SBU BEARCATS (3-10, 1-5 MIAA) at FORT HAYS STATE LADY TIGERS (11-2, 4-2 MIAA)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2010 • 2:00 PM
HAYS, KS • GROSS MEMORIAL COLISEUM
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SBU NOTES | FHSU NOTES
 
HAYS, Kan. -- After a two-game homestand, the SBU Bearcats hit the road on one of their longest trips of the conference season Saturday, to take on Fort Hays State. SBU wrapped up a pair of home games against two top ten teams (league leaders Washburn and Emporia State), after winning their first MIAA game last Wednesday at Truman.
   
Senior Rachel Graves continues to lead the Bearcats, scoring 13.3 points per game, 11th-most in the MIAA. Graves is also among the leaders in a few other key categories, including three-pointers made, (2nd, averaging 2.8 treys a game, just behind Fort Hays' Naomi Bancroft), three-point percentage, (4th, at 42.5%) and minutes played per game (5th, with 31.1).
   
Point guard Ashleigh Gallio is one of the MIAA's top passers, averaging 4.2 assists a game, ranking her third among the league leaders. Gallio is also one of the better guards in the league at controlling mistakes, as her assist-to-turnover ratio is at 1.1 (8th in MIAA). Courtney Heady is a key component for SBU, averaging 10.4 points off the bench, putting her just inside the top 20 scorers in the MIAA. Heady's 2.6 threes per game and 39.1% shooting percentage from beyond the arc are each fifth-best in the league.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
SBU head coach J.C. Carter is in his second season on the bench for the Bearcats, where he has earned a career mark of 11-30. Last season, Carter led the 'Cats to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State on their own floor, and earned a berth into the MIAA Tournament. Also in his second season is Lady Tigers coach Tony Hobson. Hobson led Fort Hays to its first appearance in the MIAA Tournament last season, and has a career record of 436-124, with a 23-18 mark at Fort Hays. He won two NAIA national championships at Hastings College, where he coached for seven years. The Bearcats lead the all-time series, 4-2; the two teams have split games the last two years. The Lady Tigers have won the last two matchups in Hays.

SCOUTING THE LADY TIGERS
The Bearcats don't get any breaks from the schedule when they travel out to Fort Hays State on Saturday. The Lady Tigers have won five of their last six, and are 11-2 overall this season after winning Monday at Central Missouri. Fort Hays is averaging over 70 points a game offensively, good for third in the MIAA, while only allowing 56.3 points, the third-best defense in the league. Senior guard Naomi Bancroft leads the MIAA with 18.5 points per game, while forward Erica Biel cleans the glass with 6.3 boards a game (10th in MIAA). Bancroft is the MIAA's third best free throw shooter (77.8%) and leader in threes made with 3.4 per game.

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks have won their last two games to even their MIAA record at 3-3 and are 8-5 overall. UNO visits Bolivar for only the second time ever on Thursday night, January 14. The Mavs host Central Missouri on Saturday. Alyssa Green is the 8th leading scorer in the MIAA at 14.3 points per game and also ranks 9th in field goal percentage (35.5%) and 8th in free throw (72.7%). Jamie Nash and Green rank one-two in steals with 3.3 and 2.9 per game.