FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Men's Basketball will head back to the court Thursday and Saturday as the Lions visit St. Edward's and St. Mary's in Lone Star Conference action.
Tipoff for Thursday between the Lions and Hilltoppers is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with Saturday's tip against the Rattlers set for 4 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 lost in the final seconds of overtime at Oklahoma Christian, falling 84-83.
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 3.4 made threes per game and is third at 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
HELPING HAND: Guard Evan Anderson is third in the LSC with 4.9 assists per game and is second in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 3.3, which is eighth nationally. UAFS is second with a 1.36 ratio.
HEAD TO HEAD: Two of the league's top three scorers will go at it Thursday in Wilson and Daniel Venzant of St. Edward's. Venzant is third in the LSC at 17.8 points per game.
OVERTIME: UAFS fell to 2-1 in overtime after dropping the OT decision to Oklahoma Christian. The Lions have played back-to-back OT games after going to overtime at Texas A&M International.
POSTPONED: UAFS had an unexpected off week last week when home games against Texas A&M-Commerce and UT Tyler were postponed due to weather. No date has been determined to make up the games.
PACK LINE DEFENSE: UAFS is second in the league and 10th nationally in allowing just 63.5 points per game. Opponents are shooting 41.3 percent against the Lions, second best in the LSC.
RECORD WATCH: Senior guard Matthew Wilson sits 5th with 1,132 points at UAFS. Wilson also is 5th in field goals made (403) and fourth in three-pointers made (184). Forward Chris Rollins is 7th in rebounds with 416. Guard Evan Anderson is 5th in assists with 222.
THE SERIES: UAFS is 14-11 all-time against St. Edward's and 16-10 versus St. Mary's. The Lions split with the Hilltoppers at the Stubblefield Center last season and did not play the Rattlers.
SCOUTING SEU: St. Edward's has won two in a row for a record of 12-10, 6-6 LSC. The Hilltoppers are led by Venzant at 17.8 points per game and guard Uche Dibiamaka at 15.5 points per game. St. Edward's is third in the league at 78.3 points per game.
SCOUTING STMU: The Rattlers had rattled off seven straight LSC wins before dropping their last two to enter the weekend 10-9, 7-3 LSC. Five players average double figures for the Rattlers, led by forward Tyler Caron at 11.4 points per game.
