Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Following the victory, Panthers second-year coach Happy Osborne said his team's overall effort and execution is "getting better and better," but he'd still like to see improvement moving forward.

"Was it our best? No, but we'll take it," he said. "Now we get ready to go play the best team we've played all year long, Hillsdale. We've got a war on our hands in Quincy."

Hillsdale (5-1) is led by 6-foot-7 junior forward Kyle Cooper's 25.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He shoots 58 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range. The Chargers will also seek contributions from 6-3 guard Stedman Lowry, who averages 11.3 points per contest.

Other starters include 6-5 junior guard Lucas Grose (4.8 ppg), 6-8 sophomore center Nick Archer (4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and 5-8 junior guard Zach Miller (6.5 ppg, 4.7 apg). As a team, Hillsdale scores 68.5 points per game on 44 percent shooting while limiting opponents to 59.8 points per game and 38.9 percent shooting from the floor.

Where the Chargers excel, however, is on the glass. Hillsdale averages 42.5 rebounds per game and outrebounds opponents by nearly 13 boards per contest, while the Panthers haul in just 34 rebounds per matchup.

"Hillsdale is very well-coached," Osborne said. "They're just like Truman State (which beat KWC 70-65 on Nov. 29). They're smart, and they're effective. We've got our hands full, and we've got to be ready to play."

KWC is expected to stick with its starting lineup of Blackwell (12.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg), 6-1 sophomore guard Ken-Jah Bosley (17 ppg), 6-1 junior guard Marcus Fillyaw (7.3 ppg, 3.7 apg), 6-2 senior guard Hikeem Stewart (5.5 ppg) and 6-11 senior center Ifeanyichukwu Ude (2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg).

The Panthers are 2-0 all-time against Hillsdale, and the two last faced off in a 73-71 Panthers victory on March 9, 2001, in the NCAA Great Lakes Region semifinals. Saturday's tip-off is set for 3 p.m.