Gents Set To Face Schreiner In Key SCAC Battle On Sunday At Home
The Centenary men's basketball team goes for its third-straight win on Sunday afternoon as the Gents welcome the Schreiner University Mountaineers to the Gold Dome for a key Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest set for Noon.
Shreveport - The Centenary men's basketball team goes for its third-straight win on Sunday afternoon as the Gents welcome the Schreiner University Mountaineers to the Gold Dome for a key Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest set for Noon.
Live stats and live video are available for the game at the following links:
Stats: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/boxscores/20220130_4qvq.xml
Video: https://collegetvticket.com/event/centenary-college-vs-schreiner-university-2/
The Gents (10-7, 5-4 SCAC) have established one of the conference's best home-court advantages as they are an impressive 8-1 this season and 23-4 over the last 27 games. Schreiner (9-10, 7-3 SCAC) defeated Austin College 79-60 on Friday night in Sherman, Texas. The Mountaineers are 5-5 on the road this season. Schreiner is currently third in the conference standings, just ahead of the Gents who are in fourth place.
Centenary won a pair of games earlier this week in dominating fashion, recorded a convincing 87-52 victory over Austin College on Tuesday preceded by a 95-62 romp over Texas Lutheran on Monday. The Gents have now scored 85 or more points five times so far in nine conference play this season. The Maroon and White have scored 95 or more points in four of their last five games after scoring 95 in a win over Champion Christian at home on Jan. 15 preceded by a 105-69 conference win over Southwestern on Jan. 12 in the Gold Dome.
Centenary enters Sunday's play ranked second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 67.6 points per game. Schreiner checks in at fifth (76.7). The Gents, aided by their recent offensive success, have moved up to fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 76.6 PPG while the Mountaineers are currently third as they score 76.9 PPG. Centenary is averaging an impressive 83 PPG in its nine conference games. Schreiner is currently second in the SCAC in field-goal percentage (.440) and Centenary is sixth at .414. The teams are third and fourth in free throw % as the Mountaineers are shooting 69.4 % from the line and the Gents just behind them in fourth at 69.3 %.
Centenary ranks third in the league in FG % defense (.415) and Schreiner is fifth (.433). The Gents lead the conference in three-point FG % defense (.285) and the Mountaineers are seventh (.335). The three-point line might prove to be a critical part of Sunday's game as the Gents lead the conference in three-point FG's made (164 total/9.4/game) and are currently second in the conference in three-point FG % (.350).
Centenary made 11-31 (35.5 %) from beyond the arc in Tuesday's win over Austin College, marking the 10th time that the Gents have hit at least 10 three-point baskets in a game this season. Centenary has made double-digit three pointers in six of nine conference games this season. Centenary nailed a program and Gold Dome-record 22 three-point baskets in its Jan. 12 win over Southwestern, breaking the previous record of 20 three pointers in a game which happened on two prior occasions. The 22 three pointers are also the seventh-most made in a game this season by a division III team and ties the all-time single-game SCAC record set by St. Thomas versus Trinity on Jan. 31, 2020. Centenary's 22 made 3-point baskets are the fifth-most by a D3 team in a game this season in the country.
Schreiner is extremely strong on the glass as the Mountaineers lead the conference in both rebounding offense (42.3/game) and rebounding defense (35.5/game). The Gents are leading the conference in blocked shots (72/4.2/game) and second in steals (9.7/game) while Schreiner is eighth in both blocks and steals. Both teams are in the middle of the pack in assists and the Gents are atop the conference leaderboard in turnover margin (+7.35) and third in assist to turnover ratio, while Schreiner is eighth and seventh respectively in those two categories.
