Storm Men Take Aim at UAM, SAU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern will set out to assert itself in a fierce battle for the league's top spot when it sets out on a two-game south Arkansas road swing, first taking on Arkansas-Monticello at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 in Monticello, Ark., before wrapping the trip with a 3 p.m. matchup with Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Ark., on Jan. 12.
 
The Savage Storm come into the trip with a 9-2 record overall and a 5-2 mark in Great American Conference, leaving them a half-game out of a four-way tie for the top spot in the conference standings.
 
UAM and SAU are both included in that four-way tie with 5-1 conference records.
 
Southeastern heads off with the fourth-ranked offense in the GAC at 82.2 ppg and the third-ranked scoring defense with opponents scoring just 68.1 ppg, a difference of a league-best 14.1 ppg.
 
The Storm offense is paced by a pair of top-10 ranked scorers, with Kevin Buckingham ranked fifth with 17.3 ppg, while Kellen Manek is eighth in the league with 15.9 per contest.
 
They are joined in double-digits by Jett Jobe who is putting up 11.8 per game, while Kayo Goncalves and Adam Dworsky are both just shy of double-figures with 9.4 and 9.2 ppg, respectively.
 
Buckingham also leads the conference in rebounds, hauling in 9.2 rpg while SE is fourth in the conference in rebounding as a team and fifth in rebounding margin.
 
The Storm leads the league in assists with the team dishing out 19.1 per outing, led by the guard duo of Dworsky and Jobe who are handing out 5.7 and 5.3, respectively, with both ranked in the GAC top five.
 
UAM comes into Thursday's matchup with a 9-3 record overall and are ranked 11^th in the league I scoring at 71.4 ppg, while its defense has been its strength, holding foes to a league-low 62.5 ppg.
 
The Boll Weevils are led on o0ffense by Austin Hardy who is averaging 13.6 ppg, while Darnell Wright is next in line at 12.8 ppg.
 
Wright is also the team's top rebounder with 7.3 per contest while blocking 1.9 shots per game.
 
The Muleriders enter the weekend at 10-2 overall and are eighth in scoring at 78.0 ppg and second in scoring defense at 66.1 ppg.
 
SAU is paced by Jalen Brooks who is putting up 11.6 ppg to lead a trio of double-digit average scorers.
 
On the glass, DeVante Brooks is hauling in 7.5 rebounds per outing, while Aaron Lucas is dishing out a team-best 2.7 assists per game.