SBU BEARCATS (8-17, 6-12 MIAA) vs
NORTHWEST MISSOURI ST. BEARCATS (12-13, 8-10 MIAA)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010 • 5:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
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SBU NOTES | NWMSU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Still alive in the hunt for an MIAA Tournament berth, SBU takes on their fellow Bearcats from Northwest Missouri State, on Senior Night. The purple Bearcats stand ninth in the conference, just a game behind Nebraska-Omaha for the last spot in the tournament. SBU knocked off the Mavericks last weekend in what has been the most exciting finish of the year, as Courtney Heady hit the game-winning buzzer-beater for the 'Cats.

After starting out 1-10 in conference play, the Bearcats have turned the corner, winning five of their last seven. Senior Rachel Graves has helped lead SBU through the turnaround, averaging 17.8 points in the month of February. Graves has raised her scoring average more than a full point, going from 12.4 at the end of January, to 13.7 (9th in MIAA). Graves also leads the team in three-point percentage (39.3%, 3rd in MIAA) and threes made per game (2.7, tied for 4th in MIAA, with teammate Heady).

Courtney Heady has scored in double figures in five of her last six games, and scored a team-high 19 points against UNO last week, including the last second shot for the win. Heady is also among the league leaders in scoring, ranking 16th with 11.9 points per game. Along with Graves, Heady ranks in the top ten in the MIAA in both three-point percentage (36.8%, 8th), and treys made (2.7, T-4th)

Freshman Kourtni Williams has been a big part of SBU's late-season run, being named as a starter at the beginning of February. Williams has set a new career high in scoring four times since her first start against Pittsburg State, scoring 11 against the Gorillas, 12 points in the next game against Truman, 14 in the win against Fort Hays, and most recently 16 in the nail-biter against the Mavericks.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES  
SBU head coach J.C. Carter is looking to increase the Bearcats' win total from eight victories in 2009. Currently in his second year as head coach, Carter has a 16-37 record at SBU. In what could be considered two of his biggest wins to date, Carter led the Bearcats to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State on their home court last season, and knocked off Missouri Western on the last game of the regular season to earn a berth over the Griffons into the MIAA Tournament.

Gene Steinmeyer has been head coach of the green Bearcats for eleven seasons now, and has compiled a record of 152-158 over that time. Before arriving in Maryville, Steinmeyer was coach at Doane College (Neb.) for 16 years, and has earned a career mark of 512-299. Northwest leads the all-time series, 26-20 after taking the matchup in Maryville earlier this season.
    
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS      
Northwest Missouri State come in on a two-game losing streak, falling to Truman in overtime, and at home against Central Missouri. While Northwest boasts the second-highest scoring average in the league, they also are last in the MIAA in defense, allowing just as many points as they put up (73.4). Abby Henry (16.9) and Gentry Dietz (16.6) continue to lead the green Bearcats, ranking third and fourth respectively among MIAA scoring leaders. Defensively, Northwest leads the conference in blocks per game, with 4.2 per game. Dietz leads the team, as well as the league, with two blocks a game on average.

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS 
The SBU Bearcats will face the Missouri Western Griffons on the final day of the regular season, in what could be a do-or-die situation for either team to get into the MIAA tournament, for possibly the second straight season. Missouri Western has dropped their last seven games, their last win coming in late January, at home against Pittsburg State. The Griffons knocked off the Bearcats in Bolivar earlier this season, 75-74, when SBU's attempt at a last-second shot fell through. Western is lead by sophomore Jessica Koch, who is averaging  14.4 points per game, 7th-most in the MIAA. Koch is also sixth in the league in rebounding, bringing down 7.1 boards a contest.