#16 SBU BEARCATS (14-4, 5-3 MIAA)
at NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS (8-7, 3-5 MIAA)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2010 • 3:30 PM
MARYVILLE, MO • BEARCAT ARENA
LIVE STATS: www.nwmissouri.edu/sports/mensbball/stats/xlive.htm
RADIO:  KBFL 99.9 FM  (Josh Thompson, play-by-play)
INTERNET AUDIO: www.radiospringfield.com/kbfl.aspx
VIDEO: www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=296 (B2 networks pay-per-view)

SBU NOTES | NWMSU NOTES
   
MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The #16 SBU Bearcats will look to get back on track on Saturday, but will have to do it on the road as they visit Northwest Missouri State. SBU is coming off their first loss at home in nearly three years after the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks defeated SBU on Thursday, snapping the Bearcats' 38-game home winning streak. The loss to the Mavs was the second straight for the Bearcats, the first back-to-back losses for SBU since the 2006-07 season. Northwest Missouri is coming off a road loss Wednesday night at Central Missouri. SBU is 6-3 away from home this season, with their three losses coming to nationally-ranked teams.
   
National Player of the Year candidate Matt Rogers gave a huge effort against UNO, with 36 points, a career and MIAA season high 20 rebounds, and four blocks. He is averaging 24.1 points per game, the most in the MIAA and ninth in the country. Rogers is also second on the MIAA rebounding list, with 8.5 boards every contest. With 63 blocks on the year, Rogers is fourth nationally (3.9 bpg), and has 38 more blocks than anyone else in the league. Rogers is also among the MIAA leaders in field goal percentage (56% - 4th), free throw percentage (83.5% - 6th), and defensive rebounds (7.0 rpg - 1st). Junior point guard Tomas Brock is third in the MIAA in assists per game (5.2), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) and tied for fourth in free throw percentage (85%).
    
Tristan Steele has led the Bearcats in scoring in three conference matchups this season, tallying 24 points at UCM, 22 points against Pittsburg State and 21 versus Washburn. Steele has a team-high 36 three-pointers on the season (tied for 9th in the MIAA), and is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game. Junior forward Kurt Koenig is averaging 13.4 points per game (17th in MIAA), 5.3 rebounds per night and is hitting 45% from three-point range. Sophomore Ryan Dougherty is averaging 12 points per game over the last four contests while also dishing nearly four assists per game.
   
As a team the Bearcats are ninth nationally in scoring, seventh in three-point percentage and fifth in free-throw percentage. SBU also leads the MIAA in scoring (89.6 ppg) and free throw percentage (78%) and is third in three-point percentage (39.7%).

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
SBU head coach Jeff Guiot is in his sixth season in Bolivar, where he has led the Bearcats to a 121-47 (.720) record. Guiot has a 339-140 record overall, and has yet to suffer a losing season during his fifteen-year career. Guiot has won 20 games ten times, as well as eight conference titles, including three of the last four MIAA regular season championships while at SBU.
   
Ben McCollum is in his first year leading the Northwest Missouri team, and currently sports an 8-7 mark. McCollum is a 2003 graduate of NWMSU and served as a graduate assistant for Northwest Missouri before serving four years as an assistant at Emporia State.   
   
The “Battle of the Bearcats” over the years has gone green with Northwest leading all-time 31-15. SBU has won all four meetings the last two years including 82-61 in Bolivar and 81-58 in Maryville last season.

SCOUTING THE NORTHWEST BEARCATS
After being picked for ninth and tenth in the MIAA preseason polls, Northwest Missouri has exceded expectations somewhat and is currently tied for sixth in the league with Missouri Southern. Senior guard Girod Adams is the green Bearcats' leading scorer, averaging 17.3 points per game, ranking seventh among the MIAA's leading scorers. Elijah Allen is not far behind, putting in 16.7 a game, ninth-most in the conference. The junior from Columbus, Ohio is also one of the league's most accurate shooters, and at 55.7%, ranks fifth in the MIAA. Freshman point guard DeShaun Cooper can be dangerous, averaging 4.3 assists each game, putting him just inside the conference's top five. The green Bearcats have lost two of their three games -- a three-point win over Truman was bookended by road losses at Missouri Western and Central Missouri.
        
NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
SBU will be back at home on Tuesday to finish the first half of the MIAA schedule when they host Missouri Western. The Griffons have been one of the surprise teams in the MIAA this season, standing tied for third with Nebraska-Omaha. Marcus Rhodes leads MWSU with 16.2 points (MIAA 10th) with teammate Dominique Thuston a close second at 14.1 points (MIAA 14th). Thuston is the team's top rebounder (5.5 per game, tied for 15th in MIAA) while Rhodes is the conference's third best in field goal percentage (57%). Guards Mike Dewalt and Martin Nolan rank eighth and ninth in the MIAA in assists (3.9 and 3.8). Missouri Western plays at Central Missouri Saturday.