Men's Basketball | 3/11/2016 8:00:00 AM
Game Notes (PDF)
Romeoville, Ill. - Fresh off its first Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in 14 seasons, the Lewis University men's basketball team will meet No. 25 Saginaw Valley State (22-7) in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Quarterfinals on Saturday (March 12). Tip-off between the Flyers (24-8) and Cardinals is set for 8:30 PM at UW-Parkside's DeSimone Gymnasium.
  Live stats and video streaming of Saturday's contest - provided by UW-Parkside - can be found at LewisFlyers.com. The game can also be heard on 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 2-0 advantage over Saginaw Valley State in their all-time series. Â
LAST TIME WE MET - Lewis rallied from a seven-point deficit with less than a minute - highlighted by a game-winning lay-up by junior guard
Miles Simelton (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) - to earn the 85-84 regional victory over Saginaw Valley State on November 21, 2015.
LAST TIME OUT - Lewis, led by five players in double-figures, did not trail once as the Flyers earned the GLVC Tournament title with the 80-71 victory over No. 14 UW-Parkside at Family Arena on Sunday (March 6) evening.
FOUND 1,000 - Lewis sophomore forward
Max Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) and senior forward
Kyle Nelson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) both scored their 1,000th career points against Indianapolis this season. Strus did it in the GLVC Quarterfinals on March 11th, while Nelson did it in the regular-season on February 18th.
DOUBLE DOUBLES - Lewis has recorded 20 double-doubles in 32 games this season.
HOT SHOOTING - Lewis has shot 50.0% or above in 16 of its 32 games this season.
SIMELTON SAYS - Since scoring a season-high 33 points against UIS on January 28th, Simelton is averaging 16.5 points-per-game. Prior to that contest, the Oswego, Ill., native was averaging 9.4 points-per-game.
CLOSE CALLS - Lewis has had 15 games decided by four points or less, or in overtime, and have a record of 13-2 in those games.
BLOCK PARTY - Lewis has recorded a school-record 142 blocked shots in 2015-16, breaking the previous record of 117 set last season. Freshman center
Frank Vukaj (Davison, Mich./Davison) tops the Flyers with 53 blocks. He needs two more swats to break the single-season record of 54, set by Marty Strus in 2009-10.
RECORD-BREAKER (AND TYING) - Strus broke the Flyer single-game scoring record of 46, and tied the GLVC single-game record with 52 points on 14-for-18 shooting, including an amazing 12-for-14 from three-point range in the 99-95 win over Northwood (Nov. 24).
RECORD-BREAKER?? - Based on available records, Strus' 12 three-pointers against Northwood is the most trifectas by a Flyer dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Lewis' 17 three-pointers as a team, are also the most by a Flyer squad since 1996-97.
ANOTHER RECORD?? - Strus broke the single-season scoring record of 608 points set by Lewis Hall of Famer Larry Tucker in 1982-83 against Bellarmine last Saturday (March 5). He now has 650 points and counting.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN - Strus' game-winning shot from three-quarter court to beat UMSL at the buzzer on January 16th was the No. 1 play on ESPN SportsCenter that night.
GIVE THAT MAN AN AWARD (OR TWO) - Strus averaged 38 points and 13 rebounds in victories over Northwood (Nov. 24) and Wayne State (Nov. 28). For his efforts, he was named both the GLVC and USBWA National Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 29th.
BEVO FRANCIS AWARD - Strus has been selected to Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award watch list. The watch list consists of 50 of the finest players among NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.
GETTIN' IT DONE - Strus (20.3 ppg./8.5 rpg./3.6 apg.) currently leads the Flyers in scoring, rebounding and assists. No one in Lewis history has led the team in all three statistical categories.
HE'S A LEGACY - Strus is the brother of former Flyer standout Marty Strus (2008-12). Marty is Lewis' all-time leader in blocked shots (181).
CRASHING THE GLASS - Lewis has had 10 games of 40 or more rebounds this season, which is the most since the 2003-04 campaign when they had 12.
NICE JOB ROOK - Lewis guard
Delaney Blaylock (Wyoming, Mich./Godwin Heights) was selected as the GLVC Co-Freshman of the Year. He is the third Flyer to win this award in the last five years, joining Strus (2015) and
Ryan Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) (2012).
ALL-AROUND EFFORT - Lewis is 14-1 this season when four or more players score at least 10 points. The Flyers' lone loss came in an 84-70 defeat to Indianapolis (Dec. 5). Since the regular-season ended, Strus (18.5 ppg.), Nelson (15.5 ppg.), Blaylock (13.8 ppg.), Simelton (13.5 ppg.) and junior guard
Capel Henshaw (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) (10.5 ppg.) have averaged double-digit scoring figures.
MAGIC NUMBER - Lewis has won 24 straight games when scoring at least 80 points, dating back to last season.
ALL-GLVC - Strus was a unanimous selection to the All-GLVC First Team and Nelson was tabbed an All-GLVC Second Team selection.
GLVC ALL-TOURNAMENT - Strus was named the GLVC Tournament MVP after averaging 18.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in four games for the Flyers. Simelton (13.5 ppg.) was also named to the GLVC All-Tournament Team.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL - Heading into the GLVC Tournament, Lewis averaged 13.3 turnovers per game. In four GLVC Tournament games, the Flyers averaged just 9.8 miscues.
WINNING WAYS - Should Lewis defeat Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, the Flyers will tie a school-record for wins in a season with 25, joining the 1985-86 and 2001-02 squads. It would also mark Lewis' third consecutive victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. The Flyers have beaten at least one nationally-ranked opponent in each of their last six seasons.
WINNING WITH CLASS - Lewis' current senior class (2012) has recorded the most victories by a
Scott Trost recruiting class with 86.
