SAGU hosts Bacone on Thursday
Previewing the 7:30pm Game
SAGU and BC team, player stats and contrasts
WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- The second half of a season says much about teams. Their true colors are often revealed down the stretch. Some will peak at the right time while some have ripened prematurely. Injuries and youth will hinder and a lack of chemistry will spoil even the most talented of teams.
Thursday night the men's basketball team at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, seeking their first winning regular season record since joining the NAIA, will host Bacone College in a 7:30pm game inside the Sheaffer Center.
Tune-In to Broadcast or Webcast
Fans can access the High Definition broadcast of the game by going to www.sagu.edu and clicking on the Watch SAGU TV button. Clay Scarborough is the host with Tim Roberts providing color commentary. Following the women's game (which starts with a 5:15pm pre-game show), the men's game is discussed around 7:15pm (CST).
The text-version of the accounts of the game, called Live Stats (webcast), is available as well. The play-by-play service, also available for free, can be found at www.redriverconference.com. Click on M-Basketball in the left column, and then locate the game in the right Scoreboard column. Click on the underlined LiveStats.
Setting the stage for the game
The game marks the start of the second 'go-round' in the Red River Athletic Conference circuit. Southwestern rolled past a rebuilding Warriors team, 100-49, in Muskogee, Oklahoma in December. The Lions owned the glass, 59-37, unleashed 16 triples and 51% shooting against the Warriors, who made only 22% of their attempts.
SAGU was led by Dominique Rambo (Dallas, Tx / Oklahoma Wesleyan Univ, Trinity Christian School). His drained six-of-eight threes and connected on 8-of-11 shots overall for 23 points. It was his best shooting night of the season at 72%. He also had six assists as the Lions roared to a 55-18 lead at recess.
About the Warriors
Bacone (BAY-kohn) has the capabilities to play with the likes of Texas College, whom they defeated 70-68. In their most recent league game they thumped Huston-Tillotson University by an 89-76 count.
The red-clad Warriors average 66.2 points per game and yield 81.7, ranking 12th and 10th in those categories in the RRAC. They are, however fourth in turnovers, making just 17.4 per outing. When it comes to the long ball, the Tribe knock down 5.5 per game, which is 7th best.
The Lions, by contrast, score 79.2 (5th) and allow 72.0 (4th). In giveaways, SAGU is seventh, committing 18.1 per contest. In regards to the long-ball, the Jungle Kings make an even 10 per game, second only to Our Lady of the Lake (12.0).
Coach Alan Foster's Warriors have four players averaging in double figures. They are led by James Scott at 13.9 ppg, while Lakheem Trotter (12.3), La'Charleston Tumblin (11.4) and Chris Fitzpatrick (11.0) have the kind of balance the Lions seek themselves.
In regards to shots taken per game, Scott takes the most at 12.6, followed by Tumblin at 12.0, Trotter 11.2 and Fitzpatrick 9.2
Trotter is the main threat from the outside with 51 three-pointers. His accuracy from the arc is 36%. Like most jump-shooters, his free throw percentage reflects his touch. Trotter is 'hotter' than most at 91%. Tumblin, at 6'7, and Scott, a 6'2 guard lead in rebounds. Their normal production is 6.7 and 6.1 boards per game.
About the Lions
The Lions offense is geared around the sophomore guard Rambo. He is the cog in the wheel and ranks sixth in the RRAC in 
scoring at 19.1 ppg. He is tops in triples, with 50, where he rips the nets at a 34% rate beyond the arc. Rambo averages a team best 3.5 assists and makes 2.9 steals per contest.
scoring at 19.1 ppg. He is tops in triples, with 50, where he rips the nets at a 34% rate beyond the arc. Rambo averages a team best 3.5 assists and makes 2.9 steals per contest.
Craig Grigsby (Houston, Tx / Glenda Dawson HS) is second in scoring at 11.3 ppg and in trifectas at 19. His 79% free throw percentage is the best on the squad.
Duce Ward (Waco, Tx / Univ. of N.Texas, Connally HS) and Ronald Horne (Waco, Tx / Univ. of N.Texas, Waco HS) tote the best rebounding figures where they average 6.8 and 5.2 respectively.
Lion shooters at midseason reveal more depth than in previous seasons. After Rambo's 16.2 shots per game, Horne is second at 9.2. Grigsby averages 7.4, Christian Wood-Dvorak (Halletsville, Tx / Halletsville HS) 5.7, Jon Walter (Garland, Tx / Garland HS) 5.6, Mike Nwelue (Lewisville, Tx / Lewisville HS) 4.9, Ward 4.6 and James Ford (Victoria, Tx / Faith Academy) at 4.2.
Complete team and player statistics are available on both the RRAC and the NAIA websites.
Contact: Mark "Link" Warde, Sports Information Director, at
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or at 469-658-2847.
2011-12 Men's Basketball Standings
| Rank | School | RRAC | Overall | GB | Home | Away | Neutral | Streak | ||
| 7 | Our Lady of the Lake | 13-0 | 1.000 | 16-3 | .842 | -- | 9-1 | 7-2 | 0-0 | Won 14 |
| 11 | Texas Wesleyan | 10-2 | .833 | 15-3 | .833 | 2.5 | 9-0 | 4-3 | 2-0 | Won 5 |
| RV | LSU-Shreveport | 9-3 | .750 | 11-6 | .647 | 3.5 | 7-1 | 4-5 | 0-0 | Won 3 |
| St. Thomas - Houston | 9-3 | .750 | 11-7 | .611 | 3.5 | 7-2 | 3-3 | 1-2 | Won 1 | |
| Wiley | 7-4 | .636 | 11-5 | .688 | 5.0 | 5-2 | 5-3 | 1-0 | Won 1 | |
| RV | SW Assemblies of God | 7-5 | .583 | 13-5 | .722 | 5.5 | 7-1 | 4-4 | 2-0 | Lost 1 |
| Texas College | 7-6 | .538 | 11-8 | .579 | 6.0 | 6-2 | 5-6 | 0-0 | Won 4 | |
| Southwest | 5-8 | .385 | 8-9 | .471 | 8.0 | 4-2 | 4-6 | 0-1 | Lost 3 | |
| Langston | 5-8 | .385 | 5-13 | .278 | 8.0 | 3-6 | 2-7 | 0-0 | Lost 2 | |
| Jarvis Christian | 3-9 | .250 | 4-12 | .250 | 9.5 | 2-3 | 2-9 | 0-0 | Lost 4 | |
| Paul Quinn | 3-9 | .250 | 4-13 | .235 | 9.5 | 3-3 | 1-9 | 0-1 | Lost 4 | |
| Bacone | 2-10 | .167 | 3-14 | .176 | 10.5 | 2-6 | 0-5 | 1-3 | Won 1 | |
| Huston-Tillotson | 0-14 | .000 | 0-18 | .000 | 13.5 | 0-10 | 0-8 | 0-0 | Lost 18 | |
Rank - Where a team ranks in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll. RV - Receiving Votes, but not enough to make it into the Top 25. GB - Games Behind the first place team, based on RRAC record. Home, Away and Neutral is each team's record in games played on their home court, their road record as well as games played at a neutral site (usually tournament games). Streak is the number of games each team has currently won or lost in a row.
