The Tiger basketball teams are back on the road this weekend for a pair of MCAC games. On Friday the Tigers square off against the newest member of the MCAC, Central Baptist College of Conway, Arkansas. On Saturday the Tigers finish the weekend road trip in Point Lookout, Missouri against College of the Ozarks.

The Central Baptist women are 7-10 on the season, and 1-2 in the MCAC. The Mustangs are averaging 61.41 ppg while giving up 68.13 ppg to opponents. They are led by Karli Kenley, who is averaging 12.47 ppg. She has scored over 15 points five times this season and over 20 points twice. The Mustangs are in the top five in the MCAC in several categories. They rank 5^th in field goal percentage, 4^th in scoring, and 3^rd in assists per game.

The College of the Ozarks Lady Bobcats are a perennial MCAC power. They have won an amazing 15 of 17 regular season MCAC championships. This season are again at the top of the conference standings with a 15-3, 3-0 record. They are averaging 73.56 ppg and holding opponents to 57.17 ppg. They rank in the top ten in the NAIA in six categories. They are 10^th in defensive field goal percentage, 8^th in scoring defense per game, 7^th in assists per game, 7^th in total rebound margin, 7^th in scoring margin, and 3^rd in assist/turnover ratio. 6'0 junior center Morgan Smith leads the Bobcats. She is averaging 19.67 ppg and 8.22 rebounds per game. She has scored over 20 points 11 times this season with a season high 29 points against Central Baptist.

The Tigers are now 6-12 on the season and 0-3 in the conference. They are averaging 47.44 ppg on offense. Defensively they are giving up 63 ppg to opponents. Samantha Graves and Krystina Powell lead the Tigers offensively averaging 10.24 and 9.63 ppg respectively. Samantha and her sister Rachel are also major obstacles for opponents in the paint. Both sisters have 13 blocks on the season, and together they are averaging over 11 rebounds per game.

The Tiger men are still stinging after a disappointing loss to Haskell on Tuesday 83-89. The Tigers are looking for a little redemption this weekend against the Mustangs and Bobcats. The Mustangs are last in the conference with 4-15, 0-3 record. The Mustang offense is scoring 75.47 ppg, but their defense is giving up 91.39 ppg. They have 4 players averaging in double figures in scoring led by Gavin McDaniel. McDaniel is averaging 14.29 ppg and has four games over 20 points. His season high 26 points came against Baptist Bible College on December 6. The Mustangs rank 4^th in the MCAC in scoring, and 4^th in assists per game.

The College of the Ozarks Bobcats have consistently been in the top four of the MCAC every year. They have been MCAC regular season champions four times and postseason tournament champions five times. They have had somewhat of a down season so far this year. They are currently 5^th in the conference with a 9-9, 1-2 record. The Bobcats score on average 70.50 points per game and give up 70.78 ppg game to their opponents. Two Bobcats are averaging in double figures this season. Junior forward Mike Wiebe leads the team in scoring with 18.59 ppg. He also ranks 34^th of all NAIA players in points per game.

Despite the loss on Tuesday in Lawrence, the Tigers still retained their 2^nd spot in the conference standings. The Tiger offense is averaging 82.78 ppg while only giving up an average of 73.78 ppg to opponents. Their scoring has been consistent both at home and on the road all season. They are scoring 82.7 points per game at home, and 82.5 points per game on the road. Chris Jones is 3^rd in the MCAC and 17^th in the NAIA in points per game, and he is 9^th in the nation in total rebounds per game. Here is a link to the conference leaders, http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/MultiTeam/IndividualLeaders.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&sea=NAIMBB_2011&conference=NAIMBB2_MCAC , and here is the link to our team page that shows where the Tigers rank nationally as a team.

http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&sea=NAIMBB_2011&conference=NAIMBB2_MCAC&team=493

These two games are big for the Tiger men this weekend. A pair of wins would go a long way in keeping their hopes of returning to the conference tournament within their grasp. The games on Friday tipoff at 5:30 and 7:30 and the games on Saturday get started at 3:00 and 5:00.