SBU BEARCATS 41 at GEORGETOWN HOYAS  82  recap
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009 • 6:00 PM CT
WASHINGTON, D.C. • McDONOUGH ARENA

SBU BEARCATS (1-6, 0-1 MIAA) vs PITTSBURG STATE GORILLAS  (3-5, 1-1 MIAA)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2009 • 5:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
LIVE STATS: www.sidearmstats.com/sbuniv/wbball

ALL GAMES: RADIO: KBFL 99.9 FM (Josh Thompson, play-by-play) 
ALL GAMES: INTERNET AUDIO: www.radiospringfield.com/kbfl.aspx
   
SBU NOTES  updated with GU stats

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- After opening the MIAA season last week at Central Missouri, the SBU Bearcats headed to the nation's capital when they faced Division I Georgetown Hoyas on Tuesday and fell 82-41. The Bearcats return to Bolivar for their MIAA home opener on Saturday night, with the Pittsburg State Gorillas.

Senior Rachel Graves continues to lead the Bearcats, scoring 12.7 points per game, good for 12th-most in the MIAA. Graves is also third in threes made (2.9 per game) and tenth in three-point percentage (35%). Junior point guard Ashleigh Gallio is averaging 10.2 points and is tied for third among the MIAA assist leaders, with 4.3 dimes per game. Graves also owns the league lead in minutes per game while Gallio is second. Courtney Heady is fourth in the MIAA in threes made per game with 2.7.As team, the 'Cats are third in threes made and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach J.C. Carter leads SBU into his second season on the bench. Last year, he led SBU to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State at Emporia as well as a berth in the MIAA postseason tournament. Following the Georgetown game, Carter now has a career mark of 9-26. Terri Williams-Flournoy is head coach at Georgetown, and is now in her sixth season (78-79). Prior to becoming the head coach of the Hoyas, she was an assistant at Georgetown, Georgia and Missouri State. Lane Lord is in his third season at PSU. Lord guided the Gorillas to the best turnaround in school history with 20-9 overall record and 14-6 third place league mark in 2008-09. He is 33-31 overall at Pitt State and 110-52 overall. The Bearcats are even all-time with PSU at 23 wins each, while SBU and Georgetown have never met.
   
SCOUTING THE HOYAS AND GORILLAS
The Hoyas have road wins in Springfield against Missouri State, and at nationally ranked Purdue along with a home over Wake Forest. Georgetown is led by freshman guard Ta'Shauna “Sugar” Rodgers, who is the Big East's leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points a game. Sophomore forward Latia Magee, as well as St. Louis native Jaleesa Butler both have averages in double figures.
   
The Gorillas, 3-5 on the year, have lost three of their last four games by one point, four points and a 12-point overtime loss at Truman. DePrice Taylor (13.6), Drew Roberts (10.8), Laura Glenn (10.3) and Maya Onikute (10.2) lead Pittsburg State in scoring. Pitt State has three players (Onikute, 6.3; Nicole McCombs, 6.2 and Glenn, 5.8) in the top 15 in boards per game. The Gorillas have trouble stopping the deep threats (.388 3-point percentage allowed, highest in the MIAA), meaning if the 'Cats can get hot from outside, it could be a long night for the fans in crimson and gold.

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
SBU will be off next week before a Monday night, December 21 home game with Ouachita Baptist beginning at 7 p.m. OBU is the fourth highest scoring team in the Gulf South Conference (76.8 ppg). Gabby Coleman (17.8) and A'Laeshia Adams (17.2) rank third and fourth among GSC leaders in scoring. Coleman is also fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio.