After 10 games, SMWC men's basketball is in sole position of first place. Not a sentence many River States Conference observers saw coming as first-year coach Jesse McClung's squad was voted last in the preseason coaches poll. 
The Pomeroys have been warriors on the road with a 5-1 record in the RSC, the only blemish a 77-70 loss at Point Park in which the Pomeroys led by nine at halftime. But SMWC bounced back to give a very good Shawnee State team its first home loss two days later. 
How did SMWC get here? Work, talent and grit stand out, but the Pomeroys have also improved day-by-day since early in the season at both ends of the floor. So credit goes to the coaching staff as well. 

OFFENSE
During league play, the Pomeroys are averaging 81.8 points-per-game, which just 0.5 points behind league leader Point Park (82.3) and also behind IU East (82.1) and WVU Tech (81.9). 
The RSC is full of great 3-point shooting teams. SMWC is not near the top of that list, but the Pomeroys have shown improvement in that area. Cobie Barnes (2.4 per game) is fifth in the league in 3-pointers made per game, while Tarik Dixon (1.3), Greg Johnson (1.2) and DaMeriz Merriweather (1.2) provide enough threat to keep defenses honest. 
Barnes ranks second in the league in scoring at 23.6 per game during RSC action, while Greg Jenkins (11.2), Chaz Birchfield (10.4) and Merriweather (10.3) are also averaging double figures. Barnes, putting himself in the conversation for RSC Player of the Year, also ranks 12th in the league at 2.9 assists.
Shon Tupuola may be the best overall big man in the league, shooting 63.6 percent and averaging 14.2 rebounds per game to lead the league.
Room for improvement? SMWC is 12th in the league in field-goal percentage. The Pomeroys make up for it as the league's best offensive rebounding team. 

DEFENSE
The Pomeroys lead the RSC in points allowed per game at 68.3 ppg and are second in field-goal percentage defense (41.8). In a league full of great outside shooters, the Pomeroys rank No. 1 in the league in 3-point percentage defense at 28.6 percent. 
Greg Jenkins (1.6 spg) and Greg Johnson (1.5) per game rank 9th and 10th in the league in steals, with Birchfield not fra behind at 1.3 per game. Barnes, a 6-foot-7 wing, is also a factor defensively, both on the perimeter and in the paint. 
Tupuola's shot-blocking and shot affecting ability - he leads the RSC at 2.6 blocks per game -- allows the rest of the Pomeroys to defend aggressively. 

TONIGHT'S GAME
SMWC takes on a Brescia squad that is scoring a solid 75.8 ppg, but the Bearcats are 11th in the league at 84.0 points allowed.
Cory Gardner (18.9 ppg overall) shoots 59.7 percent from the field and is coming off a 31-point performance in a 81-76 victory at Oakland City. Taeron Hogg, a 6-7 forward, averages 20.6 ppg and 7.4 rebounds.