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Setting the Scene
- Bulldog Basketball tips off the 2018 portion of their schedule on Thursday evening when they host defending GAC co-champion Arkansas-Monticello
- Game time is set for 7:30 pm inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford as the Dawgs play their third consecutive home game as part of a five-game home stand
- Arkansas-Monticello enters the game following a 90-84 setback against nationally-ranked Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday that dropped the Weevils to 7-3 on the year
- SWOSU is coming off a 90-76 victory over Randall in interim head coach Kris Johnson's first game leading the Bulldogs, which improved the Dawgs record to 3-7
- Since the formation of the GAC prior to the 2012-13 season, SWOSU holds a 9-5 advantage against UAM but the Weevils swept the season series last year including a last-second 79-78 victory in Weatherford
 
The Opponent
Arkansas-Monticello (7-3, 2-2 GAC)
- Unanimous pick to repeat as Great American Conference champions after finishing 23-7 and advancing to the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament last season
- Second-highest scoring team in the GAC, averaging 85.1 points per game with a league-leading scoring margin of +12.4 points per game
- Balanced offensively with four players averaging between 14-17 points per game, led by Cobe Goosby (16.1 ppg) and Derylton Hill (15.5 ppg)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kris Johnson (1-0, 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
 
Arkansas-Monticello: Kyle Tolin (45-48, 3rd season)
- Guided UAM to a turnaround that culminated with a shared GAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2016-17
- Hired as the 15th head coach in UAM basketball's history in June of 2014 after spending 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Baptist
 
Checking the Standings
- Southern Nazarene holds the GAC's only undefeated league record with five wins after their most recent victory over Southeastern
- Three teams have one league loss at 3-1: Arkansas Tech, Northwestern, and East Central while Southeastern also sits above .500 at 3-2 with an extra game played
- Monticello, Ouachita, and Oklahoma Baptist sit even at 2-2 followed by SWOSU and Henderson State with one win apiece at 1-3
- Rounding out the GAC rankings is Southern Arkansas and Harding who both are yet to win a conference matchup at 0-4
 
The Series (GAC Era)
Date                Location                     Score
*1/19/2012       Monticello, Ark.            L 82-86
*2/16/2012       Weatherford, Okla.      L 54-65
3/3/2012          Bartlesville, Okla.         W 79-76
*11/29/2012     Weatherford, Okla.      W 68-59
*2/2/2013         Monticello, Ark.            W 71-70
3/8/2013          Bartlesville, Okla.         W 77-69 (OT)
*11/21/2013     Monticello, Ark.            W 74-65
*2/1/2014         Weatherford, Okla.      L 52-68
*1/17/2015       Monticello, Ark.            W 70-63 (OT)
*2/19/2015       Weatherford, Okla.      W 83-81
*12/3/2015       Monticello, Ark.            W 71-66
*2/4/2016         Weatherford, Okla.      W 103-92
*12/1/2016       Weatherford, Okla.     L 78-79
*2/24/2017       Monticello, Ark.           L 70-101
 
GAC Era: SWOSU leads 9-5
In Weatherford: Series Tied 3-3
In Monticello: SWOSU leads 4-2
In Bartlesville: SWOSU leads 2-0
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU was sparked by the return of Collin Jennings against Randall, with the senior guard recording his first career double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win
- Charles Beauregard, Jr., leads the Bulldogs with 16.6 points per game and he posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds in SWOSU's previous game against Panhandle State
- Nick Shoemaker knocked down six three-pointers against Randall on his way to a season-high 18 points in the Bulldogs win over the Saints
- SWOSU has recorded their two highest-scoring games of the season the last two times out, upping their season scoring average to 74.1 points per game
- The Bulldogs rank fourth in the GAC with a free throw percentage of 72.5% (182-251) and SWOSU has attempted more free throws than any other conference team
- Devin Pugh has averaged 15.0 points over the past two games after failing to score in double figures in two of the three previous games
- Justin King has scored 10 or more points in two straight games and improved his scoring average to 8.4 points per game while also grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game
- Four Bulldogs have hit 10 or more three-pointers this season, led by Shoemaker (24), Pugh (15) and Daniel Eibel (15)
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU is back at home on Saturday to host Southern Arkansas before East Central comes to town next Thursday to cap the current five-game home stand
- The Bulldogs return to the road next Saturday for an in-state showdown with Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant