Boston, MA- The Men's and Women's Basketball teams are at the halfway point of their season with 13 and 14 games remaining respectively, and own similar records with the men holding a 7-8 record while the women with an 8-7 season thus far. The two teams head to Takoma Park, Maryland this weekend to take on the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) conference rival, Washington Adventist Shock, which is the first conference test for both teams. The WAU Men's team sits atop the conference with a 14-3 (1-0) record, while the WAU Women are 6-7 to date.

The Falcon Men's team have faced some adversity this season, losing five of their eight games by five points or less, including a buzzer beater loss at Johnson & Wales. However, the team is looking to make a turnaround in the second half with two key matchups against the Shock over the next month of play. Senior Jhalen Lumpkins (Sacramento, CA) leads the team in most offensive categories to date, including points per game (17.8), assists (48), steals (35), rebounds per game (6.4) and is also shooting at nearly 50% from the field. Junior Jason Augliera (Discovery Bay, CA) has come on as of late, scoring in double figures in the last six games upping his season average to 13.9 points per game. He is also shooting an impressive 42% from beyond the arc on 115 attempts. Senior Paul Oha Jr. (Antioch, CA) has played well under the basket for the Falcons, averaging 6.2 boards per game, including double-digits totals in three games this season, and is first on the team in blocks with 11. Coach Blouin has also relied on his depth as he has been able to see production from 20 different players this season, with 11 different players in the starting lineup. Senior Anthony Lewis (Lodi, CA) has contributed two double digit performances since joining the team in December, while Kyle Williams (Fairfield, CA), Chris Sorapuru (Temecula, CA) and Cole Barton (Los Angeles, CA) have combined for 83 assists this season.

The Falcons will look to shut down WAU's Xavier Sewell who averages 21 points per game for the Shock, while shooting an impressive 50% from the field (111-222). He also has hit 36 trifectas this season, shooting at a 40% clip, while averaging 6.7 rebounds per game, has 52 assists and 23 steals, all team-highs. Dwayne Garner and Mastadi Pitt are the two other Shock players that average in double figures, while Freddy Liriano has been productive at the point for the Shock, dishing out 50 assists in 16 games. WAU is averaging 84 points per game, while holding their opponents to 71. The two teams have two common opponents this season; Berkeley College (NY) and Bryant & Stratton-Albany. Both teams went 2-0 against the Knights and the Bobcats so it will be an intriguing matchup on Saturday evening.

The Lady Falcons returned from the Holiday Break with a 61-58, come from behind win over the Wheaton Lyons to start their 2020 on the right foot. Seniors Vivian Lara (Norwalk, CA) and Jenny-Lynn Eggers (Sonoma, CA) lead the way for the Falcons, both averaging in double figures this season. Lara's 14.7 points per game is a team high, while she is also leading the team in rebounds per game (6.5), steals (39) and free throw % (89%). Eggers is coming off a season-high 19-point performance against the Lyons, and has notched double-figure totals in her last four contests. Sophomore Lauren Allen (Long Beach, CA) has played well at the point for her squad, leading the team in assists (39), while also averaging 7.5 points per game. Senior Angel Bernardi (Cloverdale, CA) has played well under the basket for her squad, collecting 71 boards this season, including 23 offensive rebounds which is good for second on the team. The Falcons are averaging just under 58 points per game, while holding their opponents to an average of 55.

The WAU Lady Shock are 6-7 this season and average 62 points per game, while their opponents are averaging 66. The Shock have two different players in double figures, Sarah Shamdeen and center Amber Morman. Shamdeen leads the team in scoring averaging 13.4 points per game and has dished out a team-high 45 assists. The 6'3 Morman is first on the team in total points (138), blocks (12), rebounds per game (12.5) which is good enough for 6th in the NAIA, all while shooting at a 50% rate (55-110). She also has five double-doubles this season which is tied for 5th in the AII. The two teams do not have any common opponents this season, but the Shock do hold a 2-0 overall past record against the Falcons, with the last matchup coming on January 23, 2017. The Shock defeated the Falcons 75-59 in that contest, so this year's Falcons will look to have much different results. 

Catch all the action from both contests, with the men to square off Saturday at 8pm and the women at 12pm on Sunday, live here.