ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T will seek to get back on the winning track over the holiday weekend with a pair of challenging games on tap in San Antonio, Texas as the Miners take part in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic.
The Miners will face host St. Mary's in their first game Friday at 3 p.m., then close the weekend by taking on 13
th-ranked Angelo State Saturday in a 12:45 p.m. contest in their last game before opening Great Lakes Valley Conference play Dec. 3 against Maryville.
S&T comes into the two games in Texas with a 1-3 record after losing 92-73 Saturday to Central Missouri. After overcoming an early 10-point deficit to take a brief lead in the contest, the Miners trailed by six at halftime and then came out cold over the first eight minutes of the second half as the Mules extended their lead into double figures.
B.J. McLaughlin (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central), who recorded a double-double in the Miners' first win of the year last week against Missouri Baptist, leads S&T in scoring with an average of 12.8 points a game and is one of three Miners averaging in double figures in the scoring column.
Zach Ellis (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) is averaging 12 points per game and
Desmond Buerge (Carthage, Mo./Carthage) is at 11.3 per outing through the first four games of the season.
McLaughlin is also averaging 7.8 rebounds a game, just behind the eight per game being pulled down by Rokas Paulauskas. Freshman
Allen Billinger (Carbondale, Ill./Carbondale) – one of three S&T freshmen to score in double figures in the loss to UCM – leads the Miners with 12 assists.
Missouri S&T hit a season-high 10 three-pointers against the Mules and is averaging 7.3 treys per game.
St. Mary's, a member of the Heartland Conference, will bring a 2-1 record into Friday's contest with the only loss coming on the road to then No. 10-ranked Colorado School of Mines. The Rattlers have averaged 64 points per game in those three contests but have struggled with its shooting, hitting just barely over 40 percent from the field, 20.6 percent from three-point range and 58 percent at the line.
Kriston Minor lead the Rattlers with an average of 17 points per game, including 19 in a 63-54 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville last Wednesday, while Isaiah Parros is also in double figures at 11 points a contest; Parros also leads the way with 15 assists and 13 steals while ranking as the Rattlers' top rebounder at 5.7 per game.
Angelo State brings a 5-0 record and No. 13 national ranking into play this weekend following a one-point win over previously undefeated St. Edward's Saturday, holding on after nearly squandering a 15-point lead with 4:51 to play. The Rams will face Missouri Western Friday prior to their tilt with the Miners Saturday afternoon.
Angelo State has four players averaging in double figures, led by Shelton Boykin's 19 points per game. Tre Bennett is scoring 17.8 a contest, while Stedman Allen is at 16.4 per contest. The Rams are 12th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 96.8 points per game.
