Willamette to Face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's basketball team will take on its third opponent in a row from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the Bearcats host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Cone Field House. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (PST).

Willamette is 0-2 against SCIAC competition this season, and 0-2 on the year, having suffered narrow road losses to the California Institute of Technology and the University of La Verne last week. The Bearcats fell to Caltech, 58-55, before losing to the Leopards, 70-64.

CMS, which finished second in the nine-team SCIAC last year, is 2-0 this season. The Stags defeated San Diego Christian College 72-60 in their season opener, and notched a 68-56 victory over The Master's College on Nov. 19.

Live stats will be available on the Bearcat Network. Willamette will not begin broadcasting video of home games until Northwest Conference play begins on Jan. 3, 2013.

The Bearcats last faced CMS on Nov. 21, 2009 in just the second game of current WU Head Coach Kip Ioane's tenure. Terrell Malley scored 24 points while Cameron Mitchell notched 12 points and 15 rebounds, as Willamette upset the Stags 94-86 at Cone Field House.

Willamette's top scorer this season is Avery Manu (Sr., Wing, Pocatello, ID/Highland HS) with 14.0 points per game. Alex Brown (Jr., F, Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas HS) is averaging 12.0 points per game, while Alex Hansen (Sr., Wing, Reno, NV/Galena HS) and Brandon Luedtke (So., F, Meridian, ID/Mt. View HS) are both averaging 10.0 points per contest.

Manu is 11 of 19 on shots from the field (57.9%), while Brown has connected on 10 of 12 free throws (83.3%). Luedtke leads the Bearcats with 6.5 rebounds per game.

Tyler Gaffaney (Sr., G) leads Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with 20.5 points per game. Remy Pimson (Sr.,, G) has provided the Stags with 16.5 points per game. Gaffaney is averaging a team-high 7.0 rebounds per contest.