The following “Starting Five” points offer a quick look inside GLVC men’s basketball action this week:
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[1 // winter break looms]
It will be a relatively light week on the hardwood as several GLVC men's basketball programs will closing out the semester with finals. McKendree was the first team in action on Wednesday, running past Salem International, 99-79. Lewis and UIndy take to the court against non-conference opponents on Thursday, while Maryville and Southern Indiana are slated for non-conference home games on Friday. Action picks up on Saturday with seven teams in action, including Illinois Springfield, Indianapolis, Quincy, Rockhurst, Truman State, UW-Parkside and William Jewell. For a complete look at this week’s action,
click here.
[2 // the week that was]
GLVC action
tipped off last week with UMSL scoring a 77-74 upset victory over previously unbeaten and No. 20 ranked William Jewell on Thursday, while the GLVC's other nationally ranked team, No. 3 Bellarmine, rolled to a 76-40 win over UW-Parkside, holding the Rangers to just 16 points in the second half. Maryville joined UMSL atop the Central Division at 2-1 as the Saints netted an 81-60 victory over Missouri S&T. Nolan Berry and Robin Thompson both notched double-doubles for Maryville as Berry finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Thompson had 10 points and 12 boards. Elsewhere in GLVC play, Truman State held McKendree 20 points below its season scoring average in an 80-70 win, and Drury bested Quincy on the road, 87-72. Led by Quinton Curry's 24 points, Rockhurst notched an impressive road win at Illinois Springfield, 77-74. Lewis defended its home court with an 88-75 overtime victory over Indianapolis. Delaney Blaylock scored 28 points in the game, including 10 in the overtime. Saturday’s action closed with a perfect 9-0 record against non-conference Division II opponents. No. 3 Bellarmine made quick work of Midway, 93-49, while No. 20 William Jewell did the same against Calvary Bible, 96-53. Three conference teams eclipsed the century mark, led by Maryville's 134-70 victory over Robert Morris. Missouri-St. Louis was a 110-44 winner over Central Christian, while UW-Parkside earned a 103-57 win over RMU-Peoria. Elsewhere in the league, Drury, Illinois Springfield, Missouri S&T and Quincy found the win column Saturday. Indianapolis nearly made it a perfect night for the GLVC, but fell at Division I foe Indiana State, 79-75.
[3 // bellarmine maintains top-three rankings; two teams receiving votes outside nabc poll]
Bellarmine continues to be ranked as the nation's No. 3 team, while two GLVC squads are receiving votes outside the top 25 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Poll,
it was announced Tuesday. Bellarmine (9-0, 2-0 GLVC) stayed at No. 3 for the third consecutive week after defeating UW-Parkside 76-40 and Midway 93-49 last week. William Jewell (10-1, 2-1 GLVC) and Southern Indiana (7-2, 2-0 GLVC) are receiving votes outside the top 25.
[4 // umsl’s watson earns weekly honor]
Missouri-St. Louis senior guard Elijah Watson
was named GLVC Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 16.0 points on 14-of-27 shooting (.519), 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals in two wins, including the Tritons’ 77-74 upset over then No. 20 William Jewell. In that game, he tallied 21 points on 9-of-18 (.500) from the floor with six assists, five rebounds and two steals. The first-time weekly honoree is the first Triton to earn the league award since Brandon Marquardt on Dec. 21, 2015.
[5 // among the nation’s best]
In the recent statistical report published by the NCAA, several GLVC teams and individuals rank among the nation’s top 10 in select categories. Bellarmine (53.2) is third and Drury is fifth (52.2) in field goal percentage, while the Panthers are also fifth in three-pointers per game (12.7), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (45.4), seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.66), and eighth in scoring margin (19.0). Southern Indiana is seventh in rebounding margin (11.4), and William Jewell is sixth in three-point field goal attempts (318) and three-pointers made (121). UIndy is ninth in three-point field goal percentage (44.4). Individually, UIndy’s Eric Davidson is first in the country in free-throw percentage (100.0), while UW-Parkside’s Adam Bonk is fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (57.7). Truman’s Zach Fischer (68.8) and Maryville’s Nolan Berry (66.6) are fifth and sixth in field-goal percentage, respectively. McKendree’s Gianni Otto (7.50) and USI’s Marcellous Washington (6.60) are second and third, respectively, in assist-turnover ratio. William Jewell’s Pharroh Gordon ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (9.36), seventh in total rebounds (115), and eighth overall with six double-doubles.