Men's Basketball | 2/20/2019 2:23:00 PM

Goodwell, Okla. – The Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team will be looking to lock down a berth in the Sooner Athletic Conference post-season tournament, heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Aggies will be traveling to Southwestern Assemblies of God in Waxahachie, Texas on Thursday (Feb. 21/8 p.m.), before capping the regular season in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Wesleyan University on Saturday (Feb. 23/4 p.m.).
 
Links for live video and statistics – provided by the opposing schools - for all games can be found on the Panhandle State athletics web site (www.opsuaggies.com). Periodic updates from the contests will also be available via Panhandle State Athletics social media on Twitter (@OPSUAthletics).
 
Panhandle's squad (15-11, 10-10 SAC) still has some work to do. Currently tied for the No. 7 slot in the standings, the Aggies' post-season options run from moving up to the fifth seed to missing out on the SAC tourney entirely - and several seeded scenarios in between - in the tight post-season race. The Panhandle men's mantra for the week – in the words of the late Al Davis, owner of the NFL's Raiders – will be: "Just win, baby!"
 
With SAGU in sixth place ahead of the Aggies and Texas Wesleyan a team still mathematically in the hunt, Panhandle can determine its own fate. With 10 of the 12 SAC teams still in contention for the eight post-season berths, only league leader Wayland Baptist has a lock on its position.
 
"A huge week for our program," OPSU Head Coach Aaron Coombs surmised. "We have the chance to make the conference tournament for the first time since 2006. I think our mindset right now has to be to focus on Thursday. SAGU is the most important game of the year because it's the next game. Finding a way to win against a talented team on the road is our goal. I like our game plan going into tomorrow night and think if we play well we will have a chance to take care of business. Saturday's game against Texas Wesleyan will be another tough test. They are not the same team we beat in January. They are playing harder, smarter and more together. I feel that game will be a game of match-ups and who can impose their style of play better."
 
While the thought of finishing the regular season away from Anchor D Arena might bother some coaches, Coombs is unfazed. With some of his team's best basketball having come on the opponent's floor of late, the Aggies have gone from road worriers to road warriors. "The road is our friend right now," Coombs reflected. "We have won four in a row on the road and five of our last six. We will use that as confidence going into the weekend."
 
"It's going to be a fun weekend; a tough weekend," Coombs said. "But most importantly for OPSU Basketball, it will be a meaningful weekend. I told our guys the other day that, anytime you have a chance to play meaningful games in late February, it means you have played well all year to get to this point."
 
GAME NOTES:

*OPSU MEN AT-A-GLANCE: The Aggies have been hot of late, winning seven of their past 11 games (two losses came versus nationally-ranked foes during that span). On the year, Panhandle has embraced the role of "giant killer" by knocking off teams ranked in the NAIA top-25 on five occasions in 2018-19, thus far. OPSU's high-octane offense – averaging 85.2 points per game – is led by Breiman Alexander's 24.8 p.p.g., who also tops both the SAC and the NAIA in scoring. Alexander has found plenty of scoring help, with four other teammates – Alan Hodge (16.4 p.p.g.), Baris Ulker (15.0 p.p.g.), Khallid Edwards (14.8 p.p.g.), and Jaedon Whitfield (12.0 p.p.g.) – also averaging in double-figure scoring. The chores of "cleaning the glass" have been led by Ulker and Whitfield, who average 7.9 and 6.9 rebounds per game.
 
*SAGU MEN AT-A-GLANCE:  The Lions (18-10, 11-9 SAC) enter the week just one spot ahead of the Aggies, holding down sixth place in the SAC, currently. SAGU has a quartet of players averaging in double-figure scoring: Joshua Kashila (17.6 p.p.g.); Nykolas Mason (17.5 p.p.g.); Cameron Hill (11.4 p.p.g.), and; Darian Davis (10.1 p.p.g.). Kashila's totals include 62 made from three-point range. Mason's 7.0 rebounds per game leads the Lions, as well.
 
*TEXAS WESLEYAN MEN AT-A-GLANCE: The Rams (13-15, 8-12 SAC) enters the week needing to win out to even entertain hopes for a post-season bid. It will be no easy chore for TWU as it must face SAAC leader – and NAIA No. 9-ranked – Wayland Baptist on Thursday before facing the Aggies. Coming off of an 84-68 road win at Central Christian last Saturday, the Rams had dropped four of their last five SAC encounters before that. Juwan Jones tops TWU in scoring at 13.4 p.p.g. and Peyton Sallee averages 12.4 p.p.g. Sam Lorenzen checks in at 10.1 p.p.g., as well. Dare Brazeal is the Rams' rebound leader at 5.5 boards per game.