#24 SBU BEARCATS (16-4, 7-3 MIAA)
vs #7 CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES (16-1, 9-1 MIAA)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2010 • 7:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
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SBU NOTES | UCM NOTES
   
BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The #24 SBU Bearcats continue their current homestand and begin the second part of the MIAA schedule in a big way Saturday night, when they host the #7 Central Missouri Mules. The 'Cats and Mules are the MIAA's top two teams over the last five years, with SBU winning three regular season titles and one MIAA tourney title and UCM taking three tourney titles and sharing two regular season titles. The two squads were the coaches' (SBU) and media's (UCM) picks in the MIAA preseason polls. UCM won the first matchup this season in Warrensburg this season, though SBU was without Matt Rogers due to injury.
   
Rogers is a national Player of the Year candidate and the reigning MIAA MVP and MIAA Player of the Week. He is averaging 23.5 points per game, the most in the MIAA and sixth in the country. Rogers is also second on the MIAA rebounding list, with 8.9 boards every game. With 66 blocks on the year, Rogers is fourth nationally (3.7 bpg), and has 37 more blocks than anyone else in the league. Rogers is also among the MIAA leaders in field goal percentage (54.3% - 5th), free throw percentage (81% - 8th), and defensive rebounds (7.4 rpg - 1st). Junior point guard Tomas Brock is third in the MIAA in assists per game (5.3), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2) 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 Pitt State and 21 versus Washburn. Steele has a team-high 40 three-pointers on the season (tied for ninth in the MIAA), and is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game. Junior forward Kurt Koenig is averaging 13.4 points per game (17th in MIAA), 5.2 rebounds per night and is hitting 46% from three-point range. Sophomore Ryan Dougherty is averaging 13.3 points per game over the last four contests and has hit 11 treys (48%) over the games.
   
As a team the Bearcats are seventh nationally in scoring, ninth in three-point percentage and fourth in free-throw percentage. SBU also leads the MIAA in scoring (89.3 ppg) and free throw percentage (77.3%) and is third in three-point percentage (40.5%). 

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 123-47 (.724) record. Guiot has a 341-140 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.

Kim Anderson is in his eighth season directing the Mules and ranks eighth among active D-II coaches with a .744 winning percentage (174-60). He's led UCM teams to two Final Fours and has won 24 games four times. Last season he guided his squad to within a bucket of the national championship game, as the Mules fell 67-65 to eventual champ Findlay.
   
The Mules lead the all-time series 31-21 and have won the last three meetings, which were all in Warrensburg. SBU won 98-70 last year in Bolivar to begin conference season and also won 66-57 in 2007-08 to win the regular season MIAA title.

SCOUTING THE MULES
SBU and UCM met on December 2 in Warrensburg with the Mules winning 115-99. The Mules were ranked number one in the country from December 8 through January 4, before suffering their lone loss of the season to Fort Hays State at home. Sanjay Watts continues to lead the Mules, averaging 22.1 points (MIAA 2nd, behind SBU's Rogers) and an MIAA-best 9.1 rebounds per game. Watts is also third in field goal percentage (58.6%) and tenth in free throw percentage (79.8%). Alex Moosman is the national leader in assist-to-turnover ratio at 6.27, the MIAA leader in three-point percentage (51.2%) and is fourth in the MIAA in assists (4.5). Moosman ranks third in threes made (2.5) while teammate Bryce Brunz is tied for fifth (2.4). Moosman also stands ninth in the MIAA in scoring (16.1 ppg). UCM is the MIAA's second highest scoring team (85.5 ppg) and has the third best defensive average, allowing 67.2 points per game.
        
NEXT UP FOR THE BEARCATS
Another regional rival awaits the Bearcats in a week, when SBU hosts Missouri Southern on Saturday, January 30. SBU defeated the Lions in Joplin on December 9 by an 83-67 score. SBU hammered the Lions last season in Bolivar, winning 105-65. Southern features one of the league's most exciting dunkers, Jason Adams, who ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring (17.7). Skyler Bowlin leads the conference in steals (2.3) while Keane Thomann is tops in field goal percentage (63.8%). MSSU is the fourth highest scoring team in the MIAA (84.0 ppg) and is starting to come on, winning four of their last five.