Heading into the final four games of the regular season, the No. 11-ranked Raven men's basketball is the top team in the HAAC at 11-3 while Graceland is trying to battle for seeding as the two school take on each other for the second time this season.
Benedictine holds a 26-21 lead in the series as the teams meet for the 48th time since the Ravens joined the HAAC for the 1992-93 school year.
TIP-OFF: The Ravens have won the last three meetings and a 6-5 against Graceland since the HAAC moved up to the NAIA Div. I level for the 2008-09 school year. ... Over the course of the HAAC series, Benedictine has swept the season series five times and are going for their sixth today after being Graceland 70-55 on Jan. 16 in Lamoni, Iowa. ... The regular-season series has finished in a split 10 times since the 1992-93 season. ... The Ravens once again find themselves sitting in sole possession of first place in the HAAC with two weeks remaining in the regular season. ... All eight seeds in the HAAC Postseason Tournament are still in play with five games separating Benedictine and Graceland – who sits in seventh place. ... Peru State holds a one-game lead over Baker and Avila for the eighth and final seed in the tournament field.
GAMEDAY LINKS
Match up: Graceland (14-11, 6-8 HAAC) vs. No. 11 Benedictine (18-6, 11-3 HAAC) - 7:30 p.m., Ralph Nolan Gymnasium
Radio: KAIR 93.7 FM or www.network1sports.com/station/kair
Video: BRSNtv - www.livestream.com/benedictineravensportsnetwork
Livestats - click on the ((w)): Dakstats Livestats
ABOUT GRACELAND: Jamal Lawson is the Yellowjacket conductor this season. ... He leads Graceland in points per game (16.3 ppg), rebounds (6.4), steals (27) and blocks (23). His 57 percent field goal average currently ranks him fifth in NAIA Div. I. ... Graceland has won two straight, which includes a 85-80 win over then-No. 17 ranked Evangel on Feb. 15. ... In fact, Graceland has been one of the giant killers of the HAAC this season. ... They have three wins over nationally-ranked HAAC opponents earning a season sweep over Culver-Stockton and then earning the Evangel win last week. ... The Yellowjackets average 84.6 points per game, which puts them at third in the category in the HAAC. ... Graceland is one of five teams in the conference to surpass 2,000 team points, as they still at fourth in the HAAC with a total of 2,116 – just two points behind Evangel. ... While Graceland has proven to be a offensive threat, defensively they've struggled to slow their opponents offense. ... They rank ninth in the HAAC in scoring defense, allowing 86.1 points per game. That translates to an average deficit per game of 1.5 points. ...They rank eighth in field goal defense, allowing their opponents to convert on 47.2 percent per game, and they rank sixth in 3-point field goal defense, allowing their opponents to convert an average of 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. ... A bright spot for Graceland defensively has been their steal totals. They have tallied 170 steals this season while forcing an average of 14.3 turnovers per game.
ABOUT THE RAVENS: For the second time this season, the entire conference is looking up at Benedictine. ... The Ravens hold a one-game lead over Culver-Stockton and a two-game lead over Evangel – the final two opponents of the season for Benedictine. ... While the Ravens have averaged 74.6 points per game this season, that number has increased at home to an average of 75.8. ... Defensively, the Ravens are holding their opponents to just 65.2 points per game inside the walls of the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. ... In their nine home wins, the Ravens have outscored their opponents by 13.8 points while limiting them to 38 percent from the floor and 31.8 from beyond the arc.
EXTRA POINTS: The Ravens are one of the deepest teams in the HAAC with eight players averaging over 15 minutes per game with two more over 10 minutes per game. ... Benedictine must not just continued to get those minutes off the bench, they've got to continue to get production off the bench as well. ... Jallen Messersmith and Shawn Fleming Jr. continue to spark the Ravens off the bench with their combination of inside-out play. ... Over the current winning streak, Messersmith has been steady at 6.7 ppg and 6 rebounds. ... In addition to Messersmith's increase production, Steven O'Brien has increased his points per game average to 11.3 giving the Ravens another consistent scoring threat in the post.
