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2010-11 Men's Basketball Statistics
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This Week
The 10th-ranked Bellevue University men’s basketball team will conclude its three-game homestand this weekend with a pair of conference games. The Bruins will play host to fourth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Friday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. before playing against Southwestern Christian University on Saturday, Jan. 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center against SCU.

Following the Action
All Bellevue University men’s basketball home games this year will feature free live stats. Fans can view the live stats by visiting BUBruins.com and clicking the “Live Stats” link under “Fan Zone” at the top of the page.

Along with live stats, BU’s matchup with OWU will also include a free live audio and video broadcast by Victory Sports Network (VSN). John Thayer of VSN will provide the play-by-play while Jason Dannelly will be featured doing color commentary. The broadcast will also include half-time interviews.

A video broadcast will be also available for Saturday’s game versus SCU. The audio and video broadcasts for both games this weekend can be viewed by clicking the “Live Audio/Video” link under “Fan Zone.”

Scouting Bellevue
Bellevue, winners of four of its last five games is ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Division II Coaches’ Poll, and have a 17-4 overall record and are in a three-way tie for first place with a 4-1 mark in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Bruins are coming off of a 102-68 conference home win against Peru State College on Jan. 25.

Eugene Bain leads BU in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He also leads the team with eight double-doubles and is third in the MCAC with a 56.3 field goal percentage. Also averaging in double figures is All-American Avery Tyler (10.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.5 apg). Jelani Johnson averages 9.8 ppg and ranks second in the conference with 78 assists and has a team-high 31 steals. Ousseynou Diop adds 8.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg and is first in NAIA Division II with 79 blocked shots. Jeremy Cruise leads the squad with 44 made 3-pointers. 

BU scores 80.1 points per game and are second in the MCAC with a 47.9 shooting percentage. They also shoot 37.8 percent from three-point range. The Bruins hold opponents to a conference-low 66.4 points per game and are second in field goal defense, limiting the opposition to just 39.8 percent shooting.

The Bruins return three letterwinners and two starters from last year’s 28-8 squad that captured the MCAC regular season and tournament titles, while advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA II National Tournament.

Scouting Oklahoma Wesleyan
Oklahoma Wesleysan is ranked fourth in the latest NAIA Division II Coaches’ poll and have a 19-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in league play. The Eagles are coming off their first conference loss, a 66-57 setback at College of the Ozarks on Jan. 22.

OWU is led offensively by Sadiel Rojas who ranks second in NAIA Division II in scoring (26.8 ppg) and rebounding (12.1 rpg). He shoots 57.5 percent from the field, which ranks first in the MCAC. Rojas has also recorded 16 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in all 21 games played this year. Two other players average in double figure scoring for OWU, Dominique Rambo (16.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Murray Shaw (12.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg). Rambo also leads the conference with 79 assists and 61 steals.

The Eagles are second in the conference scoring, averaging 85.7 ppg while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 33.6 from three-point range. OWU gives up 71.4 ppg on 41.5 percent shooting overall from the field and 34.9 percent from behind the arc.    

Scouting Southwestern Christian
Southwestern Christian is currently 5-14 overall and 1-3 in the MCAC. The Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak in their last game, to win its first league game, 85-79, at Haskell Indians Nations University on Jan. 22.
Josh Gamblin leads SCU in scoring, averaging 16.6 points while pulling down 3.3 rebounds per game. Gamblin has reached double figure scoring totals in seven of his last eight games. The only other player scoring in double figures is Riemond Prince, who scores 15.5 points and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game. Prince also paces the team with 57 assists and has recorded all four of SCU’s double-doubles this season.

SCU averages 69.7 ppg on 41.3 percent shooting and 34.6 percent from three-point range. The Eagles give up 78.5 ppg and allow opponents to shoot 47.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.4 percent from behind the arc.

Meet the Coaches
In his first two seasons at the helm of the Bellevue University men’s basketball program, Shane Paben has guided the Bruins to two consecutive trips to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, including a semifinal finish in 2010 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2009. He has a career mark of 69-21 (.767) at BU. He is assisted by Bob Ludwig, Jason Isaacson and Micah Stancil. 

Oklahoma Wesleyan is led by two-time NAIA Division II Coach of the Year Donnie Bostwick. Now in his fourth year, he has a career record of 107-17 (.863). Bostwick is assisted by Mark Molder, Jamie Peterson and Garrett Jones.

Mark Arthur is in his 20th season as the head men’s basketball coach at Southwestern Christian. He has compiled an overall record of 390-280 (.582). Arthur’s assisted by Jim Poteet, Videll Wauqua and Kevin Thornton.

National Rankings
Bellevue University is ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Men’s Basketball Division II Coaches’ Poll, released on Monday, Jan. 24. Two other MCAC foes are also ranked in the coaches’ poll, Oklahoma Wesleyan University is fourth while College of the Ozarks is No. 20.

Block Party
Ousseynou Diop has blocked 79 shots this season which ranks first in NAIA Division II. He has totaled two or more blocks in 11 straight games, including seven in BU’s last game against Peru State (Jan. 25). He set a career-high with eight blocks versus Harris-Stowe on Nov. 12. In his first two seasons, he has led the conference in blocked shots. For his career, Diop has swatted 181 shots.

Doubling Up
The frontcourt duo of Eugene Bain and Ousseynou Diop have accounted for all 10 of the Bruins’ double-doubles this season. Bain has registered eight, including a 22-point and 14-rebound performance at Central Christian College on Jan. 22.
Diop has notched two double-doubles, in back-to-back games, at Midland University (Nov. 11) and versus Harris-Stowe (Nov. 12).

Last Game Recap
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Sophomore James Parrott led five Bruins in double figures with 17 points as the 10th-ranked Bellevue University men’s basketball team reached the century mark for the second time this season, scoring a 102-68 victory over Peru State Tuesday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

With the win, the Bruins moved into a tie for first place in the MCAC standings at 4-1, while improving to 17-4 overall. Peru State slipped to 5-15 on the season and 1-4 in league play. Bellevue is tied with Oklahoma Wesleyan (19-2, 4-1) and Central Christian (15-3, 4-1) atop the conference standings.

Parrott was 7-of-8 from the field, including a 3-of-4 performance from behind the arc. Also in double figures for the Bruins were Jeremy Arrington (15), Ousseynou Diop (13), Donald Jones (13), and Eugene Bain (10). Bain also added a game-high eight rebounds.

The Bobcats were led by Derrick Williams with 16 points and Jovan Hitch with 11 points.

Up Next
The Bruins will begin a three-game conference road trip next week beginning at in-state foe Peru State College on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Oklahoma for games at Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Southwestern Christian University. The Bruins will play at OWU on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and will end the roadswing at SCU on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 5:00 p.m.