NASSAU, Bahamas – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team seeks its fourth consecutive victory of the season on Friday when it meets defending Big Sky champion Montana in the opening game of The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase. Tipoff time is 10 a.m. CT at the Kendal Isaacs National Arena.
TOURNAMENT FIELD AND SCHEDULE
UIW is one of eight teams playing in the Bahamas Showcase, which was first contested in 2017. The winner of Friday's first game will meet the winner of the Miami (Ohio) game against North Dakota State on Saturday. The other side of the bracket on Friday pits Georgia Southern against Florida Atlantic and Towson against Pepperdine. Each team will play three games in the tournament, one each day. The Bahamas Showcase concludes on Sunday with championship, third, fifth and seventh-place games.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
The Bahamas Showcase features two teams that saw postseason action last season, Montana in the NCAA tournament and Miami-Ohio, which earned a spot in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) last season.
THREE-GAME WINNING STREAK
After an opening loss to Texas Tech on Nov. 6, the Cardinals returned to the McDermott Center and defeated St. Francis of Illinois on Friday, UT Tyler on Saturday, and Texas Lutheran on Monday. In each game, UIW enjoyed a double-digit margin of victory.
YOUTH MOVEMENT BEARS FRUIT
The Cardinals' roster is composed of one senior, two juniors, four sophomores and eight true freshmen. Only one UIW player, redshirt junior Jorden Kyte, has more than one year of experience in a Cardinal uniform. Accordingly, the freshman class has earned significant early-season playing time and produced effective results. In each of the last three games, head coach Carson Cunningham has started four freshmen and one sophomore. Against Texas Lutheran on Monday, the UIW freshmen scored 51 of 70 points.
TAYLOR AND SMITH LEAD SCORERS
Morgan Taylor, a 6-3 guard from Chicago, and
Antoine Smith Jr., a 6-7 forward from Westerville, Ohio, lead the Cardinals in scoring with 15.8 and 9.8 points per game, respectively. Both are members of Cunningham's first freshman class. In UIW's win over Texas Lutheran, Taylor scored 23 points. Smith also leads the team in rebounds with 6.8 per game.
VETERANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The early success of the freshman class should not detract from a solid body of work turned in by UIW's lettermen. Against St. Francis senior
Charles Brown III came off the bench and led all scorers with 14 points.
Christian Peevy had solid scoring games against St. Francis and UT Tyler with 10 and 15 points, respectively.
CUNNINGHAM PLEASED WITH DEFENSE
UIW's head coach has praised his team's defensive performance in the last three games. As an example, against UT Tyler, the Cardinals shut down the interior so effectively that the Patriots were forced to take 33 of their 55 shots from beyond the three-point line. During the first half of that game, UIW forced 10 turnovers and allowed only six field goals.
COACH CUNNINGHAM SAID
"We're going to battle! We better. The Bahamas aren't all seashells and balloons – Blackbeard operated there. And the teams we'll be facing are very tough, including our first opponent, Montana, which is chock-full of veterans who can play. We need to be ready to wave a banner for Incarnate Word. What an awesome place to get after it on the hardwood!"
STAY TUNED
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