Men's Basketball 11/25/2021 10:00:00 AM

Men's Basketball Notes -- Week 5

THIS WEEK
Looking to snap its two-game losing streak, the OUAZ men's basketball team will head to Salem, Oregon, for a pair of post-Thanksgiving games at the Corban Classic. The trip begins on Friday at 3 p.m. (AZ) against Corban. The Spirit will then fave No. 19 Lewis-Clark State on Saturday at 1 p.m. (AZ). Both games will be played at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Corban will broadcast all four games of the Corban Classic on its Game Central portal available at portal.stretchinternet.com/corban. The games will also be available on Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku devices by downloading the NAIA Network app. Live stats for both OUAZ games will be available at OUAZSpirit.com/mbbstats.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
After starting the season with four straight wins, OUAZ has dropped two straight to enter the road trip at 4-2 on the season. The Spirit is 1-2 in road games and has yet to play on a neutral court.

Behind the "Play Fast" mentality in place by head coach Matt Keeley, the Spirit are scoring 80.2 points per game with a pair of games with at least 90 points. The team is third in the GSAC by attempting 63.7 shots per game.

The Spirit shoot 46.1 percent from the field and 29.9 percent while making 7.3 3-pointers per game. They lead the GSAC and rank seventh in the NAIA by converting 78.7 percent at the foul line.

With an average of 17.8 assists per game, OUAZ sits at No. 2 in the GSAC and 18th in the nation. They currently hold a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

OUAZ is fourth in the conference and 30th nationally by allowing 64.7 points per game, and the Spirit has held three opponents under 70. The opposition shoots 42.5 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from three.

The Spirit is 0-2 this season in one-possession games after posting a 6-1 mark in close games the previous two seasons. In the program's history, OUAZ is 40-2 when leading with five minutes to play in regulation and 5-59 when they don't.

ABOUT THE SPIRIT
Josiah De'laCerda is the Spirit's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, having scored four times in double figures. He had a season-high 24 points in the win at San Diego Christian on November 18. De'laCerda also leads the team at 8.0 rebounds per game with a pair of double-doubles.

Kam Malbrough is scoring 13.2 points per game and has also been in double figures four times. Malbrough has scored double figures in all but three games in two seasons at OUAZ with six games with at least 20 points. His 4.0 assists per game lead the team, and he is shooting 90.9 percent at the foul line to rank 31st in the NAIA.

This season, newcomer Jayce Catchings has a pair of 20-point outings and is averaging 13.7 points per game. His 12 made threes are tops on the team, and he shoots 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Keshawn Bruner gives the Spirit a fourth player that averages in double figures by scoring 10.5 points per game. He has scored 10-plus points in a game three times and has added 11 assists, five blocked shots, and four steals.

Kolten Hitt scores 7.7 points per game and is tied for the team lead with eight steals. He has six makes from beyond the arc and 17 assists.

Devin Collins grabs 7.8 rebounds per game and has 15 offensive rebounds on the season.

ABOUT CORBAN
Corban is off to a 4-3 start after a 71-69 loss to Bushnell on Tuesday night in their Cascade Collegiate Conference opener. The Warriors are 0-1 at home, and they have dropped two straight overall.

Kendall Moore leads Corban by scoring 11.9 points per game, and he has been in double figures four times. Jordan Newt adds 9.7 points and has multiples threes in all but one game this season.

ABOUT LEWIS-CLARK STATE
Lewis-Clark State has opened its season with six straight wins, and they lead the NAIA by scoring 100.0 points per game while ranking fourth by shooting 53.1 percent from the field.

Kevin Baker leads the Warriors in scoring at 19.5 points per game, and he shoots 51.9 percent from three. Nathan Fromm provides 12.7 points per game.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Devin Collins: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#35 Josiah De'laCerda: F; 6' 8"; Junior

#3 Kolten Hitt: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#2 Kam Malbrough: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#23 Keshawn Bruner: G; 6' 2"; Junior

#21 Jayce Catchings: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#5 Devin Collins
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#35 Josiah De'laCerda
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F

#3 Kolten Hitt
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#2 Kam Malbrough
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#23 Keshawn Bruner
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

#21 Jayce Catchings
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G