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NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 23, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 23, 2023

* Patrick Kane posted his third multi-goal outing in four games to climb another Blackhawks franchise list and propel Chicago to its first three-goal comeback win in almost two years.

* Ilya Sorokin allowed one goal or fewer for the 40th time in his NHL career en route to his second straight 20-win campaign.

* The race for the top spot in the Pacific Division continues Thursday when the Golden Knights, Kings, Kraken and Oilers all take to the ice during a 10-game slate.


KANE, DOMI HELP BLACKHAWKS EARN THREE-GOAL COMEBACK WIN

Patrick Kane (2-1—3) and Max Domi (2-1—3) each posted three-point performances while Jaxson Stauber made 29 saves to set the stage for the Blackhawks to earn their first three-goal comeback win in nearly two years (5-4 OT W vs. NSH on April 21, 2021).

* Kane, whose second tally evened the score, recorded his 59th career multi-goal outing and surpassed Denis Savard (58) for sole possession of the fourth most in Blackhawks history. Three of his multi-goal performances have come within his past four games (7-3—10), boosting his 2022-23 goal total to 16 after only scoring nine through his first 50 contests.



* Stauber (5-1-0) became the second Blackhawks goaltender to earn his first five NHL wins in six or fewer appearances, joining Scott Darling (5-1-0 in 2014-15).

SOROKIN SERVES UP 20TH WIN OF 2022-23
Ilya Sorokin stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn his 20th win of the season and help the Islanders defeat the Jets for the sixth straight game dating to March 28, 2019. New York (30-24-7, 67 points), which occupies the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, gained a three-point lead over Florida (29-25-6, 64 points), which holds the second Wild Card position.

* Sorokin became just the third Islanders goaltender in the past 20 years to post consecutive 20-win seasons (also 26-18-8 in 2021-22), joining Thomas Greiss (2x from 2015-16 – 2016-17) and Rick DiPietro (3x from 2005-06 – 2007-08).
 



LINDHOLM HITS 500-POINT MARK IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Wednesday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updatesfeatured a number of notes from the three-game slate, including Elias Lindholm (1-1—2) eclipsing the 50-point mark on the season (17-34—51 in 56 GP) and becoming the eighth active Swedish-born player to reach the 500-point milestone as the Flames picked up their fifth multi-goal comeback win of 2022-23.


STADIUM SERIES DELIVERS STRONG VIEWERSHIP, MERCH SALES
The 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game between the Capitals and Hurricanes at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. on Saturday peaked at 1.5 million total viewers and was the second most-viewed game of the season across all networks. Per ESPN PR, viewership of the game, which aired on ABC and ESPN+, was up 79% from last year’s Stadium Series and up 13% from the 2020 edition.

* Additionally, the outdoor contest at Carter-Finley Stadium set game day and e-commerce sales records for a Stadium Series event.



QUICK CLICKS

* NHL launches ‘NHL Street’, official youth hockey league

* Nikita Zaitsev traded to Blackhawks by Senators
* Jake Muzzin out rest of season for Maple Leafs, recovering from spine surgery
* Dylan Larkin fined $5,000 for actions in Red Wings game
* Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe announce partnership, jersey patch


PACIFIC DIVISION RACE SPOTLIGHTS NHL ACTION THURSDAY
The Golden Knights (34-18-5, 73 points), Kings (32-19-7, 71 points), Kraken (32-19-6, 70 points) and Oilers (31-19-8, 70 points) all take to the ice Thursday as the race for top spot in the Pacific Division features four teams separated by three points. Top-seeded Vegas, which clashes with Calgary on ESPN, holds a game in hand on both Los Angeles and Edmonton.  
 

* The Golden Knights, who have held top spot in the Pacific Division for 115 days this season and every day since Feb. 7, return to T-Mobile Arena with a seven-game point streak (5-0-2 since Jan. 28). Reilly Smith (19-19—38 in 57 GP) leads Vegas with 19 goals in 2022-23 and sits one shy of his third 20-goal campaign with the franchise – a feat only two others have accomplished.
 

