Returning  to the NEO Fieldhouse Thursday to start a three-game home stand, Northeastern A&M's Golden Norsemen entertain the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers in an 8 p.m. Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference game.


Coach Dustin Grover's Golden Norse are winless in two conference games and 5-6 on the season. The Norsemen dropped a 76-54 decision Tuesday night at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid.
"We have got to start executing with more consistency at both ends of the court," Grover said. "We're not shooting the ball well on the offensive end and we're not getting stops in crucial situations on defense."
Veteran coach Rolondo De La Barrera has guided the Western Pioneers to an 8-3 season record and a 1-1 mark in the conference. The Pioneers had a five-game winning streak snapped Tuesday with a 69-66 conference loss at Redlands College in El Reno.
"Western comes in here playing pretty well," Grover said. "Coach De La Barrera and his staff do a good job of getting their players to execute their game plan."
Last season Western struggled to a 5-13 record on the OCAC and 13-17 overall. During the regular season the Golden Norsemen swept the two-game series with a 70-69 win in Altus and a 70-60 victory in Miami.
NEO received 17 points each from Cesar Mapeli and Chris Cox to spark the one-point victory in Altus. Karim Rowson led the Pioneers with 13 points.
After battling to a 28-28 halftime tie in the game at the NEO Fieldhouse, the Norsemen were led by 17 points from Joel Quinones to complete the sweep with a 10-point victory. Angelo Lewis scored 12 points to pace Western.
Starting in the backcourt for the Golden Norsemen will be freshmen Jake Roach, Ja'Mill Powell and Terrence Clemens with freshman Frederico Santos and sophomore Nkosi Ali along the front line.
Roach (6-1 from Vinita) averages 7.1 points with 14 assists and 22 steals.
Powell (6-6 from Bridgeport, Conn.) has a 12.3 scoring mark and a 3.6 rebounding average while making 19 assists and six steals.
Clemens (6-0 from Los Angeles, Calif.) averages 1.4 points with six assists and three steals.
With five sophomores on their roster, the Pioneers will start freshman Stirling Thomas at point-guard with sophomores Jedarian Jackson and D'Audrio Patton on the wings.
Thomas (5-11 from Elgin) is the Pioneers leading scorer with a 20.7 average while recording 34 assists and 34 steals on the point.
Jackson (6-3 from Kissimmee, Fla.) averages 10.6 points and 3.2 rebounds with 43 steals and 24 assists.
Patton (6-5 from Ruston, La.) has a 15.7 scoring mark and a 4.8 rebounding average.
Leading the Golden Norse in rebounding with a 9.3 mark, Santos (6-5 from Rio de Janiero, Brazil) has a 12-point scoring average with 10 blocked shots.
Ali (6-11 from Atlanta, Ga.) has a 9.1 scoring average and a 7.8 rebounding mark.
Freshman Dil'Jon Allen Jordan (6-6 from Plainfield, N.J.) and sophomore Shakore Grant start down in the blocks for the Pioneers.
Jordan (6-6 from Plainfield, N.J.) averages 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds with nine blocked shots.
Grant (6-8 from Philadelphia, Pa.) leads the Pioneers with an 8.1 rebounding average and 13 blocked shots while scoring 10.5 points per game.
The Golden Norsemen will host the University of the Ozarks junior varsity at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3 in the NEO Fieldhouse.