CEDAR CITY, Utah -- With the 2019-20 campaign coming to a close, the Thunderbird men's basketball team will host their final two home contests of the regular season when they welcome the Eastern Washington Eagles and Idaho Vandals to town on Thursday and Saturday respectively.   

Saturday will be Southern Utah's annual Senior Day Game, along with being broadcast nationally on Eleven Sports. 

Last Time Out

The start of the opening half was a close one, with the T-Birds holding a 16-15 advantage roughly 10 minutes in. Unfortunately for SUU, that's when the Wildcats hit their stride. WSU rattled off 10 points in a row to take a 25-16 lead, and held it through the remainder of the opening half. 

The Wildcats held a 39-27 advantage at the break. 

John Knight III led the T-Birds in scoring through 20 minutes, dropping in 11. Dre Marin wasn't too far behind with eight. 

Weber State kept in control through the second half. 

The Thunderbirds were able to pull back within seven with less than six minutes to play, but weren't able to get any closer in the final minutes eventually falling to their in-state rival. 

Knight III finished the contest with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He was also 8-of-11 from the free throw line. 

Senior Night

On Saturday, the T-Bird men's basketball program will celebrate the careers of four student-athletes when they host their annual Senior Day Game. Andre Adams, Dwayne Morgan, Daouda (David) N'Diaye and Cameron Oluyitan will each be playing their final regular season game inside the America First Event Center and be recognized for their impact on the university. The following is a short breakdown of each of their careers in Cedar City... 

Andre Adams - After starting his collegiate career with Arizona State, Adams transferred to Cedar City ahead of the 2017-18 season. He sat out that season due to NCAA transfer rules, but had an immediate impact as soon as he stepped on the court in 2018-19. Adams averaged 9.8 points per game, scoring 332 total, and finished the year with a .575 field goal percentage which was the eighth-highest in the history of the program for a single season. This season, in 18 appearances, he's averaging 9.2 ppg and leads the team in rebounding average at 6.3.   

Dwayne Morgan - Transferring to Southern Utah from UNLV, Morgan had an immediate impact on the program, dropping 15 points in his fist game midway through the 2017-18 campaign. In just 21 appearances, he finished as the team's second-leading rebounder that season and scored over 20 points on three different occasions. Morgan's 2018-19 season was cut short due to an injury, but was granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA and was able to participate this year. So far this season, Morgan is averaging 9.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg. He's also accounted for 18 steals and 15 blocks.    

Daouda (David) N'Diaye - After playing three seasons for Illinois State, N'Diaye made his way to Cedar City for the final season of his collegiate career. In 18 appearances this season for the T-Birds, N'Diaye has led the team in blocks with 22 and has pulled down 50 rebounds. Even though his impact hasn't necessarily translated to scoring, all 241 minutes N'Diaye has played for the Thunderbirds have been impactful. He's started in eight contests for the T-Birds to this point of the season.   

Cameron Oluyitan - Following a year at Gillette College, and another at Boise State, Oluyitan transferred to Southern Utah. In his first season in a Thunderbird uniform, Oluyitan was named Newcomer of the Year in the Big Sky Conference. He was also named Big Sky Player of the Week twice during the course of the season. He appeared in every game for SUU last season, leading the team in scoring with 13.1 ppg. He also led the team in steals, and was second on the team in assists. He has carried that success into this season, leading the T-Birds in scoring yet again with a 13.2 ppg average. He's also dished out 52 assists and stolen the ball from the opposition 37 times.    

Opponent Preview: Eastern Washington Eagles (19-8, 12-4 Big Sky)

After winning four of their previous five contests, the Eagles of Eastern Washington will travel to Cedar City with hopes of staying amongst the top of the Big Sky standings. 

When the T-Birds and Eagles squared off in Cheney, the contest went right down to the wire and required an overtime period to decide it. Ultimately, the Eagles persisted and claimed an 81-78 victory. 

Morgan was the leading scorer for SUU in that contest, dropping in 22 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Knight III dropped in 14, while Adams had 11 and Oluyitan had 10. 

For the Eagles, Mason Peatling finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds. He played 40 minutes of the 45 available.  

Opponent Preview: Idaho Vandals (7-20, 3-13 Big Sky) 

Dropping their previous three contests, the Vandals of Idaho will head to Cedar City looking to right the ship on their Big Sky campaign down the stretch. They will pay a visit to Northern Colorado before their trip to the America First Event Center. 

When the Thunderbirds matched up with the Vandals in January, it was a comfortable victory for Southern Utah, 73-45. 

It was a very balanced scoring evening for the T-Birds. Oluyitan dropped 15, Adams finished with 14, Maizen Fausett had 13 and Dre Marin finished the game with 11. Adams had a double-double, pulling down 10 rebounds. 

Trevon Allen finished with 12 points for the Vandals. 

State of the Big Sky 

With just two weeks left in the Big Sky regular season, the Montana Grizzlies have stayed on top of the league standings with a 13-3 conference record. 

Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado sit tied for second, both holding 12-4 Big Sky records. 

Northern Arizona (9-8), Montana State (8-8) and Portland State (8-8) will each enter the final weeks jockeying in position for a top-five spot in the Big Sky to get a BYE in the conference tournament, as will Southern Utah (7-9), Weber State (7-9) and Sacramento State (7-10).  

Words From Coach Simon

On Andre Adams…

"Andre has been a joy to be around," SUU head coach Todd Simon said. "He's a very good person, and has been a great anchor for us as a five man here over the last couple years. We appreciate his contributions and we're sad to see him go." 

On Dwayne Morgan...

"It's been fun to see him develop over the six years, from his freshman year until now, and I obviously couldn't be more proud to see him leave this place with a master's degree and as an active father. All that while playing good basketball," Simon said. "And his resilience to come back from multiple season-ending injuries has been impressive." 

On David N'Diaye…

"David's done a great job here over the past two years, not only making us better during his redshirt year but as a contributor this year," Simons said. "His presence has made us a better team, and his attitude and effort every day has been impeccable." 

On Cameron Oluyitan...

"Cam has been so steady, he's an everyday guy," Simon said. "He's been a very good basketball player, but he's been an exemplary Thunderbird and personifies what we want in a person to represent our program." 

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. 

Saturday's contest against Idaho will also be broadcast nationally on Eleven Sports. 

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 

Single game tickets are available for purchase at the America First Event Center Ticket Office and online at www.tbirdtickets.com.