Men's Basketball | 11/8/2012 9:39:00 AM

MEN'S BASKETBALL - HAWAI'I HILO AT WESTERN OREGON
Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 – 7:30 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)
LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/bb/xlive.htm

MEN'S BASKETBALL - CAL BAPTIST AT WESTERN OREGON
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 – 4:30 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: None
LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/bb/xlive.htm

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon men's basketball team opens the 2012-13 season this week as the Wolves host the GNAC – PacWest Challenge beginning on Friday, Nov. 9. The Wolves open play at the challenge on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Hawai'i Hilo before closing out the week against Chaminade on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 4:30 p.m.

The Wolves return just two starters and three letter-winners from a squad that went 18-10 overall and finished in fourth-place in the conference standings with an 11-7 league mark.


Kolton Nelson returns to lead WOU as the senior forward earned preseason all-conference honors after averaging 10.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game a year ago. James Gehring (8.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Brandon Troxel (3.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg) also return for the Wolves as WOU welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad this season.

Last week, in a 62-51 exhibition win over Northwest Christian, Andy Avgi had 11 points and seven rebounds and the WOU defense held the Beacons to just 34.3 percent from the field. Newcomer Devon Alexander added nine points on 4-of-7 shooting while Gehring came off the bench to finish with eight points and six rebounds.

Hawai'i Hilo finished the 2011-12 season with a 9-17 mark as the Vulcans are led by guard Mychael Hearn, the leading returning scorer for the squad after averaging 9.2 points per game.

Chaminade enters the 2012-13 campaign after finishing last season with a mark of 11-14 overall and 9-9 in PacWest Conference play. The Silverswords are led by senior guard Bennie Murray after he average 13.8 points per game while shooting 32.7 percent from three a season ago.

Chaminade leads the all-time series with the Wolves, 6-2, as WOU and the Vulcans have split their previous 10 meetings.

In other action at the invitational, Saint Martin's will face Chaminade on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and will conclude with a meeting against Hawai'i Hilo on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Following the weekend challenge, WOU will return to action on Friday, Nov. 16, against Notre Dame de Namur at 7:30 p.m. as the Wolves host the WOU Phoenix Inn D2 Shootout.