* Anze Kopitar (19-32—51 in 58 GP) – within striking distance of a 12th 20-goal campaign – and the Kings have sat atop the division for one day in 2022-23 (Jan. 27). The longtime captain has found the back of the net in each of his past three games and can join a 37-year-old Luc Robitaille (4 GP in 2003-04) as just the second player in franchise history with a four-game goal streak at age 35 or older.

 
* The Kraken have held the second-most days atop the Pacific Division in 2022-23, doing so for 14 days and 10 consecutive from Jan. 28 to Feb. 6.Meanwhile, Matty Beniers (18-22—40 in 55 GP) leads all rookies in goals and can be the first to reach 20 in 2022-23 – a mark at least one rookie has reached in every campaign since 2013-14. A 10th consecutive season played with at least one rookie 20-goal scorer would be the third-longest stretch in NHL history behind 1967-68 to 1993-94 (27) and 1995-96 to 2011-12 (16).

* Connor McDavid (44-61—105 in 58 GP) leads the Oilers into action after reaching the 800-point milestone in his last contest and now sits one tally shy of establishing a single-season career high in goals (also 44 in 2021-22). Edmonton, which occupied top spot in the Pacific on Oct. 12, 2022, sits three points back of Vegas after trailing the top-seeded team by as many as 13 points this season and can become the first team to overcome a double-digit point deficit to finish atop a division since Florida (17 points, Atlantic) and Anaheim (16 points, Pacific) in 2015-16.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (28-30) at Sacramento Kings (32-25)

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NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (28-30) at Sacramento Kings (32-25)

When the Sacramento Kings play the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, both teams’ first game back from the All-Star break, they will continue their quest for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs against two teams separated by just five losses but nine spots in the standings.

The Kings are currently in third place in the West, but their position could change by the end of the week due to a close race. They are only one game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns by 1 1/2 games. On Friday, they will play the Clippers in Los Angeles on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, are currently outside the playoff picture but within half a game of a play-in spot.

In order to begin the second half, both teams must endure a lengthy road schedule. The Trail Blazers will play eight of their next ten games on the road beginning with the trip to Sacramento, while the Kings will travel for three games after their home game on Thursday.

The Kings, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2005-06, may have issues with the rest of the schedule. In the second half, Sacramento will face the fourth-toughest group of teams in terms of winning percentage so far.

Harrison Barnes, a veteran, insists that this season’s added motivation is to give Kings fans a chance to experience an NBA postseason for the first time.

Over the remaining 25 games, the Kings will face the Trail Blazers three times. The clubs still have two Portland appearances scheduled for March 29 and 31.

Due to their victory over Sacramento 115-108 in the season opener for both teams, the Trail Blazers currently hold a lead in the series. One of only 10 games in which Domantas Sabonis did not record a double-double this season, Portland held him to 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds against the Kings.

Both Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox played for the Kings at the All-Star Game on Sunday. Sabonis was selected because he had 45 double-doubles, which led the league. Fox, who had just given birth, came back strong before the break, averaging 33.8 points in his last four games.

Damian Lillard, a Trail Blazers standout who nailed the game-winning shot in Team Giannis’ victory in the All-Star Game, joined the Sacramento duo over the weekend in Salt Lake City. That occurred one night following his victory in the 3-Point Contest.

During All-Star Weekend, Lillard made the claim that he is the greatest Trail Blazer of all time, which may have generated the most attention.

In the earlier victory over Sacramento, Lillard scored 20 points, Jerami Grant scored 23, and Anfernee Simons scored 22. Simons, on the other hand, will be out of the Thursday game with a sprained right ankle from last week.

WBB-FBS: Utah Valley Wolverines (21-6) at Tarleton State Texans (14-14)

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  • Utah Valley takes its five-game win streak to the Lone Star State this week as the team travels to play Tarleton on Thursday night at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville, Texas. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT
     
  • Utah Valley sits atop the WAC standings with an 12-2 record. The Wolverines also hold the top spot in the WAC resume seeding system. If the season ended today, UVU would take the No. 1 seed into the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
     
  • Le’Tre Darthard led three other Wolverines in double figures with a team-high 19 points and Aziz Bandaogo matched a career high with 17 rebounds to lead Utah Valley to a 67-58 road win over Seattle U on Saturday night at a packed and rowdy Redhawk Center. Justin Harmon and Tim Fuller scored 10 points apiece, while Bandaogo was just two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 17 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
     
  • Utah Valley has hit the 20-win mark for a second straight season. This year’s team has hit the 20-win mark faster than any team in UVU history in the program’s full Division I status era. The 2003-04 team hit the 20-win mark through 25 games during UVU’s Division I provisional status era. It’s only the second team in UVU history that the Wolverines have won 20-plus games in back-to-back seasons.
     
