Game Notes (PDF)

Romeoville, Ill. - The Lewis University men's basketball team makes its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament since 2012, and the Flyers (21-8) have drawn No. 8 ranked UW-Parkside. Tip-off is set for 2:30 PM ET at Bellarmine University's Knights Hall on Saturday (March 14) afternoon.
   Live stats and video streaming of Saturday's contest can be found at www.LewisFlyers.com. The game can also be heard on www.LewisFlyers.com and WJOL (1340 AM) with Scott Slocum providing the play-by-play action for the Lewis Sports Network.

ALL-TIME SERIES -  Since Lewis entered the Division II ranks, the Flyers hold a 36-28 advantage over UW-Parkside in their all-time series.   

LAST TIME WE MET - No. 8 UW-Parkside snapped Lewis' eight-game winning streak with the 73-68 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over the visiting Flyers at DeSimone Gymnasium on February 26th.

LAST TIME IN THE TOURNAMENT -  Despite holding No. 4 Bellarmine to its second-lowest point total of the season, Lewis was unable to overcome a combined 55 points from senior forward Luke Sprague and junior guards Jeremy Kendle and Chris Dowe, as the host Knights earned the 66-57 NCAA Midwest Regional victory over the Flyers at Knights Hall on March 10, 2012.

THE LAST TIME (MARCH MADNESS EDITION) - The Flyers are looking for their first NCAA Tournament win since the 2001-02 campaign when they advanced to the 'Sweet 16'.

LAST TIME OUT - The combination of a season-high 19 turnovers and 50 points scored by Indianapolis' Jordan Loyd and Joe Lawson proved to be too much for Lewis, as the No. 13 Greyhounds earned the 70-61 GLVC Quarterfinal win over the Flyers at the Family Center on March 5th.

COMEBACK FOR THE AGES - Lewis rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit, including being down six points with less than 20 seconds left, in their 74-73 win over William Jewell on February 5th. That is the biggest Flyer comeback since they rallied from a 16-point, first-half deficit in an 84-70 win over Alaska Anchorage on November 13, 2010.

TOP 10 - Senior guard Ryan Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) (1,721 points) is fifth in school-history in career points. He needs 33 points to pass Ron Lesiak (1990-94) for fourth place.

DISHING DIMES - Jackson has recorded a career-high 108 assists this season. That's the most helpers by a Flyer player since Matthew Marino notched 133 during the 2006-07 campaign.

DOUBLE/DOUBLE - Lewis guard Max Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) has recorded two double-doubles in his freshman campaign for the Flyers. He is the first Flyer rookie to record a double-double since his brother Marty Strus (2008-12) accomplished that feat in 2008.

POURING IN POINTS - Lewis has scored 90+ points four times this season in 29 contests. That's the most times the Flyers have reached the 90-point plateau since they did it four times during the 2005-06 campaign.

WELL DONE ROOKIE - Strus was announced as the GLVC Freshman of the Year; and was named to the All-GLVC Second Team along with Jackson.

PUTTING THE CLAMPS ON - Senior forward Julian Lewis (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) was selected to the GLVC All-Defensive Team for the third-straight season.

TOTALLY TO THE MAX - Strus is the highest scoring (21st, 13.3 ppg.) freshman in the GLVC. He is also the highest scoring Flyer freshman since Lewis' All-Time Leading Scorer Larry Tucker registered 14.9 points-per-game in 1979-80.

WINNING WITH CLASS - Lewis' current senior class (2011) has recorded the most victories by a Scott Trost recruiting class with 78.

1,000/700 CLUB - Lewis is just the fourth Flyer in school history to notch at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in the Division II era.

POINTS IN THE PAINT - The Flyers have a decisive advantage down low, as Lewis is averaging 36.4 points-per-game in the paint to their opponents' 21.3.
 
POUNDING THE GLASS - Lewis currently holds a +5.3 rebounding margin over their opponents through 29 games this season. That would be the highest rebounding margin of any Flyer team under Trost's tenure. The previous high under Trost was +4.2 in 2007-08.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN - Lewis has hit at least 10 three-pointers in five games this season. That's the most times the Flyers have hit at least 10 trifectas since they did it five times during the 2011-12 campaign.

SIZEABLE VICTORIES - Lewis has had 11 victories of 20+ points or more this season, which is the most by a Flyer team during the Division II era (1980-present).

CLOSE CALLS - Lewis' eight losses have been by an average of 5.4 points-per-game. Four of those losses have come to three teams who are currently ranked in the Top 10 in the Nation (No. 3 Bellarmine, No. 8 UW-Parkside (twice) and No. 15 Indianapolis). Five of the eight losses have come to teams that are competing in this weekend's regional.

FROM LONG RANGE - Sophomore guard Capel Henshaw (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) is currently third in school-history in career three-point FG%, as he has converted 44.4% (59-for-133) of his attempts.

20/20 CLUB - Lewis has won at least 20 games for the second-straight season. The last time the Flyers had back-to-back 20+ wins season was from 2002-04.

CLIMB THAT LADDER - A win over UW-Parkside would give the Flyers 22 victories. That would be the most wins by a Lewis squad since the 2003-04 Flyers went 24-7.

NICE JOB NELLY! - In his last 11 games, junior forward Kyle Nelson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) is shooting 77.2% (44-for-57) from the field and averaging 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds-per-game.