ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Men's Basketball closes out its nonconference slate this weekend, traveling to Memphis, Tennessee, for the Rhodes Christmas Classic. There the War Hawks will face host Rhodes College and Berry College.
Tipoff for Saturday's game against Rhodes is scheduled for 5 p.m., while McM will face Berry Sunday at 3 p.m. Live stats and video links will be available at mcmurrysports.com. There is a separate $8 fee to access the video streams for each game.
NOTES:
LAST WEEK: The War Hawks won their American Southwest Conference opener Saturday at rival Hardin-Simmons. McM erased a 16-point first half deficit and used a 19-0 run to start the second half en route to a 76-62 win.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Senior forward Mike Williams Jr. recorded his second double-double of the season in the win over HSU. With 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Khalil Butler has one double-double this year, as well.
3 FOR 3: McMurry has won three games in a row against NCAA III competition after starting 0-4. McMurry's lone loss during that span is to NCAA II UT Permian Basin.
FREE POINTS: McMurry is second in the ASC at the free throw line with a 73.7 percent conversion rate. Four players are shooting better than 80 percent, led by Khalil Butler's 90.0 percent.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Williams paces four War Hawks in double figures with 12.6 points per game. Guards Zacc Carter (10.6), Cody LeBlanc (10.4) and Khalil Butler (10.3) are the others. Butler (8.6) and Williams (8.0) lead the team in rebounding, as well. Willams blocks 1.7 shots per game while junior guard Colin Taylor dishes out an average of 3.6 assists per contest.
SCOUTING RHODES: Rhodes enters the weekend with a 3-5 overall record, having dropped its most recent contest to No. 10 Washington University of St. Louis. Preston Giroux leads the Lynx with 12.6 points per game. Bryce Berry gives Rhodes two players averaging at least 12 points, while Koki Wiley is third in scoring and leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game.
COMMON OPPONENTS: The Lynx have already played four ASC opponents, and will play Belhaven for a second time Friday before playing McM Saturday. Rhodes has a 2-2 record in those contests, defeating Belhaven and Ozarks while falling to Louisiana College and East Texas Baptist.
SCOUTING BERRY: The Vikings are 6-2, with both losses coming against ranked opponents. Defensively, Berry allows just 67.5 points per game, and are led on offense by senior forward Caleb Haynes' 13.6 points per game. Haynes also averages a team best 8.3 rebounds per game.
UNFAMILIAR FOES: Sunday's game versus Berry will be the first time the War Hawks and Vikings have squared off, while McM will be taking on Rhodes for only the second time. The War Hawks won the first matchup with the Lynx in 2004, 82-66.
