FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Men's Basketball got back on track with a win last week against Western New Mexico, and will take to the road this week for a pair of tough matchups at Texas A&M – Kingsville and Texas A&M International.
The Lions face the Javelinas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and then take on the Dustdevils Saturday at 3 p.m. Both games can be seen on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com.
NOTES:
LAST TIME OUT: UAFS went 1-1 at home, dropping a 59-55 decision to Oklahoma Christian before bouncing back with a 71-60 win over Western New Mexico.
LEAGUE LEADER: Guard Matthew Wilson continues to lead the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 20.7 points per game. He is the only player in the league averaging more than 20 points per game and leads the league with 3.6 made threes per game and is second at 43.6 percent from beyond the arc.
HELPING HAND: Guard Evan Anderson is third in the LSC with 5.2 assists per game and leads the league in assist/turnover ratio at 3.8, which is fifth nationally. UAFS is second with a 1.41 ratio.
MAGIC NUMBER: UAFS has shot at least 44.0 percent from the floor in all nine of its wins, but is 0-8 when shooting less than that mark.
ALL-AROUND GAME: Guard Courtney Murrell scored 12 of his 15 points in the final nine minutes in the win over Western New Mexico, and led the Lions in rebounds (8), assists (6) and steals (3).
PACK LINE DEFENSE: UAFS is second in the league and seventh nationally in allowing just 61.9 points per game. Opponents are shooting 40.6 percent against the Lions, third best in the LSC.
RECORD WATCH: Senior guard Matthew Wilson sits 5th with 1,070 points at UAFS. Wilson also is 5th in field goals made (381) and fourth in three-pointers made (177). Forward Chris Rollins is 9th in rebounds with 394. Guard Evan Anderson is 5th in assists with 212.
THE SERIES: UAFS is still seeking its first win against Texas A&M-Kingsville after dropping the first three contests with the Javelinas. The Lions are 13-10 all-time against Texas A&M International.
SCOUTING TAMUK: The Javelinas are 9-3 but have played just one LSC contest thus far. Guard C.J. Smith leads the Javelinas with 13.7 points per game, with guard Derek Luna averaging 11.5 points per game.
SCOUTING TAMIU: The Dustdevils are third in scoring defense and fourth in field goal defense en route to a 10-3, 2-0 LSC record. Guards Jermaine Drewey and Greg Bowie II pace the Dustdevil offense by averaging 14.8 points per game apiece.
