owls also saw
Bryan DeGeare return to the lineup on Thursday, which is yet another shooter other teams' will need to keep an eye on, as the junior has a 10.4 average in 11 games and is third on the team with 73 rebounds.
Freed-Hardeman, suffered its second straight loss against No. 4-ranked Columbia College on Thursday, as they fell 101-94. It's the second consecutive time this season that FHU has given up over 100 points, as they previously allowed 103 points against Williams Baptist College.
Against the Cougars, Freed-Hardeman, shot 48.5 percent from the field and were led by Orlando Bass' 28 points on 8-of-14 shooting, six of his shots were made from three. Isiah Harrison earned a double-double, with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Austin Dempsey and Trevor Randolph netted 12 and 11 points respectively.
On the year, the Lions, are shooting 47.2 percent from the floor, which has allowed them to average 89.6 points in 16 outings. Bass, has led the way with his 19.0 season average and is shooting 46.8 percent from the field.
Harrison, is averaging 16.7 points, while leading the team in field goal percentage (60.7) and rebounds (165). Dempsey, is the final Lions player to average double-figures, having an 11.0 average, while shooting a team-high 85.3 percent from the floor.
Evan Forhetz, will be a player WWU defense will need to keep an eye on, as he has totaled 118 assists and is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, 45.2 percent from the arc and 73.3 percent from the free throw line. Randolph, is fourth on the team in points per game (9.3), but is second on the Lions in field goal percentage (49.0) and first in 3-point percentage (49.4).
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for a full recap and score from Anderson Arena.