Sunday's game will feature two of the league's top scorers as Schreiner's Alex Dehoyos is currently third averaging 14.9 PPG and Centenary senior F Jarrell Taylor (Leesville, La.) is 10th (12.4 PPG). He has reached double figures 10 times this season and has scored 15 or more five times. Taylor is also tied for 10th in the conference in rebounding, averaging 5.9/game. Kamden Ross is Schreiner's leading rebounder as he ranks second in the SCAC with an average of 8.9 per game. Ross is also second in the league in FG % (62.1 %) and Taylor is the Gents' top shooter, ranking 14th in the conference at 45.5 %. Taylor is also a deadly three-point shooter as he ranks second in the league in three-point FG % (44.1 %) and is sixth in three-point FG's made (30/1.8 per game). Taylor is also eighth in the conference in defensive rebounds, averaging five per game.
Four Gents reached double figures in Tuesday's win over Austin College, led 16 from by senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) who nailed 4-7 attempts from beyond the arc and made 6-9 shots overall in 17 minutes. Sophomore G Braeden Board (Rayne, La.) scored 13 points in 18 minutes with seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots. Board was 4-7 overall from the floor, 4-6 from the free throw line, and made one trey. He has reached double figures six times this season and four times in conference play.
Senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.) and junior G Jalen Behr (Athens, Ga.) each scored 12 points. Hall grabbed two rebounds and had an assist in 17 minutes and made 5-10 shots overall including 2-5 three-point attempts. Hall continued his stellar play of late as he reached double figures for the seventh-straight game and did so for the ninth time this season. Hall has scored in eight of nine conference games this season. Behr played 17 minutes and added three rebounds and a steal as he was 4-7 from the field, 3-4 from the free throw line and made one trey.
Hall is currently 12th in the conference in scoring, averaging 12.1 PPG and his 34 points against Southwestern on Jan. 12 are the most by a SCAC player in a game this season. Hall also made history that night as he tied the single-game record for three pointers by an individual as he drained nine treys in 14 attempts (64 %). His nine treys are also the most in a single game this season by a SCAC player and are the 11th-most in a single game by a player in the country this season.
Sophomore G Braeden Board (Rayne, La.) scored 13 points in 18 minutes in the win on Tuesday with seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots. Board was 4-7 overall from the floor, 4-6 from the free throw line, and made one trey. He has reached double figures six times this season and four times in conference play. He is averaging 8.7 PPG and 3.8 rebounds per game this season.
Junior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas) is averaging 9.9 PPG and 4.4 rebounds per game this season and has been extremely productive on offense of late, as he has reached double figures in five of seven games this month and done so in five of the Gents' nine conference games. He scored a career-high 25 points in Centenary's 95-64 win over Champion Christian College on Jan. 15. Thomas, one of the conference's top all-around players, ranks fourth in the league in steals, fifth in blocked shots, eighth in free throw %, and 23rd in scoring.
Centenary shot 51.8 % (29-56) overall from the floor in the win over the 'Roos on Tuesday in its most recent action. The 51.8 % is Centenary's second-best shooting % of the season next to the 52 % that the Gents shot on Nov. 23 at MUW. The Maroon and White now shot 49 % or better from the floor four times this season, three times in conference play.
Centenary won both meetings between the teams last season as the Gents registered consecutive wins (79-75 and 70-67) in Kerrville. The Gents and Mountaineers played three times during the 2019-20 season, with the Gents winning two of three games. The third was a memorable 76-70 win over the Mountaineers on their home court in the semifinals of the SCAC Championship, which the Gents would win a day later to clinch their first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
The Gents have now won 10 or more games in eight of the last nine seasons with the only exception being last season's COVID-shortened 8-4 campaign which included a pair of games being cancelled as Centenary has established itself as one of the perennial programs in the conference.
Centenary has also made its mark in the national statistical rankings due to its aggressive defense and efficient offense. The Gents currently rank sixth in the nation in division III in turnover margin, 11th in turnovers forced, and are 29th in three-point FG % defense. The Maroon and White are also tied for 37th in steals, 38th in steals per game and blocked shots, and 37th in total three-point FG's made showing their superb blend of offensive and defensive versatility this season.
The Gents and Mountaineers will rematch in Kerrville next weekend, meeting on Friday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
A link to the Gents' complete 2021-22 schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/schedule
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Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
