Men's Basketball | 11/21/2019 11:30:00 AM
GOODWELL, Okla. – After a 12-day hiatus, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team will resume action on Thursday (Nov. 21/7:45 p.m.) in its Sooner Athletic Conference opener at Oklahoma City University. The Aggies will also travel to Southwestern Christian on Saturday (Nov. 23/3:45 p.m.) as a part of the two-game conference opening weekend.
Panhandle State enters the SAC opening pair of games with a 3-2 record. Its only losses have come at the hands of the University of the Southwest in a home-and-home set of games this year.
On the year, the Aggies are averaging 74.8 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the field as a unit. The Panhandle squad has been sharp from three-point range, as well, hitting nearly 40 percent (32-81) of its tries.
Junior transfer
Maurice Waters, from Lincoln University, has gotten off to a great start in his OPSU career. Through the first five contests, Waters has drained 57.8 percent of his shots from the floor (26-45) and has averaged 13.4 points per game, topping OPSU. Waters also has team-leading averages with 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, as well.
DK Sumo IV, a returner from last season, chips in an average of 10.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.8 steals per outing.
Terrance Gibbons, also a Lincoln University transfer, is also off to a fast start as an Aggie, averaging 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
In all, a balanced Panhandle offense has no less than seven players averaging 7.2 points per game or better.
Auston Chatman checks in at 8.8 p.p.g., along with
Brett Williams (7.6 p.p.g.),
Jalen Williams (7.2 p.p.g. ) and
Daniel Holyfield (7.2 p.p.g.) to join the aforementioned players.
Jalen Williams leads OPSU in assists at 2.8 dimes per game. Gibbons is shooting a healthy 48.4 percent from the field and
Brett Williams is at 48.1 percent. Holyfield and
Tristen Womble each fire at a 50-percent clip from the floor, as well.
And Aggie Head Coach
Mark Laird will need all the firepower his team can muster as it encounters a stiff challenge to open SAC action this weekend. Oklahoma City enters its match-up with OPSU with a 5-2 record and the Stars received votes in the NAIA national rankings.
Saturday's bout at Southwestern Christian, 4-1 entering its weekend games, will be a homecoming of sorts for Laird. Prior to taking the reins as Panhandle's head coach, Laird was an assistant for the Eagles.
