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Crown | Northwestern | UMAC

Earlier this season on the road
UMM-69 NWC-66
UMM-85 CC-74

READ: Offense Carries Cougars to 88-75 Win Over Rams

The Cougars kick off a four-game home stand to close out the season with two games on Jim Gremmels Court this weekend. On Feb. 10 they host Crown at 7:30 p.m., and an evening later they host Northwesterna at 5:00, with each key to the race for the upcoming UMAC Tournament.

Story line: The Cougars sit in fourth in the current standings, with their 5-5 UMAC record surrounded by this weekend's opponents. Northwestern is third in the standings with the Eagles' record at 7-3, while Crown is in crowded group in fifth, with the Storm's record at 3-7.

With a pair of wins and some help, the Cougars could end the weekend in third place in the conference standings, with a chance to head into the final weekend holding a shot at hosting a first round playoff game.

About the Cougars: Fourth place in the UMAC standings with a 5-5 league record … 9-12 overall … swept Northwestern and Crown on the road in the season's first meetings … winners of three of their last four with only loss by eight points to first place Bethany Lutheran … posted highest scoring game of the season with 88 points in win over North Central on Tuesday … Brodie Raymond led the way with a UMM season high 25 points … Cougars swept Northwestern and Crown at home last season … Derek Schmidt leads team in scoring at 14.0 ppg, and has scored in double figures in last 18 games he has played … Schmidt ranks eighth in the UMAC in scoring, third in field goal percentage (54%) and ninth in rebounds (6.2) … Brendon Foss ranks 17th in the scoring (10.2), 15th in rebounds (5.0) and fifth in blocks (19) … Logan Orazem ranks eighth in three-point percentage (38%), while Raymond ranks eighth in three-pointers made (33).

About the Storm: In three-way tie for fifth in the UMAC with 3-7 conference record, tied with Northland and Presentation … 4-17 overall … three of four wins have come on the road … currently on a three-game losing streak after winning two-of-three to close January … split with the Cougars last season, with each team winning at home … led in scoring by David Glover who also ranks ninth in the UMAC (13.4), while Taylor Jones (12.6) and Truman Shelter (12.6) each sit just outside the top-10 in 11th … Shelter is also sixth in field goal percentage (52%) … Jones also first in steals/game (2.9), second in free throw percentage (88%) and three-point percentage (44%), and ninth in assists/game (3.1) … Glover is second in three-pointers made at 54 … Anthikuan Beeks Jr. is ninth in rebounds at 6.2 and posted a 18-rebound performance earlier this season .. Jones went a UMAC best 5-of-6 in threes against Northland earlier this season.

About the Eagles: Third in the UMAC at 7-3 … 12-9 overall … defending UMAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions after going 13-1 in league play in 2010-11 … only loss was to the Cougars in Morris … beat UMM in the UMAC Championship game, advancing to the NCAA Tournament … preseason UMAC favorite … winners of three straight and four of their last five, with only loss by seven points to league leader Bethany Lutheran … UMAC leader in scoring offense and scoring defense … ninth nationally in three-point percentage (40.5%) … split with UMM last season, with each team winning on their home floor … led in scoring by Wade Chitwood at 17.9, the third leading scorer in the UMAC … led in rebounds by Gabe Jefferson at 6.3, sixth best in the conference … four players rank in the top four of the UMAC in three-point percentage with Tom Gisler in first (49%), Ellis Libby in third (44%) and Wade Chitwood in fourth (43%) … Chitwood went a perfect 5-of-5 earlier this season and also has a 31-point game to his credit … other players at the top of the UMAC include Jefferson seventh in field goal percentage (52%) … Chitwood seventh in free throw percentage (80%), eighth in field goal percentage (49%), ninth in steals/game (1.5) and 10th in assists (2.8) … Aaron Repp second in assists/game (4.0) and assist-turnover ratio (2.) … Ellis Libby third in three-point percentage (44%) and steals (2.1), and fifth in assists (3.6) … Kory Kiekoefer ninth in free throw percentage (73%)m which included a perfect 10-of-10 performance earlier this season.


UMAC Rankings
 

	Morris	Crown	Northwestern
Scoring Offense	67.8 / 5th	67.0 / 6th	71.9 / 1st
Scoring Defense	71.3 / 4th	81.7 / 8th	65.0 / 1st
Scoring Margin	-3.5 / 4th	-14.7 / 7th	+6.8 / 1st
Free Throw %	64% / 6th	64% / 7th	71% / 3rd
Field Goal %	44% / 3rd	41% / 6th	45% / 1st
Three-Point %	34% / 4th	36% / 3rd	41% / 1st
Rebounds	35.8 / 4th	31.2 / 8th	36.4 / 2nd
Rebounding Margin	+4.0 / 1st	-9.2 / 8th	+3.3 / 3rd
Turnover Margin	-2.57 / 5th	-0.32 / 4th	+0.19 / 2nd
Assist-Turnover Ratio	0.8 / 3rd	0.8 / 3rd	1.2 / 1st