This Week
- After playing two of its last three games at home, UMHB heads back on the road, traveling each of the next two weeks in the midst of a seven-game win streak.
- The Cru faces Whitman College (2-4) on Friday night in a 9 p.m. CT matchup, marking the third program in program history the two programs have met. UMHB and Whitman last played in 2019-20, with The Cru securing a 107-95 win in Belton. It will also mark the second time UMHB has played in Walla Walla, having previously made the trip during the 2012-13 season.
- Saturday poses an even bigger test for The Cru, who match up against Cal Lutheran (4-2) on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. The Kingsmen are riding a three-game win streak and hold a noteworthy neutral court win over Calvin, 81-71. Calvin was ranked No. 9 in the country at the time of the game on opening weekend.
Storylines
- UMHB received Top 25 attention for the first time this past week, earning 20 points from the voters in Monday’s D3hoops.com Top 25. That came after The Cru went 3-0, defeating St. Thomas (TX), Concordia (TX), and McMurry last week.
- Cru head coach Clif Carroll earned his 90th career win at UMHB in last Thursday’s victory over Concordia, and is now 91-24 during his time in Belton.
- UMHB’s scoring attack is the most balanced it’s ever been during Carroll’s time leading the program. Three different players—Eli Beard, Josh Goings, and Maurice Pinnock—average at least 10.0 PPG, and three others—Ryan Pondant, B.J. Anderson, and Zachary Engels—are averaging over 8.0 PPG. On three occasions this season, five different Crusaders have scored in double figures in the same game.
- UMHB’s solid offensive efficiency has come about right alongside that. UMHB heads to the Pacific Northwest averaging 84.0 PPG and shooting 49.4% from the field. The Cru’s shooting percentage ranks 23rd in the nation, and they’ve shot above 50% in six of their eight games this season.
- Defensively, The Cru’s athleticism throughout the rotation has created several turnover opportunities, whether on steals, deflections, or forced passes. UMHB is averaging 17.1 turnovers forced per game, which ranks in the Top 50 nationally. They’re also averaging 12.0 steals per game.
- In games played in the state of Washington, UMHB is 3-2 all-time, including 2-0 under Carroll with a pair of wins over Linfield and Whitworth in 2022-23.
- Friday marks Carroll’s third time facing Whitman, having gone up against the Blues twice while at Sul Ross State. Whitman went 2-0 in those matchups during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. However, this will be the first time Carroll faces Whitman head coach John Lamanna, who took over the program in 2020, at the same time as Carroll took the head coaching job at UMHB.
Scouting the Opposition
Whitman
- The Blues have dropped three straight after going 2-1 to open the season, including a 66-60 win over ETBU.
- Whitman is led offensively by junior guard Ali Efe Isik, a native of Turkey who averages 16.3 PPG and 7.2 rebounds/game. Isik is also tied for the team-high in assists this season, with 17.
- Keep an eye on senior guard Alex Pape, who, in his first season as a full-time starter, is averaging 13.3 PPG. Pape went for 32 points in a loss to UC-Santa Cruz on Nov. 24, shooting 4-for-7 from 3-point range.
- Whitman has done well in taking advantage of turnovers this season, forcing 16.3 per game and averaging 16.0 points off turnovers.
Cal Lutheran
- CLU received the second-most points (43) amongst unranked teams in Monday’s D3hoops.com Top 25, and are considered to be the early frontrunner in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). The Kingsmen are the third opponent on UMHB’s schedule that is either nationally-ranked or receiving Top 25 votes.
- The Kingsmen are coming off a 23-5 season in 2023-24 that culminated with its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. CLU returns four starters from that squad, including leading scorer Devon Lewis.
- Lewis, a senior guard from Pasadena, California, put up 31 points in CLU’s most recent win over Redlands on Dec. 7, and is averaging 23.0 PPG. His scoring average ranks No. 25 in Division III, and he is just 16 points away from reaching the 1,000-point mark for his college career.
- Quality guard play is amongst the driving forces for the Kingsmen, who start four guards along with 6-7 forward Tommy Griffitts. Three of their four starting guards are 6-2 or below, but those three—Lewis, Stephen Davis, Desi Burrage—are difficult to stop when they get downhill, and can create matchup challenges on the perimeter as a result of that.
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