SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team returns home to the McDermott Center looking to snap a three-game losing skid. The Cardinals host Texas Lutheran Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.
FIRST TIP
Devin Wyatt vividly remembers the Bulldogs, as he set the program record with 10 blocked shots en route to a 12-7-10 line in last season's 78-71 win over TLU. UIW leads the all-time series, 28-11. The Bulldogs have not defeated UIW since a 77-67 result on Jan. 10, 1997 in the Alamo City.
SCOUTING THE TEXAS LUTHERAN BULLDOGS
207-18: 2-3 overall, 0-0 SCAC
Last Game: L 84-65 at UT Tyler (11/28)
Head Coach: Mike Wacker
Key Players:
#2 Nathan Josephs – 5 GP, 19.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 18 ASTS, 3 STLS
#35 Jackson Willoughby – 4 GP, 11.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4 STLS
#42 Matthew Gillette – 5 GP, 8.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6 ASTS
Summary: Texas Lutheran is playing back-to-back exhibition games against Division I's Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UIW this week. The Bulldogs had their two-game winning streak halted by undefeated UT Tyler, 84-65, on Nov. 28, despite three double-doubles for the Bulldogs: Matthew Gillette (18 pts, 12 rbs), Nathan Josephs (14, 11), and Shawn Hamilton (11, 10).
On the season, Josephs' 19.6 points per game ranks him fourth in the SCAC, while Gillette's 10.0 rebounds per game is also fourth in the conference. Shawn Hamilton has seven of the Bulldogs' 12 total blocks, while Sebastian Andrade is tops with five steals. As a team, TLU is second in rebounding margin and is shooting 39.7 percent from the floor, last place in the SCAC.
THE CARDINAL FILE
2017-18: 3-3 overall, 0-0 SLC
Last Game: L 103-68 at No. 15 Gonzaga (11/29)
Head Coach: Ken Burmeister
Key Players:
#3
Simi Socks – 6 GP, 14.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 80.8 FT%, 4 BLKS
#4
Christian Peevy – 6 GP, 11.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 60.0 FG%, 6 BLKS
#41
Shawn Johnson – 6 GP, 10.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 9 BLKS, 20 STLS, 17 ASTS
Summary: UIW returns home to the McDermott Center looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Cardinals' last game came at last year's national runner-up, No. 15 Gonzaga, 103-68, in Spokane, Wash.
Jalin Hart scored a season-high 17 points in the loss.
On the season,
Simi Socks is 14th in the conference with 14.2 points per game.
Christian Peevy follows with 13.0. On the glass,
Shawn Johnson is 8th with 6.7 rebounds per game. Johnson's 3.1 steals per game ranks him first in the SLC and sixth nationally, collecting 20 while playing in the fewest amount of games behind the leaders.
Devin Wyatt's 1.7 blocks per game ranks him fourth in the conference, while Johnson (1.6) is fifth. As a team, the Cardinals are first in the Southland with 7.3 blocked shots per game and third with a +3.5 turnover margin. Tuesday's game will test the Cardinals' rebounding corps - ranked last in the Southland Conference - against a Texas Lutheran team that is second in the SCAC with +7.0 rebound margin.
UP NEXT
UIW will take the next 10 days off for finals before hosting UMKC on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.
STAY TUNED
The Cardinals head west to UTEP on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. CT before playing No. 7 Florida on Friday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. CT.
For the most up-to-date information on Incarnate Word Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow Incarnate Word Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like Incarnate Word Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.
