Henderson_Tavian
Ron Smith

Men's Basketball Media Guide - Week 5

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Live Stats/Live Video – Live Stats and Live Video of all of SMU's Basketball games will be available with links found on smusaints.com. Live stats and video will be produced by the host school.
 
Social Media – Follow the Saints on Twitter (@SMUSaints_MBB) and follow SMU Athletics on Facebook (Saint Martin's Saints), Twitter (SMUAthletics), Instagram (saints_athletics) and YouTube (SMU Athletics).
 
Ticket Information – Tickets for all Saints' home games can now be purchased online at smusaints.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate of the event for eight dollars for adults, and seven for seniors, military, and six dollars for kids 8 and up. All kids under the age of 8 are free. Tickets can be purchased with cash, or debit and credit card.
 
Marcus Pavilion and TwinStar Court – All home Saints' basketball matches are played inside Marcus Pavilion, located on the campus of Saint Martin's. The Pavilion just celebrated its' 50th anniversary in 2017. The newly named TwinStar Court is located inside Marcus Pavilion.
 
Listen On Bryant and Clark Sports Connection - All Saint Martin's Men's Home games will be broadcasted on the Bryant and Clark Sports Connection with links to broadcast found on smusaints.com. Follow them on Facebook (The Bryant and Clark Sports Connection).
 
Saints Digital Network – The Saints Digital Network is your home all Saint Martin's Athletics. Live stats and video broadcast are available of every home game this season for free, and can be found on smusaints.com.
 
Saints' Potential Starting Lineup –
 
G          Luke Chavez                (10.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.1 apg)
G         Chandler Redix            (11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G          EJ Boyce                      (10.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.4 apg)
G         Rhett Baerlocher        (9.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F          Jordan Kitchen            (6.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.3 bpg)
 
SMU Leaders
 
Scoring                        Redix (11.9), Standley (10.9), Boyce (10.8)
Rebounding                 Henderson (5.5), Baerlocher (5.4), Kitchen (5.0)
Assists                         Redix (3.5), Standley (3.3), Chavez (3.1)
Steals                           Chavez/Baerlocher/Standley (1.4)
Blocks                          5 Saints (0.3)
 
Chavez and Boyce Come Alive In Win Over Central Washington - Saints fans have been waiting all season long to see the return of Luke Chavez fully healthy to the lineup, and the Preseason Conference Player of the Year did not disappoint. In the conference opener against Central Washington, Chavez led the way with 20 points, along with three rebounds, and three steals as No. 22 Saint Martin's toppled the Wildcats 77-69 inside Marcus Pavilion.
 
The Saints have found offense from almost every player on their roster so far this season; however, only five Saints three or more points, including two starters being held completely scoreless, in the win over CWU. Chavez and Boyce combined to hit eight 3-pointers, and were the leading scorers at 20 and 18 points respectively. The Wildcats managed to cut a 20-point second half lead for the Saints, down to eight, but were never able to come any closer.
 
Saints Overcome Nighthawks In Heavyweight Clash - What looked like to be a clash between two heavy weight offenses inside Marcus Pavilion, the Saints and the Nighthawks did not disappoint. The two teams combined for 119 points in the second half, with Chandler Redix and BJ Standley's 45 points leading the way for a narrow 88-86 victory to put SMU atop the GNAC standings.
 
Defense and athleticism proved to be the key in the first half, with neither side gaining a serious advantage. The Saints led by one at the break, 28-27, before the offensive floodgates opened in the second half. Redix and Standley went 19-for-22 at the free throw line down the stretch as the Saints fought off the Nighthawks persistent offensive charge to close out the victory.
 
The Saints Are Ranked - After winning two more games last week, the opening two game of conference action, the Saints moved seven spots up in the fourth D2SIDA (Media) National Poll back to the 15 spot. The Saints also received their first national ranking in the coach's poll, sitting at 24th now.
 
