GAME 4: #3 SBU BEARCATS (3-0 in 2009-10)
at DRURY PANTHERS (13-14 in 2008-09)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009 • 7:00 PM
WEISER GYM • SPRINGFIELD, MO
LIVE STATS:Available through Drury/Sidearm

GAME 5: #3 SBU BEARCATS
vs. MidAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS (4-0 in 2009-10)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009 • 7:00 PM
MEYER SPORTS CENTER • BOLIVAR, MO
LIVE STATS: Available through SBU/Sidearm

GAME 6: #3 SBU BEARCATS
at DALLAS BAPTIST PATRIOTS (24-7 in 2008-09)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009 • 7:00 PM
BURG CENTER • DALLAS, TEXAS

ALL GAMES: RADIO: KBFL 99.9 FM (Josh Thompson, play-by-play)
ALL GAMES: INTERNET AUDIO: www.radiospringfield.com

SBU NOTES | DU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- Coming off a great start at the Disney East Coast Tip-Off Classic in Orlando, Fla., the #3 SBU Bearcats look to continue their winning ways with three games this week. SBU will help kick off the final season of DU's Weiser Gym when they visit rival Drury on Monday. The 'Cats will have their regular season home opener on Thursday when they host MidAmerica Nazarene. SBU will then visit Dallas Baptist on Saturday, a team that SBU eliminated last year from the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats have won back-to-back MIAA regular season crowns (and three in four years) and last year, set an MIAA record with 17 conference wins. They were ranked in the top ten all season and currently have the nation's second-longest D-II home court winning streak at 30 games. In preseason polling, the Bearcats were number three in both the NABC coaches poll and the D2 Bulletin ranking. In the MIAA polls, the 'Cats were tabbed for first by the coaches and second by the media.
    
National Player of the Year candidate Matt Rogers returns for his senior season, looking to lead the Bearcats to greater heights. In the three games in Florida, Rogers averaged 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game and was named Most Outstanding Player. He was named the MIAA MVP and had a Division II-leading 123 blocked shots in 2008-09. He was named to four All-American squads and was named Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year, unanimous MIAA MVP, first team All-MIAA and MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. The other returning starter for SBU is junior point guard Tomas Brock, who started every game last season. Brock is averaging nine points and assists per game. Newcomers Thijin Moses (16.0 ppg) and Kurt Koenig (11.3 ppg)  have been impressive early on for the Bearcats.    

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Jeff Guiot is in his sixth season with the Bearcats and continues to guide teams to success. He's 110-43 (.719) at SBU and is 328-136 in 16 seasons overall at all divisions. He's never had a losing season in those fifteen years, has won 20 or more games ten times and led teams to a conference title eight times.
    
Drury is guided by Steve Hesser who begins his sixth season (101-45, .692) with the Panthers. The Panthers have won 20 or more in four of the five previous seasons. Head coach Rocky Lamar is in his 24th season with the MNU Pioneers, and owns a 559-271 (.672) mark. Blake Flickner guided the DBU Patriots to the NCAA Tournament in just the third season of basketball at the university. Flickner is 63-43 (.594) in three seasons with the Patriots.
    
Drury leads the all-time series with SBU 28-19. SBU is up 4-2 over MidAmerica Nazarene while SBU and DBU are tied 1-1. SBU won last year in Bolivar against Drury, 96-77 and in the NCAA Tournament against DBU, 74-68. SBU and MNU last met in 2005-06, with the Bearcats rolling to a 94-58 victory.

SCOUTING THE WEEK'S OPPONENTS
The Drury Panthers will open their regular season with Monday's matchup with SBU. The Panthers struggled last season, going 13-14 during an injury-plagued season. Dominique Long was one player who had a promising freshman season cut short due to injury. Drury has 11 new faces on their roster, led by freshman guard Alex Hall. Junior forward Chris Parks brings scoring and rebounds to DU.
    
MidAmerica Nazarene was ranked #22 in the preseason NAIA Division I coaches poll after going 29-8 last year. Brenton Bell leads the Pioneer attack with nearly 18 points per game. Three other players (Rustin Dowd, Lukas Weigel, Ben Swinger) have averaged double figures through their first four games. Andrew Crotty and Weigel have averaged over six rebounds per game.
    
The Dallas Baptist program is in their fourth year of NCAA Division II basketball. They received their first ever NCAA bid last season and won their first game. DBU opens their regular season this Tuesday at Tarleton State. The Patriots are a scrappy group led by guards Braxton Adamson and Bryan Baumann. In '08-09, DBU finished third in D-II in three-point percentage at 42.4%, and 12th in scoring at 88 ppg.
    
NEXT UP FOR THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats will renew a Thanksgiving tradition when they host the SBU Thanksgiving Classic on November 27 and 28. Both the SBU men's and women's teams will host three squads for the Classic, with the Emporia State, Henderson State and Dallas Baptist men coming in. The SBU women will host Central Missouri, Drury and Quincy. The SBU men will play Henderson State on Friday (11/27) at 8 p.m. and will rematch with Dallas Baptist on Saturday (11/28) at 6 p.m.