MBB-Head-to-Head: Kaskaskia vs Lake Land

MATTOON--Match-up: Kaskaskia College Blue Devils vs. Lake Land College Lakers; Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Laker Fieldhouse; tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CST.

This match-up puts fourth place in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference at stake. KC heads onto the hardcourt at Laker Fieldhouse just a half-game behind LLC, meaning the winner takes sole possession of fourth place. (John A. Logan College cannot gain ground as they are playing Lewis & Clark Community College in a non-conference game in Carterville.)

KC will feature high PPG scorers. Steven "Quan" Conner brings 20.6 PPG to the court, ranking 1st amongst NJCAA Region 24 Division I players; the same PPG ranks Conner 9th in the country in Div-I. Brady Burford provides the "two" in KC's one-two scoring punch of Conner/Burford. Burford averages 16.6 PPG, holding the 4th ranking within Region 24. LLC has a couple high average scorers that will have to answer the call Wednesday night. Anthony White Jr. ranks 6th in Region 24 with 15.7 PPG. Lakers teammate, Orlando Rutledge, who recently seen a return to action after a month layoff due to injury, ranks 8th in Region 24 at 15.2 PPG.

White yet represents the Lakers well in the free throw percentage department, ranking 4th in Region 24 at 81.5% and 44th in the nation. KC's Conner (76.9%) ranks 7th in Region 24. The Lakers rank 2nd the nation at 72%. Also contributing to that team ranking are Jamal Williams II (76.2%) with a Region 24 rankings of 8th; Darrien Gray (75.0%, Reg-24 11th); Orlando Rutledge (71.5%, Reg-24 17th); Dylan Mosack (69.6%, Reg-24 22nd).

When it comes to field goal shooting percentage, KC's Chris Hooper may become the most reliable shooter on the court, hitting 61.9%. Hooper's Region 24 ranking is 2nd, but also makes the nation's Top-50 at 47th. KC teammate Brady Burford comes in at 23rd regionally with 47.4%. Sandwiched between the aforementioned with a 14th ranking in Region 24 is LLC's Dylan Mosack, sinking half of everything he put up at 50%.

From the arc, Conner leads KC at 44.9%, also good for a notable 35th rank in the country. KC's Marquee Smith averages 38.1% on three-pointers to rank 13th in the region. LLC's White ranks 15th in Region 24 in the triples category at 37.6%.

Hooper ranks high in rebounding, his 8.9 RPG placing him 2nd in Region 24 and 46th in the country. LLC's Rutledge ranks 3rd in Region 24 at 8.0 RPG with teammate Jomari Bradshaws 5.6 RPG earning him a Region 24 ranking of 11th.

Other rankings of note: KC's Conner, assists per game 5.7, ranks 1st in Reg-24. LLC's Williams ranks 3rd in the region in the assists category with 4.1 assists per game. KC's Conner steals 1.9 per game ranks him 6th in Region 24. LLC's Mosack's 1.2 shots blocked per game ranks him 8th in Region 24.