Vegas game notes

Courtesy of SIUE sports information


WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...
All eight teams opened the IBN Sports Las Vegas Classic at campus sites, before
traveling to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. SIUE lost at Indiana and Northern
Iowa last weekend for the first two games of the tournament. The full schedule
for the remainder of the tournament is as follows:
December 22
11:30 a.m. - Longwood vs SIU Edwardsville
2 p.m. - SC State vs The Citadel
4:30 p.m. - Indiana vs Northern Iowa
7 p.m. - New Mexico vs Colorado
December 23 - Championship Round
11:30 a.m. - Loser LU/SIUE vs Loser SCSU/TC
2 p.m. - Winner LU/SIUE vs Winner SCSU/TC
4:30 p.m. - Loser IU/UNI vs Loser UNM/UC
7 p.m. - Winner IU/UNI vs Winner UNM/UC

TOURNAMENT TIME
The IBN Sports Las Vegas Classic represents the third consecutive season the
Cougars have played in an in-season tournament. SIUE will face Longwood
Wednesday before meeting either South Carolina State or The Citadel Thursday.

THE OPPONENTS


•Longwood is an Independent institution, which completed its own transition to
Division I in time for the 2007-08 season. The Lancers are 3-10 this season.
They are led by junior Antwan Carter, who averages 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds
per game.

•South Carolina State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The
Bulldogs are 4-6 this season, after losing to UNI and Indiana to start the
tournament. They are led by senior Darnell Porter, who averages 13.0 points a
game. Junior Omar Sanders leads the team in rebounding with an average of 6.9
rebounds per game.

•The Citadel is a member of the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs are 3-7 this
season. They dropped the first two games in the tournament at Colorado and New
Mexico. Senior Cameron Wells leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.5
points a game. Fellow senior Bryan Streeter leads the team with 6.6 rebounds a
game.

ROAD WARRIORS
This week's tournament games mark the third and fourth of six consecutive road
games for the Cougars, the longest such stretch of the season. The Cougars
travel to Murray State Dec. 30 and then to Ball State Jan. 3. SIUE does not
return home until a Jan. 8 game against South Dakota.

FREE BASKETBALL
After not playing an overtime game since 2008, the Cougars have played overtime
twice in their last three home games. SIUE prevailed 77-76 in double overtime
over Kennesaw State Dec. 11 after falling at home to Middle Tennessee 73-64
Dec. 4.

SHOOTING BLANKS
SIUE has shot just 34 percent (32-94) over the first two games of the
tournament. The Cougars' 17 field goals at Indiana and then 15 at UNI were both
season-lows at the time. Their 43 attempts at UNI is also a season-low.

COUNTING ON COREY
Junior point guard Corey Wickware is leading the team in scoring with an
average of 11.1 points a game. The transfer from Wabash Community College
scored a career-high 25 points in the Cougars' loss at Illinois State. Wickware
has scored in double figures in nine games this year.

NICE DEBUT
Freshman forward Michael Messer has had a successful start to his college
career. Messer has made nine starts and has scored in double figures three
times this season. He poured in a career-high 24 points in the win over
Kennesaw State. He is now fourth in scoring (8.5 ppg) and second in rebounding
(3.7 rpg) among regulars. He is second on the team with a .519 field goal
percentage.

BIG NUMBERS FOR BUNDALO
Nikola Bundalo was named adidas Athlete of the Week after scoring 17 points vs.
Middle Tennessee Dec. 4. Against MacMurray Nov. 20, he recorded his second
double-double of the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Both career highs.
He is fourth on the team in scoring (9.8) and leads in rebounding (5.7).

BUNDALO'S CAREER
The senior center has enjoyed a fine career in a Cougar uniform. He is now 31st
on the career scoring list with 726 points. His career field goal percentage
of .603 is sixth best. He has 89 blocked shots in his career, ranking fourth.

CHITT CHATT
Junior Cornelius Chatt is second on the team in scoring (10.1). He scored a
career-high 22 points at Tennessee Tech Dec. 1. Chatt has scored in double
figures seven times this year. Chatt is second on the team in field goals (49)
and leads in attempts (141).

GET TO THE POINT
SIUE has scored 65 points or less in all 10 losses this season. In six of those
losses, the Cougars have scored either 64 or 65 points.

CONSISTENCY
Messer and Chatt are the only two players to have scored at least a field goal
in every game.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Eight different players have led the team in scoring this season. Bundalo,
Chatt and Wickware have each led the team three times. Eight different players
have also led the team in rebounding. Bundalo has led the team seven times.
Abel Tillman has led the team in rebounding twice this year.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Six different players have at least three three-pointers this year. Wickware
leads the team with 22 followed by Chatt's 19. Chatt also has attempted the
most three-pointers (76).

MISSING THE MARK
Head Coach Lennox Forrester has announced that junior forward Mark Yelovich,
the team's leading scorer each of the past two years, will miss the remainder
of the season after a foot injury suffered in the opener against IPFW.

SIGN `EM UP
Coach Forrester announced Charles Joy has signed a National Letter of Intent to
play basketball for SIUE beginning with the 2011- 2012 season. Joy is a 6-4
forward at O'Fallon High School. He averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game
last season, helping the Panthers to a 30-4 record and a fourth-place finish at
the Class 4A state tournament. Joy also plays for the Southwest Illinois Jets
AAU program.

TOUGH SCHEDULE
The 2010-2011 season schedule features five games against teams that finished
last season in among the top 100 in the RPI. The Cougars play nine games
against teams that participated in the 2010 post-season, including facing two
NCAA tournament teams (Murray State, Northern Iowa).

MORE ON THE SCHEDULE
Though not officially playing a full conference schedule, SIUE will play nine
games against Ohio Valley Conference schools, including six home contests. The
Cougars play home-and-home series with OVC opponents Eastern Kentucky, Murray
State and Tennessee Tech. UT Martin, Morehead State and Southeast Missouri all
play games at the Vadalabene Center this year.

STILL MORE SCHEDULE STUFF
SIUE's season schedule includes teams from eight different Division I
conferences.

Posted in: Archives,Men's basketball