MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (February 23, 2021) - St. Thomas University (STU) Men's Basketball is back in the Sun Conference tournament under Head Coach D.P. Harris and the Bobcats are pursuing the program's first Sun Conference Tournament Championship since 2008-09.

Under Harris, St. Thomas advanced to the Sun Conference Championship in 2019-20 and won more Sun Conference Tournament games (2) in his first season at the helm than in the previous four seasons combined. 

STU, the fourth seed, enters the Sun Conference Tournament playing its best basketball, having won 4-of-5 games to close out the 2020-21 regular season. The Bobcats enter the match-up against the fifth-seeded Nighthawks, having swept the season series. STU and TU have become familiar opponents, as the Sun Conference Quarterfinal game will mark the third time the foes meet since February 11. 

Dwayne Russell has been the driving force for STU during the second half of the 2020-21 season, recording six double-doubles in nine games, two of which came against Thomas in the late-season games for St. Thomas. In the match-ups against the Nighthawks, Russell averaged 21.5 points-per-game and 12.5 rebounds-per-game. 

The Bobcats have owned the head-to-head match-ups against the Nighthawks in recent years, having not lost to TU since January 24, 2019, and zero times in the Harris-era. However, the veteran coach knows not to overlook the Sun Conference rival. "Thomas is a quality opponent that we've played twice in the last two weeks," said Harris. "Our battles against Thomas in the past two weeks have prepared us for the Sun Conference Quarterfinal match-up, but this is the Nighthawks' first trip to Miami, and we plan to defend our home court."

During the past two seasons, STU has dominated from the Fernandez Family Center, going 23-5 in the Harris-era. Harris continued, "home games, especially in the playoffs, are always exciting. We're expecting an electric atmosphere from our enthusiastic home crowd."

The road to the Sun Conference Championship begins in Miami Gardens, as the Bobcats take on the Nighthawks at 7:30 p.m. from the Fernandez Family Center.

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