Men's Hoops Set for UAM, SAU in GAC Opener

Men's Basketball | 11/18/2015 9:06:00 PM

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern men's basketball will continue its season-opening five-game home stand with games three and four of that stretch, hosting Arkansas-Monticello at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 followed by a 3 p.m. matchup on Nov. 21 against Southern Arkansas, both in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The Savage Storm enter the weekend with a 1-1 record after splitting contests in its opening weekend while hosting the GAC/MIAA Challenge.
 
SE picked up an 88-80 win over Northeastern State in the season opener, but fell just short the following night in an 81-75 loss to Central Oklahoma.
 
Sami Bzai leads the team out of the gate, averaging 21.0 ppg thanks in large part to a career-best 33 in the loss to UCO during which he hit seven threes.  He is shooting 47.8 percent overall from the floor and 60.0 percent from three-point range, hitting 9-of-15 tries.
 
He is joined in double-figures by Anton Cook who is averaging 17.5 ppg thanks in large part to a 17-of-20 effort from the free throw line.
 
Stelios Papafloratos is checking in with 9.5 ppg, while Tyler Lonzie is adding 9.0 per contest.
 
Cook leads the offense with 5.0 assists per game, while Bzai is dishing out 4.0 per game and the Storm is averaging 16.0 assists as a team.
 
SE also own an edge on the boards where it is pulling down 42.0 rebounds per game as a team, led by Lonzie at 9.0 per game, while five others have at least 4.0 per game or better.
 
UAM comes to town at 0-2 on the year after an 84-82 loss to Lincoln to open the season and an  82-66 loss to Southwest Baptist a day later.
 
The Boll Weevils feature four double-digit scorers led by Brandon Scott and Andre Brown who are averaging 14.0 ppg each.
 
Brown is adding a team-high 8.0 rebounds per outing, while Richard Benedyth has 2.5 assists per contest.
 
Southeastern split with the Boll Weevils a season ago, winning on each other's home floors, meanwhile the series is tied at 4-4 with the teams splitting in each of the four years in the Great American Conference.
 
SAU enters the weekend at 1-1 on the year after splitting its games at the GAC/NSIC Challenge, winning its opener over Minot State 66-53 followed by a 77-76 loss to Mary in game two.
 
They are led by Jaron Davis who is averaging 21.0 ppg, while Deon Andrews is next in line with 16.0 per contest.
 
Kevin Jordan leads the team in rebounds with 5.5 per game, while Davis is dishing out a team-high 3.0 assists per game.
 
The Muleriders swept the Storm last season, and lead the series in GAC play with SE picking up juist two wins in eight games.