Game 9
SIUE Cougars (6-2, 0-0 OVC) 
vs. Troy Trojans (6-2, 0-0 SBC) 
Saturday, December 3, 2:00  p.m.
First Community Arena (4,000), Edwardsville, Illinois

LAST TIME OUT 
SIUE defeated St. Ambrose 89-54 Tuesday and, in the process, matched a pair of program highs. The Cougars won their fifth consecutive game tying the longest winning streak at the Division I level and earned their sixth nonconference win of the year, matching last year's team for the most nonconference wins in a season. The Cougars led 47-30 at the break but held St. Ambrose to 24 points on 31 percent shooting after halftime. Four SIUE players scored in double figures led by Terrance Thompson's career-high 15.

DO IT FOR FREE
SIUE leads the OVC in free throw percentage at .760, which ranks 44th in the NCAA; free throws made per game at 19.0, which ranks ninth in the NCAA; and attempts at 25.0, which is 15th nationally.

SHARP SHOOTERS
SIUE is second in the Ohio Valley Conference in shooting percentage over its first eight games. The Cougars are shooting 44.7 percent. 

GET OFF THE BENCH
The Cougars got a season-high 42 points off the bench Tuesday. SIUE is averaging 30.4 bench points a game, which leads the conference and is 35th in the NCAA.

BLOCK PARTY
SIUE leads the OVC at 4.2 blocks per game, which is 84th in the NCAA. 

TAYLOR ON LOU HENSON AWARD WATCH LIST
Ray'Sean Taylor has landed on the Watch List for the 2022-23 Lou Henson National Player of the Year award as announced Tuesday by CollegeSportsInsider.com. The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.