GNAC's Longest Active Win Streak – Dating back to their home opener win over Northwest Christian on November 19, the Saints are currently on a five game winning streak. The streak marks the longest active streak and the longest of the season in the GNAC.
 
Efficient Offense Is The Key – The Saints rank among the best in the GNAC in almost every offensive category. The team has posted a shooting line of .481/.403/.752, in which the Saints rank first in 3-point shooting, second in free throw percentage, and third in field goal shooting. SMU is the only school in the conference to be top-three in all three stats, with only one other school (MSUB) ranking top-three in two categories.
 
From A Weakness To A Strength – Last season, the Saints were one of the lowest in free throw percentages in the GNAC. Fast forward to this season, and SMU ranks second in the GNAC with a 75.2 percentage, including their 19 made free throws in the final minutes to hold off Northwest Nazarene on December 1.
 
Leading The League In Threes – Saint Martin's has focused their offensive game around the 3-pointer all season, and with multiple weapons in the back court who can effectively hit from long range, SMU is once again at the top. The Saints are the only team who average better than 40 percent from beyond the arc as a team in the GNAC.
 
Laundry List Of AwardsLuke Chavez was named to the D2CCA All-West Region, and NABC West Region team, along with the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, first team All-conference and was a three time GNAC Player of the Week last year. He was voted the 2018 GNAC Preseason Player of the Year to begin the 2018-19 campaign.
 
Saints Ranked In Two Preseason Polls - After coming off a 25-8 season, and reaching the NCAA Tournament, and advancing to the Round of 32, the Saints have caught attention of the national stage. Saint Martin's received 32 votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Preseason Poll, and 27 votes in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) Preseason Poll.
 
Setting Records – The Saints' 25 wins last year was most ever in the NCAA-era in program history... and the first time since the 1982-83 season (28).
 
Boyce All-ConferenceEJ Boyce was named honorable mention All-Conference last year after averaging over 11 points per game and shot almost 44% from beyond the arc.
 
Playing In The Spotlight – The Saints played in the first ever nationally televised game in school history. The GNAC Championship game was broadcast on ESPN 3. Their second nationally televised game came against BYU on the BYU.tv network.
 
Pack The Pavilion – Over 10,000 people attended SMU Basketball games last season... One of only four programs in the GNAC to reach the 10,000 mark.
 
Championship Time – The Saints reached their first ever GNAC Championship game in school history after Luke Chavez hit the buzzer beater over Western Washington in the semifinals.
 
Saints Go Dancing – SMU went to the big dance for the first time in program history... being selected as an at-large bid in the West region.
 
Advancing In The Tournament – Another first in school history, the Saints defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 66-58, to advance to the Round of 32.
 
Bring On The D-I's – Over the course of the last four seasons, the Saints have faced some of the premier D-I basketball programs to begin the years. During that stretch, SMU has traveled to Gonzaga, Washington, Washington State, and most recently BYU.
 
Positional Preview (Guards) – The Saints return one of the best backcourts not only in the GNAC, but in the West Region, headlined by All-Region selection Luke Chavez. With two transfer guards starting last season, along with seasoned veteran Rhett Baerlocher, there was a lot of optimism, but also a lot of question marks. Chavez and EJ Boyce quickly erased any questions and established themselves as one of the top backcourts in the NCAA West. This season, there are no question marks or uncertainties. The Saints look to rely on the sharp shooting and quickness of their guards in order to return to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Positional Preview (Forwards) – The Saints lone loss from last year's squad was center Matt Dahlen; however, head coach Alex Pribble, returns two seniors, Jordan Kitchen and Jared Mathews, along with sophomore Tavian Henderson, and adds transfer center Marky Adams to the mix. Dahlen provided leadership and improved his offensive game as the season went on, and will be difficult to replace in the lineup. With the likes of Kitchen, a four year starter, and Mathews and Henderson being an integral part to the team last year, the Saints looked poised to step up and produce one of the most efficient front courts in the region.

 
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