#16 SBU BEARCATS (15-4, 6-3 MIAA)
vs MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS (11-5, 6-3 MIAA)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2010 • 7:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
LIVE STATS: www.sidearmstats.com/sbuniv/mbball/index.htm
RADIO:  KBFL 99.9 FM  (Josh Thompson, play-by-play; Matt Evans, color commentary)
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SBU NOTES | MWSU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The #16 SBU Bearcats begin a three-game homestand Tuesday when they host the Missouri Western Griffons. SBU defeated Northwest Missouri on Saturday in overtime. The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks defeated SBU last Thursday in Bolivar, snapping the Bearcats' 38-game home winning streak and handing the 'Cats their first loss at home in nearly three years. SBU finds itself in a three-way third place tie with UNO and Missouri Western. Missouri Western fell at Central Missouri 82-75 on Saturday.
   
National Player of the Year candidate and reigning MIAA Player of the Week Matt Rogers averaged 26.5 points and 19 rebounds last week. For the season, he is averaging 23.7 points per game, the most in the MIAA and ninth in the country. Rogers is also second on the MIAA rebounding list, with 9.1 boards every game. With 65 blocks on the year, Rogers is fourth nationally (3.8 bpg), and has 37 more blocks than anyone else in the league. Rogers is also among the MIAA leaders in field goal percentage (55.1% - 4th), free throw percentage (82.7% - 7th), and defensive rebounds (7.5 rpg - 1st). Junior point guard Tomas Brock is third in the MIAA in assists per game (5.2), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and is fifth in free throw percentage (84.3%).
    
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 39 three-pointers on the season (tenth in the MIAA), and is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game. Junior forward Kurt Koenig is averaging 13.4 points per game (16th in MIAA), 5.2 rebounds per night and is hitting 44% from three-point range. Sophomore Ryan Dougherty is averaging 11.8 points per game over the last five contests while also dishing 3.4 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 (89.7 ppg) and free throw percentage (77.8%) and is third in three-point percentage (39.9%).

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 122-47 (.722) record. Guiot has a 340-140 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.
   
Tom Smith is in his 35th season as a collegiate head coach and 22nd year at Missouri Western. Smith has won 580 games over his career and is 410-22 at Western. Before coming to MWSU in 1989, Smith coached at Valparaiso (Ind.) for eight seasons and prior to that, spent five seasons at Central Missouri. Smith's teams have 10 NCAA D-II Tournament appearances, five MIAA  regular season championships and four MIAA tourney titles. He's been MIAA Coach of the Year three times.
   
The Griffons led the all-time series with SBU 43-25. The teams met three times last year, with SBU winning 79-78 in St. Joseph and 89-67 in Bolivar to win the MIAA title outright before the Griffons defeated an injury-depleted Bearcat squad 93-92 in the MIAA tourney. SBU has won nine of the last ten matchups.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
SBU finishes 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 and SBU. Marcus Rhodes leads MWSU with 16.1 points (MIAA 11th) with teammate Dominique Thuston a close second at 14.2 points (MIAA 14th). James Bush is the team's top rebounder (6.0 per game, tied for 10th in MIAA) while Rhodes is the conference's third best in field goal percentage (55.5%). Guards Mike DeWalt and Martin Nolan rank eighth and ninth in the MIAA in assists (62 and 58, 3.9 per game). 
        
NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
SBU hosts #8 Central Missouri on Saturday evening, in a matchup of the top two MIAA teams over the last half decade. The teams met on December 2 in Warrensburg with the Mules winning 115-99. SBU played without All-American Matt Rogers. The teams met three times last season, with the teams winning on their home floors before UCM took the South Central Regional final at home. Sanjay Watts continues to lead the Mules, averaging 22.1 points (MIAA 2nd) and an MIAA-best 9.4 rebounds per game. Alex Moosman is the national leader in assist-to-turnover ratio at 6.27, the MIAA leader in three-point percentage (51.3%) and is fourth in the MIAA in assists (4.6).