Men's Basketball Hosts Purchase in Key Skyline Battle on Alumni Day and Play 4Kay

The Bear Facts

• Despite posessing wins over the two teams atop the Skyline, the Bears find themselves in seventh place, one spot out of playoff contention, and look to climb up the league standings with a win over fifth place Purchase, who sits just one game ahead.
• SJC looks to avenge a one-point road loss to Purchase to open the new year where they erased a seven-point deficit with two minutes remaining to tie the game with eight seconds left, but their comeback bid was undone by a last-second foul call.
• The Bears, who entered the week leading the league in scoring averaging over 80 points a game, had their three-game win streak halted at Mount Saint Mary on Tuesday after being held to season lows in scoring (55) and shooting (29%) in a 75-55 road loss, splitting the season series.
• Matt O'Neill has scored 20-plus points in four of the last six games, and leads the offense with a league third-best 18.6 points per game and ranks sixth in the country with a Skyline-best 3.3 thefts an outing.
• Michael Megafu leads the Skyline with 10 double-doubles (tied 12th in D3) and in rebounding (11.1 rpg; 15th D3) adding 15.0 points a game.
• Jamir Archer has set new career highs in scoring in two of the last four games and averages 14.1 points a game while shooting a Skyline-best 56.3% from the field.

Welcome back Alumni! Bears & Lady Bears Play 4Kay

One of the annual highlights on the schedule, the athletic department welcomes all the SJC alumni returning to campus for Alumni Hoops Day! The alumni games start at 1 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to join the players, coaches and staff in wearing pink to the game as the Bears and Lady Bears will participate in their first Play 4Kay game and raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Special edition pink t-shirts will be sold for $10 and fans will have a chance to make a donation or pledge a donation based on the amount of three pointers made in each game.

Archer Named Player of the Week

• Recognizing his career-high 32 points over Sage last week, Jamir Archer was named Skyline Player of the Week on Monday, the second weekly honor received by a Bear this season. On the 2-0 week for SJC, the senior shot 59.5% and averaged 24.0 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Milestone Watch

• 57: Points Megafu needs to reach 1,500 for his career
• 13: Steals O'Neill needs to become the SJC all-time theft king.

Panther Prowlings

• The Panthers look to rebound from a home loss to second place Sage on Tuesday, whom the Bears beat last week.  Prior to that loss, Purchase was winners of seven of their last eight, which included a win over the Bears earlier this month.
• The Panthers rely on their defense that leads the Skyline holding opponents to 69.8 points a game and also leads the league with a +4.6 rebound margin.
• Purchase is led by 7-foot-1 big man Jeri Noel who averages a near double-double with 10.9 points and 9.6 rebounds (4.2 offensive) and connects at a 43.9% rate, and leads the league with 2.4 blocks a game.
• The Panthers have a balanced offense paced by Taylor Foster's 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and Nicholas Jackson rounding out three in double figures with 10.2 points and 5.9 boards.