Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Basketball: Lourdes returns to the road on Tuesday evening, heading to Concordia (Mich.) to continue Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play.  Following the game, the Gray Wolves will have eight days off from competition while celebrating Thanksgiving.

Head Coach Josh Gibson: In his first season on the Lourdes bench Josh Gibson has a 2-6 (.250) record.  Overall as a men's collegiate head coach, Gibson has a 62-62 (.500) record in his fifth season.  He is only the second head coach in Lourdes program's history.

Series Notes: Lourdes leads the all-time series against Concordia (Mich.) 8-5 dating back to Nov. 2, 2010.  The Gray Wolves have won six of the last eight meetings against the Cardinals.  Last year, Concordia won the first contest in Ann Arbor, Mich. 71-61 before Lourdes posted a 70-51 victory at Tam-o-Shanter.  Lourdes holds a 4-3 edge in games played in Ann Arbor.

Wrapping Up Last Week: Lourdes was unable to overcome 50.8% shooting from the floor by Aquinas, including 60% from beyond the mark, and fell to the Saints on the road 85-59 on Wednesday evening.  Levert Bristol and Najeeb Johnson led Lourdes with 13 points each.  On Saturday, the Gray Wolves pulled out a narrow 68-64 win at home against Michigan-Dearborn for their first WHAC victory of the season.  Johnson tallied 18 points and Bristol added 16 in the triumph, as Lourdes shot 56% from the floor as a team.

Scouting Concordia (Mich.): The Cardinals have dropped four straight games and are still looking for their first WHAC win of the season after falling 90-64 at home to eighth-ranked Cornerstone on Saturday.  Jerald Booker leads four Concordia players averaging in double figures scoring 15.5 points per game while Jalen Thompson adds 13.8 points per night.  Connor Phee adds 10.5 points per night while Jared McDaniel is scoring 10.2 points per game.

Bristol and Johnson Constants in the Lineup: Lourdes shuffled up its lineup last week, but the Gray Wolves' two leading scorers, Levert Bristol and Najeeb Johnson, have stayed.  The duo are the only two Gray Wolves to start all eight games this season.  Bristol leads Lourdes averaging 11.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while Johnson has added 11.6 points per contest, and has made a team-high 13 three-pointers.

Steen and Abbott Break Into the Starting Five: Lourdes connection to Down Under, Daniel Steen and Hamish Abbott, both made their first two appearances in the starting lineup last week.  The Australian natives have combined to score 9.3 points and grab 4.8 rebounds per contest thus far this year.  Steen leads Lourdes shooting 40.0% from three-point range.

First Close Game: Lourdes pulled out a tight four-point victory on Saturday against Michigan-Dearborn, the first close game the Gray Wolves have been involved in all season.  Prior to the contest, Lourdes had not played in a game with a margin of victory of fewer than 16 points this season, going 1-5 in those games.

Ready for a Break: Following Tuesday's game at Concordia (Mich.), Lourdes will have eight days off before returning to the hardwood on Wednesday, Nov. 30, when Madonna visits the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.  Lourdes will have played nine games in 25 days to start the season, seven of which have been away from home.  The Gray Wolves' challenging schedule has including a pair of NAIA ranked opponents, including top-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.).

Blocking Shots: Malik Thurman ranks eighth in NAIA Division II with 14 blocked shots already on the young season.  His 1.75 rejections per contest are 16th best in the country.  Thurman had three blocks against Michigan-Dearborn and has tallied at least one swat in all eight games this year.

Free Throw Struggles: Lourdes has had a rough go of it at the charity stripe early in the 2016-2017 season, as the Gray Wolves are shooting just 57.7% from the free throw line as a team.  Only once this season has Lourdes shot better than 67% from the stripe, a 70% (28-of-40) effort against Bethel (Ind.).  Individually, Levert Bristol leads the way shooting 88.9% from the line, and along with Kris Little (72.7%) is one of two players connecting at better than 70% for the Gray Wolves.

Constant Scoring Leaders: Levert Bristol or Najeeb Johnson have led Lourdes in scoring in six of the eight games this season.  The pair shared team-high honors at Aquinas and Johnson led the Gray Wolves with 18 points against Michigan-Dearborn.  Johnson is the only Gray Wolf to tally 20 points in a game this year,  hitting the number on the nose in the opener against Akron Wayne.

Lourdes Tabbed 10th in Preseason Poll: The Gray Wolves were selected to finish in 10th place in the WHAC this season in the preseason poll conducted of the league's head coaches.  Lourdes was picked just ahead of Marygrove, and just behind Siena Heights.  Davenport was tabbed as the conference's preseason favorite after finishing as a NAIA national semifinalist two straight seasons.

This and That: Daniel Steen scored a season-high eight points against Michigan-Dearborn ... Hamish Abbott tallied a season-high nine points against Michigan-Dearborn ... Levert Bristol is shooting 60% from the floor this season ... as a team Lourdes ranks 42nd in NAIA Division II with 20 blocks and 50 steals.