Men’s Basketball is No. 2 seed in KCAC Tournament, hosts No. 7 Ottawa on Thursday

By KWU Athletics Release February 27, 2024

After finishing the regular season on a four-game winning streak, the Kansas Wesleyan Men’s Basketball team earned the No. 2 seed in the KCAC Tournament and hosts No. 7 seed Ottawa on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside Mabee Arena.

THURSDAY’S GAMEOpponent: Ottawa BravesTime: 7 p.m.Location: Mabee Arena

LIVE COVERAGE

TICKETS

  • Tickets for the KCAC tournament are on sale now at kcacsports.com –> GET TICKETS HERE
  • This is a no pass event, per KCAC policy
  • All tickets must be purchased online, there will be no on-site ticket sales, KWU ticket staff will be available to help with ticket sales at the door, but there will be no cash sales

RECORDS

  • Kansas Wesleyan 21-7, 18-4 KCAC
  • Ottawa 16-12, 11-11 KCAC

THE SERIES

  • The Coyotes have won five in a row and six of seven. This season they won 77-67 December 6 in Ottawa and 89-83 February 19 in Mabee Arena. The Coyotes are 10-11 at home against OU since January 2006. The Braves lead the series 24-18 during that span.

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

  • The Coyotes earned the second seed by closing out the regular season with four victories in eight days. After losing to Saint Mary, they responded with an epic 96-93 overtime victory over No. 9 Southwestern in Mabee Arena. It was their second victory over the Moundbuilders this season and gave them the tiebreaker that came into play after the two finished the regular season tied for second. Then came victories over Ottawa in Mabee Arena, at Tabor and York on Saturday in Mabee Arena.
  • The KWU-Ottawa winner plays the Southwestern/McPherson winner in the semifinals Saturday at the site of the higher seeded team. Southwestern is the third seed and McPherson the sixth. The championship game is scheduled for March 4 inside Hartman Arena in Park City.
  • Jun Murdock celebrated Senior Night last Saturday in impressive fashion finishing with 28 points and five assists. Izaiah Hale scored 21 and Alex Littlejohn had 14 points and 14 rebounds. KWU trailed 55-50 early in the second half before regaining the lead for good with 14:55 left.
  • Murdock and Littlejohn scored 15 apiece in the first game against Ottawa. Littlejohn also had 13 rebounds and Thurbil Bile added 11 points and 14 rebounds. KWU led 44-31 at halftime of the second game and fended off the Braves’ attempts to rally in the second half. Littlejohn had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Bile and Caden Hale scored 15 apiece and Murdock had 13.
  • Murdock averages 18 points, five assists and four rebounds while Littlejohn averages 17 points and 11 rebounds. Izaiah Hale averages 10.7 points and Bile 9.7. KWU averages 82 points, allows 75 and is shooting 47 percent overall, 34 percent from 3-point range.

OTTAWA AT A GLANCE

  • The seventh-seeded Braves lost to Saint Mary 93-91 in overtime Saturday in Ottawa. It was their third loss in four games; they defeated Evangel 70-69 last Wednesday in Ottawa. OU had won five of six before the recent slump.
  • The Braves average 81.6 points but allow 80. They shoot 36 percent from long distance and average just under nine made 3-pointers per game on 36 percent shooting. Opponents are shooting 43 percent.
  • Jayden Hibbitt and Deondre Buggage average a combined 39.6 points per game – Hibbitt 20.6 and Buggage 19.0. Buggage, a 5-foot-9 junior point guard, has surpassed the 20-point plateau 13 times this season and Hibbitt 18 times. Hibbitt, a 6-6 junior and transfer from Washburn, has scored 30-plus points five times including 38 against Saint Mary on Saturday. Kameron Woods averages 11.3 points and Angok Anyang, a 6-9 center, 9.8 rebounds and 9.5 points.
  • Buggage scored 20 against KWU in the first game this season and 29 in the second while Hibbitt had 11 and 21 points respectively.