Game Notes (PDF)

Date: December 12, 2020
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Rolla, MO 

Bolivar, Mo. - Southwest Baptist (0-0, 0-0 GLVC) will open their 2020-21 season on the road against Missouri S&T Saturday afternoon.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats are coming off their best season in program history since 2009-10. Last year, the Bearcats finished 20-9 (13-7 GLVC). In the regular season rankings, the Bearcats finished fourth out of the sixteen GLVC teams. They upset #12 Southern Indiana and #1 Bellarmine both on the road, and defeated Drury at home for the first time in eight years. Eight players return from last year's roster. Second team All-GLVC honoree Brady Smith returns for his senior campaign. Two other starters from last season also return in juniors Quinn Nelson and Joe Miller. Sophomore Mitch Ganote was SBU's sixth man last season, and will play quite a bit during the 2020-21 season. The Bearcats will see several other new faces make an impact as well.

SCOUTING THE MINERS
The Missouri S&T Miners (Rolla, MO) have started the 2020-21 season 0-4. They opened the season with two road losses to Lindenwood and Maryville, followed by two very close home losses against McKendree (overtime) and Rockhurst. Both of those games were decided by 3 points or less. Four Miners are averaging double-digit points; Mitch Fairless (15.8), Julien Smith (14.5), Kevin Legardy (12.5), and Kaden Froebe (12.5). Legardy also leads the team in rebounds, snagging 29 so far. Froebe leads the team in assists (21) and steals (16) and has also brought down 21 rebounds. The Miners have a 7'0" center that has started twice, shooting 57.9% from the field, but just 1-7 from the free throw line.

THE COACHES
SBU head coach Clark Sheehy begins his seventh season on the SBU bench after compiling an 82-92 (45-73 conf.) record while at SBU. Coach Sheehy holds a career coaching record of 264-198 across fifteen seasons while coaching six different All-Americans and over 40 athletes that have moved on to play professional basketball.

Bill Walker begins his second season with the Miners. Last year, Walker led Missouri S&T to a 6-20 (4-16 GLVC) record, finishing 15th out of the 16 teams in the conference. Prior to Missouri S&T, Walker spent 5 seasons as the head coach of the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars, also competing in the GLVC.

ALL-TIME SERIES
SBU leads the all-time series 31-19, including a pair of wins last season. The second meeting saw six Bearcats hit double-digit points, helping hit 93 points from SBU. Brady Smith was 7-12 from the field for 16 points and and 7 rebounds.