THE WEEK AHEAD
It's back to Faith Arena this week for the OUAZ men's basketball team as the Spirit hosts its first two home conference games. The action begins on Thursday at 7 p.m. with a visit from San Diego Christian. Play continues on Saturday when Hope International comes to Surprise for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

Tickets for the games can be purchased at OUAZSpirit.com/tickets and by searching OUAZ in the HomeTown Fan app. You can watch the game online at OUAZSpirit.com/watch or on the GSAC Sports Network via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Roku devices.

OPENING TIP
The Spirit brings a 5-2 overall record into December after defeating Embry-Riddle at home last week. OUAZ is one of four teams that sit tied for fourth with a 1-1 record in GSAC play. They hold a 3-0 mark in home games and have won eight straight at home dating back to last season.

OUAZ averages 86.1 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from beyond the arc. They lead the GSAC in free throws made (17.4) and attempted (25.1) per game to rank 13th and eighth in the NAIA, respectively. The Spirit is recording 15.3 assists per game with a 0.92 assist-to-turnover ratio.

At the defensive end, OUAZ is giving up 80.7 points per game, with the opposition shooting 43.1 percent overall and 401.7 percent from three. In forcing 15.0 turnovers per outing, the Spirit gets 7.7 steals per game. They lead the conference by blocking 4.3 shots per game. The Spirit sit third in the conference at 40.7 rebounds per game, with their 12.7 offensive rebounds ranking 23rd in the NAIA.

NATIONAL POLL
OUAZ was awarded 105 points in the NAIA Coaches' Poll released on Wednesday. That put them as the first team listed as receiving votes, not in the top 25. They are the second-highest rated team from the GSAC.

The Spirit is at No. 44 in the current Massey Ratings. The computer ratings have the Spirit as the No. 38 offense and having played the 33rd-toughest schedule.

PLAY FAST
It is no secret that the Spirit likes to push the tempo, which has led to four games this season where they scored at least 80 points. In the program's history, the Spirit has a 43-20 record when scoring at least 80 points in a game while winning 16 straight.

OUAZ currently has an offensive rating of 109.2 while having an in-game rating of over 100 five times and in four straight.

BACK-AND-FORTH THEY GO
Lead changes have been aplenty in Spirit games this season, with an average of 5.7 per game. Five games have seen at least five lead changes, with the game at Westmont seeing the lead change teams 11 times.

Despite all the trading of leads, the Spirit has led for 63.6 percent of the total minutes played. In contrast, they have only trailed for 27.9 percent of the time played.

SPIRIT LEADERS
Josiah De'laCerda averages 17.4 points per game to rank sixth in the GSAC. He is now 90 points away from becoming the second player in program history to score 1,000 career points. De'laCerda is 18th in the NAIA, getting 7.7 defensive rebounds per game, and 49th nationally at 8.6 total boards per contest.

Keshawn Bruner has three 20-point scoring games, and he is ninth in the GSAC by averaging 17.4 points per game. Bruner shoots 57.6 percent from the field and is fifth in the conference by shooting 84.8 percent at the foul line.

Alex Villi is giving the Spirit 15.1 points per game with a team-best 20 made threes. He scored 36 points with an OUAZ record 10 made 3-pointers at The Master's on November 17. Villi averages 2.9 makes from beyond the arc per game – fifth in the GSAC – and shoots 43.5 percent from deep.

Kolten Hitt scores 11.4 points per game with four games in double figures. His 2.3 steals per game is good for fourth in the GSAC, and he has a made 3-pointer in 22 straight games dating back to last season.

Devin Collins has grabbed 10-plus rebounds five times, and he is second in the GSAC and 15th in the NAIA with an average of 10.4 rebounds per game. He gets 4.1 boards at the offensive end, which is good for seventh in the country.