MBB GAME NOTES: VERSUS SOUTHWESTERN - JANUARY 9, 2025

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Following a crucial win on the road versus Arkansas-Monticello to start the new year, the Henderson State Men's Basketball returns home to face Southwestern Oklahoma State.
 
Returning to the Duke Wells Center for their first home game of 2025, the Reddies are 4-2 at home and are outscoring opponents by an average of 9.2 points per game so far this season. In HSU's last outing at home, Jimmy Elgas's squad held Southern Arkansas to just 33.9 percent from the field.
 
In their last game, the Reddies pulled out a win on the road versus Arkansas-Monticello despite making just two three-point attempts. Against the Boll Weevils, Henderson held its opponent to just four made threes and seven attempts from the free-throw line (tied for a season low).
 
The Reddies currently have seven players averaging seven or more points per game. Nehikhare Igiehon leads the team with 13 points per game on 58.3 percent shooting from the field. During conference pla,y Matthew Mayes is averaging 3.2 steals per game. Mayes was named GAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting five steals and two blocks against UAM.
 
HSU is 15-10 all-time versus the Bulldogs and 15-9 during the GAC era. Last season, Tim McDonald scored 14 points on 5-10 shooting versus Southwestern.

Henderson State currently sits at third in the conference standings with a 5-1 record and an overall record of 9-3 while being the only team in the conference to be 4-0 on the road.
 
The Bulldogs enter tomorrow's meeting with the Reddies 4-2 in conference play and 7-4 overall. Under second-season head coach Brett Weiberg, the Bulldogs are 17-22 overall with a 17-16 record in GAC play.
 
Southwestern travels for a road conference game for just the third time this season. The Bulldogs split their first two road efforts with a 61-53 loss to Southern Nazarene and a 74-68 victory versus Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Bulldogs are averaging 67.5 points per game on the road in conference play.
 
Tobias Roland is the team's leading scorer with 15.6 points per game and leads the team with 4.7 rebounds per game. MJ Warrior is the team's leading assist man with five assists per game, ranking 33^rd in the country in that category.
 
In their last outing against the Savage Storm, the Bulldogs scored 31 points off the bench and had two players score more than 20 points. Guard Elijah Williams scored 22 points, while freshman guard Tucker Sheperd scored 22 points off the bench in 33 minutes of play.
 
The Bulldogs are shooting nearly five percent better from the free-throw line than their opponents and are dishing out 1.5 more assists per game than the opposition. During conference play, Southwestern is outscoring opponents by 1.7 points per game.

Players to Watch:
Nehikhare Igiehon is currently top 45 in the nation in field goal percentage at 58.3 percent and leads the Reddies in scoring with 13 points per game.
 
Matthew Mayes is second on the team in points per game (12.9) and rebounds per game (6.1). Mayes is averaging 4.3 stocks per game (steals+blocks) and is seventh in the country in steals with 3.08 steals per game.
 
The Reddies tip off against the Bulldogs tomorrow at 3 p.m.