Backcourt Visions

Men's Basketball February 02, 2022 Athletics Communications

Hatters head to the Music City and the Natural State to face Lipscomb, UCA

Nashville, Tenn. -- The Stetson University men's basketball team gets set for a two-game road trip as the Hatters head to Lipscomb University on Thursday, Feb. 3 with a bout against the Bison before heading to Conway, Ark. to face Central Arkansas. Tip-off against Lipscomb is set for 8:15 EST. and then 4:15 p.m. EST against UCA. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Recap
Stetson made history Saturday night as the Hatters scored a season-high 113 points in their win over Eastern Kentucky. Stetson's 113 points were the most that EKU has allowed this year and it was the first time since 2001 that the Hatters scored triple digits in a conference game.

Christiaan Jones led the way as the graduate student tallied a season-high 25 points in the win, shooting 10-of-13 from the field. Wheza Panzo recorded a new career-high in both points and made 3-pointers as the junior put up 20 and went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. Three other Hatters finished with double figures as Chase Johnston tallied 19 while Alvin Tumblin and Josh Smith each recorded 12.

Scouting the Bison
Lipscomb enters Thursday's contest with a 10-13 overall record and is 3-5 in ASUN action. The Bison come off only their second road victory of the season as they defeated North Florida 77-74 back on Jan. 29. Lipscomb plays better at home as the Bison are 6-3 on their home court but are 2-6 away from Allen Arena.

The Bison sport a well-balanced offense as junior center Ahsan Asadullah leads Lipscomb with 15.5 points per game and averages 8.6 boards per game. Jacob Ognacevic follows Asdullah as the freshman forward boasts 14.6 points per game, shooting 51.9 percent from beyond the arc. Greg Jones and Will Pruitt average 9.7 and 9.1 points per game, respectively. As a team, the Bison shoot 47.3 percent from the field, good for third in the ASUN and 35.9 from beyond the arc, good for fifth in the league.

All-Time Series
Thursday's contest will be the 42nd all-time meeting between Lipscomb and Stetson, dating back to Dec. of 1962. Last time out, the Bison got the best of the Hatters as Lipscomb topped Stetson 69-61 at the Edmunds Center.

Scouting the Bears
Central Arkansas will enter Saturday's game coming off a home game against Florida Gulf Coast. The Bears currently sport a 6-14 overall record and are 3-4 in ASUN action, having lost three straight. UCA is 5-1 at home, but have struggled on the road this year, having gone 1-11.

The Bears offense is led by Darious Hall and Carmen Hunter as the pair average 13.6 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Collin Cooper puts up 10.6 per game and two other Bears players, Eddy Kayouloud and Jared Chatham each tally 8.9 and 8.6 per game. Hall crashes the glass for the Bears as his 7.5 boards per game leads UCA. As a team, the Bears average 72.2 points per game, good for eighth in the ASUN.

All-Time Series
Saturday's contest between Stetson and UCA will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Scouting the Hatters
Stetson enters Thursday's game against Lipscomb with a 9-12 overall record and is 3-5 in ASUN action as the Hatters are currently tied with FGCU for fourth in the league standings. The Hatters come off their highest-scoring win of the season, just one game removed from their second-lowest scoring performance of the year.

Christiaan Jones and Chase Johnston continue to provide consistent offense for the Hatters but Saturday's game showed their bench can provide a much needed spark, scoring 37 points, with 20 coming from Panzo. Stetson tallied 29 assists on the night, their highest assist total of the year, as Giancarlo Valdez dished out a career-high 12 dimes while Stephan Swenson provided eight of his own. The Hatters look to win back-to-back games for just the third time this season.

Looking Ahead
After this week's two-game road trip, Stetson returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 9 as the Hatters host Jacksonville State for their final West Division contest. Tip-off against the Gamecocks is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#0 Christiaan Jones: G; 6' 5"; Graduate Student

#1 Wheza Panzo: G/F; 6' 7"; Junior

#12 Josh Smith: F; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#30 Stephan Swenson: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#5 Giancarlo Valdez: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#35 Alvin Tumblin: F/C; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#0 Christiaan Jones
: 6' 5"; Graduate Student
: G

#1 Wheza Panzo
: 6' 7"; Junior
: G/F

#12 Josh Smith
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: F

#30 Stephan Swenson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#5 Giancarlo Valdez
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#35 Alvin Tumblin
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F/C

Stetson University Athletics

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Hatters head to the Music City and the Natural State to face Lipscomb, UCA

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston

#0 Christiaan Jones

#1 Wheza Panzo

#12 Josh Smith

#30 Stephan Swenson

#5 Giancarlo Valdez

#35 Alvin Tumblin

Players Mentioned

#11 Chase Johnston

#0 Christiaan Jones

#1 Wheza Panzo

#12 Josh Smith

#30 Stephan Swenson

#5 Giancarlo Valdez

#35 Alvin Tumblin