SLIAC Game of the Week - (1/14)

At a Glance
As we near the mid-way point of the conference schedule teams are starting to focus on playoff positions. This week's SLIAC Game of the Week features two of six teams in the SLIAC that are within one game of each other for first place in the men's basketball standings; as Blackburn College visits Greenville University on Saturday. You can watch the game HERE

Blackburn begins the week with a 5-8 overall record, 4-2 in the SLIAC, and is coming off a win over MacMurray. They will face Webster on Wednesday night in the first of two straight road games. The Beavers are averaging 78.1 points per game, 7th in the league, but are putting up 91.8 points in conference play. They are among the league's top three-point shooting teams, knocking down 10.9 per game at a 35-percent clip (both ranking 3rd). Karson Hayes is the team's leading scorer at 21.0 points per game (3rd in the SLIAC). Nigel Ferrell, Bryson Kirby, and Chanz Aldridge are also averaging in double figures with Kirby tied with Hayes for the team lead with 37 three-pointers. The guard-heavy team commits just 13.2 turnovers per game, the lowest total in the SLIAC.

Greenville sits at 4-8 overall as they enter Tuesday's game against Principia, going 3-2 in the SLIAC. They are coming off a loss to MacMurray and have dropped three of their last four after winning back-to-back SLIAC games at the start of December. The Panthers are averaging 129.3 points per game, allowing 134.9 per game. The fast-paced Panthers are hitting on 37-percent of their three's this season, tops in the league, with six players connecting on at least 40-percent of their long-range shots. Sontiago Grady leads the team at 22.5 points per game and has hit on a SLIAC leading 49 three's. The Panthers lineup picked up a boost with the returns of Marvin Bateman (15.0 ppg) and Eric Williams (12.8 ppg) over the last four games. 

Greenville leads the all-time series against Blackburn 35-14 and has won the last four meetings and eight of the last nine.