Sun Conference

The Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Game of the Week 1/3/19

1/2/2019 11:40:51 AM

Paul Dodson

The Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Game of the Week

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Webber International (6-7, 1-4 TSC) at St. Thomas (12-4, 4-1 TSC)
Thursday, January 3
5:30 PM
Miami Gardens, Fla. – Fernandez Family Center
(Live Video l Live Stats)

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Headlines
- This week’s Sun Conference Game of the Week features a pair of conference teams looking to start 2019 off with a bang.
- St. Thomas, the conference’s hottest team, enters Thursday’s contest riding a league-best nine-game winning streak. Webber International won its final game of the 2018 calendar year and has won two of its last three contests.
- With non-conference action concluded, focus now turns to TSC play. STU sits a game back from the top spot in the league standings, while WIU looks to make ground just 1.5 games back from the No. 6 spot with 13 conference games to go.  
- The Bobcats look to remain perfect at home this season, posting a 6-0 record at the Fernandez Family Center (3-0 in league action). The Warriors come into this week’s game with a 1-3 road record and will be looking for the team’s first conference road win of the season (0-3).
- WIU is coming off a 76-53 win over Fisher College (Mass.) on December 28, resulting in the 100^th-career victory for Head Coach Grady Morrell.
- This week’s contest will be the 28^th meeting all-time between the two squads with STU holding a 22-5 edge in the series history. Although STU leads the overall series history, WIU has been a thorn in the Bobcats’ side, owning a 3-2 record in TSC championship action versus the team from Miami Gardens.
- The 2015 TSC Championship Game featured the Bobcats and Warriors with STU claiming the title following a 57-49 win over WIU on February 28, 2015.

Inside the Numbers
- St. Thomas comes into Thursday’s game ranked No. 5 in the conference in points-per-game (68.7) while Webber International sits at No. 6, averaging 68.2 points-per-game. STU’s 1,097 total points are No. 39 in the nation.
- The true strength of both teams is defense as the Bobcats are No. 3 in the conference in points allowed (60.8 ppg) and the Warriors are No. 4 (62.1 ppg). STU ranks No. 28 in scoring defense, nationally, while WIU ranks No. 36 in the nation.
- The Warriors are No. 25 in opponent’s field-goal percentage, allowing the opposition to make just 36.1 percent of its shots (No. 3 in the conference). They are also holding their opponents to 26.7 percent from 3-point range (No. 3 in the conference and 23 in the nation).
- Both teams are strong on the glass, ranking No. 2 and No. 3 in the conference in rebounds-per-contest. STU averaged 41.6 rebounds-per-game (No. 31 in the nation) followed closely by WIU which comes into Thursday’s game averaging 40.6 boards-per-contest (No. 48 in the nation).
- WIU is also averaging 4.1 block-per-game (No. 2 in the conference and No. 13 in the nation) and is one of only two teams to average four-or-more blocks per game.
- The Warriors may hold the edge in the paint but the Bobcats are averaging over 10 steals per game entering this week’s action. STU is second in the conference and No. 14 in the nation with 11.2 steals-per-contest.
- STU Head Coach Candace Walker is in her second season with the Bobcats (33-14). In her first season as head coach, Walker led STU to the Sun Conference Championship Tournament Championship Game and an automatic bid in the NAIA National Championship Tournament.
- WIU Head Coach Grady Morrell is in his eighth season with the Warriors (100-114). Morrell has led WIU to five TSC Tournament appearances, including the 2013 Sun Conference Championship.     
 
Who to Watch
- Thursday’s game will feature two of the league’s top scorers in STU’s Samara Auguste and WIU’s Taniya Patrick.
- Auguste enters Thursday’s contest averaging 17.0 points-per-game (No. 7 in the conference and 30 in the nation).
- Patrick is averaging 14.1 points-per-game (No. 12 in the conference) while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor (No. 3 in the conference and No. 14 in the nation).
- Auguste does more than score for the Bobcats, registering a team-best 2.6 steals-per-game (No. 3 in the conference and No. 13 in the nation). She also leads the team in assists, averaging 4.0 dimes-per-game (No. 6 in the conference and No. 44 in the nation).
- Patrick also ranks No. 6 in the conference in rebounding, averaging 8.0 boards-per-game. The freshman is one of the conference’s top shot blockers, producing 2.9 blocks-per-contest (No. 2 in the conference and No. 5 in the nation).
- STU’s Ebony Griffin enters this week’s action nearly averaging a double-double. The senior is averaging 13.9 points-per-game (No. 13 in the conference) and 9.0 rebounds-per-contest (No. 4 in the conference and No. 30 in the nation).
- Griffin has been a double-double machine, posting nine this season (No. 2 in the conference).
 
Quotables
“St. Thomas is physical and quick with good guards, and they are top-five in the nation in offensive rebounding. We have to play with pace and rebound well to have a chance.” – Grady Morrell, Head Coach Webber International

"Every game against Webber is a battle. They have a scrappy defense and are athletic enough to push the ball up the floor in a similar style to ours. WIU plays hard for the full forty minutes and they are well coached. We are excited for the challenge of maintaining our current momentum, as Sun Conference play resumes.” – Candace Walker, Head Coach St. Thomas

The Tale of the Tape

STU

WIU