CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The SUU Men's Basketball team has been phenomenal inside the AFEC this season, winning seven of its nine contests, and they'll have two more chances this week with the Lopes of GCU coming to town on Thursday, and Cal Baptist on Saturday.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"We are at a critical juncture in the season right now, dealing with a few injuries, some sickness, but we still have to compete. That's what I am trying to get my guys to understand is that every time you step out on that floor, it is a chance to compete and get better and we are going to need that this week."

The crowd at our last couple home games was awesome, and that really makes a difference for us, so please come pack the AFEC this week!"

Game One Details (SAAC RED AND BLACK GAME)

• Who: Southern Utah (9-9, 1-3 WAC) vs Grand Canyon (13-5, 3-1 WAC)
• When: Thursday, January 23, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Cedar City, Utah, America First Event Center
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: HERE

Game Two Details

• Who: Southern Utah (9-9, 1-3 WAC) vs Cal Baptist (9-9, 2-2 WAC)
• When: Saturday, January 25, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Cedar City, Utah, America First Event Center
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: HERE

Matchup History

• The Thunderbirds matched up against the Lopes in the conference opener in Phoenix, and GCU came away with an 82-71 win. The Thunderbirds are still looking for their first win against the Lopes in eight tries.
• SUU and CBU are tied at three wins apiece against each other, with the Lancers taking both contests a season ago. 

The Thunderbirds

SUU is coming off a disappointing performance last time out at Seattle U. What has typically been a fairly high-powered scoring attack this season, the Thunderbirds scored just 52 points while giving up 75. Some of this can be viewed as a result of Dominique Ford, the second-leading scorer for the Thunderbirds, only playing 10 minutes due to injury. 

In the conference opener, SUU had a lead against GCU with under eight minutes remaining but could not hold on in the end. Ford led the Thunderbirds with 22 points and six rebounds. 

Jamir Simpson leads SUU in scoring and is second in the conference at 16 points per game, and Ford is currently scoring 17 points per game in conference games.

SUU will have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball in these games. They are averaging 17.5 turnovers per game in conference play while also ranking last in turnover margin. Valuing each possession will be pivotal to the success of the T-Birds this week. 

Scout The Lopes

-This game is Presented by Safari Hospitality-

GCU has turned it on since conference play started. Averaging over 80 points per game and holding opponents to just 66 in conference play. 

Tyon Grant-Foster has been a significant reason for this. He leads the league at 18.75 points per game in WAC play on 54% from the field. He's also fifth in the conference in rebounding at seven per contest. Grant-Foster scored 23 points in the matchup on January 4. 

Duke Brennan was the catalyst for the Lopes in their win on January 4. After the Thunderbirds took the lead, Brennan secured four offensive rebounds down the stretch that led to second-chance points for the Lopes. SUU will have to clean up on the glass. 

Scout The Lancers

-This game is Presented by Firehouse Subs-

CBU will play Utah Valley at home on Thursday before heading to Cedar City. 

The Lancers are led by the potent offensive prowess of Dominique Daniels Jr. He is 10th in the country in points per game at 20.9 and won't hesitate to shoot the ball 25 times a game. In the two matchups a season ago, the Thunderbirds held him to just nine points in the AFEC, but he then erupted for 39 in the second matchup.

Kendal Coleman can also fill it up for the Lancers, scoring 11 points per game and went for 32 points in a game against SMU earlier this season. He also leads the team in rebounding at 8.6 a game. 

Since conference play started, the Lancers have been averaging just 61 points per game, which is second to last in the conference. However, they hold teams to 63 points per game, which is second-best in the conference. 

Tickets

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