Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Basketball: Lourdes begins the stretch run of the 2014-2015 season this week looking to solidify a spot in the upcoming Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament.  The Gray Wolves begin the week at home on Wednesday, entertaining Marygrove, before taking to the road on Saturday evening for a contest against local rival Siena Heights.

Head Coach Andre Smith: In his fifth season both on the Lourdes bench and overall as a men's collegiate head coach, Andre Smith has a 82-71 (.536) record.  He is the only head coach in Lourdes program's history.  Smith was the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012-2013.

Series Notes: Lourdes holds a 5-2 series edge against Marygrove dating back to Jan. 3, 2011.  The Gray Wolves have won four of the last five meetings between the two schools after posting a 76-54 win over the Mustangs in Highland Park, Mich. earlier this season on Nov. 25.  Lourdes holds a 3-0 series advantage in games played at Tam-o-Shanter.  Lourdes holds a 7-2 advantage all-time against Siena Heights in a series dating back to Nov. 12, 2011.  The Gray Wolves have won two straight in the series after posting a 56-40 victory earlier this season on Jan. 10 at Tam-o-Shanter.  The series is tied 2-2 in Adrian, Mich.

Wrapping Up Last Week: E.J. Blackwell scored a career-high 33 points, making 12-of-16 shots from the floor, on Wednesday evening as Lourdes posted a 69-48 road victory over Concordia (Mich.).  The Gray Wolves made 7-of-14 shots from three-point range and committed just six turnovers in the victory.  On Saturday afternoon, Lourdes raced out to a 16-point halftime lead, only to see Michigan-Dearborn storm back in the second half to record a 59-54 victory at home.  Zach Steinmetz led the Gray Wolves with 18 points while Blackwell added 15 points in the setback.

Scouting Marygrove: The Mustangs have dropped 13 straight games and are still looking for their first victory in the 2015 calendar year after dropping a 104-73 decision at Siena Heights on Saturday night.  Darryll Dixon leads Marygrove in scoring, and ranks 19th in all of NAIA Division II, averaging 20.1 points per game.  The senior guard has made 65 three-point field goals this season.  Diante Taylor has added 14.7 points per night and ranks 34th in the nation grabbing 2.8 offensive rebounds per contest.  Jujuan Armstrong is the Mustangs' rebounding leader, grabbing 6.9 boards per game while adding 9.2 points per game on the offensive end.  As a team Marygrove ranks 21st nationally with a 2.54 turnover margin.

Scouting Siena Heights: The Saints have won two of their last three games following a 104-73 win at home against Marygrove on Saturday evening.  The Saints travel to Cornerstone on Wednesday before entertaining Lourdes on Saturday night.  Christian Covile leads Siena Heights in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game while grabbing a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per night.  George Goodman adds 11.0 points per contest while Jerrell Martin ranks sixth nationally with 52 blocked shots.  As a team, Siena Heights is 12th in the country shooting 74.8% from the free throw line.

Looking to Secure a Tournament Berth: Lourdes is closing in a berth in the upcoming Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament.  The Gray Wolves need just one win, or one Siena Heights loss, over the final four games of the season to be assured of a spot in the postseason.  With two wins, Lourdes is guaranteed to finish in the top half of the league for the third straight season.  The Gray Wolves can finish as high as fourth place, but are currently two games behind both Aquinas and Concordia (Mich.) for that spot in the standings.

Tough Closing Stretch: After the two games this week to teams below Lourdes in the standings, the Gray Wolves will close out the regular season against a pair of ranked foes.  Lourdes will host first place Davenport next Wednesday for Senior Night before taking to the road to face Northwestern Ohio, one of two teams currently tied for second in the WHAC.

Blackwell Has Career Night: E.J. Blackwell scored a season-high 33 points for the Gray Wolves last Wednesday in the victory over Concordia (Mich.).   His previous high for Lourdes was 20 points against Akron Wayne on Dec. 10.  The junior's collegiate career high came last year when he tallied 34 points while playing for Genesee Community College.

Taking Care of the Basketball: Lourdes has committed just 37 total turnovers over the last five games, dating back to a season low five turnovers against Indiana Tech on Jan. 24.  The Gray Wolves registered just six miscues against Concordia (Mich.) last Wednesday.  The Gray Wolves, which are averaging just 11.7 miscues per contest, have now played nine games in which they have committed eight turnovers or less this season.

Among the Nation's Top Defenses: Lourdes has given up just 58.4 points per game this season, a mark that ranks third in NAIA Division II.  The Gray Wolves finished in the top-five nationally in scoring defense each of the last three seasons as well.  Lourdes has also limited the opposition to just 40.6% shooting from the floor this season, the 12th best mark in the country.  

Captains Named: Lourdes has two captains on the roster this season.  Serving in the leadership role for 2014-2015 are Jake DuPree and Zach Steinmetz.  DuPree is a two-time team captain while Steinmetz is serving as a captain for the first time.

This and That: Jake DuPree ranks sixth in NAIA Division II tallying 2.46 steals per game ... Eco Dunning scored his first collegiate points, nine of them, in the win over Concordia (Mich.).