HOUSTON – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team plays the penultimate game of its season on Wednesday night, tipping off at 7 p.m. against Houston Baptist University at Sharp Gymnasium on the HBU campus.
The Cardinals, in their first year under head coach
Dr. Carson Cunningham, have played their share of close, competitive games on their way to a 6-23 overall and 1-15 Southland Conference record. Few, however, matched the excitement and consequential frustration of UIW's 96-92 loss to HBU on Jan. 30 in San Antonio.
In a game that was characterized by 20 lead changes and 15 tied scores, each team shot more than 60 percent from the floor. HBU shot 69 percent in the second half. UIW freshmen guards Dwight Murray (20) and
Jordan Caruso (18) each scored their highest point totals. UIW enjoyed a season-high 11 steals.
Each team withstood the tension of having four players whistled with four fouls each – although only one member of each squad eventually fouled out. UIW led by nine points and HBU by seven on one occasion each during the second half but for the preponderance of the game, the score was within four points.
Eventually, a Husky player who had not scored in the first half, Jalon Gates, recorded the game's last eight points, and 18 total, to give HBU the victory.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
HBU is 11-16 overall and 7-9 in conference play. The Huskies won their last game handily, defeating McNeese, 86-65, in Houston on Saturday.
The Huskies are a team that excels on offense but performs to a lesser extent on defense. HBU ranks 25
th in points per game, 81.4, among 351 Division I teams. But on defense, the Huskies give up 82.1 per game, sixth from the bottom with a 345 ranking.
Ian DuBose and Edward Hardt lead HBU is scoring with per-game averages of 17.2 and 11.4, respectively.
ASSESSING UIW's YOUTH MOVEMENT
UIW began the season with a very young roster – eight freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors and only one senior. The youngsters have received a great deal of seasoning under fire and have improved as the season progressed.
Sophomore
Christian Peevy is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, having scored 344 points for a 12.7 per-game average. He has hauled down 116 rebounds, some 4.2 per game. His shooting accuracy is even more impressive. Peevy makes more baskets than he misses, having bucketed 110 of 208 shots from the floor (52.9 percent) and a 121 of 139 free throws (a scorching 87.1 percent).
The latter statistic places Peevy in the 26th position among approximately 4,500 Division I basketball players with regard to free throw shooting accuracy. It also contributes toward UIW's number one ranking among 351 D1 schools in that category. Collectively, the Cardinals are hitting 81.1 percent of their foul shots, which puts them more than one percentage point ahead of second-place Hofstra.
Freshman
Morgan Taylor ranks second on the team in scoring average with 11.5 points per game. Although he has not played since mid-January, his early-season achievements were impressive. As the starting point guard, he dished out 55 assists during 17 games. He was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week for his performance during the three-game Islands of the Bahamas Showcase, played in Nassau during mid-November.
Sophomore
Augustine Ene and freshman
Antoine Smith Jr. have also contributed in numerous ways, especially toward UIW's national ranking in free throw shooting. Ene, a 6-4 wing, and Smith, a 6-7 forward, are both hitting more than 80% from the charity stripe – as is freshman Caruso.
Ene is second on the team in rebounds and Smith is third.
CARDINALS HOLD SENIOR DAY
Charles Brown III and
Jorden Kite said goodbye to the home crowd Saturday night, as UIW honored its graduating seniors at the last home game of the season.
Charles is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been a member of the UIW men's basketball team for two years. He is majoring in television production. When Charles graduates in May, he will have made the Southland Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll twice.
On the court, Charles has scored 636 points and hauled down 212 rebounds. He has a career field goal shooting percentage of 50.8 percent and has hit 83.6 percent of his free throws.
Jorden came to UIW from Clark High School in San Antonio. He has been a member of the UIW men's basketball team for four years. He is majoring in accounting. When he receives his diploma in May, he will have made the Commissioner's Honor Roll three times!
On the court, Jorden has scored 331 points. He has a career free throw shooting percentage of 89.7 percent.
Jorden, a redshirt junior with regard to eligibility, has elected to graduate in May.
The Cardinals also honored senior manager Arthur Lopez on Saturday.
CARDINALS IN OVERTIME
Saturday's 74-72 loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was the third overtime game that the Cardinals played this season. UIW won the first of those, an 80-78 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 17 during the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase tournament in Nassau. On Jan. 22, UIW lost an overtime game at Lamar, 87-81.
