Goldeng Deng had a career-high six field goals and four assists last week against Missouri Baptist, and Thursday, the Pirates and Spartans meet again in St. Louis.

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PARKVILLE, Mo. – Nine days after meeting Missouri Baptist University and dealing the Spartans a 105-65 defeat inside Breckon Sports Center, the Park University men’s basketball team will see the Spartans again, Thursday, at Muncy Gymnasium in St. Louis, Mo., at 7:30 p.m.

Park, ranked No. 24 in the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Top 25 Coaches Poll, is 14-7 on the year, splitting last week’s two games with a six-point loss to the first-place team in the American Midwest Conference, McKendree University. Park is 7-1 in AMC games.

Missouri Baptist (11-11, 3-4 AMC) followed last week’s game at Park by splitting another pair of games, beating William Woods by six on Thursday, followed by a five-point loss Saturday to Hannibal-LaGrange. Three players average double-figures for the Spartans, including Brandon Roberson, who leads the team at 19.4 points per game.

Rondu Stevens is the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, and he leads Missouri Baptist on the glass at 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Kyle Hubbard adds 13.3 points per contest to a Missouri Baptist offense that scores 77.4 points per game.

The Spartans shoot 43.1-percent as a team, including 33.5-percent from the 3-point arc, and at the free-throw line, Stevens has knocked down 68 foul shots to help the team’s free-throw shooting percentage reach 67.9-percent. Defensively, the Spartans give up 77.8 points per game.

Park’s defense has carried the Pirates, this season, giving up 66.3 points per game while forcing 439 opponent turnovers on 266 team steals, and Park is led defensively by point guard Derrick Howard, who has 54 steals on the season.

Howard is also the team leader in assists at 68, setting up an offense that averages 76 points per game, led by Herschel Rodgers’ 16.6 per game scoring average. Rodgers is also active, defensively, posting 49 steals and averaging eight rebounds per game.

Terrell Dyer is averaging 10.5 points per game for the Pirates, while Tyler Price is the team’s top 3-point shooter, knocking down 41 long-range jumpers on the season. Rodgers leads the team at the foul line with 108 made free throws, helping Park shoot 65.9-percent at the line, and from the field, Park is 46.4-percent, including 128 made 3-point baskets.

McKENDREE SNAPS PIRATES’ AMC RUN
Saturday’s 80-74 American Midwest Conference loss to McKendree University brought an end to Park’s seven-game conference winning streak, and in the process, also ended the team’s eight-game run of opponents held below 70 points, including all seven previous AMC foes.

The loss also marked the first opponent to reach 80 points on the Pirates since Missouri Western accomplished the mark on Nov. 29, an 82-72 Park loss in the Rock U Harvesters Classic.

Despite Saturday’s loss, park is still outscoring conference opponents 86-65, on average, and in league play, the Pirates are shooting 50.9-percent from the floor, including 40.2-percent from outside the 3-point arc.

Park’s conference defense has forced 164 turnovers on 106 steals, and two players are averaging double figures in league games – Herschel Rodgers (16.1 ppg) and Terrell Dyer (11.3 ppg). Rodgers is also averaging 8.8 rebounds in conference contests, while Juston Hairston and Kyle Rausch have combined for 16 blocks in AMC games.

QUICK TURNAROUND AFTER 100-POINT PERFORMANCE
Park and Missouri Baptist will play just nine days after Park put up its first 100-point performance at home since the 2006-07 season, and the opponent was the same, as the Pirates beat MBU on Jan. 4, 2007, 101-88 at Breckon Sports Center.

Prior to last Tuesday’s 105-point outing against the Spartans, Park had not reached the century mark since the last game of the 2007-08 season, when Park lost in double-overtime to Voorhees, 105-103, in the semifinals of the 2007 A.I.I. Tournament in Orangeburg, S.C.

That season, Park had two 100-point outings, also defeating Brescia, on the road, 102-77.

In its men’s basketball history, Park University has had 38 games of 100 points or more, with a 35-3 record in its 100-point performances. Park’s top scoring outing in school history was 145 points to begin the 2000-01 season.

CAREER HIGHS ESTABLISHED LAST WEEK
Park had several season- and career-high totals established in its two games last week, including 23 in the game against Missouri Baptist and another 12 Saturday against McKendree:

- Blayke Ladd hit his first-career 3-point basket last week against MBU and also picked up an assist and a steal in the game with the Spartans.

- Rudy Harper grabbed a rebound against MoBap and also picked up his first steal of the season in Tuesday’s 40-point win.

- Goldeng Deng knocked down six baskets against Missouri Baptist and passed out four assists against the Spartans.

- Terrell Dyer scored a season-high 20 points in Saturday’s loss to McKendree, five-points shy of his career-high 25 on Nov. 16, 2006, against Columbia. Dyer also hit a career-high 12 free-throws against the Bear cats and registered one blocked shot.

- Tyler Price knocked down three from the foul line against McKendree, and against Missouri Baptist, he posted two assists, matching a career-high also established by Jeremy Voorhees against MoBap.

- Herschel Rodgers had a career-high 13 rebounds against McKendree, and against Missouri Baptist, he posted one blocked shot.

- Jordan White scored a career-best three points against the Spartans, hitting his first 3-point basket of the 2009-10 season in Tuesday’s win.

- Travis Fairley had 11 points, five made baskets and two blocks against McKendree, and Tuesday, he had five assists in the win over Missouri Baptist.

- Eduard Quintero knocked down five field goals and had a blocked shot against Missouri Baptist, while Kyle Rausch had two blocks against the Spartans to go with two assists.