The Braves fell 98-64 to no. 8 Oklahoma Wesleyan University in their final game before Christmas Break in Bartlesville on December 13. Ottawa shot 33.3 percent from the floor, 25.8 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.
Deondre Buggage leads the Braves in scoring (16.1),
Amil Fields is the team's leader in rebounding (8.1),
Cody Fredrickson is OU's leader in assists (2.07), Fields is the Braves' leader in steals (1.5), and
Elijah Mason leads OU in blocks (0.5) per game.
Ottawa is 5-2 this season in Wilson Field House and 3-0 in non-conference games. OU is scoring 88 points per game while opponents are scoring 82.6 points per game. The Braves are shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 34.4 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line in Wilson Field House. Opponents are shooting 42.2 percent from the floor, 36 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 69 percent from the free throw line.
At home this season, OU has four players scoring in double figures.
Tristen Hull is averaging 23.5 points,
Deondre Buggage is scoring 21.7 points,
Ian Moore is averaging 12.6 points, and
Ty Bland is scoring 12.1 points.
Through 14 games this season, Ottawa is averaging 81.5 points, 37.1 rebounds, and 12.2 assists per game. OU is shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 32 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 69.6 percent from the free throw line.
The Braves are ranked 32nd in the NAIA in points (1,141), 18th in field goals attempted per game (67.2), 43rd in 3-pt field goals attempted per game (25.9), 22nd in free throws made per game (15.5), and 23rd in free throws attempted per game (22.3).
Saturday's game is the third meeting between the two teams. Briar Cliff University leads the series 2-0 and defeated the Braves 83-80 in Sioux City, Iowa on Dec. 17, 2021. The first meeting between Ottawa and Briar Cliff was on Dec. 29, 2016. Then nationally ranked BCU defeated OU 76-71.
Briar Cliff University is 6-6 overall and 2-5 in the GPAC. The Chargers are 1-4 in their last five games and enter Saturday's contest coming off a 67-65 road loss to Hastings College on Dec. 15. BCU is 2-2 in road games this season and has lost its last two games on the road. The Chargers last road victory happened on Nov. 16 at Mount Marty. BCU won the game 80-76.
Matthew Stilwill leads the team in scoring (13), Kyle Boerhave is BCU's leader in rebounding (6.1), Quinn Vesey leads the team in assists (3.4), and Stilwill is the team's leader in steals (1.8) per game.
Through 12 games, the Chargers are averaging 72.3 points, 27.7 rebounds, and 13.8 assists per game. BCU is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor, 32.6 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 67.6 percent from the free throw line.
Briar Cliff is ranked 35th in the NAIA in turnovers per game (11.8).
