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Southwestern Christian (2-3) at SWOSU (1-1) Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 pm Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Cellular Event Center) Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Listen Live SWOSU Game Notes (pdf)

Setting the Stage
- After starting the season with a pair of in-region road games, the SWOSU Men's Basketball team will host Southwestern Christian on Tuesday night for their home opener at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- The Bulldogs enter 1-1 after defeating Southwest Baptist on Friday night and falling to Lincoln on Saturday at the SBU Classic in Bolivar, Missouri
- It is the final tune-up for SWOSU before they begin Great American Conference play on Saturday at Harding, the team picked to finish second in the GAC this season
- SWOSU is 4-2 in regular season home contests at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center since it's opening on January 25, 2014
 
The Opponent
Southwestern Christian (2-3)
- School based out of Bethany, Okla., and a member of the NAIA and NCCAA
- Already 2-3 with wins over Hillsdale Baptist and Jarvis Christian and defeats suffered against Langston, Bethany and Jarvis Christian
- Also faced GAC member Southern Nazarene in an exhibition contest and they were defeated by the Crimson Storm 83-65
- Picked to finish 10th in the Sooner Athletic Conference after posting a 6-22 (2-19 SAC) record a year ago
- Three players are averaging double figures in scoring for the Eagles, including Rishawn Brown at 14.4 points per game
- Other top scorers are Tyler Turner (11.6 ppg) and Austin Turner (11.0 ppg)
- Outrebounding their opponents on average by almost five per game (36.2-to-31.4)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Bob Battisti (18-11, 2nd season)
- Bob Battisti was named the 14th head men's basketball coach in SWOSU history prior to last season after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Christian University
- Battisti led the Bulldogs to a 17-10 record in his first season, marking a five-win improvement from the previous season
- Three players earned All-GAC distinction in Battisti's first season at SWOSU, including GAC Player of the Year Rod Camphor and Defensive Player of the Year Michael Bradley
- SWOSU committed the fewest turnovers in NCAA Division II in Battisti's first season with 243, an average of just 9.0 per game
- Previously spent 25 years at Northwestern Oklahoma State, coaching the men's basketball team for 21 seasons before taking over as the school's athletic director
- In 25 years as a head coach, Battisti has a career record of 426-306 (.582)
 
Southwestern Christian: Quinn Wooldridge (18-46, 3rd season)
- In his third season as the head coach at Southwestern Christian
- Served as the head coach at Edmond North HS prior to taking the job, but he had plenty of past college experience
- Previously served as the head coach at the University of the Southwest as well as holding assistant coaching positions at Oklahoma City, Wayland Baptist, Lyon College, Oklahoma Baptist, Missouri Baptist and Eastern Oklahoma State
- Played four years of basketball at Oklahoma Baptist where he graduated as the all-time leader in three-point field goals made
 
Last Time Out
- SWOSU finished 1-1 at the SBU Classic in Bolivar, Mo., last weekend, defeating host Southwest Baptist before falling to Lincoln (Mo.) on Saturday
- Martell Collins led the Bulldogs in both games, pouring in 21 points against SBU and recording his first double-double at SWOSU with 21 points and 12 rebounds against Lincoln
- Trent Washington was the only other Bulldog to come out of the weekend averaging double figures, with 12.0 points per game at the Classic
- SWOSU turned the ball over 16 times in each game, a number of turnovers they never reached last season
- The Bulldogs shot 42.4% (42-of-99) from the field for the weekend while holding their opponents to 38.1% (37-of-97) shooting
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU is one of six Great American Conference teams that are 1-1 after the opening weekend of the season
- Arkansas-Monticello, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene remain unbeaten at 1-0 while Southern Arkansas has yet to play their regular season opener
- Southeastern Oklahoma State is the only team that has opened the year 0-2
 
GAC Preseason Poll
- SWOSU earned one first-place vote and is picked to finish third in the GAC this season by the conference head coaches
- Arkansas Tech is the favorite to repeat as GAC Champions this season, receiving eight first-place votes to finish with 96 total points
- Harding earned two first-place votes and came in second, seven points ahead of SWOSU
- Poll rounded out with (in order): East Central, Henderson State, Southern Nazarene, Ouachita Baptist, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello
 
SWOSU Notes
- Four of SWOSU's starters: Collins, Washington, Kenyan Borders & Emeche Wells, averaged more than 30.0 minutes per game at the SBU Classic
- Borders (11) and Wells (10) both reached double figures in scoring for the SBU game while Washington scored 12 in both games
- All nine players that saw action in the Lincoln game scored at least one point and grabbed at least one rebound
- Collins leads the team with 17 rebounds (8.5/game) while Wells ranks second with 11 (5.5/game)
- Washington leads SWOSU with six assists but the Bulldogs opponents dished out 20 assists over the weekend compared to 17 for SWOSU
- Four Bulldogs have made a 3-pointer with Collins hitting a team-best 7-of-13 (53.8%)
 
Looking Ahead
- Saturday features the conference opener for SWOSU as the Bulldogs head to Searcy, Ark., to take on Harding at Rhodes Field House, a destination that SWOSU is winless at as a member of the GAC