SAN ANTONIO – After a three-week hiatus, the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team gets back on the floor with a trip to No. 13 Texas Tech on Tuesday before returning to the McDermott Center for two home games against McMurry on Thursday (Dec. 31) and Friday (Jan. 1) to wrap up 2020 and its non-conference schedule.
 
THE GAMES THIS WEEK

• UIW gets back to action for the first time since taking on Texas State on Dec. 5. Sophomore Marcus Larsson shined in that contest, scoring 14 and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
• The Cardinals look to knock off an AP top-25-ranked team for the first time in program history.
• UIW is seeking its first win over a Power 5 opponent since defeating Nebraska, 74-73, on Dec. 10, 2014.
• The Cardinals are vying for their first win in Lubbock and are currently 0-2 against the Red Raiders, with their most recent matchup on Nov. 6, 2018, the year the Red Raiders made it to Final Four during March Madness.
• The Cardinals are 2-0 all-time against McMurry inside the McDermott Center.

TUNE IN

• at Texas Tech (Dec. 29)
  • Watch - https://texastech.com/showcase?Live=5345
  • Listen - https://texastech.com/showcase?Live=5312
• vs. McMurry (Dec. 31 | Jan. 1)
  • Watch - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uiw/
  • Live Stats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/incarnateword/mbball/
  • Spectator Requirements - https://uiwcardinals.com/sports/2020/11/25/2020-21-spectator-requirements.aspx

THE CARDINALS

• The Cardinals are shooting SLC's best 41.8 percent (28-of-67) from 3-point range, an increase of 11.8 percent from last season.
• Through 35 career games, sophomore Keaston Willis has made the 17th-most 3-pointers (88) and attempted the 15th-most (252) in program history.
• Willis is second in SLC scoring and tied for 35th in the country, averaging 20.3 points per contest.
• Josh Morgan is one of two freshmen in the league's top-25 scoring; he ranks seventh in the league with an average of 14.0 points per game.
• Larsson ranks first in the conference with 2.3 blocked shots per game and second in the conference averaging 8.8 rebounds per game.

THE CUNNINGHAM CULTURE

• Since taking over as head coach in 2018-19, Dr. Carson Cunningham has guided the Cardinals to new heights in the classroom, in the community and on the court.
• Overall team GPA rose from sub-3.0 in 2017-18 to 3.23 in 2018-19, 3.46 in 2019-20 and a Fall 2020 GPA of 3.35.
• In 2018-19, the Cardinals registered the program's first 1,000 APR score.
• In 2018-19, UIW completed 282 hours of community service. The team was also the top men's program at UIW by completing 261.5 service hours in 2019-20.
• UIW had a five-win improvement in conference play, going from one (2018-19) to six (2019-20) - the highest conference wins total since the team went 7-11 in the 2016-17 season.
• The Cardinals' 3-pt field goal percentage (41.8) is the 12^th-best mark in the country.

HISTORY

• UIW began playing men's basketball in 1980-81. Our teams have achieved a 600-466 record. The Cardinals transitioned to Division I status when they joined the Southland Conference in 2013-14.
• UIW is 394-163 (.707) all-time inside the McDermott Center.
• UIW, the largest Catholic university in Texas, was founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Enrollment is 10,389.

SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS

• The Red Raiders forced 16 turnovers and limited Oklahoma to 40.0 percent (6-of-15) from 3-pt range the last time out.
• Texas Tech leads the Big 12 conference in both turnover margin (plus-7.9) and scoring defense (52.4).
• Terrance Shannon Jr. scored a team-high 21 points, Marcus Santos-Silva scored 18 and had seven rebounds and Mac McClung added 16 points in win against Oklahoma.  McClung (8th, 15.1 ppg) and Shannon Jr. (14th, 14.0 ppg) are among the top-15 in conference scoring.
• Santos-Silva leads the Red Raiders in FG percentage (61.5), averaging 7.3 rebounds and 12 blocks this season.
• Texas Tech is 4-0 against Southland Conference opponents this season.

SCOUTING THE WAR HAWKS

• Remy Minor and Khalil Butler each lead McMurry in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per outing. Minor has also dished out 11 assists.
• Butler has a knack for getting to the basketball, forcing a team-high six turnovers.
• McMurry forced 58 turnovers this season, an average of 14.5 turnovers per game.
• DJ Worrell leads the War Hawks averaging 7.3 rebounds per game. Worrell and Jordan Sherman each have a team-high 16 defensive rebounds this season.
• The War Hawks are averaging 34.8 rebounds per game and an ASC's third-best 10.5 offensive rebounds in the first four games this season.

 
FOLLOW ALONG
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Follow the team on Twitter @UIWMBB and on Instagram @uiwmensbasketball.