Boll Weevils Get Rematch with Bulldogs in GAC Tournament

Courtesy University of Arkansas at Monticello Athletics Department

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello men’s basketball team is set to open the 2012-13 Great American Conference Championship Tournament this Friday, March 8 against Southwestern Oklahoma State, the team that eliminated the Boll Weevils from last year’s tournament on a buzzer-beating shot in the semifinals. 

In addition to last year’s tournament semi-finals, SWOSU swept the regular season matchups between the two squads this year, one of just three teams to do so over the past four months. The Boll Weevils (16-10, 11-9 GAC) enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed, while SWOSU (11-15, 10-10 GAC) is the No. 6 seed.

In the first meeting between the two teams this season, the Bulldogs recorded a 68-59 victory at home in Weatherford on November 29, and followed that with a 71-70 win over UAM in Monticello on February 2. 

The Boll Weevils enter the tournament ranked eighth in the league in scoring offense at 66.2 points per game, but the team leads the GAC, the Central Region and ranks eighth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up right at 60 points per outing. UAM leads the GAC in scoring margin (+6.2), turnover margin (+2.92) and ranks second in steals (8.8 per game).

SWOSU ranks ninth in the league in scoring offense (66.1) and seventh in scoring defense (68.8 points allowed per game). 

UAM is led by GAC Player of the Year Kori Forge, who leads the league in total points (515) and scoring average (19.8 per game). He ranks 26th in the nation and fourth in the Central region in scoring entering this weekend’s tournament. For more information about Forge’s player of the year selection, visit the following link: http://www.uamsports.com/news/2013/3/6/MBBALL_0306132306.aspx?path=mbball. 

In addition to Forge’s production, junior Dayton Mickens averages double-digits as well with a clip of 10.1 points per outing. Junior Brandon Sims and senior A.J. Calhoun trails closely with averages of nine and eight points per game, respectively. Calhoun leads the team and ranks second in the league with an average of eight rebounds per game. Junior Jamal Nixon paces the UAM defense and leads the league with an average of 2.1 steals per game. 

The Bulldogs are led by three double-digit scorers. All-GAC honorable mention selection Marin Zelalija leads the Bulldogs at 12.4 points per game, followed by Thomas Davis and Cornelius Dominick at 12.3 and 11 points per game, respectively.

Friday’s game between UAM and SWOSU is set for a noon tipoff inside Bartlesville, Okla.’s Bruin Fieldhouse. The winner of that game advances to the semi-finals to face off against either No. 2 seed Arkansas Tech or No. 7 seed Henderson State on Saturday at 6 p.m. For ticket information, visit the tournament home page: http://greatamericanconference.com/sports/2013/2/9/BKB_0209131113.aspx. 

All games of the 2013 GAC Men’s and Women’s Championship Tournaments will be streamed live via the Great American Conference Sports Network. All of UAM’s games will also be carried on the radio along the UAM Sports Network at KHBM-FM 93.7 in Monticello and online at uamsports.com.

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