SBU BEARCATS (18-5, 9-4 MIAA) vs
TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS (4-17, 2-12 MIAA)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010 • 3:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
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SBU NOTES | TSU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- On a day where Southwest Baptist will induct four new members into the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame, the SBU Bearcats host the Truman State Bulldogs, in what wraps up a stretch of five out of seven games at home. SBU moved up into fourth in the NCAA South Central regional rankings just before defeating Pittsburg State on the road Wednesday night. The 'Cats knocked off the Gorillas by a double-digit margin without All-American center Matt Rogers, who was out with a knee injury.
   
Rogers' absence leaves a big void in the middle. He is averaging 21.8 points per game, the second-most in the MIAA and 16th in the country. Rogers is also third on the MIAA rebounding list, with 8.8 boards every game. With 70 blocks on the year, Rogers is fifth nationally (3.6 bpg), and has 41 more blocks than anyone else in the league.
   
Looking to fill the void are Tomas Brock, SBU's starting point guard, who is third in the MIAA in assists per game (5.2), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and is tied for fifth in free throw percentage (84.0%). In essentially four games this year SBU has played without Rogers, Brock has averaged 16.5 points per game including a career high 22 points against Central Missouri on December 2. Kurt Koenig is another player who the Bearcats can count on to step up. He is averaging 12.9 points per game (18th in MIAA), 5.2 rebounds per night and is hitting 45.3% from three-point range.
   
Tristan Steele has led the Bearcats in scoring in four conference matchups this season, tallying 24 points at UCM, 22 and 23 points in the home-and-home series against Pitt State and 21 versus Washburn. Steele has a team-high 45 three-pointers on the season (tenth in the MIAA). Sophomore Ryan Dougherty has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games. Freshman Ivan Cropotov is averaging 10.6 points per game since moving into the starting lineup at Northwest Missouri.
   
As a team the Bearcats are ninth nationally in scoring (88.3 ppg), ninth in three-pointers per game (9.5) and eighth in free-throw percentage (76.1). SBU also leads the MIAA in scoring and threes made.

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 124-48 (.721) record. Guiot has a 342-141 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.
   
Jack Schrader has been on the Bulldogs' bench since 1995-96, and is in his 15th season in Kirksville. His tenure with Truman was highlighted in the 1998-99 season, when his Bulldogs took the MIAA Tournament title and made a run to the Elite Eight. SBU leads the all-time series, 25-17, and have won the past four meetings.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Truman State has struggled on both ends of the court this season, scoring only 66.3 points per game, least in the MIAA while also allowing 75.5 each contest, third-most in the league. Truman has the second lowest field goal percentage in the conference, firing at a 42.8% clip. The Bulldogs' Ethan Freeman is second in the MIAA in rebounds with nine per game. Freeman had 17 boards against SBU in the first meeting this season, won by the Bearcats 70-62. Vesko Filchev is seventh in rebounding at 6.8 per game. Alex Henderson is ninth in assists with 3.8 per game and fifth in three-point percentage (42.9%). Freshman Tom Norton is third in threes made with 2.5 per game. Filchev, Henderson, Stefan Garrison, and Norton all average around 11 points per game.
        
NEXT UP FOR THE BEARCATS
Things have not gone as expected for the Emporia State Hornets; after being picked to finish third by MIAA coaches at the start of the season, the Hornets are in a fight to earn a berth in the MIAA Tournament next month. Emporia is working to turn things around and gain some momentum, having won two of their last three going into this week's matchup against Nebraska-Omaha. One of the bright spots have come in the backcourt, with senior guard Tim Niles averaging 15.1 points a game, 10th-best in the league. Junior Adam Holthaus is 16th in scoring (13.6 ppg) and second in field goal percentage at 61.4%.