---

Setting the Scene
- Rivalry week in the Great American Conference begins on Monday evening with the Bulldog Basketball team hosting Northwestern Oklahoma State at 7:30 pm inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford
- SWOSU fell to 1-7 in GAC play with an 83-72 setback at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday while Northwestern improved to 6-2 in league play by defeating Oklahoma Baptist
- The game will mark the first time SWOSU's Interim Head Coach Kris Johnson has led his team in to battle against his alma mater
- SWOSU has won the last three meetings against the Rangers at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center, including a 73-67 victory last season in Weatherford
- Northwestern also has a pair of former Bulldog players on their coaching staff in Jordan Franz (2011-15) and Oliver Willis (2012-16)
 
The Opponent
Northwestern Okla. (10-3, 6-2 GAC)
- The Rangers have won four of their last five games to improve to 10-3 on the year and they're currently tied for third in the GAC standings with East Central
- Northwestern sports the second-best scoring defense in the GAC, holding their opponents to just 69.4 points per game for the year
- Three players score better than 10 points per game for the Rangers, led by Cody Halvorson (14.1 ppg) and Treyvon Andres (12.7 ppg)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kris Johnson (1-4, 1st season) * Interim
- Named the interim head coach at SWOSU for the remainder of the 2017-18 season on December 13 following the retirement of head coach Bob Battisti
- Now in his seventh season as an assistant coach at SWOSU, including the last four-plus years as the lead assistant to Battisti
- A native of Kansas City, Mo., Johnson came to SWOSU following a four-year playing career at Northwestern Oklahoma State
 
Northwestern Okla.: Shawn Dirden (22-18, 2nd season)
- In his second year as head coach of the Rangers after leading NWOSU to a record of 12-15 during the 2016-17 campaign
- Came to Northwestern after a two-year stay as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota and two separate stints at Montana State
 
Checking the Standings
- Southern Nazarene continues to sit atop the GAC standings with an unblemished mark of 9-0 after defeating East Central on Saturday
- The Crimson Storm have opened up a two-game lead on the field with Southeastern Oklahoma State (7-2), Northwestern and East Central (6-2) each two games back in the loss column
- Arkansas Tech and Arkansas-Monticello are both 4-4 in league play and tied for fifth in the conference standings, one game ahead of a three-way tie for seventh
- SWOSU is now tied for 11th place in the standings with Harding at 1-7 after the Bisons defeated Ouachita on Saturday night for their first league win
 
The Series (GAC Era)
Date                Location                     Score
*1/26/2013       Alva, Okla.                  L 75-90
*2/28/2013       Weatherford, Okla.     W 67-66
*1/25/2014       Weatherford, Okla.     L 66-67
*2/27/2014       Alva, Okla.                  L 89-90 (OT)
*1/22/2015       Alva, Okla.                  L 56-61
*2/26/2015       Weatherford, Okla.     W 77-46
*1/18/2016       Weatherford, Okla.     W 90-72
*2/15/2016       Alva, Okla.                  L 55-85
*1/17/2017       Alva, Okla.                  L 75-86
*2/13/2017       Weatherford, Okla.     W 73-67
 
GAC Era: NWOSU leads 6-4
In Weatherford: SWOSU leads 4-1
In Alva: NWOSU leads 5-0
 
SWOSU Notes
- Charles Beauregard, Jr., was one point off his season high with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday
- Beauregard is the seventh-leading scorer in the Great American Conference, averaging 16.6 points per game for the year
- Coming off the bench the past two games, Justin King has averaged 15.5 points per game and increased his season average to 9.5 points per game
- In just five games, Collin Jennings has moved up to third on the team in total assists with 23 (4.6 per game), including 16 over the past two games
- Nick Shoemaker has now made at least one three-pointer in 29 straight games after knocking down 4-of-10 attempts from long range at Southeastern
- Devin Pugh had his streak of games scoring in double figures stopped at five after being limited to eight points on Saturday against Southeastern
- SWOSU ranks fourth in the GAC in three-point shooting, averaging 9.6 made three's per game while shooting 35.9% from long range for the year
- The Bulldogs shot a season-low six free throws against Southeastern, with their previous low being 19 free throw attempts (at Cameron, Nov. 25)
 
Looking Ahead
- The busy week continues with a home game against Southern Nazarene on Wednesday night at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- SWOSU then hits the road to Shawnee on Saturday to meet Oklahoma Baptist to conclude the first round of Great American Conference play