---

Oklahoma Baptist (5-17, 2-16 GAC) at SWOSU (6-17, 3-14 GAC) Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:30 pm Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Cellular Event Center) Stats | Video | Audio SWOSU Game Notes (pdf)

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Basketball looks to build upon the momentum gained from Monday night's rivalry victory over Northwestern when they host Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday evening at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford
- The Bulldogs will also be seeking a second straight season-sweep of the Bison, who began their transition into the Great American Conference last season
- SWOSU is 3-0 against Oklahoma Baptist as GAC foes, with an 82-70 victory over the Bison last season in Weatherford and two wins by an average of 10.5 points per game in Shawnee
- Earlier this season, SWOSU snapped a six-game slide when they went to Shawnee and earned an 83-73 victory over Oklahoma Baptist
- SWOSU improved to 4-7 at home this season with Monday's win while Oklahoma Baptist are 0-10 and still in search of their first road win of the season
 
The Opponent
Oklahoma Baptist (5-17, 2-16 GAC)
- The Bison have dropped five straight games since knocking off Ouachita on January 28th by a score of 77-71
- OBU ranks 11th in the GAC in scoring, averaging 70.0 points per game while opponents are scoring 79.5 points against the Bison for a scoring margin of -9.5
- Four players average better than 10 points per game for the Bison, led by Chandler Rickey (15.6 ppg) and Kevin Francheschi (14.6 ppg)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Bob Battisti (56-52, 4th season; 465-348 career, 28th season)
- In his fourth season as the head coach of the Bulldogs, having led SWOSU to at least 16 wins in each of his first three years at the helm
- Has coached five players at SWOSU that earned All-GAC distinction, including one GAC Player of the Year (Rod Camphor) and one GAC Defensive Player of the Year (Michael Bradley)
- 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 27 years as a head coach, Battisti has a career record of 465-348 (.582) and he is 3-0 against Oklahoma Baptist as the head coach at SWOSU
 
Oklahoma Baptist: Quinn Wooldridge (12-36, 2nd season)
-  Named the 19th men's basketball coach at Oklahoma Baptist prior to last season, when he led the Bison to a record of 7-19
- A former player at OBU, Wooldridge is the Bison's first coach as an NCAA institution and a 2012 OBU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee
 
Checking the Standings
- #16/12 Arkansas-Monticello suffered their third conference setback on Monday against Southern Arkansas and at 15-3, their league lead is down to one game
- Right behind the Weevils are Arkansas Tech and East Central, both of which have won at least four straight games to get to 14-4 in conference play
- Southern Nazarene and Harding both have 10 conference wins while Henderson State, Ouachita and Southern Arkansas are tied for sixth at 9-9
- Northwestern Oklahoma State is now two games out of the GAC Tournament at 7-11, just ahead of Southeastern Oklahoma State, SWOSU and Oklahoma Baptist
 
The Series
Date                Location                     Score
*1/23/2016       Weatherford, Okla.     W 82-70
*2/20/2016       Shawnee, Okla.          W 78-67
*1/21/2017       Shawnee, Okla.          W 83-73
 
GAC Era: SWOSU leads 3-0
In Weatherford: SWOSU leads 1-0
In Shawnee: SWOSU leads 2-0
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU snapped a six-game slide on Monday with their 73-67 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State and the Dawgs are now in search of their first back-to-back victories of the 2017 calendar year
- The Bulldogs defense limited Northwestern Oklahoma State to 67 points on Monday, the fewest points allowed by SWOSU in a game this season
- Markeise Champion led the Bulldogs with 23 points against NWOSU, the third straight game and the eighth time in the past nine games he led SWOSU in scoring to lift his team-leading scoring average to 14.7 points per game
- Champion is third in the GAC with 70 three-point field goals made and he moved into second in career three's at SWOSU on Monday with 160, moving past Kendall Smith (158, 2007-09)
- Devin Pugh had his best game of February on Monday with 19 points and career-highs of 12 rebounds and three blocks for his first double-double as a Bulldog
- Altez Davis blocked a career-high four shots against Northwestern, anchoring a SWOSU defense that set a new season-high with seven blocked shots
 
Looking Ahead
- On Saturday, the Bulldogs play their final road game of the season with a trip to Durant to face Southeastern Oklahoma State
- SWOSU finishes the regular season with three home games next week, beginning on Monday evening against Southern Nazarene