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Northwestern Okla. (9-17, 8-11 GAC) at SWOSU (14-11, 8-10 GAC) Thursday, February 26, 7:30 pm Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Cellular Event Center) Live Stats  |  Listen Live  |  Watch Live SWOSU Game Notes (pdf)

Setting the Stage
- Two teams that have won their past three games will face off on Thursday as SWOSU hosts rival Northwestern Oklahoma State at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- SWOSU played their first game inside the PCEC against the Rangers last season, suffering a 67-66 buzzer-beating defeat and the Bulldogs have dropped three straight against NWOSU
- The Bulldogs are 7-5 on their home court this season while Northwestern is just 3-10 in true road games
- With two games remaining in the regular season, SWOSU is still looking to cement their spot in the GAC Tournament in Bartlesville next week
- SWOSU has won three straight games, defeating Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and Henderson State, since they dropped to .500 with a loss at Ouachita Baptist
- The Bulldogs are 8-3 against foes from the state of Oklahoma this season and they close out the season with two more in-state clashes
 
The Opponent
Northwestern Oklahoma State (9-17, 8-11 GAC)
- Winners of three straight games (at Henderson State, Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello) heading into their season finale on Thursday
- Have defeated SWOSU three consecutive times and four out of five meetings between the foes as Great American Conference rivals
- Lowest-scoring team in the GAC, ranking just below SWOSU with an average of 67.7 points per game
- Allowing opponents to score 75.9 points per game for a scoring margin of -8.2, the worst in the GAC by a wide margin
- Led in scoring by Darrian Dempsey (13.2 ppg) and T'aries Taylor (12.7 ppg) while Adrian Motley is not far off at 11.7 ppg
- That trio combined for 44 of the Rangers 61 points the first time the two teams met
- Freshman Brandon Green ranks second in the GAC with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.4 (88 assists/37 turnovers)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Bob Battisti (31-21, 2nd season; 440-317 career, 26th 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
- 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
- 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 440-317 (.581), but he is winless at 0-3 against Northwestern Oklahoma State as the head coach of the Bulldogs
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State: Andrew Brown (119-110, 8th season)
- In his eighth season with the Rangers after taking over for SWOSU Coach Bob Battisti prior to the start of the 2007-08 season
- Has guided NWOSU to an NAIA National Tournament appearance and a GAC title in their transitional season of 2012-13
- Was a full-time assistant at NWOSU for three seasons before being promoted to head coach and spent four seasons as a student assistant for the Rangers in the late 1990's
- Also served as an assistant coach at USAO and Otero Junior College
 
Last Time Out
- SWOSU picked up their third consecutive win and a season-sweep of Henderson State with a crucial, 74-56 victory on Saturday at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- Emeche Wells posterized a Reddie defender at the buzzer in the first half, sending the Bulldogs to the break with a 41-21 lead
- HSU got no closer than within 14 points in the second half before a 13-3 run pushed the Bulldogs lead back over 20 points
- Kenyan Borders scored 18 points to lead SWOSU while Trent Washington added 12 points and five assists
- Richard McCalop added his first double-double in a Bulldog uniform with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds
 
Checking the Standings
- The Bulldogs victory over Henderson State moved SWOSU into sole possession of eighth place in the GAC standings, meaning the Bulldogs would be in the GAC Tournament if it started today
- SWOSU's margin for error is minimal, however, with both Northwestern and Henderson State still within one game of the Dawgs
- At 8-11, Northwestern is one-half game behind the Bulldogs but the Rangers will conclude their season on Thursday evening
- Ouachita Baptist has clinched the regular season GAC championship and the No. 1 seed in the GAC Tournament next week in Bartlesville
- East Central, Southern Arkansas and Harding have all also clinched their spot in the GAC Tournament
 
SWOSU Notes
- Martell Collins had 10 points and nine rebounds against HSU, finishing just shy of another double-double
- Collins, who led the Bulldogs with 18 points when they played at Northwestern, has recorded ten double-doubles this season to lead the GAC
- Trent Washington has 13 assists in the past two games, surpassing his total from the previous seven games combined
- Kenyan Borders averaged 15.0 points per game in two wins last weekend after snapping his streak of seven consecutive games without scoring in double figures
- Richard McCalop recorded his first double-double as a Bulldog with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Henderson State while also added two steals and one blocked shot
- Ayo Ojo has blocked exactly two shots in six consecutive games, giving him 31 (1.2/game) for the season to rank sixth in the conference
- With 10 steals against Henderson State, SWOSU reached double figures in the cateogry for the fourth time this season, first since at East Central (Dec. 4)
 
Looking Ahead
- Senior Day is on Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs host Southeastern