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SWOSU (4-1, 2-0 GAC) at Arkansas-Monticello (0-5, 0-2 GAC) Monticello, Ark. (Steelman Field House) Thursday, December 3, 7:30 p.m. Watch Live | Listen Live | Live Stats SWOSU Game Notes

Setting the Stage
- The Bulldogs head to Monticello, Arkansas, looking for their second straight road win and fifth straight win overall when they take on the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Thursday (November 3rd) at 7:30 p.m.
- SWOSU is currently unbeaten in conference play, and will serve as the home opener for a Weevils basketball team that has yet to secure a victory this season
- The Bulldogs have downed UAM in three of the last four meetings between the two teams

The Opponent
Arkansas-Monticello (0-5, 0-2 GAC)
- The Weevils have yet to earn a win this season, starting out the 2015-16 season with five straight losses away from Steelman Field House
- UAM is one of just three teams averaging below 70.0 points per game, putting up 68.2 points on average. Richard Benedyth leads the team with 14.2 points, while Brandon Scott (13.0 ppg) and Jamal Peterson (10.8 ppg) also rank among the GAC's top 30 scorers
- With a -14.8 rebounding margin, the Weevils have struggled on the glass this season. They currently average 25.8 rebounds per game
- Andre Brown is one of the most efficient shooters in the league, hitting 58.1% of his shots
- UAM has active hands on defense, leading the GAC with 8.2 steals per game, and also have a GAC-best +4.0 turnover margin 

The Coaches
SWOSU: Bob Battisti (37-24, 3rd season; 446-320 career, 27th season)
- In his third season as the head coach of the Bulldogs, having led SWOSU to back-to-back winning seasons in his first two years at the helm
- Has coached three players at SWOSU that earned All-GAC distinction, including one GAC Player of the Year and one GAC Defensive Player of the Year
- 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 26 years as a head coach, Battisti has a career record of 445-320 (.581) and he is 1-0 against Central Oklahoma while coaching the Bulldogs

Arkansas-Monticello: Kyle Tolin (7-18, 2nd season)
- Enters his second season at the helm of the UAM Men's Basketball team after leading the squad to a 7-18 record in his debut season
- Has mentored two All-GAC honorees during his time at Arkansas-Monticello
- Previously spent 10 years as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Baptist, where he helped lead the Bison to a national championship in 2012 and a national runner-up finish in 2010

Last Time Out
- Markeise Champion hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 31 seconds in the game as SWOSU overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Central Oklahoma 77-73 in the Dawgs' first road game of the season. The basket came off a timely steal by Keyshawn Perkins
- Champion did the heavy lifting for the Bulldogs, draining five treys for a team-best 15 points. He also chipped in with four rebounds and three assists to go against just one turnover
- Martell Collins and Juwan Newmen chipped in with 13 points each, while Emeche Wells scored 10 
- The Dawgs outshot the Bronchos 41.4-27.8% from long range. SWOSU shot 56.3% on long-range attempts in the second half, hitting nine treys to UCO's three
- Collins and Ayo Ojo each had a team-high seven rebounds, and SWOSU just edged out UCO on the glass 40-39

Checking The Standings
- The Bulldogs currently sit tied at the top of the GAC standings at 2-0
- SWOSU is joined by Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene at the top of the standings with unblemished conference records
- Six teams split their opening conference schedule, while three teams, including UAM, are tied for 10th place with 0-2 records in league play

SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU ranks fifth in scoring offense in the GAC through five games, lighting up the scoreboard for 78.6 ppg, a difference of +14.2 ppg through the same amount of games last season
- Collins leads the team and ranks ninth in the league with 17.2 ppg. Champion is averaging 14.2 ppg (12th) and Wells 13.4 ppg (17th) to place three Dawgs in the top 20 scorers in the conference
- The Dawgs hold a +6.4 scoring margin, the third-best mark in the GAC
- Newmen is pulling down 6.8 rpg to place in the top 11 in the league
- SWOSU averages 39.6 rebounds, ranking third in the league, and owns a +2.0 rebounding margin. They also have a .753 defensive rebounding percentage
- Wells is SWOSU's most efficient shooter, converting on 57.1% of his shots
- With 16 assists through five games, Perkins' average of 3.2 assists per game puts him in the top nine in the GAC
- The Bulldogs have shared the ball well through the first five games of the season, assisting on 49.2% of their made baskets. Three different players have at least 12 assists: Wells (12), Collins (14) and Perkins (16)
- Averaging 2.8 steals per contest, Wells leads the conference in the category and ranks 14th in NCAA Division II
- A stingy three-point field goal defense has SWOSU ranked 19th in the nation as opponents have connected on just 28.3% of their shots from distance
- The Dawgs boast the second-best defensive rebounding percentage at 75.3%, allowing just 48 second-chance opportunities for opponents
- Ojo (1.4 blocks per game) and Newmen (1.2 blocks per game) have SWOSU ranked second in the GAC in blocked shots per game at 7.2

Looking Ahead
- SWOSU wraps up its three-game roadswing with a conference contest against Southern Arkansas on Saturday (November 5th) at 3 p.m. at the W.T. Watson Center in Magnolia, Arkansas
- Trent Washington poured in 16 points and handed out four assists as the Dawgs defeated the Muleriders 76-70 in Magnolia last year