SWOSU (1-5, 1-1 GAC) at East Central (4-3, 1-1 GAC)

Dec. 9 || 7:30 pm tipoff || Ada, Okla. (Kerr Activities Center)

click for Full Game Notes (pdf)

SWOSU Men's Basketball looks to build off of last Saturday's 75-74 win over Southeastern when they visit East Central a week later.

The win was SWOSU's first of the season and gave head coach Brett Weiberg his first as a Bulldog. Tipoff for the game is at 7:30 p.m., an abnormality for a Saturday conference game which would otherwise typically come at 3:00.

Matchups between SWOSU and East Central have been won by the home team in each of the last six meetings, dating back to 2021. The Bulldogs are 5-8 in Ada since competing under the GAC umbrella. Last season, SWOSU earned a 63-60 victory in Weatherford before falling 87-76 to the Tigers in Ada for a regular season split

East Central enters Saturday with a 4-3 record which includes a 1-1 mark in GAC play. The Tigers defeated Northwestern on the opening night of conference play before falling to Southern Nazarene two days later. The Tigers feature the top scoring defense in the GAC, holding opponents to 65.7 points per game while their 44.8% opponent field goal percentage is fifth. ECU is led by Godsgift Ezedinma (12.9 pts / 6.1 rpg) and Keyon Thomas (12.7 pts / 3.4 ast).

SWOSU eclipsed the 70-point scoring threshold for the first time in their win vs Southeastern. The Bulldogs set season highs in shooting percentage, 46%, offensive rebounds, 12, and blocks, 4.

Ben Smith tied his career high with 28 points vs the Savage Storm. He had 18 against OBU days before and averaged 23.0 points last week. He now ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game this season. Meanwhile, his 8.0 rebounds per contest continues to lead the league.

Denali Alexander made his presence known last week. He posted season highs with 18 points and 31 minutes of floor time off the bench against Southeastern. 

As a team, the Dawgs are shooting a 43.7% FG percentage (8th GAC) this season and 31.1% (9th) from beyond the arc. SWOSU's 32 three-point makes (5.8/game) ranks 11th in the league. Two Bulldogs are shooting above 30% from three-point land this season: Ben Smith, 55%, and Nick Burchfield, 60%.

MJ Warrior has been SWOSU's assist and steals guy through six games. He leads the team with 17 assists and 10 steals, but also has a team high 15 turnovers. 

Through six games this season, SWOSU has outrebounded its opponent once and finished with the same amount once as well. Aside from Ben Smith's 8.0 per game, Mark Berry is helping the cause with 5.2 of his own per game.