COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Centenary basketball team (14-10) looks to make history at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament this weekend, February 23-25. With the second seed, the Gents receive a bye to the semifinals on Saturday and will either face third-seeded Dallas (15-10) or sixth-seeded Texas Lutheran (11-14).
#2 Gents vs #3 Dallas/#6 Texas Lutheran: Live Stats | Live FREE Video
The Opening Tip
- Centenary (14-10) looks to make its third SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament Final in the past five years when it takes on either Texas Lutheran (11-14) or Dallas (15-10) Saturday afternoon.
- The Gents are 4-5 all-time in the SCAC Tournament but 4-0 against a lower seed.
- Travion Kirkendoll led the conference regular season in scoring for the second time in his career in 2017-18. A Gent has led the conference in scoring in the regular season all six years as a member of the SCAC.
- Kirkendoll, who led the SCAC in steals his freshman-junior seasons, currently sits second in that category in 2017-18 with 2.4 steals per game.
Last Game against Dallas and Texas Lutheran
Down by double-digits in the first half, the Gents cut the deficit to one by halftime and pulled away for an 86-78 win against Dallas in Shreveport February 2, 2018.
Travion Kirkendoll led Centenary with 25 points, while Cedric Harris just missed a double-double with 24 points and nine boards.
Five reached double figures for the Crusaders, led by Michael Wambsganss 19 off the bench. Despite foul trouble, Spencer Levi recorded the double-double and finished with 17 points and 12 boards.
The Gents and Bulldogs met just two weeks ago in Seguin on February 9. Centenary led by as much as nine in the second half and by five with less than 30 seconds to play, but a key free throw miss and turnover, as well as 10 points by Sebastien Andrade in the final 28 seconds, helped Texas Lutheran claim the 77-75 win.
Kirkendoll led all scorers with 32, while Andrade paced the Bulldogs with 26.
The Series with Dallas and Texas Lutheran
The Gents hold a 10-5 advantage over Dallas all-time, but Texas Lutheran lead Centenary 9-5 in the all-time series.
The Crusaders and Gents have never met in the SCAC Tournament, but the Bulldogs have ended Centenary's season in each of the last three years.
Turning the Corner?
Treylan Matthews averages 10.2 points per game in his three-year Gents career, but is only averaging 9.2 points per game this season. However, he is making a late push for double-digits. In the final game of the regular season against Austin College, he scored a game-best 26 points with a career high 10 field goals made. His scoring output was his second-highest total ever in his collegiate career.
Next Up
Should the Gents beat either three-seed Dallas or sixth-seeded Texas Lutheran, Centenary will play in its third SCAC Tournament Final in the six seasons it has been in the conference. The SCAC Tournament Championship Game is scheduled for 1 p.m. (Noon MST) on Sunday, February 25.
