DePauw men to face tough challenge

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Heading into this weekend, the DePauw University men's basketball team is the squad to beat in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

And one of the teams that trails them will get that opportunity Saturday.

The Tigers (17-3 overall, 8-1 in the SCAC) will visit Centre (15-4, 7-2) Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Centre is tied with Millsaps for second in the conference behind DePauw. The Tigers knocked off Millsaps Sunday to take the conference lead.

Centre lost to Millsaps on the road Jan. 26, 79-67, but is two games behind the Tigers.

Matt Nestheide leads Centre offensively this season with an average of 15.8 points per game. He is averaging 16.9 points per game in the league.

Matt Jacobson also adds 13.3 points per game while T.C. Thomason contributes 8.9.

As a team, Centre is averaging 70.8 points per game and 71.3 points in league games. Defensively, Centre is allowing opponents only 59.1 points per game, but that average dips in conference games to 57.4 points per game.

In contrast, DePauw averages 75.4 points per game, but only 71.4 in the league. Defensively, the Tigers are giving up an average of 67.2 points but only 63.1 in league games.

Offensively, Austin Brown leads the Tigers with an average of 14.9 points per game, having scored 298 in 20 games this year.

Stephen Schott also averages 12.8 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds, while Mike Moore is averaging 10.9 points per game. Reid Sakel also chips in 10 points per game.

Since falling to Sewanee on the road, 77-70 in overtime on Jan. 5, the Tigers have racked up eight straight victories.

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