Mastodons Open Four-Game Road Swing on Sunday

PRE-GAME NOTES

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW Mastodons open a four-game road swing on Sunday, December 18 when the 'Dons take on the Skyhawks of UT Martin in Martin, Tenn. in a 2 p.m. EST tip.

Opponent: Tennessee Martin Skyhawks (2-6)
When: Sunday, December 18, 2 p.m. EST
Where:Martin, Tenn. | Kathleen and Tom Elam Center (5,000)
Radio: ESPN 1380 AM (Mike Maahs, play by play)
Live Stats: UT Martin Live Stats
Streaming Video: None

SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
UT Martin comes into Sunday's game with a 3-9 overall record; however, that number is deceiving, as eight of the team's nine losses have come against teams that were .500 or better when the teams played, including losses at nationally ranked Louisville and Mississippi State.

Mike Liabo leads the team by averaging 14.0 points per game, while tying for the team lead with 28 assists. Myles Taylor averages 10.8 points per contest, while pulling down a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game. Gary Love, having made his season debut in the team's most recent game, a 86-83 win over Bethel (Tenn.) scored eight points.

Four players; Corderio Maclin (7.4), Dane Smith (7.1), Jeremy Washington (6.8), and Troy King (6.1) average over five points per game for the Skyhawks, who are getting out-scored by an average of 11.3 points per game this season. Despite having just one player averaging over five rebounds per game, the team is getting out-rebounded by less than one rebound per game.

Liabo and Washington each have a team-high 28 assists, while Taylor has 13 blocks, and Smith 17 steals, each team highs.

AT THE SUMMIT
• The Summit League reached a new all-time high at No. 12 (as of Dec. 12) in both the Sagarin and RPI (Collegiate Basketball News) ratings, the third-best ranking among traditional “mid-majors.” The Summit League has three teams among the top 100 in each.
• The Summit League owns a winning percentage of .500 or better against 13 of the 15 mid-major conferences its teams have played this season.
• The Summit League owns a .509 winning percentage against Division I non-league opponents this season and a .579 winning percentage in all non-league games, both are on pace to shatter the previous best marks on record (since 1998-99).
• The Summit League has four players among the NCAA top 25 in scoring average (through Dec. 11) and five in the top 28, more than any other conference.

LAST TIME OUT
The IPFW Mastodons held Dartmouth to 29.2 percent shooting in the first half, and just 51 points for the game, as the 'Dons held on late for a 56-51 victory over the Ivy League foe, IPFW's fourth straight victory this season, a season-long win-streak for the Blue and White.
   The win improves IPFW's record to 6-3 on the season, while Dartmouth falls to 2-7.
   After being held to just seven points against Nebraska Omaha snapping a 19-game double-figure scoring streak, Frank Gaines scored a game-high 21 points, while Trey McCorkle added 11 in the win.
   McCorkle also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, with Jonny Marlin adding four assists, and Jason Smeathers and Mario Hines each had two blocked shots.
   The IPFW defense was keyed up early, holding the Big Green scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the game, and jumped out to a 14-3 lead on a Hines tip-dunk with 12:29 to play in the first half.

WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE QUAD AND INTO THE GYMNASIUM
IPFW's four-game win streak is the second-longest win streak for IPFW wince 1992-93, as last season's team won six games in a row in the early portions of the year. The school-record for longest win streak in one season is 11, set in 1989-90; however the longest overall win streak is 12, set over the last two games of 1988-89 and the first 10 of 1989-90.

SMALL WONDER
IPFW freshman guard Jonny Marlin is averaging 5.7 assists per game, tied for 35th in the NCAA this season (ESPN.com rankings on December 15). At 5-feet, 10-inches in height, he is one of just five players in the top 35 to be under six feet tall, and is the second shortest of the group (Chaz Williams of Massachusetts at 5-9 is 21st). Marlin is also one of just three freshmen to be ranked in the top-30 in assists, joining Dylan Garrity of Sacramento State (6.3 apg) and Myck Kabongo of Texas (6.1 apg).

FEAR THE BEARD
If IPFW senior forward Trey McCorkle reminds you of Grizzly Adams (who did have a beard after all), it is no coincidence. After growing a semi-respectible beard last season, McCorkle, for no reason whatsoever, decided to grow his out for the 2011-12 season. There is no timetable yet on the next time that the Danville, Illinois native will shave again. He claims to have taken to San Franciso Giant closer Brian Wilson as a facial hair role model.

NO HELMET, NO PROBLEM
Last season, then-junior John Peckinpaugh wore special boxing headgear to help prevent head injuries. The non-basketball headgear drew national attention on Yahoo!, CBS Sports, and ESPN. This season, “Peck” will play his games headgear-free; however, he continues to wear the special head protection at practices.

IPFW vs the OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
IPFW is currently 16-12 all-time against teams currently in the Ohio Valley Conference, while head coach Tony Jasick has yet to face a league team since taking over the head coaching role in April. Jasick was an assistant coach for six years at IPFW, and during his time as assistant coach, IPFW 9-0 all-time against teams from the OVC.

QUICK HITTERS
•   Frank Gaines currently sits first in the Summit League and ninth in NCAA Division I in scoring, averaging 21.3 points per game.
•   After totaling one double-double over his first three seasons, IPFW senior Trey McCorkle has picked up two in the first nine games of the 2011-12 season.
•   IPFW head coach Tony Jasick is 6-3 in his first season as head coach of the Mastodons
•   Gaines saw his 19-game double-figure scoring streak snapped at Nebraska Omaha on December 11, being held to seven points. He has scored 20 or more in nine of his last 11 games.
•   Freshman Jonny Marlin's 5.7 assist per game average is third best in the Summit League, as he also has the third highest assist-per-game average of any freshman in the country, and 35th best overall
•   Trey McCorkle's field goal percentage of .596 puts him 61st in the country
•   IPFW has out-rebounded its opponents by an average of 6.8 rebounds per game, the 34th best total in the country.

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

Mastodons Open Four-Game Road Swing on Sunday

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