CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The Thunderbird men's basketball team will return home for one final regular season contest before heading to the Big Sky Conference Tournament, as they'll host the Northern Colorado Bears on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
In their final Big Sky Conference road trip of the season, the T-Birds ended up falling to the University of Montana and Montana State University, giving the season series' to their foes from the Treasure State.
Cameron Oluyitan was the offensive catalyst for SUU over the two contests, scoring a combined 32 points against the Grizzlies and the Bobcats. He had a career-high 22 points against MSU.
Senior Night
On Thursday the T-Birds will recognize the contributions of three seniors to the men's basketball program, as Brandon Better, Matthew Johnson and Elijah Graves will be recognized on Senior Day.
Brandon Better
In just two season with the Thunderbirds, Brandon Better has had a major impact on the program. Transferring to Southern Utah from Moberly Area Community College, Better stuffs the stat sheet for SUU scoring 728 points in 58 appearances. He's also dished out 80 assists and totaled 47 steals.
Following a strong performance at the 2017-18 Big Sky Championship Tournament, Better was named to the All-Tournament Team by the league office.
This season, Better scored a career-high 35 points against Eastern Washington, and is currently shooting 85 percent from the free throw line for his career.
Matthew Johnson
A four-year member of the Thunderbird men's basketball team, Matthew Johnson played in 52 contests for the Thunderbirds coming off the bench.
For his career, he's totaled 87 points and scored a career-high 18 points against Portland State in 2016-17.
Elijah Graves
Suiting up for the T-Birds for the last two seasons, Elijah Graves originally joined the Thunderbirds as a practice player but eventually earned a spot on the roster.
He's appeared in eight games for SUU, and has scored seven points in the process. He's also been a staple on SUU's scout team over the past two years.
Opponent Preview: Northern Colorado (20-9, 14-4 Big Sky)
The Bears of Northern Colorado will come to Cedar City riding a three-game winning streak, including big victories against Montana and Weber State.
Jordan Davis continues to make his case for Big Sky MVP, averaging 23.7 points per game which is the top mark in that category in terms of other league foes. Davis has a 121 point advantage over the next closest contender, Weber State's Jerrick Harding.
Last Time vs. The Bears
When the T-Birds and Bears faced off the first time in Greeley, Davis had one of his most efficient efforts of the seasons with 36 points on 14-of-17 shooting from the field.
Better had 22 points to lead SUU's offensive effort, with Harrison Butler scoring 15 and Maizen Fausett dropping in 10.
Big Sky At A Glance
As the 2018-19 Big Sky campaign comes to a close, some teams still have two contests remaining while others like SUU just have one.
Seeding is still in flux, with First Round BYE's still available for a grouping of teams. SUU will enter Thursday's game in the No. 7 spot, sliding behind Portland State following last weekend's action. There are plenty of scenarios still at play that could move the T-Birds up or down the board.
Both Montana and Northern Colorado have clinched a First Round BYE.
Words From Todd Simon
On Cam's career-high…
"He was aggressive and he kind of just played," SUU head coach Todd Simon said. "He's at his best when he plays with instinct and is on the attack."
On finishing the season at home...
"It's a quick turnaround obviously, this schedule is unforgiving," Simon said. "Last season I think we were on the road for over two weeks when you include the tournament, so at least we can get back in class and have a little bit of a home routine leading into the conference tournament."
Where To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
Tip off is set for 6:30 PM on Thursday against the Bears.
Live streams for all of Southern Utah's home contests and Big Sky Conference matchups will be available on the PlutoTV App and WatchBigSky.com.
A link to livestats will be available at www.suutbirds.com prior to tipoff.
KSUB 590 AM is you home for Thunderbird men's basketball home games all season long, with Legendary broadcaster Art Challis on the call.
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.
Tickets
Individual game tickets for the 2018-19 Season are available at www.tbirdtickets.com or at the America First Event Center Ticket Office.
