MBB-D2: Arkansas-Monticello Weevils (5-10) at Henderson State Reddies (7-8)

With the halfway point of the season now behind them, the Henderson State men’s basketball program begins the second-half stretch of the 2022-23 slate with the season’s second matchup against Arkansas-Monticello Saturday, Jan. 21. Tip-off from inside the Duke Wells Center is set for 3 p.m.
 
REDDIES REPORT
After falling to Southern Arkansas in Magnolia Thursday, Henderson State finds itself 4-5 in league play with four games coming up over the next eight days, beginning Saturday with the Boll Weevils. Three of the Reddies’ next four opponents all sit within a game of HSU in the conference standings as they are currently constructed.
 
Scoring has been at a premium lately for Henderson after averaging just 61 points per game in its last four outings. Malik Riddle has come on a bit from his early season struggles, scoring 29 points in his last two outings compared to 27 points in the four previous games combined. Thursday against the Muleriders, Riddle totaled 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
 
Defense continues to be what has kept the Reddies in games. Henderson is fifth in the GAC in scoring defense (68.3 points) and sixth in opponent field-goal percentage (43.3). What has hurt HSU the most is outside the perimeter, with opponents shooting 36.5 percent from three-point territory, which is ranked 11th in the league behind only Ouachita (38.5%).
 
The Reddies need a win over Arkansas-Monticello Saturday to keep from suffering its first five-game losing streak since the 2015-16 season. After defeating UAM earlier this season, HSU holds a three-game winning streak over the Boll Weevils and leads the all-time series, 98-74, with Saturday being the 173rd meeting between the two schools.
 
In the first game between the in-state rivals this season, HSU got 14 points from Alvin Miles and a season-high 12 from Zyon Patterson to give the Reddies the 64-61 victory. 10 of Patterson’s 12 points came in the second half as Henderson overcame a three-point halftime deficit. Despite HSU going 2-16 from three, the game was won at the free-throw line, with the Reddies making 22 of 30 freebies.
 
SCOUTING ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
Arkansas-Monticello comes into Saturday’s contest 1-8 in conference, but five of those losses have been by eight points or fewer. Thursday, UAM fell to Arkansas Tech, 49-48, despite holding the Wonder Boys to a staggering 15 points at the break for the 12-point halftime advantage.
 
Similarly to Henderson, UAM stays in games thanks to their defense. While the Boll Weevil offense manages just 65.5 points per game, which is ranked 271st out of 290 Division II teams, their defense holds opponents to 67.6 points per game, which is fourth in the GAC and 65th in DII.
 
Of those 65.5 points per game, 54.6 of those come from five guys who are each averaging over 10 points per game. Sophomore guard Isaac Jackson leads the charge with 11.7 points. Edwin Louis (11.3 ppg) and Josh Denton (11.1 ppg) are hitting three-pointers at a 49.1 and 52.0 percent clip, respectively, on 50-plus attempts.