Mastodons Look for Season Sweep of Mavericks

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW men's basketball team will look to start a new win streak on Thursday evening, after seeing its seven-game win streak snapped in the last outing. The squad will face off against Omaha, and will look for a season sweep against the Mavericks.,

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Who: Omaha Mavericks (9-17, 3-11 Summit)
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
When: Thursday, February 26 | 7 p.m.
Listen: ESPN Radio 1380 AM | Brett Rump, play-by-play; Art Saltsberg, analyst
Watch: Mastodon All-Access (subscription required)
Live Stats: GoMastodons.com

SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
The Mastodons saw their seven-game win streak snapped in the most recent game, a 66-62 loss at North Dakota State on February 21.

In the loss, the team was led by a career-high 20 points from senior Joe Edwards, while Max Landis scored 13, Steve Forbes 12, and Mo Evans 10. Landis and Isaiah McCray each pulled down a game-high-tying five rebounds, with Landis dishing out a game-high six assists. Edwards' 20-point game against North Dakota State gave the Mastodons six players this season with a game of 20 or more points, two more than the next highest team total in the Summit League.

For the season IPFW has six players averaging over eight points per game, and are led by Forbes who averages 14.3 tallies per contest. Edwards averages 11.4 points, while Evans sits at an even 10.0 points per game.

Forbes and McCray lead the team in rebounding by pulling down 6.1 and 5.7 rebounds per game, each, while Evans has a team-best 86 assists. McCray leads the Mastodons in both steals (34) and blocked shots (25), as Forbes stands second in blocks with 19 and Edwards second in steals with 28.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Omaha comes into the game looking to snap out of a stretch where the Mavericks have dropped 11-of-13 games, with the team's wins during that span coming at home against Denver and Western Illinois.

In the team's last game, an 81-78 loss to Oral Roberts in the team's home finale, neither team led by more than eight points in the game, as Omaha pushed ahead to a five-point lead halfway through the first period before ORU put together an 18-6 run to lead by eight. The Mavericks tied the score four times in the second half, but could not take another lead in the three-point loss.

Devin Patterson scored a team-high 23 points while CJ Carter added 18. Tre'Shawn Thurman and Jake White each scored 11 for the Mavericks. Thurman pulled down nine rebounds, while Patterson dished out three assists.

For the season the high-powered Omaha offense leads the league in points per game, and is led by Carter who averages 16.8 points per game, including a 45-point effort against IUPUI earlier this season that continues to stand as the second-highest scoring game in the nation. Marcus Tyus averages 13.0 points per game, while Patterson and Mike Rostampour averaging 12.0 and 10.3 points per game, each.

Rostampour is second in the Summit League in rebounding, averaging 7.7 boards per contest, as the Mavericks out-rebound their opponents for the season. Patterson leads the team with 92 assists and 52 steals, with Carter second in both categories with 70 assists and 36 steals. Thurman (26) and Carter (18) sit first and second on the squad in blocked shots.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

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Players Mentioned

Joe Edwards

Mo Evans

Steve Forbes

Max Landis

Isaiah McCray

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics