Men's Basketball 12/8/2021 3:00:00 PM

Men's Basketball Notes -- Week 7

THIS WEEK
The OUAZ men's basketball team is back in Faith Arena on Thursday when the Spirit hosts No. 6 Arizona Christian in the team's final Golden State Athletic Conference game of 2021. The action will tipoff at approximately 7 p.m. following the women's game.

Tickets for Thursday's game are available now from the OUAZ digital ticket office at OUAZSpirit.com/tickets or by downloading the HomeTown Ticketing Fan App and searching OUAZ. As a reminder, masks are required when inside Faith Arena, per OUAZ policies.

HOW TO FOLLOW
The game will be available live on the OUAZ Digital Network and the GSAC Sports Network app. The OUAZ Network is available on your computer or mobile device at OUAZSpirit.com/watch. You can download the GSAC Network app on all Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku devices. Live stats for the game will be available at OUAZSpirit.com/mbbstats.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
OUAZ will enter Thursday at 7-3 overall this season and winners in three of the past four games. The Spirit is 2-2 in GSAC play and one game behind in the conference standings. They have gone 4-1 at home this season and 18-10 all-time at Faith Arena.

Behind the "Play Fast" mentality in place by head coach Matt Keeley, the Spirit are scoring 79.5 points per game with a pair of games with at least 90 points. The team is fourth in the GSAC by attempting 63.1 shots per game.

The Spirit shoot 45.3 percent from the field and 28.4 percent while making 6.5 3-pointers per game. They lead the GSAC and rank third in the NAIA by converting 79.0 percent at the foul line.

With an average of 16.2 assists per game, OUAZ sits at No. 2 in the GSAC and 42nd in the nation. They currently hold a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

OUAZ is fourth in the conference and 46th nationally by allowing 67.2 points per game, and the Spirit has held every opponent under 80. The opposition shoots 43.1 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from three.

The Spirit is 0-3 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 43-3 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 15.6 points per game – seventh in the GSAC – and he is coming off a pair of 20-point outings. He has scored in double figures eight times and five straight. De'laCerda is fourth in the GSAC by averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, including 5.8 at the defensive end, the third-most in the conference.

Kam Malbrough is scoring 13.4 points per game and has also been in double figures seven times. Malbrough has scored double figures in all but four games in two seasons at OUAZ with six games with at least 20 points. His 4.1 assists per game rank 79th in the NAIA, and he is shooting 92.7 percent at the foul line to rank 12th in the nation.

Newcomer Jayce Catchings has scored in double figures five times with a pair of 20-point outings, and he is averaging 11.2 points per game. His 14 made threes are tops on the team, and Catchings shoots 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Keshawn Bruner gives the Spirit a fourth player that averages in double figures by scoring 10.7 points per game. He has scored 10-plus points in a game five times and has added 16 assists, eight blocked shots, and four steals.

Kolten Hitt scores 8.8 points per game and leads the Spirit with 22 steals. Hitt is 48th in the NAIA by averaging 2.2 steals per game, and he set the program record with 10 steals against The Master's on December 2.

Devin Collins is the GSAC leader in offensive rebounds (30), defensive rebounds (65), and total rebounds (95). His 9.5 rebounds per game average rank 35th in the NAIA. Collins has grabbed 10-plus rebounds in a game four times, and he snagged seven offensive rebounds against Westmont on December 4.

ABOUT ARIZONA CHRISTIAN
Arizona Christian will visit Surprise with a 10-2 overall record and 2-2 in conference play. The Firestorm has won five of their last six games and has gone 4-1 on the road.

ACU averages 82.6 points per game by leading the conference by making 9.6 threes per game. Angelo Johnson scores 11.1 points per game to lead the team, with six players scoring at least six 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