CEDAR CITY, Utah -- After splitting a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, the Thunderbird men's basketball team returns home this week for matchups against in-state rival Weber State and the Bengals of Idaho State in hopes of staying amongst the leaders in the Big Sky Conference.
Last Time Out
The Thunderbirds won the second leg of their most recent road trip, knocking off the Idaho Vandals in Moscow.
The contest was never really in doubt for SUU, as they jumped out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout.
Southern Utah didn't slow down in the opening 20 minutes either, holding a 43-24 lead heading into the halftime break.
In the second half the T-Birds weren't able to score at the same pace, but still held the Vandals to only 21 points to leave the state of Idaho with a 73-45 victory.
The scoring was very balanced for the Thunderbirds on Monday, as four different players scored in double figures.
Stat Leaders
With 19 starts under his belt, Cameron Oluyitan is the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds, averaging 13.8 points per game. He is currently just one of three T-Birds to play every game this season, along with sophomores Harrison Butler and Maizen Fausett.
John Knight III isn't too far behind in the scoring category, averaging 13.1 ppg so far this year.
Along with ranking fourth in the Big Sky in terms of defensive rebounds, Butler leads SUU in rebounding with an average of 6.9 per game. Fausett is second on the team with an average of 6.0.
Knight III leads SUU in assists with 2.4 per game, and 44 total this season.
Oluyitan is the team leader in steals with 1.4 per game and 27 total.
In terms of blocks, Daouda (David) N'Diaye has 20 total this season for an average of 1.7 per contest.
Opponent Preview: Weber State Wildcats (7-13, 3-6 Big Sky)
The Wildcats of Weber State hadn't gotten off to the strongest start this season, but knocked off the league-leading Montana Grizzlies in overtime 87-85 in their last time out.
Two of their three victories in Big Sky play have come in overtime.
Jerrick Harding, who leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring, averaging 21.9 ppg. He also leads the team in assists with 40.
Michal Kozak is currently third in the Big Sky in blocked shots, averaging 1.4 per contest with 27 total.
In their Division I history, the T-Birds and Wildcats have met 36 times with Weber State holding a 27-9 advantage in those contests.
Southern Utah, however, has won the previous two matchups against WSU sweeping them in the 2018-19 season. Prior to that sweep, Weber State had won six-straight against SUU.
In terms of NCAA ranking, the Wildcats are 42nd in terms of turnovers per game, which puts them second in the Big Sky behind only Northern Colorado. The Wildcats also hardly ever foul, sitting at 20th in the NCAA for fewest fouls.
Randy Rahe is in his 14th season at the helm of the Weber State basketball program, and is the Big Sky's all-time leader in coaching victories.
Opponent Preview: Idaho State Bengals (6-12, 3-6 Big Sky)
Following the contest with Weber State, the T-Birds will play host to the Idaho State Bengals, who they previously defeated on the road already this season.
ISU will travel to Northern Colorado before making their way to Cedar City.
The Bengals are currently on a four-game slide, dropping contests to Weber State, Portland State, Montana and Montana State.
When SUU and ISU met on January 9, the T-Birds emerged victorious by a final score of 71-55.
Playing all 40 minutes, Oluyitan led the charge for SUU with 20 points. Knight III wasn't too far behind with 15, while Morgan dropped in 13 off the bench.
Chier Maker was the leading scorer for ISU, scoring 15 points in the contest.
State of the Big Sky
The race for the Big Sky Regular Season Title continues, with Montana holding on to the top spot with a 7-2 record in league play. They sit one win ahead of Eastern Washington, who are 6-2 after sweeping Southern Utah and Northern Colorado.
SUU and UNC are tied for the third spot in the Big Sky with 5-3 records. Both Northern Arizona and Montana State are 5-4 at this point of the year.
Words From Coach Simon
On the rivalry game against WSU…
"They're a dangerous team, and they have the leading scorer in the league," Simon said. "They have great players and coach Rahe does a great job so we're going to have to be ready for them. They're coming off a big win against Montana so the focus will have to be high and we'll have to lock in defensively. Hopefully we get a great crowd in there too to help us get over the hump."
On the homestand...
"These are two very important games," he said. "We've got to protect our home floor, and every home game is critical especially as we start to wind down. We've got to take advantage of these."
How To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
All Big Sky Conference games will be available to stream on both the PlutoTV App and www.WatchBigSky.com.
A link to live stats, live video and any available radio feeds will be available on www.suutbirds.com prior to tipoff.
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.
