WARRIORS BEGIN ROAD TRIP WITH AQUINAS MATCHUP

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - It's all road games this week for the Warriors (13-5, 8-4), beginning with a matchup against the Aquinas Saints (9-9, 6-6) on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. In the last matchup between these two teams, the Warriors emerged victorious at Garth Pleasant Arena, 84-77.

THREE KEY THINGS

SAINTS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK FROM TWO TOUGH LOSSES

The Saints will be hungry for a win in this one, coming off two incredibly close losses in their last two games against #RV Madonna and Siena Heights. The Saints took Madonna to the wire and nearly pulled off the upset, but the Crusaders were able to make a big defensive stand in the final seconds. Following that, it took two overtime periods for the Saints to go down against Siena Heights, who hit a three-point shot in the final moments to secure the win.

ROCHESTER LOOKS TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

Following a tough stretch of losses, the Warriors got some of their early-season momentum back with wins against Northwestern Ohio and Concordia. In both games, Rochester had major performances from the bench to help secure the wins. In the Concordia matchup, Rochester bounced back from an inefficient first half and showcased the offense it boasted during its 10-1 start.

LARSON AND BROWN-BOYD CONTINUE STRONG SEASONS

Aquinas brings one of the best forward tandems in the conference to the table in the form of Donovan Brown-Boyd and Andrew Larson. The pair lead the team in scoring (16.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively) and provide impact plays on the defensive side of the floor. In the first of this year's matchup, the two combined for 35 points while swiping two steals each.

COACH'S CORNER

Head Coach Klint Pleasant had this to say on continuing the team's momentum:

"[We need to continue] intensity and commitment on the defensive end. The second half of conference play requires a commitment to grind and not take possessions off on the defensive end. That's definitely been a focus and a point of emphasis for us."

SPORTS INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT

Following the win against Concordia, senior guard Anthony Cukaj passed former Warrior AJ Johnson (752) in career points to become the Warriors' 12th all-time leading scorer (754). Cukaj is eight points behind forward Jaylen Larry (762) for 11th.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

#10 Lourdes and Madonna sit tied atop the conference at 11-1, with both teams defeating Indiana Tech last week, who now sits at third. Rochester trails Indiana Tech by a game, while Aquinas is slotted at sixth.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics