By: Christian Binger, Interim Director of Athletics Media Relations
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Date: February 15, 2018
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Bolivar, Mo. (Meyer Sports Center)
Bolivar, Mo. - Southwest Baptist (11-13, 5-10 MIAA) wraps up their season home slate with two games this coming weeking, starting with the Emporia State Hornets (9-16, 4-12 MIAA) Thursday night.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats carry a 11-13 (5-10 MIAA) record in the 2017-18 season. The Bearcats are on a current four game skid after dropping four contests to Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma, Missouri Southern, and Pittsburg State. SBU is paced by senior forward Logan Hovey who averages a team high and 3rd best in the MIAA conference 18.6 points per game and 5th best 7.7 rebounds per game. Marlon Alcindor averages 12.5 points per game along with leading the MIAA in free throw percentage at 94.6% . Chris Rossow leads the team in assists with 4.4 a game, and Damian Prgomet chips in 8.2 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bearcats are scoring 76.6 points per game and shoot a 4th best in the MIAA and 25th best in the NCAA 40.2% from behind the arc while giving up 74.6 points per game on 42.9% shooting from opponents. The 42.9 field goal percentage defense ranks third in the MIAA.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State comes into the game with a 9-16 (4-12 MIAA) record. Their last time the Hornets upset Washburn, defeating the Ichabods 68-66. At the forefront of the Hornets attack are Brandon Hall and Stephaun Limeul. Hall leads the team in points and assists with 14.0 and 3.3 respectively. Limeul is the second leading scorer with 11.4 points per game and the top rebounder with 7.9. Limuel also shoots 67.8% from the floor and 43.6% on threes. The Hornets score the second lowest points a game in the MIAA at 69.8 points per game on 42.4% shooting. They give up 71.4 points and have the second worst field goal percentage defense in the conference at 47.1%.
THE COACHES
SBU head coach Clark Sheehy is in his fourth season on the SBU bench, holding a 47-63 (24-51 MIAA) record while at SBU. Coach Sheehy holds a career coaching record of 228-164 across twelve seasons while coaching six different All-Americans and over 20 athletes that have moved on to play professional basketball. Under Sheehy, SBU has produced two All-MIAA selections.
Shaun Vandiver is in the midst of his seventh season coaching the Hornets. In his seven seasons, Vandiver has compiled a 86-104 record and a 45-77 record in the MIAA. Emporia State has been Vandiver's first head coaching job as he came to Hornets after serving as an assistant at Boise State.Â
ALL-TIME SERIES
The advantage for career matchups between the two schools goes in favor of the Bearcats, 30 to 22. The two teams last met earlier this season on January 28 and played a double overtime thriller with SBU coming out on top 87-80.
BEARCATS LAST OUTING
(2/10/18) - Pittsburg, Ks. - Damian Prgomet had another double double for Southwest Baptist but it was on the losing end as the Bearcats fell to Pittsburg State 84-78 Saturday afternoon. The loss is SBU's fourth straight and drops their record to 11-13 (5-10 MIAA). With the win, Pittsburg State goes to 14-10 (7-8 MIAA).Â
Prgomet's double double consisted of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Prgomet went 6 for 7 at the line and 3 for 5 from the field. He also added 2 blocks in the game. Logan Hovey scored a team 18 points and corralled in 8 rebounds. Chris Rossow was a point shy of his career high with 17 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Marlon Alcindor was the remaining Bearcat to reach double figures with 11 points.Â
As a team, SBU shot 45.2% (28-62) on field goals, 37.5% (9-24) on long balls, and 72.2% (13-18) on free throws. Rebounding went in favor of the Bearcats as they collected 36 total rebounds and the Gorillas grabbing just 26. Pitt State cashed in for 21 points off 18 SBU turnovers while SBU scored 7 points off 14 Gorilla turnovers. Pitt State had the edge in points in the paint, 40 to 32. Lastly, SBU had the more productive bench as they got 20 bench points compared to 12 bench points for Pitt State.Â
SBU got out to a 16-11 lead early on a Kai Woodfall three before Pitt State knotted the game at 18 with 10:30 left in the first half. For the next five minutes, the Gorillas went on a 13-4 run to open up a 31-22 lead. In the last five minutes of the half, SBU outscored the Gorillas 12-5 to cut the Pitt State lead down to just 36-34 going into the locker room.
To start the second half, Pitt State stretched their lead to seven points before a three pointer from Andy Campbell with 11:36 to go reduced the Gorilla to two again, 49-47. Pitt State pushed their lead back to seven a couple different times but SBU never let that lead get any larger. With 3:11 remaining, Alcindor converted a three point play to make the score 66-65 in favor of Pitt State. That was as close as SBU came as the Gorillas closed the final three minutes with a 18-13 scoring advantage.Â
HORNETS LAST OUTING
(2/13/18) - Emporia, Ks. - On Senior Night, Hornet senior Stephaun Limuel scored the final five points for Emporia State in a 68-66 win over Washburn in the Turnpike Tussle.
Washburn got out to a 19-8 lead midway through the first half. Grant Shell then hit four straight free throws and Limuel hit a layup to cut the lead to five with 8:33 left in the half. Cameron Wiggins pushed the Ichabods lead back to 11 points at 27-16 with 4:28 remaining. The Hornets then closed the half on a 13-0 run capped by a Brandon Hall buzzer beating three pointer to give Emporia State a 29-27 lead at the break.
Randall Smith scored the first bucket of the second half before the Hornets scored seven straight to make the run 20-2 and take a 36-29 lead with 17:31 left. The Ichabods would use an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 43-41 on a dunk by Jace Williams with 12:41 remaining. The teams went back and forth over the next five minutes with neither team taking more than a two point lead until Brady Skeens scored inside to give Washburn a 55-51 lead with 7:15 left. Grant Shell answered with a three-pointer with 5:33 remaining to jump start an 8-0 run to give Emporia State a 59-55 lead with 4:35 left. Brandon Hall nailed a three-pointer with 3:28 left to put the Hornets up 64-57 before Cameron Wiggins completed a four point play with 3:11 left to cut the lead to three.Â
Limuel scored with 1:27 left to put Emporia State back up by five but Cameron Wiggins answered with a three pointer for the Ichabods to make it 66-64 with 1:11 left. Randall Smith was fouled and hit two free throws with 34.1 seconds left to tie the game at 66. Emporia State worked the clock and Brandon Hall took a jumper with five seconds left that was off the mark. Limuel pulled the rebound and was fouled by Skeens with 1.2 seconds left. Limuel stepped to the line and hit both free throws to give the Hornets a 68-66 lead. Washburn inbounded to Javion Blake who got to half court and launched three-pointer that was off as the Hornets knocked off the Ichabods for the fifth time in the last six meetings in White Auditorium.
Grant Shell led all scorers with 16 points and four steals. He was joined in double figures by Garin Vandiver with 13 points, Hassan Thomas with 12, and Brandon Hall with ten points.
