CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The Thunderbird men's basketball team will continue their Mainland slate of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational this weekend in Johnson City, Tennessee, as they face off against Charleston Southern and either Delaware State or East Tennessee State.
Tip off on Saturday against Charleston Southern is set for 9:30 a.m. MT, while a start time on Sunday is TBD.
Last Time Out
When the T-Birds were last on the court they fell to the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles 76-61.
It took the Thunderbirds a little bit to get going, as they trailed by 23-6 at the second media timeout.
Aided by a 7-0 run, the T-Birds started getting back in the contest and pulled back within 12 at the third media timeout.
The Bruins held a 35-22 lead at the break. Dwayne Morgan was SUU's leading scorer at the half with seven points. The T-Birds shot just 30 percent in the opening half and 20 percent from three.
The second half remained mostly the same on both sides, as the Bruins built their lead to as many as 20. When all was said and done, the Bruins secured a 15 point victory, 76-61.
John Knight III finished as the team's leading scorer, dropping in 14 points. Harrison Butler wasn't far behind with 13 points, along with leading the team in rebounds with six. Cameron Oluyitan finished the game with 11 points, while Dwayne Morgan finished with ten. Knight III led the team in assists as well with six.
Stat Leaders
Following back-to-back impressive scoring efforts, Knight III has taken over as SUU's leading scorer averaging 13 points per game. He also leads the team in assists with 12.
Morgan is currently averaging 12.8 ppg for SUU, along with averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
Harrison Butler leads the team in rebounding average with 8 rpg.
Cameron Oluyitan is third on the team with a 10.3 ppg average, while Dre Marin and Jakolby Long are both averaging 10 ppg.
Opponent Preview: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (1-4, 0-0 Big South)
The T-Birds will start play in Johnson City against the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, who have started the season with a 1-4 overall record. Their lone win came against Columbia International.
Dontrell Shuler is the leading scorer for the Bucs, averaging 18.8 ppg so far this season. He's also dished out a team-high 15 assists in four starts.
Phlandrous Fleming Jr. is the team's second leading scorer with an 8.6 ppg average.
Barclay Radebaugh is the winningest coach in school history at Charleston Southern, and has led the team to two NIT berths.
This will be the second meeting between SUU and Charleston Southern. The T-Birds won the only matchup between the two in 1988.
Potential Opponent Previews: East Tennessee State & Delaware State
Following the contest against CSU, the Thunderbirds will either play East Tennessee State or Delaware State on Sunday.
East Tennessee State has started the year 3-1, with their lone loss coming against the Kansas Jayhawks. Bo Hodges is ETSU's leading scorer, averaging 17 points per game.
Delaware State is 0-5 to start the year. They are led in scoring by John Crosby, who is currently averaging 19.8 ppg this season.
If they were to play, it would be SUU's first ever contest against both East Tennessee State and Delaware State.
Words From The T-Birds
Todd Simon on where the team is at through four games...
"I think our competitive nature is pretty good," he said. "We believe that we can win all these games, and should win all these games, and that's the first step. We've got to continue to clean things up. Every game we're learning a little bit more."
John Knight III on the mindset moving forward...
"We've got to prepare better," he said. "Coach had to remind us of too many things that we already knew. … It's a lesson learned, and we've just got to get back in the gym, practice hard and get ready for this tournament in Tennessee."
How To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
A link to live stats will be available on www.suutbirds.com prior to tip. If a live stream is available for either contest, a link will also be available in the same place.
Follow Us
Follow the Thunderbirds all season @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
Read all about the Thunderbirds on www.suutbirds.com.
Ticket Information
Season Tickets for the 2019-20 season, as well as single game tickets, are available for purchase at the America First Event Center Ticket Office and online at www.tbirdtickets.com.
