THIBODAUX, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team has won three straight and they will put their record on the line on Monday night at Nicholls at 6:30 p.m.

The Cardinals (12-8, 7-2) are one of the hottest teams in the Southland Conference having won seven of their last eight games.  UIW is holding conference opponents to 67.7 points per game and 42.8 percent shooting from the field.  Senior Kyle Hittle (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) leads the team with 15.2 points per game while averaging 6.0 rebounds per contest and he has made 43 three-pointers.  Jontrell Walker (Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) led the team in scoring both games last week and is scoring 13.5 points per contest while shooting 93.2 percent from the foul line, the top mark in the nation.

UIW has a well-balanced offense with four players averaging in double figures.  In addition to Hittle and Walker, Derail Green (Houston/Klein Forest HS) and Mitchell Badillo (Houston/Cy Falls HS) are both in double figures.  Green is scoring 12.4 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range.  Badillo averages 10.0 points per game and leads the team in assists and steals.  He became the first player in school history to reach 100 assists in four consecutive seasons on Saturday.

The Colonels (6-18, 2-8) won on Saturday over McNeese State to stop a seven-game losing streak.  They are 5-3 at home this year and lost to the Cardinals on January 30, 68-61 in San Antonio.  Ja'Dante' Frye leads the team with 14.3 points per game while averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.  He is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 81.1 percent from the foul line.  T.J. Carpenter chips in with 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.  Liam Thomas had a big game against UIW last time with 16 points, nine boards and six blocks.

The Cardinals remain in fourth place in the conference, but are just a half game out of second place.  They trail undefeated Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Houston Baptist who are both 8-2 in conference play.
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