HOUSTON – St. Thomas men's basketball team will host the UST Classic Friday and Saturday.
The Celts (9-3) will play Haskell Indian Nations University (5-10) at 7 p.m. Friday and Bethel College (7-6) at 7 p.m. Saturday. Huston Tillotson University (5-3) will also compete in the tournament with a pair of games scheduled for 5 p.m. both days in the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.
The Celts beat Haskell, 89-65, earlier this season in Kansas. UST beat Bethel, 78-73, at home in 2017.
St. Thomas has won nine of its last 10 games. The Celts rank ninth in NAIA Division I in assists per game (19.7) and 11th in three-point field goals made per game (10.7).
Senior Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) is averaging 18 points per game. He ranks 13th in the country in field goal percentage (.622). Junior Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) is averaging 10.6 points, while shooting 46.4 percent from the three-point line. Senior Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas) is scoring 9.1 points, and junior Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) is averaging 8.8 points, and ranks 15th in the nation in assists per game (5.1). Junior Paul Taulton (JR/Pearland, Texas), senior Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas) and junior Michael Alfred (JR/Baton Rogue, Louisiana) are each scoring over seven points per game.
Haskell ranks 34th in NAIA Division II in steals per game (7.8). Nakia Hendricks is averaging 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Bryon Elledge is averaging 13.9 points, while shooting 48.5 percent from three-point range.
Bethel ranks 18th in NAIA Division II in blocks per game (3.8). Dakota Foster is averaging 18.8 points per game. Jaylon Scott is averaging 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the country. Mason Wilkins is a Houston native.
Huston Tillotson has spent its last five games on the road, including two games in Houston. Christian Wilson is averaging 21.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He is the nation's sixth leading scorer, and ranks third in NAIA Division I in assists per game (6.9). Keith Broome is scoring 17.1 points per game. Alex Doche is averaging 16.4 points and 10.6 boards per game, which ranks fourth in the country. John Coakley Jr. is a former Celt, who hails from Houston.