  • Le’Tre Darthard is one of the top free throw shooters in the country. He ranks 11th nationally with an 89.9 percent mark at the line. He had a streak of 31 straight made free throws earlier this season and has knocked down 89 of his last 99 free throws.
     
  • Utah Valley has won 18 of its last 20 games over a nearly three-month stretch. During that stretch, Utah Valley rattled off 11 straight wins that began with an 88-78 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 3 and ended in an 85-80 loss to Seattle U on Jan. 14. The 11-game streak is the second longest streak in program history behind the 2011-12 team, which won 13 straight.
     
  • Utah Valley is the top shot blocking team in the nation with 172 blocks and a 6.4 blocks per game average. The Wolverines sit ahead of Iona (5.9), Illinois (5.8), Milwaukee (5.7),  Florida (5.6), and Western Kentucky (5.6). Utah Valley also ranks second nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.67) and sixth in rebounds per game (40.33). Utah Valley’s 1872 blocks are the most swats ever recorded in a single season in program history, breaking the previous record of 157 set during the 2019-20 season.
     
  • Aziz Bandaogo ranks in the top-10 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks third in blocks (78), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (7.93), sixth in rebounds (294), sixth in blocks per game (2.89), eighth in rebounds per game (10.9), and 10th in double-doubles (14).
     
  • The Wolverines committed a season-low five turnovers in its 71-55 win over California Baptist on Feb. 8. The five turnovers are the fewest turnovers in a game since 2014 when UVU had five against Seattle U (2/13/14) and three against Grand Canyon (1/11/14). The five turnovers are the fewest of the Mark Madsen era.


BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night’s game at Seattle U will be broadcast live on the ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN+ app and at ESPNplus.com.  The game will also be broadcast over the Utah County airwaves on ESPN 960 AM with Jim McCulloch on the call.

ABOUT TARLETON
Tarleton enters Thursday’s game with an 14-14 overall record and a 8-8 mark in WAC play. The Texans hold an impressive 10-2 record at home. Tarleton dropped a pair of games last week, falling 65-60 at Stephen F. Austin before taking a 64-59 setback at home against Sam Houston. Freddy Hicks led the Texans with 18 points, while Shamir Bogues and Lue Williams each helped with 12 in the loss to Sam Houston on Saturday night. Jakorie Smith was also in double figures with 10 points. Hicks leads the Texans in scoring this season at 15.7 points a game. Williams also averages double figures this year at 11.2 points per game. Hicks also leads Tarleton on the boards, pulling down a team-best 5.8 rebounds a game. Tarleton averages 70.1 points a game while limiting opponents to a 67.6 points per game average. The team ranks fourth in the WAC in steals per game at 8.82 a contest. Tarleton’s Bogues ranks third in the league in steals at 1.57 a game. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TEXANS
Utah Valley and Tarleton will meet for the fifth time on the basketball hardwood. The Wolverines hold an all-time 3-1 advantage in the series. Utah Valley has taken two straight from the Texans, including a 69-56 win in Stephenville in the last meeting between the two teams on Feb. 16, 2022. UVU’s win at Tarleton last season is the only time the two teams have played in Stephenville.

All-Time Results vs. Tarleton (UVU leads 3-1)
Feb. 16, 2022    Utah Valley def. Tarleton, 69-56    Stephenville, Texas
Jan. 01, 2022    Utah Valley def. Tarleton, 77-55    Orem, Utah
Jan. 30, 2021    Tarleton def. Utah Valley, 70-62    Orem, Utah
Jan. 29, 2021    Utah Valley def. Tarleton, 73-60    Orem, Utah

LAST TIME vs. TARLETON: Utah Valley 69, Tarleton 56 (Feb. 16, 2022 – Stephenville, TX)
Fardaws Aimaq scored 22 points with 20 rebounds for his nation-leading 22nd double-double of the season to lead the Utah Valley University men’s basketball team to a 69-56 road win over Tarleton on Feb. 16, 2022 in front of a raucous crowd at Wisdom Gymnasium.

WBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (9-17) at Wyoming Cowboys (18-9)

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WBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (9-17) at Wyoming Cowboys (18-9)

Nevada women’s basketball travels to Wyoming on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Larry Burnett will call the game on 630 AM KPLY, and he will broadcast a 20-minute pregame show before the game. The Varsity Network allows fans to watch the game live online as well. Live stats can be accessed through Stat Broadcast, and the game can be watched on the Mountain West Network.

Ashley Elliott, a Nevada assistant coach, returns to her alma mater. Elliott had a Hall of Fame-caliber collegiate career as a player at Wyoming in the early 2000s, where she was honored with a Kodak/WBCA All-American award in 2005. She made First Team All-Mountain West twice and finished her career in the top 10 at Wyoming for three-point field goals, assists, free throws, steals, and other stats. In 2015, she was included in the Wyoming Hall of Fame.

The College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team included Megan Ormiston. Ormiston graduated from the University of Nevada with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and a grade point average of 3.84. She was named to the All-Mountain West Academic Team twice. She is one of 40 students enrolled in the program and the first student-athlete in 30 years to complete her master’s degree in speech pathology.

Numerous Pack players have reached the 500-point milestone in their careers. On January 21, Lexie Givens scored 500 career points against Fresno State. On February 2, Audrey Roden scored more than 500 career points against Boise State. She is the only sophomore under Nevada head coach Amanda Levens to score 500 points by their sophomore year. Ormiston and Alyssa Jimenez also reached the milestone of 500 career points earlier this season.

SCOUTING WYOMING

Wyoming wants to get to No. the Mountain West Tournament’s No. 2 seed. With an 11-5 record in conference play, the Cowgirls are tied for second place and have won three of their last four games heading into Thursday.

Wyoming is led by this week’s Mountain West Player of the Week, Allyson Fertig, who scores an average of 64.6 points per game for the team. In Wyoming’s first meeting with Nevada on Jan. 16, Fertig, who averages 14.5 points per game in conference play, scored 16 points and blocked two shots. Quinn Weidmann and Malene Pedersen are additionally hostile weapons, both averaging in twofold figures in scoring.

NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (29-29) at Los Angeles Lakers (27-32)

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NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (29-29) at Los Angeles Lakers (27-32)

With their first meeting of the post-All-Star break schedule on Thursday at Los Angeles, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers must work quickly to improve their playoff positions.

As they attempt to move up from play-in tournament eligibility to a top-six Western Conference spot and an automatic first-round spot, the Warriors, the defending champions, will be looking for defensive commitment.

The Lakers’ sole objective is to qualify for the postseason, regardless of whether they are in play-in or better status. The Lakers’ season has not been what they expected, placing them 13th in the 15-team Western Conference. However, they are just two games away from a play-in spot in the standings.

The Warriors lost three of their last four games before the All-Star break without star Stephen Curry, including a 134-124 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on February 14 that highlighted their defensive issues.

Curry’s return from a left leg injury is something like fourteen days away, despite the fact that he has gotten back to the training court this week for non-contact work. Gary Payton II was brought in to provide perimeter defense, but he will miss at least a month due to a hip injury.

Draymond Green, a seasoned player for Golden State, makes no apologies for the team’s defensive efforts and ultimately takes responsibility for himself.

With a new style, the Lakers will move forward. After being traded, Russell Westbrook’s polarizing time with the team has come to an end. With the additions of Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba, Los Angeles created a roster that was more diverse.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis will keep on driving the charge on the court as well as holding the essential obligation regarding benefiting from the redid program.

James averages 30.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. Davis has 12.3 rebounds and 26.0 points. A bruise on James’ right hand prevented him from participating in the All-Star game’s second half; however, the injury is not thought to be serious.

