.png&width=32&type=webp)
Thursday, February 19
Denver, Colo.
9 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Denver
Men's Basketball to Play for Season Sweep of Denver
2/18/2015 4:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DENVER - The IPFW men's basketball team looks to stretch its six-game win streak on Thursday night when the squad travels to face off against the Denver Pioneers on senior night at Magness Arena.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Who: Denver Pioneers (10-15, 4-8 Summit League)
Where: Denver, Colo. | Magness Arena (7,200)
When: Thursday, February 19 | 9 p.m. ET
Listen: ESPN Radio 1380 AM | John Nolan, play-by-play
QUICK HITTERS
• IPFW's six-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the Summit League, tied for the 12th longest in NCAA Division I basketball
• IPFW has tied the program's longest win streak since the 1992-93 season.
• Max Landis was named the Summit League Player of the Week on February 9, marking the first time in two seasons that teammates from the same school have earned the honor in back-to-back weeks.
• After his performances against South Dakota and Omaha, IPFW senior forward Steve Forbes was named the Summit League Player of the Week, his second Player of the Week honor this season.
• IPFW head coach Jon Coffman has 14 wins this season, the fourth-most first-year victories in program history, passing former head coach Tony Jasick, who had 11 in his first season at the helm of the program. The program record for wins in a first season as head coach is 15, held by three different coaches (Gordon Stauffer, Andy Piazza, and Tim Russell).
• The program is looking for its first 4-0 start to the month of February since the 1989-90 team won six in a row to open the shortest month of the calendar year.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver comes into its final home game of the season game having dropped five of its last six games.
In the team's last game, a 54-53 loss at home against IUPUI, Denver led by as many as 13 in the first half, and held a 30-20 halftime advantage, only to see the Jaguars out-score the Pioneers 34-to-23 in the second half to claim the victory.
Brett Olson scored a game-high 18 points, hitting 6-of-12 shots from the field, 2-of-5 from long range, and all four of his free throw attempts. Nate Engesser scored eight points while dishing out four assists, while Bryant Rucker and Marcus Byrd each scored seven. Three players - Cam Delaney, Olson, and Engesser - pulled down five rebounds, while Delaney nabbed a trio of steals.
This season the Pioneers have a trio of players averaging in double-figure scoring, led by Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Olson who is averaging 13.3 points per game. Cam Griffin averages 11.5 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game, as Engesser puts in 11.0 points per contest.
Olson and Jalen Love have 74 and 67 assists, each, while Byrd has pulled down 93 rebounds, second-most on the squad. Griffin leads the team with 41 steals, while Love has 32 and Daniel Amigo a team-best 10 blocked shots.
Olson, Engesser, and Byrd have made 52, 48, and 42 three-point baskets this season, respectively, with Olson hitting on 43 percent of his long range tries, Engesser 47.1 percent, and Byrd 47.7 percent. Olsen ranks fourth in the Summit League in three-point field goals made, while Byrd and Engesser rank 1-2 in the league in three-point percentage.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Who: Denver Pioneers (10-15, 4-8 Summit League)
Where: Denver, Colo. | Magness Arena (7,200)
When: Thursday, February 19 | 9 p.m. ET
Listen: ESPN Radio 1380 AM | John Nolan, play-by-play
QUICK HITTERS
• IPFW's six-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the Summit League, tied for the 12th longest in NCAA Division I basketball
• IPFW has tied the program's longest win streak since the 1992-93 season.
• Max Landis was named the Summit League Player of the Week on February 9, marking the first time in two seasons that teammates from the same school have earned the honor in back-to-back weeks.
• After his performances against South Dakota and Omaha, IPFW senior forward Steve Forbes was named the Summit League Player of the Week, his second Player of the Week honor this season.
• IPFW head coach Jon Coffman has 14 wins this season, the fourth-most first-year victories in program history, passing former head coach Tony Jasick, who had 11 in his first season at the helm of the program. The program record for wins in a first season as head coach is 15, held by three different coaches (Gordon Stauffer, Andy Piazza, and Tim Russell).
• The program is looking for its first 4-0 start to the month of February since the 1989-90 team won six in a row to open the shortest month of the calendar year.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver comes into its final home game of the season game having dropped five of its last six games.
In the team's last game, a 54-53 loss at home against IUPUI, Denver led by as many as 13 in the first half, and held a 30-20 halftime advantage, only to see the Jaguars out-score the Pioneers 34-to-23 in the second half to claim the victory.
Brett Olson scored a game-high 18 points, hitting 6-of-12 shots from the field, 2-of-5 from long range, and all four of his free throw attempts. Nate Engesser scored eight points while dishing out four assists, while Bryant Rucker and Marcus Byrd each scored seven. Three players - Cam Delaney, Olson, and Engesser - pulled down five rebounds, while Delaney nabbed a trio of steals.
This season the Pioneers have a trio of players averaging in double-figure scoring, led by Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Olson who is averaging 13.3 points per game. Cam Griffin averages 11.5 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game, as Engesser puts in 11.0 points per contest.
Olson and Jalen Love have 74 and 67 assists, each, while Byrd has pulled down 93 rebounds, second-most on the squad. Griffin leads the team with 41 steals, while Love has 32 and Daniel Amigo a team-best 10 blocked shots.
Olson, Engesser, and Byrd have made 52, 48, and 42 three-point baskets this season, respectively, with Olson hitting on 43 percent of his long range tries, Engesser 47.1 percent, and Byrd 47.7 percent. Olsen ranks fourth in the Summit League in three-point field goals made, while Byrd and Engesser rank 1-2 in the league in three-point percentage.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMBB vs Dominican Post game and Highlights
Sunday, November 09
Mikale Stevenson #SCTop10 dunk
Tuesday, October 28
PFW MBB vs Ball State Post game and Highlights
Tuesday, October 28
Corey Hadnot II is back from the Waffle House
Thursday, October 09
