DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras Men's Basketball team hopes to reverse the outcome against Buena Vista, who were 78-70 winners in the Iowa Conference opener, back on January 7.
ABOUT BUENA VISTA ...The Beavers will play at Siebens Fieldhouse for the ninth time this season with hopes of pushing their win streak to seven, with wins over a multitude of Iowa Conference opponents.
Buena Vista's high-powered offense is anchored by a trio of upperclassmen. At guard, senior Cole Darrow (14.7 ppg) and junior Nick Clark (13.3) pace the perimeter play as they average 9.8 attempts from long range per game. On the inside, the Beavers are led by sophomore Kennedy Drey. As the team's leading rebounder (9.2 rpg), Drey makes his presence known in the paint, boasting a team-best 60.6 field-goal percentage among qualified players.
Loras' guards will have to lock down on Darrow and Clark on defense, as the Duhawks look to end Buena Vista's six-game winning streak in conference play.
VANWAMBEKE FLOURISHING IN FIRST SEASON AS A DUHAWK … In his first year as a Duhawk, sophomore
Justin VanWambeke has played with the ability of a seasoned veteran. After the injury to
Nathaniel Smith in the first game of the season, VanWambeke stepped into the starting lineup and immediately became one of thjhe best players on a team full of upperclassmen. VanWambeke ranks fourth in steals per game (1.74), fifth in free-throw percentage (82.1), and 16th in scoring (12.2ppg). The Machesney Park native is making a large impact on this year's team and one of the top newcomers to the Iowa Conference this season.
CONTAINING KENNEDY DREY THE KEY TO WEDNESDAY NIGHT …Sophomore Kennedy Drey won the Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week this past week and the Duhawks will be tasked with keeping him in check so he doesn't repeat his performances from last week. Drey doesn't see as many minutes as other top big men in the conference at just 26 minutes per game, but he certainly makes the most out of the minutes he's given. Coming into Wednesday, Drey ranks 10th in the conference in scoring with 13.4 points per game, and fourth in rebounds per game with 9.2. The matchup between Drey and Grcic should be especially interesting given their similar skill sets.
WORK TO BE DONE ON THE DEFENSIVE END …Defense has been one of the most significant struggles for the Duhawks all season long as they have struggled to contain the outside shot. Opposing teams have shot 38.3 percent from long-range while playing against the Duhawks. Prior to this past weekend's matchup with University of Dubuque, Loras had been allowing less points per game than their current average suggests (74.2 ppg). Unfortunately, the Spartans unloaded for 83 points against the Duhawks, reversing the defensive improvements they had made in previous games. Wednesday's opponent, Buena Vista, boasts the most potent offense in the conference averaging 80.8 points per game as well as the top shooting percentage at 48.4 percent.
KEYS TO BEATING BUENA VISTA … In order to beat Buena Vista, Loras will need to get their shooters off to a hot start, particularly senior
Aaron Schueller as he is tied for second in the conference with 45 3-point shots made. Schueller is proven to be a solid shooter from beyond the arc, but fails to rank in the top 15 in terms of 3-point shooting percentage (37.2) during conference play. The ability to knock down shots from outside will open up the paint for junior
Mirko Grcic to work. At 15.2 points per game, Grcic has shown to be a consistent force inside, but his play alone will not win ballgames. One area where the Duhawks could capitalize is the turnover battle. Buena Vista average 14.8 turnovers per game while Loras takes the ball away from their opponents around 13 times a night. Look for
Justin VanWambeke to be playing passing lanes due to his knack for coming up with streals.
DREY/GRCIC BATTLE …A common theme for the Duhawks this season has been the play of junior
Mirko Grcic and the multitude of talented big-men he's had to guard and vice-versa. Wednesday will be much of the same, as Grcic is matched up with Kennedy Drey of Buena Vista. Drey, coming off of Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the week honors will look to continue his success against Grcic, who eaned the honors after the first week of the season. These two players possess very similar skill sets in that they enjoy playing down low and working hard to clean up the glass on both ends. Each of these players rank in the top-10 in the Iowa Conference in terms of scoring, rebounding, and shooting. While Drey has the edge on the outside with his 50 percent shooting from deep, Grcic holds the edge as a true post player. Each player will test one-another defensively, which could result in one team getting the advantage in the game.
KEYING IN ON THE BIG MAN …In his last two games, junior
Mirko Grcic has drawn the attention of opposing defenses, resulting in 12 points combined. While his rebounding numbers are still in the double-digits on average, Grcic's ability to put up points was a cornerstone of Loras' offense early in the season.
DEFENSE THE KEY TO WINNING …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 78.7 points, including three 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 in the final stretch of the season.
THE FINAL STRETCH …Eight games are all that remain on the regular season schedule in the 2014-15 season. If the season ended today, Loras would be relying on a tie-breaker to earn one of the final playoff spots. At 2-4 in conference play, Loras will need to turn the tides on their opponents during the return trip over the next three weeks.
SMITH CONTINUING TO IMPROVE COMING OFF INJURY …Senior
Nathaniel Smith started just his third game of the year in the first clash of the year between Loras and University of Dubuque, but he has shown us all why he's considered the leader of this team. In just his second start since his injury, Smith has been a leader for the Duhawks on both sides of the ball with his consistent shot and his effort on the boards.
DUHAWKS STRUGGLING AWAY FROM HOME …Coming off of a season in which the Duhawks played better away than at home to the tune of an 8-6 record, Loras has struggled to win games on the road thus far. The Duhawks boast just a 1-4 record away from the Athletic and Wellness Center this season which has left some Duhawks fans surprised. Two of these losses came at the hands of conference opponents, hurting the Duhawks chances of moving towards the top of the conference standings. Winning games on the road tends to be the key to placing well at the end 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.