James’ expectations for the remaining six to eight weeks of the regular season are far more serious.

James is expected to lead the Lakers through the playoffs, and the five newcomers have only played one game together.

MBB-FBS: USC Trojans (19-8) at Colorado Buffaloes (15-13)

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MBB-FBS: USC Trojans (19-8) at Colorado Buffaloes (15-13)

On February 23 at 6:00 p.m. (PT), the USC Trojans (19-8, 11-5) will take on the Colorado Buffaloes (15-13, 7-10) at the CU Events Center. Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams will be the game’s broadcasters on ESPN2.

Colorado Buffaloes (15-13, 7-10) are facing Colorado after losing 78-68 to Arizona on Feb. 18. This season, Colorado has a record of 11-2 at home, including a 9-1 record in its last ten games played at the CU Events Center. With an average of 16.4 points per game, junior forward Tristan da Silva leads the Buffaloes in scoring. USC crushed Colorado 68-61 at the Galen Community on Jan. 12 to improved to 9-16 all-time against the Bison. Last season, USC defeated Colorado 61-58.

When fully loaded, USC has a 6-1 record in games where it has access to the entire roster. That stretch includes three victories over Pac-12 standings-leading teams. When the entire roster was available, USC lost to Arizona, 34-1 in its last 35 home games. USC forward Vincent Iwuchukwu missed the first 16 games of the season, while guard Reese Dixon-Waters (left foot) and forward Joshua Morgan (right ankle) missed four games before returning against Stanford on February 18. On February 2, at Washington State, both players suffered injuries.

9 TO 10 — On Feb. 16, when Oziyah Sellers scored a career-high 11 points against California, he became the ninth Trojan to score 10 or more points in a game this season.

The Johnson Jump: This season, sophomore Kobe Johnson is 15th in the nation with 60 steals and is scoring an average of 8.5 points and 4.9 points. Last year Johnson arrived at the midpoint of 1.2 places and 1.0 bounce back while playing in 27 games. Additionally, Johnson ranks third on the team in terms of assists (74) and blocks (13). He did not score in double figures in his first 35 games until Dec. 4, when he scored 17 points against Oregon State. In nine of his last 19 games, he has scored at least double digits, averaging 9.7 points per game. His 21 points in the game against Washington on February 4 are his career high. 15 times this season, he has had five or more rebounds. He missed his first seven attempts at the three-point line in the season, but he has made 20 of his last 52 attempts for a 38.5 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

BOOGIE DOWN, BUT NOT FOR LONG Senior guard Boogie Ellis scored nine points on Feb. 11 against Oregon State, snapping a 14-game scoring streak. He then scored 22 points against California on February 16 and a career-high 33 points against Stanford on February 18. He has scored a total of 307 points in his last 16 games, including a career-high 31 points against UCLA on January 26. On December 18, he started his streak with a career-high 28 points against Auburn. Ellis is the best player at USC with a 17.1 scoring average, 65 made three-pointers, and 97 made free throws. With 42 steals, he also ranks second among Trojans. He now ranks 17th on USC’s all-time list with 121 made 3-pointers while playing for the Trojans.

UTAH ON DECK — On February 25 at 5:00 p.m. (PT), USC will host the Utah Runnin’ Utes (17-11, 10-7) at the Huntsman Center. This season, Utah is 12-3 at home. With a 16.6 average, senior center Branden Carlson is the only Utes player to score in double figures. On January 14, USC defeated Utah 71-56 at the Galen Center. USC trails 25-26 in the record-breaking series with Utah, however has dominated four matches in succession against the Runnin’ Utes.

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE DEFENSE: On November 30, USC held California to a 27.7 percent shooting percentage, its lowest mark since holding Stanford to a 25.4 percent shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. Oregon was the only team this season to make more than 50% of its shots against USC, making 53.8% of its attempts. In 15 of its 27 games this season, USC has limited its opponents to under 40% shooting. This season, USC is holding its rivals to a 39.2 shooting percentage, which ranks 12th in the nation. USC’s defense has held opponents to a 3rd-place 38.9 field goal percentage over the past four seasons.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (28-29) at Utah Jazz (29-31)

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NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (28-29) at Utah Jazz (29-31)

Lauri Markkanen, a forward for the Utah Jazz, described his first All-Star experience as “surreal.” While he could have utilized different words, Oklahoma City Thunder monitor Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an outlook on the same way.

