Game Notes
Fourth-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan put together one of its most well-rounded efforts of the season in Thursday night's 20-point victory over Drury, but the Panthers had very little time to celebrate.
Also on Thursday, tonight's KWC opponent, Missouri S&T, was stunning undefeated and second-ranked Southern Indiana 62-55 in Evansville — a gargantuan upset that sent shock waves throughout NCAA Division II basketball.
“This is a league where you have to be ready to play every night,” Wesleyan head coach Todd Lee said of the Great Lakes Valley Conference earlier in the season. “Every team in the conference is dangerous.”
The Miners proved that against USI, which entered the contest 10-0.
Missouri S&T pulled off the upset by shooting 52 percent from the field, while limiting the Screaming Eagles to just 39 percent, including 2-of-18 accuracy from 3-point range (11 percent). Southern Indiana also made just 13-of-24 foul shots (54 percent).
“One of the most impressive aspects of S&T's win over USI was the fact that they had to battle back from an 18-point deficit,” Lee said. “You do that on the road against a team the caliber of Southern Indiana and you're capable of beating anyone.”
The Miners put together a balanced attack against USI, producing four double-digit scorers, but the key player was reserve Nusrath Kahn, who came off the bench to hit 7-of-9 floor shots and finish with a team-best 15 points.
S&T (2-10, 1-3 GLVC) will start 6-foot-5 senior guard Tommy Pelczynski (10.2 ppg), 5-10 point guard Carlton Westbrook (9.4 ppg), 6-4 junior forward Bryce Foster (11.5 ppg), 6-6 junior forward Michael Jackson (9.1 ppg) and 6-7 junior forward Eli Steinbeck (4.3 ppg).
“They have some nice wing players, some strong, interchangeable guys in the post, and some very quick guards,” Lee said of the Miners. “They'll switch from man-to-man to zone, and we have to do a good job of recognizing what they're in defensively and attack accordingly.
“Foster and Pelczynski are quality, veteran players who are capable of going off and having big games. We need to know where those guys are at all times.”
Undefeated KWC (11-0, 3-0) shot 50 percent from the field overall (31-of-62), 50 percent from 3-point range (9-of-18) and 84 percent from the foul line (21-of-25) in its 92-72 thumping of Drury.
KWC was led by their inside-outside duo of 6-7 forward
Anthony Young (22 points, 10 rebounds) and 5-11 guard
Cardell McFarland (27 points, five rebounds, four assists).
Also expected to start for Wesleyan tonight are 6-8 sophomore forward
Dominique Dawson (10.8 pp8, 7.6 rpg), 6-3 junior guard
Cornbread Walker (7.2 ppg) and 5-11 senior guard
Brandon Johnson (10.5 ppg).
• The ZOOperstars! the “fastest growing entertainment act” in the country will perform today during KWC's basketball doubleheader with Missouri S&T at the Sportscenter. Game times are 1 and 3:15 p.m.
The cartoon-like characters are major audience entertainers that perform at more than 200 events a year, including NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA basketball, major and minor league baseball, NHL and minor league hockey and NASCAR races.
Their appearance at the Sportscenter is sponsored by WaxWorks, Inc.
