The Braves won their second straight game on Wednesday night, defeating Evangel University 82-60 at AGFinancial Arena. Ottawa shot 55 percent from the floor, 41.2 percent from behind the 3-pt line and 75 percent from the free throw line.
Ottawa is 9-2 for the first time since the 2019-20 season when OU finished the year with the KCAC regular season championship, a record of 28-6, and made it to the Round of 16 at the NAIA Men's Basketball Division II National Tournament.
The Braves are averaging 84.0 points, 44.2 rebounds, and 15.9 assists per game. They are shooting 46.2 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 74.7 percent from the free throw line.
Jayden Hibbitt leads the Braves in scoring (16.5),
Keith Robinson is OU's leader in rebounding (9.1),
Deondre Buggage is the team's leader in assists (3.2),
Alex Riddick leads Ottawa in blocks (1.3), and
Najee Jones leads the team in steals (2.2) per game.
OU is ranked 50th in the NAIA in points per game (84), 27th in field goals made per game (31.8), 17th in field goals attempted per game (68.8), 49th in free throw percentage (.747), 42nd in offensive rebounds per game (12.7), fourth in defensive rebounds per game (31.5), fifth in total rebounds per game (44.2), and 33rd in rebound margin per game (7.7).
The Braves are 3-1 on the road this season. Ottawa is scoring 76 points per game and shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, 32.1 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 71.9 percent from the free throw line. Opponents are scoring 73.8 points per game and shooting 40.9 percent from the floor, 33.7 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 74.6 percent from the free throw line.
OU has four players scoring in double figures on the road this season:
Deondre Buggage (16.8),
Jayden Hibbitt (15.0),
Keith Robinson (14.0), and
Najee Jones (13.0).
Keith Robinson has recorded four double-doubles in his last six games and two straight. He is averaging 13.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in his last two games.
Saturday is the 127th meeting between Ottawa University and Sterling College. Ottawa leads the series, 71-55, and are 5-2 in their last seven games against the Warriors. Each team won on the road last season. Sterling defeated OU 78-67 in Wilson Field House on Nov. 15. Ottawa won 91-83 at the Gleason Center on Jan. 27. OU has won eight straight road games against Sterling. The last time OU lost to the Warriors at the Gleason Center was on Jan. 24, 2015. Sterling won the game 105-94. The first ever meeting between Ottawa and Sterling was on Jan. 9, 1918 in Ottawa.
Sterling College is 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the KCAC. The Warriors are 3-1 at home this season and enter Saturday's game coming off an 83-62 loss to Bethel College at the Gleason Center. That loss snapped SC's two game winning streak and came after a 71-68 victory by Sterling over Oklahoma Wesleyan last Saturday at the Gleason Center.
The Warriors are averaging 75.8 points, 36.3 rebounds, and 11.9 assists per game. Sterling is shooting 42.1 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 78.6 percent from the free throw line.
Jayden Garrison leads the team in scoring (16.1), Elias Ngoga is SC's leader in rebounding (6.4), Elijah Herron leads Sterling in assists (3.0), Ngoga is the Warriors' leader in blocks (1.4), and Mooch Austin is SC's leader in steals (1.4) per game.
Sterling is ranked 29th in the NAIA in 3-pt field goals made per game (9.4), 40th in 3-pt field goal percentage (.367), ninth in free throw percentage (.786), 35th in turnovers per game (10.9), and 21st in opponent steals per game (5.4).
In four home games this season, Sterling is averaging 73.3 points and shooting 41.1 percent from the floor.
Sterling is scoring 80.7 points per game in their nine wins. In their three losses, the Warriors are scoring 61.3 points per game.
