ROLLA, MO  --  Missouri S&T Men's Basketball begins a four-game homestand to conclude the regular season this week, hosting #23 Rockhurst on Thursday for Greek Night and Southwest Baptist on Saturday for Military Appreciation Day.

About the Miners
After four consecutive lopsided wins, the Miners hit a setback on the road, dropping games to Truman State and Rockhurst over the weekend. The team remains one of the best offenses in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), ranking third in conference contests with 80.9 points per game. S&T is top-five in the conference in all three shooting percentages and rank fourth in blocked shots per game with 2.94. They continue to limit second-chances for opponents with 28.48 defensive rebounds per game which ranks seventh in Division II.

Adam Rickman (Washington, MO/St. Francis Borgia) and Blaise Beauchamp (Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins) both rank among the top 25 in NCAA Division II, with Rickman averaging 2.35 steals per game and Beauchamp shooting 88.5 percent from the free-throw line. Beauchamp leads the Miners in scoring for conference games, averaging 17.4 points per game and ranking 7th in the conference for that metric. Andrew Young (Ballwin, MO/Marquette) continues to be one of S&T's top all-around contributors, ranking top-11 in scoring, rebounds, shooting, and blocks per game.

About the Hawks
Rockhurst made their season debut in the national rankings this week, landing 23rd in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll in their first ranking since 2002. They are one of the best shooting teams in all of Division II, connecting on 49.3% of their shots (16th in DII) and shooting 37.2% from the three (32nd in DII). They are riding a seven-game win streak entering Thursday's game and have not lost a game in a month.

The Hawks boast the top two scorers in the conference, with Drenin Dinkins averaging 22.8 points per game and Jaylen Wesley averaging 21.2. The men rank 8th and 13th in NCAA Division II for those metrics, while Dinkins also ranks top 25 in three-point percentage (42.6%) and free throw percentage (89.4). Meanwhile, Wesley has been a thorn in the side of GLVC offenses, ranked third in the conference for steals per game with 2.1.

About the Bearcats
Southwest Baptist has split their last six games, winning three straight before dropping the next three. Their most recent game came against Rockhurst in a home contest where they fell 75-59. The Bearcats have struggled offensively this year but have relied on their defense to achieve a 12-12 record. Their defense ranks 4th in the GLVC with 70.9 points allowed per game. They have controlled the boards against GLVC opponents as well, giving up a league-low 30.6 rebounds per game

Zac Reedus to SBU's leading scorer and ranks 5th in the GLVC for both points per game (17.9) and shooting percentage (53.4). Teammate Jevin Sullivan is directly behind Reedus in the shooting percentage, ranking 6th in the conference and shooting 52.8%. 

What's Next
Missouri S&T concludes their regular season slate with games against Lincoln and Drury before heading to the GLVC tournament in March.

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