LAKE WALES, Fla. – The NAIA #21 Warner Royals have been selected for the third time this season for The Sun Conference Game of the Week which will take place Saturday, January 4^th, 2019 against the visiting Bobcats of St. Thomas University. 
 
Last season it was the Bobcats that bested the Royals twice in TSC play. The first game the Bobcats were ranked NAIA #14 and defeated the Royals 79-89. The second meeting between the two, it was the NAIA #9 Bobcats that narrowly squeaked by defeating the Royals 89-94. 
 
Warner is primed and ready for the strongly developing rivalry between the two. Royals Head Coach, Sean Hanrahan said "We have always had an intense rivalry with St. Thomas. Both teams have been fighting atop of the conference for many years. It's an exciting challenge to welcome them into the Turner Athletic Center."
 
The Royals have a three game winning streak taking down Midland, Rio Grande and Florida Memorial. They also have won four straight games inside of The Sun Conference. 
 
St. Thomas (6-8, 5-1 TSC) at No. 21 Warner (11-6, 5-1 TSC)
Saturday, January 5
4 p.m.
Lake Wales, Fla. – Turner Athletic Center
 
Headlines:
 
- St. Thomas and 21st-ranked Warner will face off on Saturday for sole possession of second place as we approach the mid-way point of the conference season.
- St. Thomas snapped a three-game skid on Thursday night when they defeated Webber 1-83 in Miami Gardens. The three loses came against NCAA DII Drury, #13 Indiana Tech and #10 Cornerstone. The Bobcats' lone conference lone was against then RV Coastal Georgia.
- STU has outscored conference opponents by 10 point in their four conference wins. Four of the six conference games for the Bobcats have been at home. The Bobcats are 2-1 in true road games this season.
- Warner has won three straight and six of their last eight games. Their two loses in that stretch came against #19 St. Francis (Ind.) and #4 Indiana Wesleyan in the SEU Invitational. Five of their six loses have come against teams ranked in the top 20.
- The Royals are 5-1 in TSC play. Their lone conference loss was on the road against then 11th-ranked Southeaster by five points, 86-81. The Fire have since moved up into the top ten of the coaches poll.
- Warner is a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
 
 
Inside the Numbers:
 
- St. Thomas is averaging 73.5 point on the season and have improved that to nearly 77 points per game in conference play. Against TSC opponents, the Bobcats are holding opponents to under 71 points per game.
- STU ranks 16th in the NAIA in offensive rebounding, grabbing 13 offensive boards per game. They are 34th in steals per game (7.64) and 43rd in free throw percentage (0.724) and scoring defense per game.
- Warner's high-powered offense averages over 83 points per game and over 84 points in TSC matchups. They have allowed 77.5 points to conference opponents in their six TSC games.
- Warner ranks 17th in total assists (284) and 19th in rebounding margin (+7.47). They are also 26th in field goal percentage (0.482) and 30th in total blocks (53).
 
Who to Watch:
 
- Justin Brown has started 11 of the 14 games for St. Thomas this season and is averaging 17.1 points in 30 minutes per game. He is shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the free throw line. He has made 77 free throws on the season. He is also averaging 4.5 rebounds and has totaled 26 assists and 15 steals. In conference play, Brown is averaging 22.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
- Khalil Ozuna is averaging 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds over 16 starts and 17 games played this season. He is shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 70 percent from the free throw line. His 16 blocks is second on the team. Ozuna ranks in the top-30 nationally in total rebounds and total scoring.
 
Quotables:
 
"The match-up against Warner and St. Thomas is a big game and a challenge, especially on the road. Warner is a historically well-coached and well-prepared team. We are excited to take on the challenge of playing a top-ranked team in their gym and we need to be prepared for it". "The focus, we as a staff have ingrained in the players, is to "Win the Week" as Sun Conference play comes into focus, we are approaching each game with a sense of urgency and importance." – Adrian White, Head Coach St. Thomas
 
"We have always had an intense rivalry with St. Thomas University. Both teams have been at the top of the conference for many years. It's an exciting challenge and will be a good game for a tough conference victory." – Sean Hanrahan, Head Coach Warner

Tale of the Tape:
 

Current Record WU 11 - 6 STU 6 - 8 Scoring 1418 1030 Points Per Game 83.412 73.571 Scoring Margin 8.294 -1.571 Field Goals 534 353 Field Goal Percentage 0.482 0.420 3-pt FG 90 127 3-point FG Percent 0.349 0.340 3-point FG made per game 5.294 9.071 Free Throws 260 197 Free throw pct 0.730 0.724 Rebounds 648 529 Rebounds per game 38.118 37.786 Rebounding Margin 7.471 -0.571 Assists 284 205 Assists per game 16.706 14.643 Turnovers 259 229 Turnovers per game 15.235 16.357 Turnover margin -2.941 0.214 Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.097 0.895 Steals 114 107 Steals per game 6.706 7.643 Blocks 53 29 Blocks per game 3.118 2.071