Men’s Hoops Returns From Break, Hosts UM-Morris

The Gustavus men’s basketball team is set to return from the holiday break hosting a non-conference game against the University of Minnesota-Morris Saturday afternoon at Gus Young Court. The Gusties (6-3 overall) most recently had their five-game winning streak snapped, while the Cougars have won three-straight after opening the season on a seven-game losing skid…

Gustavus vs. UM-Morris
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gus Young Court
Live Coverage: Stats | Video

ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team is set to return from the holiday break hosting a non-conference game against the University of Minnesota-Morris Saturday afternoon at Gus Young Court. The Gusties (6-3 overall) most recently had their five-game winning streak snapped, while the Cougars have won three-straight after opening the season on a seven-game losing skid (3-7 overall). 

The Series

Saturday’s game marks the ninth meeting between Gustavus and UM-Morris on the hardwood, with the all-time series tied at 4-4. The two teams last met during the 2014-15 season, in which Gustavus prevailed with a 77-73 victory.

Last Time Out

The Gusties dropped their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game Dec. 13 at the University of St. Thomas, falling 61-54, ending a five-game winning streak. Gustavus shot 21-for-51 from the field while the Tommies went 23-for-56 along with 10 three-point field goals. Jason Faul (Sr., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the Black and Gold with 15 points, going 7-12 from the field while adding a team-high seven rebounds. Riley Sharbono (Jr., Marshall, Minn.) followed with 12 points, his ninth-straight game with double figures.

About the Cougars

After opening its 2017-18 campaign on a seven-game losing skid, UM-Morris opened Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action with three wins over Crown College, the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and the College of St. Scholastica. CD Douglas and Noah Grove rank as the top two scorers in the UMAC, averaging 21.2 and 19.8 points per game, respectively.

Gustavus Notables

  • The Gusties matched their win total from last season with the Dec. 6 win at Augsburg.
  • The 4-0 start to conference play is the best since the 2014-15 season, in which Gustavus began MIAC action with a 5-0 start.
  • Gustavus ranks atop the conference in three-point field goal defense, limiting its opponents to a 28.0 percent mark from beyond the arc.
  • The Gusties rank second in the MIAC with 38.7 rebounds per game.
  • Kelsey Thomas (Sr., Wiesbaden, Germany) leads the Gusties with 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the MIAC.
  • Riley Sharbono leads the MIAC with a 49-for-57 clip mark from the free throw line.
    • Sharbono has scored in double figures each game this season, ranking third in the MIAC with 143 points.
    • Sharbono leads the Gustie offense, averaging of 15.9 points per game (6th/MIAC).