THINGS TO WATCH:
- Maryville College is coming off a key USA South road-swing sweep from last weekend, as the Scots knocked off both Greensboro College and Methodist University over the weekend. MC is just one game below .500, as they have found a rhythm offensively. The Scots hold a 2-1 record in conference play, as they beat Greensboro, 85-84. They also toppled Methodist, 93-67.
- Maryville College will need that same hot hand they found against Methodist on Saturday, as they face off with Johnson University. The Scots shot 66.7 percent (36-of-54) from the floor, as they made seven treys at a 38.9 percent clip. MC also had 21 assists in the game.
- Against Methodist, Maryville was also a full-team effort. Led by their eight seniors, the Scots saw five different players score in double figures. Seven players scored six points or more in the game, as Emier Bowman (30) had a huge afternoon with 18 points and a trio of blocks.
- Maryville's defense will be tested on Saturday, as the Royals come into the game shooting 42 percent from the floor. They are averaging 93.3 points per game, as they've scored 95-plus in four of their last five games. Johnson University has had a pair of 120-point performances, the highest of those going for 127 points against Pfeiffer University.
- Coby Jones (23) and Taylor Gilpin (33) are the players to watch out for, as both come into the game with nearly a 20-point average. Jones averages near a double-double with 21.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Gilpin has 19.2 points per contest this year, while Estiven Estacio (24) has 21 blocks through 12 games.
SONGSTER JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
Today, Maryville College Head Coach Randy Lambert will honor the Scots' Calvin Songster, as the senior guard became MC's 33rd 1,000-point scorer.
Songster - a Johnson City, Tenn. native - currently has 1,038 points coming into today's game.
"Calvin Songster has had a great career, and he will go down as one of the best shooters in MC Basketball history," Head Coach Randy Lambert said. "I am proud of his development as a player and a leader. This weekend, his 38-point performance versus Emory was one of the best I have witnessed during my tenure. In the game against Oglethorpe, he scored 15 points, but I was more impressed with his overall game: six rebounds, four assists and two steals. I hope he stays in his zone and has a great season for us."
Songster scored his 1,000th point at the 8:44 mark with an unassisted 3-point basket. He would add a trey at the 5:55 point off a Joshua Brooks assist to give Maryville a 60-51 lead over Oglethorpe, as the Scots earned their first victory of the season, 65-56.
Songster had a career high 38 points against Emory University the day before - a 96-93 overtime loss - as he bested his previous best from 2016 by 11 points.
Last weekend, Songster shot 63.0 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. He averaged 26.5 points per game over the two-game Emory Classic, as he added eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals.