SBU BEARCATS (20-10, 11-9 MIAA) vs
MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS (17-10, 12-8 MIAA)

MIAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT • FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2010 • 2:15 PM
KANSAS CITY, MO • MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
LIVE STATS: livestats.prestosports.com/themiaa/
RADIO:  KBFL 99.9 FM  (Josh Thompson, play-by-play)
INTERNET AUDIO: www.radiospringfield.com/kbfl.aspx

SBU NOTES | MWSU NOTES
   
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the third straight year, the SBU Bearcats will rematch with the team they played in the final regular season game. SBU hopes to reverse the result of their last two appearances in the MIAA Tournament, after being upset in the first round in the last two years by Emporia State and Missouri Western. SBU fell to eighth in the latest regional rankings and were overtaken by the Griffons in seventh place. The Bearcats need a win Friday to leapfrog the Griffons and move out of the eighth spot, which would go to the Heartland Conference automatic qualifier, likely Incarnate Word, who stands ninth in the regional poll.

SBU's lone senior and All-American center Matt Rogers had been averaging 21.8 points per game before missing the last eight games due to a season-ending injury. Rogers was named this week to his third straight All-MIAA First Team and fourth straight MIAA All-Defensive Team. He ranked fourth in the nation in blocks (3.6 per game), as well as 15th in all of Division II in points. His totals would put him near the top of the MIAA in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, blocks and defensive rebounds.

Junior point guard Tomas Brock has stepped up in Rogers' absence,  including a career-high 24 points against Emporia State. Brock's 4.8 assists per game ranks third in the MIAA. He is also averaging 13.2 points per game (17th in the MIAA), while shooting 84% from the foul line (MIAA 5th). His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8 ranks sixth and he also ranks second in minutes played (32.8 per game). Brock earned All-MIAA honorable mention this week.

Forward Kurt Koenig has scored double figures in six of his last seven games, and he ranks 15th in the MIAA with 13.2 points a game. Koenig also averages 6.1 rebounds, 11th-most in MIAA. Sophomore Tristan Steele has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine contests, including a team-high 20 points in Saturday's loss at MWSU.

As a team, the SBU Bearcats are ranked in the top 25 nationally in a number of statistics, including points per game (85.9, 12th), three-pointers per game (9.3, 8th), and free throw percentage (74.7%, 19th).
 
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 127-53 record. Guiot has a 345-146 record overall, and has yet to suffer a losing season during his fifteen-year career. Guiot has now won 20 games eleven times with the win earlier against Northwest Missouri, as well as eight conference titles, including three of the last five MIAA regular season championships while at SBU.

Finishing his 22nd season on the bench at Missouri Western, Tom Smith has been head coach of the Griffons since 1989 and has coached over 900 games over the course of his career. The Griffons led the all-time series with SBU 44-26. 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 ten of the last twelve matchups.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western are coming off an upset of second-ranked and MIAA-leading Central Missouri and the win over SBU to claim the fourth seed. Senior Marcus Rhodes leads the Griffons with 15.8 points a game (8th in MIAA). Dominique Thurston (13.0 ppg) isn't far behind, ranking 19th in the conference. Senior James Bush is the team's leading rebounder, bringing down 6.3 boards each contest, ranking him for 7th in the league. Bush could give SBU trouble on the defensive end if the 'Cats aren't prepared for him, as he leads the MIAA with 2.9 offensive boards a game.      
 
NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
The Bearcats need a win Friday to strengthen their case for the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully to overtake the Griffons for the seventh spot. Should SBU get the win, they would meet the winner of top-seeded Central Missouri and eighth-seeded Washburn at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Bearcats were swept this season by the nationally-ranked Mules while splitting their matchups with the Ichabods. The pairings for the NCAA Tournament will be announced via webcast at NCAA.com on Sunday evening beginning at 8:30 p.m. SBU has qualified for three of the last four NCAA Tournaments under Jeff Guiot, reaching the regional final in last season's appearance.