DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Heading into the final week of the regular season, Loras will need to win both of their games this week to keep their postseason hopes alive.
ABOUT CENTRAL ...The Dutch carry a three-game winning streak into Wednesday night's match up. After topping Simpson, Central won back-to-back road contests, a three-point win over Coe was followed by a buzzer beater that lifted the Dutch past the Norse 70-69 in Decorah, Iowa.
The play of the Dutch forwards have been an important piece of Central's game this season. Sophomore forward Colby Taylor has stepped in to fill the shoes of Matt Greenfield who Central lost to graduation after last season. Taylor leads the team in points (16.4) and rebounds (9.7) per game. A dynamic player, Taylor also leads the team with 70 assists. A trio of players join Taylor in double digit scoring.
In the first meeting, the Duhawks controlled the paint, posting a 34-24 point advantage. Loras will have to do much of the same on Wednesday in order to come away with the season sweep.
SALUTING THE SENIOR CLASS …On Saturday night, Head Coach
Greg Gorton opted to put a creative starting line-up on the floor despite any possible playoff implications the game had. For the first time in their careers, each of the Duhawks five senior class members saw the starting line-up in the same game. With seniors
Bobby Harmening,
Aaron Schueller,
Luke Barry,
Nathaniel Smith, and
Regan Takes all in the line-up it served as a special moment for both the players and their families. For Takes, it marked the first start of his career whereas Harmening, Schueller, Barry, and Smith have started a total of 195 times in the four year varsity careers. In total, the senior class combined to score 40 of the Duhawks 66 points.
NATHANIEL SMITH HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME …Over the course of the last three games, senior
Nathaniel Smith has seen his game reach new heights. In just three games, Smith has raised his points per game average by nearly three full points (2.7). Shooting wise, Smith is also on his hottest stretch of the season going 29-of-51 from the field for a field goal percentage of 56.8. While not always being known for his 3-point prowess, Smith has made six shots from beyond the arc to boot. At the charity stripe, Smith has gone a combined 11-of-11 during his hot stretch and since his return to the starting line-up, Smith has missed just two shots from the foul-line. With nine straight games scoring in double-digits, the Duhawks will need Smith to continue his strong play in order to finish the season on a high-note.
KEYS TO BEATING THE DUTCH …Central College possesses one of the more potent offenses in the Iowa Conference, while their defense has left a lot to be desired allowing 74.3 points per game. On the other hand, the Duhawks have played fantastic defense recently allowing less than 70 points in each of their previous three games. In the teams early season matchup, the Duhawks allowed Dutch senior Nile Eckermann to hit a multitude of shots from beyond the arc. One key to victory for the Duhawks will be to not allow Central's shooters to get open looks early on. These open looks allow players like Eckermann and sophomore Colby Taylor to get into their shooting rhythms from beyond the arc. With the amount of shots these players take, the defense played against them will also be important. When Central came to Dubuque earlier this year, it was junior
Mirko Grcic who shut down Taylor. Grcic also held Luther College's Jake Martin well below his season average in their last bout. The defense of Grcic on key players has proven to be important for the Duhawks success.
DUHAWKS BATTLE NORSE FOR LAST PLAYOFF SEED …With just two games left to play, the Duhawks come into Wednesday's game against Central tied with Luther for eighth place in the conference. This week, the Norse will play Wartburg and Dubuque whom they've lost to by a combined score of 135-122 this season. Despite losing each of those games, Luther has a recent victory over top seeded Buena Vista. As for the Duhawks, Loras has beaten their final two opponents this season by a combined score of 161-137. With clear-cut victories over their final two opponents in Central and Simpson, the Duhawks hold better odds at making the post-season.
DEFENSE KEY TO WINNING DOWN THE STRETCH …While it's no surprise to say that a good team defense will win a lot of games for a squad, the stats strongly back it up for the Duhawks this season. In games that Loras has won, they've held opponents to an average of 67.5 points. However, in games that they have lost, opponents have scored, on average 80.5 points, including four games of 90+ points. With the talent Loras has, they know that they can score, but a focus on defense will be crucial to their success during the final stretch of the season.
GORTON JOINS THE CENTURY CLUB ...With the win over Simpson, head coach
Greg Gorton reached 100 career Iowa Conference victories. In his tenth season at the helm, Gorton joins the likes of Buena Vista's Brian Van Haaften and Wartburg's Dick Perth as the only three current Men's Basketball coaches in the conference with 100 wins in the IIAC. All three of coaches are the longest tenured men's coaches in the conference. This accomplishment emphasizes the commitment Gorton has to his program as well as his athletes.
GRCIC TIES SCHOOL RECORD ...In the 2014-15 season opener, junior
Mirko Grcic hauled in 26 rebounds, tying a Loras school record dating all the way back to the 1954-55 season. That year, Al Carew collected 26 rebounds in a game against St. Norbert College.
