WASHU SPORTS NETWORK
St. Louis, Mo., December 2, 2021 – The No. 20 Washington University in St. Louis men's basketball team is set to host the 37th Annual Lopata Classic on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4.
In the much-anticipated return of the Lopata Classic following a year of no competition, the Bears welcome Hendrix, St. Thomas (Texas) and Hope. This year, the Classic will be in conjunction with the women's team's 20th Annual McWilliams Classic.
"We are thrilled for return of the 37th Lopata Tournament," said Head Coach Pat Juckem. "The Lopata has been recognized as the premiere DIII basketball tournament that showcases great competition and respect for DIII values. This year's field brings together four talented teams that collectively have an 18-6 record and high aspirations for their seasons. We look forward to outstanding games and growth for all the participating teams."
St. Thomas and Hope will square off first at 1:30 p.m. before the Bears host Hendrix at 5:30 p.m. The third-place game will take place on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. followed by the championship game at 5:30 p.m.
WashU has an all-time record of 64-8 (.888) in the Lopata Classic and has won the Classic 25 times, including in 2019.
Scouting Hendrix
Hendrix is currently 6-1 on the season and is coming off a 94-60 win over Austin. The lone loss this season was to Wilmington (Ohio), 70-58. Prior to that, the Warriors defeated No. 22 Wittenberg (Ohio) 80-78.
Seth Stanley leads the team with 20.1 points-per-game to go with 3.9 rebounds-per-game. Sean Coman is also averaging double-figures with 10 points-per-game and 5.1 rebounds-per-game. Alex Conrad leads the Warriors with 6.9 rebounds-per-game and 11 blocks to go with 9.7 points-per-game. Jackson Parks has a team-high 16 assists and nine steals.
The Bears and Hendrix have met twice in history, the last time in 2014-15. WashU leads the series 2-0.
Scouting St. Thomas
St. Thomas is currently 4-2 on the season and is coming off a 71-68 loss to Texas-Dallas. The other loss of the season came against George Fox, 85-76.
Two players average double-figures for the Celts, led by Calen Anderson with 12.5 points-per-game and 8.8 rebounds-per-game. Freddie Ricks sits at 11.2 points-per-game while Joshua Sanchez is averaging eight points-per-game and 8.3 rebounds-per-game. Juan Hood has a team-high four assists per game and is averaging seven points-per-game.
Scouting Hope
Hope is currently 3-2 on the season and is coming off a 79-75 loss to Aquinas in the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Classic. The Flying Dutch also fell Illinois Wesleyan – then ranked No. 4 – 87-74 in the Illinois Wesleyan Jack Sikman Invitational.
Both Clayton Dykhouse and Evan Thomas are averaging 15.8 points-per-game this season to lead the Flying Dutch. Thomas also leads Hope with 8.4 rebounds-per-game. Tyler George is scoring in double-figures as well with 11.6 points-per-game. Dykhouse has a team-high 2.8 assists per game while Thomas has 2.2.
WashU leads the all-time series with Hope 2-0 and the two teams last met during the 2016-17 season.
Schedule:
Friday, Dec. 3
1:30 p.m. – Hope vs. St. Thomas
5:30 p.m. – WashU vs. Hendrix
Saturday, Dec. 4
1:30 p.m. – Third place game
5:30 p.m. – Championship game
All games will be streamed on the WashU Sports Network.
