Men's Basketball

PREVIEW: TOP-1O MATCHUP ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

PREVIEW: TOP-1O MATCHUP ON NEW YEAR'S EVE
Posted: Dec 30, 2022

Dodge City, KS – For the first time in 21 days, the Indian Hills Men's Basketball team returns to the hardwood as the No. 5 nationally ranked Warriors head to No. 9 Dodge City Community College (KS) for a New Year's Eve matchup.

DETAILS: No. 5 Indian Hills at No. 9 Dodge City

Saturday, December 31  |  3:00 PM

Dodge City, KS  |  The Dome

WATCH LIVE: GoHillsTV

The Warriors (14-1) close out the year with a top-10 matchup with the Conquistadors (11-2).

SETTING THE STAGE

Indian Hills opened the year with 14 consecutive victories before dropping its last contest to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on December 10 at the Hy-Vee Classic. Dodge City won 10 consecutive games before falling to Hutchinson Community College, also on December 10 before upending No. 21 Cloud County Community College on December 12.

WARRIOR NOTES

  • One of the top defensive teams in the nation in recent years, the Warriors currently rank third in the NJCAA in opponent's field goal percentage at 36.3%.
  • Indian Hills ranks sixth nationally with 32.3 defensive rebounds per contest.
  • The Warriors are 3-0 in true road games this year and are 4-1 overall against teams that are currently in the national rankings.
  • Dating back to the 1993-94 season, the Warriors are 27-3 vs. teams from the state of Kansas.

LAST TIME OUT

These two teams opened up the 2022-23 season with a thriller on November 1 at the Hellyer Center in Ottumwa. Sophomore Don McHenry buried a 30-foot buzzer beater in overtime to give Indian Hills a season-opening victory over the Conquistadors.

McHenry led four Warriors in double-figures with 20 points while Dodge City was led by DJ Jones' 31 points and Cam Malray's 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.

SERIES HISTORY

The early season meeting was just the second contest all-time between the schools that are separated by roughly nine hours and 555 miles. Indian Hills previously topped Dodge City 104-88 in the PCS Classic on December 5, 2014 at the Hellyer Center.

WARRIOR LEADERS

  • Don McHenry has led the Warriors in scoring in five contests this year and leads the way with 14.1 per contest on the season.
  • Sophomore Enoch Kalambay has scored in double-figures in five of his last six contests and ranks second on the team with 11.2 points per game.
  • David Jones has been the rebounding catalyst for the Warriors and has averaged 10.0 rebounds over his last four contests. Jones' 6.5 boards per game lead the Warriors this year. Offensively, Jones also leads the way with a 68.9 field goal percentage.

SIZING UP THE CONQUISTADORS

Picked to finish eighth in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference in the preseason, the Conquistadors have soared through the national rankings in the early goings of the 2022-23 season. Under first-year head coach Brad Witherspoon, Dodge City has built a 7-1 conference record, including three wins over nationally ranked teams.

  • Dodge City gets to the free throw line 26.4 times per game, the eighth best mark in the country while their 17.5 free throws made are 15th best.
  • Jason Edwards, who was limited to just nine points against Indian Hills earlier in the year, leads five players in double-figures with 20.6 points per game.
  • Jacobi Sebock is leading the way with a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game while adding in 12.5 points per contest.
  • Dodge City is 4-1 on their home floor this year, with the last two contests decided by a total of just three points.
  • The Conquistadors have played six games decided by less than four points this year and are 4-2 in those contests, including 2-1 in overtime games.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Warriors return to the Hellyer Center to open the new year on January against perennial power Moberly Area Community College (MO). The Greyhounds (12-3) are currently ranked No. 12 in the national polls.

The matchup with Moberly Area will also kick off First Responders Appreciation Month where all First Responders receive free entry to all home contests throughout the month of January.

READ MORE: IHCC TO HOST FIRST RESPONDERS APPRECIATION MONTH

As always, GoHillsTV provides free live broadcasts of Indian Hills sporting events, both home and on the road. Fans can tune in a number of ways to this weekend's matchup:

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