SWOSU (1-3) vs Science & Arts of Oklahoma (4-2)

Tuesday, November 25 • 5:30 pm

Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Event Center)

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SWOSU Men's Basketball returns to the Pioneer Event Center on Tuesday for its home opener, hosting NAIA foe USAO in a non-conference matchup at 5:30 pm.

The Bulldogs opened the season with a win but have since hit a three-game skid. Last week's two-game trip to Edmond proved challenging, as UCO handed SWOSU a 67-51 loss before Oklahoma Christian edged out a 68-60 decision.

Tuesday marks the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Drovers since 2014. The programs have faced off 13 times since 2000, with SWOSU holding a 9-4 advantage in the series and winning the last two. The Dawgs are 5-3 against USAO in Weatherford.

Two newcomers lead the way for the Dawgs in scoring. Ty Frierson, a transfer from Connors State College, is averaging 14.5 PPG on 37.5% shooting and 19% from deep. His season high came in the opener when he dropped 24 points with three made three-pointers; since that game he has gone just 1-for-13 from deep. Kayden Carter, from Western Illinois, has produced double-digit scoring in all four games this season, with his season high coming in the last game against Oklahoma Christian with 18 points along with four blocks. He had a double-double in the opener with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Elijah Jordan has averaged just under 10 points at 9.5 per game, with his season high of 17 coming against MSSU. He is also averaging a team high, along with Kray Rogers, at 6.8 rebounds per game. He has recorded at least one steal in every game this season. Over the last two games he has struggled, scoring just four points in each contest on a combined 3-15 from the field and 0-8 from beyond the arc.

As a team, the Dawgs are averaging just 67.3 PPG, which is the lowest mark in the GAC so far this season. On defense, they rank fifth, allowing 70 points a night. SWOSU is shooting just 39.6% from the field, which is only above Harding for the worst mark in the conference. They are on the better side of a 0.75 turnover margin, which is 10th in the GAC, while sitting 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.85.

USAO comes in with a high-powered offense that puts up nearly 100 points per game at 99.5. They shoot 50.9% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range with 6.5 makes per game. They get to the line frequently with 36 attempts per contest. They have a 7.7 rebound margin in their favor and force 13.2 turnovers each game.