COLUMBUS, Ohio - Before the final game of the 2023 calendar year returns the Ohio Dominican Panthers men's basketball team to conference play, the Panthers will head to West Virginia to force a battle of the claws. Ohio Dominican will take on the Tigers of Salem University on Tuesday (Dec. 19) afternoon at 3:00 PM. 

OPENING TIPOFF

• Ohio Dominican won both home match-ups last week to get to 3-6 overall. The Panthers were victorious 76-69 over Central State on Wednesday and 74-66 over Kent State-Tuscarawas on Friday. 
• The Panthers won back-to-back games for the first time since December 11th and 18th, 2021. With three straight home wins, ODU now has a three-game winning streak inside of Alumni Hall. This is the first time since February 2020. 
• Sean McKitrick (Dayton, Ohio) has scored in double-digits in five straight games, including 24 points vs. Central State. He averaged a team-high 20.5 points with 15 field goals, seven threes last week. The freshman is second on the team with 14.6 points per game. 
• JeJuan Weatherspoon (Columbus, Ohio) paces the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks. He is scoring 16.9 points per game with 10.4 rebounds. His rebounding totals lead the G-MAC along with his 7.9 defensive rebounds per game. In D2, he is 5th in defensive rebounds per game and 11th in rebounds per game. Weatherspoon missed last week's games due to injury. 
• Luke Ruth (Grove City, Ohio) set two season-highs in back-to-back games last week. Ruth averaged 18.5 points in two games with a season-high 19 against Kent State-Tuscarawas. Ruth had a team-high 60.9% field goal percentage while tallying 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game last week.
• Caleb Brooks (Florence, Kentucky) scored 19 points against Central State and finished with 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and seven free throws. Brooks has six games of at least ten points and averages 13.6 points abd 4.9 rebounds. 
• Nate Webb (Lafayette, Indiana) hit four three pointers versus Kent State-Tuscarawas in a 12-point effort. He scored 9.5 points in his two games last week. 
• Zac Kimball (Sydney, Australia) led with eight rebounds against Kent State-Tuscarawas and compiled 13 boards for the week (6.5 RPG average). 
• The Panthers and Tigers have met six times since ODU went to Division II on the court. Salem won the first four games in the series until Ohio Dominican won the last two meetings, both at home. Three of the six games were within five points and all games have featured results within ten points. Salem has won the three matchups inside of T. Edward Davis Gymnasium. 
• Last week saw the Panthers set season-highs with 12 made three pointers, 18 assists and forced 18 turnovers all against Kent State-Tuscarawas on Friday. The 41.4% three point percentage and nine steals rank second so far this season. 
• Ohio Dominican is fifth in free throw percentage (.727) and field goal % defense (.439), sixth in three point % defense (.339), and seventh in scoring defense (74.3 PPG).

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• Salem enters Tuesday's contest at 2-8 this season under first-year head coach Vincent Thibodeau. 
• Salem has played eight games against the Mountain East Conference so far, going 2-6 and is 0-2 against the PSAC this season. 
• The lone victories came against Glenville State (112-100) and West Virginia Wesleyan (80-72) on the road. 
• The Tigers had a five-game losing streak between wins and is currently on a two-game slide. Salem has lost their eight games by an average of 19.3 points as the slimmest defeat came at eight points. 
• Jack Garrison IV leads the team with 14.0 points per game as well as 50 field goals and 27 three pointers. 
• Ashraf Tchadouwa has been the force inside for the Tigers with 13.8 points, 11 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He ranks first in Division II with 5.7 offensive rebounds per game, third with six double-doubles, sixth in total rebounds and ninth per game.  The senior has taken the most free throw attempts (69), making 44 of them. 
• Ian Hardy is scoring 12.0 points per game while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per contest. 
• Brandon Francois is the team leader for assists with 3.0 per game. 
• The Tigers score 68.8 points while allowing 82.2 per game. They have a field goal % of 41.3% and shooting 31.2% from deep. 
• As a team, Salem is 17th in rebounding in Division II.