Gilgeous-Alexander particularly found the All-Star Game segment in which LeBron James soared to stop his attempt at a dunk to be surreal. During the high-scoring contest that saw a total of 359 points Sunday night in Salt Lake City, it was a rare defensive effort by either All-Star team.

To exact his vengeance, the Thunder star will have to wait a week. On March 1, the Los Angeles Lakers travel to Oklahoma City. However, he has four games before that matchup.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Markkanen’s regular teams will compete against one another on Thursday night in Salt Lake City as NBA play resumes, fresh from their entertaining and special weekend as teammates on Team Giannis.

With a 28-29 record, the Thunder begin the final stretch in 10th place in the Western Conference standings. After the regular season, the play-in round is limited to the top 10 teams in each conference, with the 7-10 seeds participating.

With a 29-31 record, Utah returns to the lineup 11th, half a game behind Oklahoma City.

In his brand-new NBA home, Markkanen had the time of his life participating in the All-Star game. The Finnish star impressed Jazz fans by scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 26 minutes after being elevated to the starting lineup due to a number of injuries.

Even Markkanen took the fact that he was selected last among the starters in the pregame draft positively.

In ten minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander, who was selected fifth among reserves for the All-Star Game, scored nine points, had seven assists, and pulled down two rebounds. The experience was “super fun” for him.

Gilgeous-Alexander said that his first All-Star bucket, a 3-pointer, is one of the highlights of his young NBA career, in addition to the memory of being blocked by James.

The Thunder played their final game before the break, scoring 29 points. In Oklahoma City’s 133-96 home victory over the Houston Rockets, he only saw three quarters.

The Oklahoma City and Utah matchup on Thursday will be the first of three in the next two weeks. On March 3 and 5, the teams will play a two-game series in Oklahoma.

WBB-D2: Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (16-9) at Seattle Pacific Falcons (13-11)

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WBB-D2: Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (16-9) at Seattle Pacific Falcons (13-11)

Crunch time is officially here.
 
Still needing to clinch a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament, the Seattle Pacific Falcons have two chances to get it done on their own this week as they wrap up the regular season at home.
 
Up first is Alaska Anchorage on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
 
SPU (13-11, 8-8 GNAC) can secure a berth with a win in either game. Or, if Simon Fraser loses its regular-season finale on Thursday at Western Washington, that also will clinch a spot.
 
The Falcons are coming off a split of their final road trip, scoring a 59-48 victory at Simon Fraser last Thursday before falling 69-52 at Western Washington on Saturday.
 
Both of this week’s games are doubleheaders. The SPU men also tangle with their Alaska counterparts: Anchorage on Thursday at 5:15 p.m., and Fairbanks on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

WBB-D2: Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (14-12) at Henderson State Reddies (12-14)

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WBB-D2: Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (14-12) at Henderson State Reddies (12-14)

When Arkansas Tech visits Arkadelphia on Thursday, February 23, Henderson State will get ready for one last ride inside the Duke Wells Center this season. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

REDDIES REPORT
Henderson State has improved its chances of making the 2023 GAC Tournament by winning four of its last five games. HSU is 9-11 in conference play with just two games remaining in the regular season, is the seven seed and has a one-game advantage over Southwestern Oklahoma State and Ouachita Baptist. The tiebreaker is currently held by the Reddies over SWOSU and OUA. The red-and-grays would be guaranteed a spot in the postseason tournament for the fifth year in a row with either a win on Thursday or a loss to Southern Arkansas by Ouachita Baptist.

A Senior Night triumph would likewise stamp the fourth sequential year Henderson has dominated twofold digit meeting matches in a season with a full record of association games (2020 highlighted exclusively in-state GAC contest). With the exception of two years, HSU head coach Jimmy Elgas has won 10 or more league games in each of his eight seasons there.

In three of its previous four victories, Henderson has scored at least 82 points. Prior to that, HSU had not scored 82 points since the visit of Lyon College to the area on January 2. With a scoring average of 71.3 points per game, the Reddies now hold opponents to 71.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the league. With 37.4 combined team rebounds and 26.3 defensive boards per game, Henderson is also the league’s best rebounding team.

The Wonder Boys won the Arkadelphia matchup between HSU and Arkansas Tech by a score of 84-78 in overtime. However, prior to that, the Reddies had not defeated ATU at the Duke Wells Center since February 18, 2017. The in-state teams will meet for the 175th time on Thursday, with Henderson having won the series 91-83.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH
Arkansas Tech is the only team in the last five years to have qualified for the 2023 GAC Tournament. With a victory on Thursday, the 12-8 Wonder Boys could win the conference for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. After reaching the conference semifinals that year, ATU received an at-large bid to the NCAA Central Regional.

With Arkansas Tech just one game behind Southern Arkansas and Southeastern Oklahoma St. and the Wonder Boys having split the head-to-head series with Southeastern and beating Southern Nazarene earlier in the year, ATU holds the quality-of-win tiebreaker over SE, the league’s current four seed could still play its way into the two seed. Tech would face Southern Arkansas in the series finale, where the winner would receive the No. 1 seed, with a win on Thursday and a loss to the Savage Storm in either of their final two games. 2 seed.

Arkansas Tech’s defense is tied for third in the conference, limiting opponents to 66.4 points per game while its offense is 11th in the league, allowing just 66.8 points per game. Taelon Peter, a sophomore guard, is the Wonder Boys’ primary scoring threat, averaging 14.7 points per game, which ranks 11th in the GAC. With 1.8 steals per game, Peter also ranks third in the conference.

WBB-D2: Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (13-11) at Henderson State Reddies (16-10)

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WBB-D2: Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (13-11) at Henderson State Reddies (16-10)

In Henderson State’s final home game of the season against Arkansas Tech on senior night on Thursday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Duke Wells Center, the GAC’s top two scorers will face off.

Reddies Report:
Henderson State beat East Central 85-76 after coming back from an 11-point deficit in the third period. In their matchup with the Tigers, the Reddies converted 36 of 41 free throw attempts, tying the single-game record. Nine different players attempted to shoot from the foul line, and all nine of them succeeded in doing so.

After scoring 24 points in the game against East Central, Ashley Farrar reached 500 points for the second time in two seasons. The Green Woods, Ark. local is the fourth player starting around 1987 to score 500 focuses in consecutive seasons. Farrar is shooting 44.2 percent from the field and scoring 19.3 points per game, which ranks second in the GAC.

Olivia Allen, a freshman, scored ten points in her first double-digit Reddie game against the Tigers. She shot 2 for 2 from beyond the arc and had a steal and block. Abbie Jiles scored 15 points and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line, while Gracie Raby scored 14 points, marking her 14th game in double figures.

HSU recorded its 11th victory at the Duke Wells Center this season and its fourth consecutive victory at home with the victory over ECU. Under home lights, the Reddies score an average of 73.6 points per game, which is 6.5 more than their season average (67.1).

In the first meeting, Henderson defeated Arkansas Tech by a score of 78-67 in the Tucker Coliseum. Raby led the Reddies with 22 points, with four players reaching double figures. The last four meetings between HSU and ATU have been won by HSU, including two straight victories at home.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH
Arkansas Tech (13-11, 11-9) has dropped to fourth place in the GAC standings after four losses in a row. In February, ATU has only won two games while suffering five losses. Southwestern Oklahoma State defeated Arkansas Tech 73-65 in the Tucker Coliseum.

The Golden Suns’ offense, which scores an average of 69.9 points per game, remains one of the best in the GAC despite recent struggles. Jalei Oglesby, ATU’s sharpshooter, is a big part of the offense’s success. He averages 20.3% more points per game than any other player in the GAC. In Arkansas Tech’s last seven games, Oglesby has scored at least 20 points and recorded three double-doubles.

With an average of 43.6 rebounds per game, ATU is the conference’s best rebounding team and one of only two teams to average more than 40 per game. With 8.7 per game, Oglesby ranks second in the conference, with 3.3 on offense and 5.4 on defense.

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