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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Dominican men's basketball turns the calendar to 2022 with a pair of road games at Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene.

The Panthers open the southern trip at 3:15 p.m. (ET), 2:15 p.m. (CT), Saturday, Jan. 1, at Kentucky Wesleyan. ODU then continues south to TNU for an 8:15 p.m. (ET), 7:15 p.m. (CT), tip-off on Monday, Jan. 3.

OPENING TIP-OFF

• Ohio Dominican carries a two-game win streak into the new calendar year, defeating both Findlay in G-MAC play and Wheeling on the road to close out 2021.
• It has been a balanced scoring effort during the recent run of success for ODU, as five different players have scored 17 or more points during the stretch.
• Alek West (Slyvania, Ohio) paces the Panthers in all three major statistical categories with 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He has scored 17 points  in both of ODU's recent victories. 
• West is the only player in the G-MAC averaging at least 14 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this winter.
• Sean Marks (Delaware, Ohio) is also averaging double figures this season, 13.2 points per game, and tallied 21 points on seven made triples at Wheeling. 
• Both Mitch Wilkinson (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Max Stepaniak (Ross, Ohio) are averaging 13.5 points per outing over the two-game win streak.
• Stepaniak, in his first collegiate season is recording 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. 
• Arius Jones (Lansing, Mich.) returned to the lineup last time out at Wheeling after missing the previous four games.
• In his return, Jones registered nine points and tied a career high with 11 rebounds.
• ODU is looking for its first wins over KWC and TNU since 2019

ABOUT KWC

• Kentucky Wesleyan used a strong start to the season to enter this week's play above .500 overall, 6-5. 
• The Purple Panthers won three of their first four games.
• KWC is 5-2 at the Owensboro Sportscenter this year, with both losses coming in overtime. 
• KWC is just 1-3 in G-MAC play and will travel to face Trevecca Nazarene Thursday, Dec. 30 before weekend tilts with ODU and Cedarville. 
• KWC is coming off a 104-29 triumph over University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis back on Dec. 14.
• The Panthers are averaging 77.1 points per game, ranks fifth in the G-MAC. 
• A pair of players are averaging 12-plus points and seven-plus rebounds per game in Ben Sisson (16.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG) and JoMel Boyd (12.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG). 
• Sisson has not played since November, while Boyd posted 15 points and six rebounds in KWC's most recent outing.
• Jordan Rolan and Wyatt Battaile are providing 13.6 and 11.8 points per game each. 

ABOUT TNU

• Trevecca Nazarene is off to a slow start this season, 3-8 overall and 0-4 in G-MAC competition.
• The Trojans will host KWC on Thursday, Dec. 30 before welcoming Cedarville and ODU on Saturday and Monday. 
• TNU is coming off a two-day trip in Florida back on Dec. 17 and 18, both losses to Eckerd and Tampa. 
• In its last G-MAC game, TNU took Walsh to double overtime on the road before falling 89-83. 
• TNU is 2-2 at home this winter, but lost both G-MAC outings to Findlay and Hillsdale. 
• The Trojans rank 11th in scoring offense and defense in the G-MAC at 65.7 and 76.8 points, respectively. 
• Central Ohio native CJ Penha leads TNU and ranks third in the conference at 18.6 points per game and leads the G-MAC with 10.2 rebounds per outing. 
• Josh Price is also top 10 in the G-MAC at 16.2 points per game.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu