ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD AGAINST DUBUQUE
Loras holds a 53-30 advantage over their crosstown rivals, dating back to the 1967-1968 season. The Spartans won the first matchup of the series by a final score of 89-84. Last season the Spartans had the Duhawks number, sweeping them in regular season play.

LAST TIME AGAINST DUBUQUE
The Spartans dominated Loras on Lillis Court last season, winning 83-57. Loras was led in scoring by Justin VanWambeke who managed 16 points on 12 attempts. The Duhawks bench fell by the wayside, collecting just 10 points in total. Loras struggled on offense, as the Spartans locked the Duhawks down, resulting in a 32.8 percent field goal percentage. Dubuque was led by Lucas Ware, who scored a game-high 20 points.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
This season the Spartans possess one of the most prolific players in all of Division III, Andre Norris. Norris is currently the nation's leading defensive rebounder at 11.31 per game, while ranking 14th in total points scored. To date, Norris has scored 1,698 points and hauled in 717 rebounds, recording 26 career double-doubles in the process. Norris is a leading candidate for conference MVP and will be a tough defensive assignment for Mirko Grcic due to his ability to hit shots both in the paint and from the perimeter. Behind Norris is strong guard play from Kain Arthofer, who is averaging 14.3 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting. Arthofer is solid from distance, shooting at a 38 percent clip. Overall, the Spartans have a balanced starting five, with four averaging double-figures in scoring. Starting guard Alex Vogel is limited offensively, but can dish it when necessary with 47 assists on the year.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD AGAINST LUTHER
Loras holds a 94-67 advantage over the Norse in a series dating back to the 1920-1921 season. In their first matchup the Duhawks came away on top by a final score of 32-19.

LAST TIME AGAINST LUTHER
Last week, the Duhawks dismantled the Norse in a 85-67 rout. Luther was unable to handle the sheer number of 3-pointers made by Loras, leading to their defeat. In total, the Duhawks hit 17 triples, but were led by a 25 point performance from Justin VanWambeke on 10-of-14 shooting. Off the bench, freshman Michael Mims and Demond George combined to score 23 points, which included a 7-of-12 performance from deep. On the defensive end, senior Justin Schneider recorded three blocks, his second-highest tally of the season. Luther was led in scoring by Leyton Bohr, who registered 11 points and five rebounds.

SCOUTING THE NORSE
Following a 2-2 start to conference play, the Norse dropped two games last week, falling to last place in the Iowa Conference. This season Luther ranks last in the IIAC in scoring margin, having been outscored by an average of 8.9 points per game. While the Norse are one of the best teams in the conference in terms of outside shooting, their overall offense has lacked this season. In total, Luther ranks last in the conference in field goal percentage at 39 percent. This stat has been magnified on a national level, with the Norse ranking 360th in scoring offense. Luther has been done in by their inability to consistently prevent opposing teams from hitting outside shots. Against Loras, the Norse allowed 17 3-pointers, which proved to be the difference in an otherwise efficient game from Luther. Opposing teams grab more offensive rebounds against Luther than any other team in the conference as the Norse allow 30 percent of rebound opportunities to fall back into the hands of the offense.

DYNAMIC DUO POWERING DUHAWKS
One of the major storylines of the 2015-16 Loras men's basketball team has been the elite play of senior Mirko Grcic and junior Justin VanWambeke. Combining to average 36.9 points per game, opponents are tasked with handling the Duhawks' two-headed monster. In Loras' nine wins on the season, Grcic and VanWambeke have averaged 41.6 points per game and have shot at a 52.8 percent clip. In their eight losses, that shooting percentage drops to 40.1. There's no hiding the fact that the Duhawks will go as far as Grcic and VanWambeke, but it's only a matter of time before the rest of this young Loras squad catches on to what their two leaders are doing and become a true force to be reckoned with in the Iowa Conference.

FRESHMAN GUARD TRIO FINDING THEIR STRIDE
The freshman trio of Ryan DiCanio, Demond George and Michael Mims came to Loras after having successful high school careers in Illinois. In their first season in the purple and gold, they've experienced the highs and lows of college basketball, but one thing is for sure, their long-range shooting is impeccable. Mims leads the group with a 62.4 3-point shooting percentage, connecting on 15-of-24 shots from beyond the arc. As a whole, they are successful on nearly 50 percent of their 3-pointers, checking in at an impressive 48.5 conversion rate.

HISTORY LESSON
The last time Loras found themselves with a 4-2 record after their first six conference games, they finished the year third in the IIAC.