Colorado Spring, Colo. - The Centenary men's basketball team is set to return to the court on Friday for the first time in nearly three weeks as the Gents will face the Colorado College Tigers in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest set for 5:30 p.m. at Reid Arena.
Live stats and live video are available for the game at the links below:
Stats: https://cctigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Video: https://cctigers.com/watch/?Live=1032&type=Live
The Gents (6-4, 2-1 SCAC) defeated Dallas (Dec. 17) and Trinity (Dec. 19) in a pair of home conference games in their most recent action. The Tigers (3-11, 1-4 SCAC) lost at home to Nebraska Wesleyan on Tuesday, 83-67, and have dropped six of their last seven games overall. The Gents are currently in a three-way tie for third place in the conference while Colorado College is ninth.
Centenary had home games versus Southwestern and Texas Lutheran scheduled for New Year's weekend postponed, thus the reason for the extended layoff. Friday will be the Gents' first road game since opening conference play at Dallas on Dec. 8, an 81-76 loss. The Gents went 2-0 versus the Tigers last season, winning a pair of gritty defensive battles at home on consecutive days, 59-43 and 51-37.
The Gents enter Friday's play as one of the top defensive teams in the conference, as the Gents lead the SCAC in scoring defense, allowing just 65.9 points per game and are also second in field goal percentage defense (.401). The Gents have allowed just 659 points this season, the fewest in the league. Centenary is also the conference leader in three-point FG % defense (.293), blocked shots (43 total/4.3 per game), and ranks second in the conference in steals with 89, averaging 8.9/game.
The Gents lead the league in turnover margin (+5.80) and force 20 turnovers per game. Centenary checks in at #4 in the conference in assist/turnover ratio and is fifth in free throw shooting at .696. The Tigers are last in the conference in scoring, averaging just 67.5 PPG and allow 78.5. Colorado College has been better on the defensive end, leading the league in blocked shots and ranking in a tie for third in steals. Scott Cunningham is the Tigers' leading scorer this season, averaging 12.4 PPG. Adrian Price leads CC in rebounding, grabbing 4.8/game.
Senior F Jarrell Taylor (Leesville, La.) enters Friday's action as one of the top overall players in the conference in his first season with the Gents after transferring from ETBU. Taylor is averaging 14.6 PPG, eighth-best in the SCAC and grabs 6.6 rebounds per game to rank in a tie for eighth place. He ranks 13th in FG % (.495) and is tied for eighth in three pointers made. Taylor is fifth in the league in defensive rebounds (55) as he averages 5.5/game and is fifth in three-point FG % (.474). Taylor has scored in double figures eight times this season and has recorded one double-double.
Senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.) is currently second on the team averaging 8.9 PPG and has scored in double figures three times this season including twice in the last three games. Hall was named the SCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 30, earning the honor for the first time in his career as he led the Gents with a career-high 21 points in a 73-52 road win over Mississippi University for Women on Nov. 23. Hall also averages 3.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 38.1 % from the floor overall and 37.5 % from beyond the arc, as he is currently tied for 12th in the conference in three-point FG %.
Junior G Ralph Johnson (White Castle, La.) is third on the team in scoring, averaging an even 8.0 PPG. He is shooting 36.3 % overall from the floor and has reached double figures twice this season. Johnson, one of the league's top all-around players, has collected two or more steals in a game three times, two or more rebounds eight times and two more assists nine times. He averages 2.9 assists per game, tied for eighth in the league, and has been stellar from the free throw line, missing just once all season in 17 attempts (94.1 %).
Junior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas) averages 7.8 PPG, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 2.2 steals per game. He was named the SCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 20 after leading Centrenary to the pair of home wins over Dallas and Trinity, as Thomas earned the weely honor for the second time in his career after doing so once last season.
Thomas has scored at least seven points in a game seven times this season and had a season-high 17 in the Gents' blowout win over Dallas on Dec. 17 at home. He ranks second in the conference in steals, is tied for fourth in the league in blocked shots and is tied for 15th in the conference in offensive rebounds. Thomas is also tied for ninth in the SCAC in free throw shooting (.788 %). averaged 12.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 assists per night. In the win over the Crusaders, Thomas poured in 17 points, nearly matching his season-high of 19 in a home exhibition contest against LSU-Shreveport on Nov. 11.
Sophomore G Braeden Board (Rayne, La.) and junior G Jalen Behr (Athens, Ga.) have each started nine of 10 games this season and are both averaging over 7.0 PPG. Board, averaging 7.2 PPG and shooting 41 % overall from the field this season, led the way in Centenary's 87-78 home win over Trinity on Dec. 19 with a career-high 21 points in 26 minutes on 7-13 shooting. He connected on 7-10 free throw attempts, grabbed seven rebounds, and had one blocked shot. Board, whose previous career-high was 17 in the Gents' season-opening win over Arlington Baptist, reached double figures for the third time this season.
Behr is averaging 7.0 PPG in his first season with the Gents, shoots 46.4 % overall and 46.7 % from three-point range. He scored 14 points in 22 minutes in the victory over Trinity on 5-7 shooting and was locked in from beyond the arc, nailing 4-5 attempts. He grabbed four rebounds and had one blocked shot and one steal. Behr scored in double figures and matched his season high after previously scoring 14 against ETBU on Nov. 20. He is tied for 13th in the conference in steals and tied for 15th in blocked shots.
Senior G Tevin Baker (Port Arthur, Texas) has made an impact in his first season in a Gents uniform after transferring from ETBU, starting six games and is averaging 4.6 PPG and shooting 48.5 % from the floor. Baker also averages 2.9 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game, and shoots 37.5 % from beyond the arc. He is currently 10th in the conference in assists and steals.
Senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) reached double figures for the second game in a row as he recorded 10 in 17 minutes off the bench in the win over Trinity after scoring a season-high 13 in the Dec. 17 win over Dallas. Mingo is averaging 5.1 PPG and has hit at least two treys in a game three times in Centenary's last four games. Junior F Joseph Wiggins (Bossier City, La.) is averaging 4.3 PPG and is shooting 44.1 % from the floor. He also currently ranks in a tie for 15th in the SCAC in blocked shots. Centenary is third in the conference in three-point FG % (.332) and Taylor, Behr, and Hall all rank in the top 12 in three-point FG %.
Centenary wraps up its weekend on Sunday as the Gents face St. Thomas in another SCAC contest set for Noon in Houston, Texas.
A link to the Gents' complete 2021-22 schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
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