Five Friends/Foes

[PointGuard]

American @ Chicago St.: This was a sloppily played game. Chicago State turned the ball over 20 times, but did better than American which had 26 turnovers. The Cougars scored first and often, never trailing. By the half they were ahead 43-33 and expanded their lead to as much as 25 points in the 2nd half before finishing with an easy 88-70 shoot down of the Eagles. Chicago State singed the net, hitting 55% of their shots. As usual, PF Robert Allocco topped their scoring with 23 points and rebounding with 9. He also had a steal and 3 blocks. Not far behind in scoring was PG Ryan Roberts with 20 points. Roberts also dished out 7 assists. SF Devin Archie also finished in double figures with 14 points. (9-7, 3-2)

Cal-Davis @ Sacramento St.: Cal-Davis had an anemic offense in the first half and trailed 36-24 at the break. They picked things up in the 2nd half and made a ball game of it before falling 67-60. Had they been able to make more than the 12 of 25 they connected with at the foul line, the result could have been in their favor. PF Tyrone Dickerman as their top scorer with 12 points. Sacramento State’s C Anthony Davis topped all scorers with 21 points while SF Jamal Sawyer had a double double (12 points and 10 rebounds). (6-10, 2-3)

Harvard @ Texas St.: The Bobcats came out flat and fell behind by 17 points in the first half and then trailed 33-20 at the intermission. Texas State kicked their offense into gear in the 2nd half, but the gap was too great and they dropped a home game by the score of 74-66. Reserve PF Darryl Brown scored 18 points in just 8 minutes of play for the Bobcats while 3 starts scored in double figures (C Matt Wright, 13 points; PG Garrick Allen, 11 points; and SG Mike Brown, 10 points). After the game Coach Vernell Strom said, “We have to get tougher, particularly when playing at home. We can’t play like zombies for 20 minutes and expect to win.” (5-11, 1-4)

Wofford @ Sacred Heart: Sacred Heart came into this game with a 10-5 record and a 6-1 home record. They showed why in the 1st half, dominating Wofford and finishing the half with a solid 35-25 lead. Coach Kyle Anders must have burned some butts at the half, because the Terriers came out with not only a revised game plan but a renewed energy that quickly erased the Pioneers lead, but propelled Wofford to a resounding 75-64 win on the road. The Terriors were like bulldogs on the boards and sported a 38-29 rebounding advantage. Leading Wofford offensively was SG Victor Griffin with 22 points. C Brandon Linton scored 17 and PG Antuan Lackey picked up 11 points and 7 assists. PF Kevin Taylor pulled down 10 boards for the Terriers. (9-7, 3-2)

North Dakota @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville struggled early and the lead flip-flopped 5 times, but the Dolphins then gained control and took a 37-28 lead to the locker room. Jacksonville maintained their lead throughout the 2nd half and won 62-54 behind the leadership of PF Maurice Braun and his 19 points and 12 rebounds. PG Reggie Scholl contributed 14 points for the Dolphins. (5-11 , 3-2)

Chicago St. @ Nicholls St.: Chicago State came out zeroed in on the basket and ran off to a 46-33 halftime advantage. The Cougars held onto a comfortable lead throughout the 2nd half and won convincingly 84-74. Chicago State hit 52% of their shots and out-rebounded the Colonels 37-24. PF Robert Allocco scored 31 points and hauled down 9 rebounds for the Cougars. (10-7, 4-2)

Texas St. @ Northwestern St.: The Bobcats and Demons played a back-and-forth game for the first 10 minutes, but then Northwestern State gained control and sported a 41-30 halftime lead. Texas State was unable to seriously threaten the Demons in the 2nd half and dropped the game by a score of 71-62 as they let Northwestern State hit 51% of their shots. The loss was the 4th straight by the Bobcats and gained Texas State sole possession of last place in Conference T. SF Russell Brown was the top scorer for the Bobcats with 13 points. C Elton Scruggs score 21 points and had 10 rebounds for the Demons. (5-12, 1-5)

Cal St. Northridge @ Cal-Davis: Cal-Davis took control early and by the end of the first half the Aggies led 39-29. Their lead ballooned to 31 points in the 2nd half. Playing reserves extensively they settled for an 83-58 lopsided victory, knocking down 54% of their shots. Reserve Abraham Jackson scored 22 points in his 22 minutes of play for Cal-Davis and PG Roby Phillips added 11. Cal State Northridge’s PG Kevin White scored 22 points. (7-10, 3-3)

North Carolina Central @ Wofford: Wofford was on fire in the first half as they put the Eagles into a 50-27 halftime hole. The Terriers played their bench extensively in the 2nd half but still won with ease, 75-61. C Brandon Linton scored 16 and had 8 rebounds while PG Antuan Lackey added 13 points. (10-7, 4-2)

Jacksonville @ Northern Colorado: The game swayed back and forth early but by the end of the first half, Jacksonville had opened a 40-33 lead. Throughout the 2nd half they maintained a comfortable lead and gained a road win by the tune of 77-68. The Dolphins had just 8 turnovers while the Bears turned the ball over 17 times. Jacksonville is now riding a 4-game win streak. PG Reggie Scholl scored 21 and C Ross Walker added 15 points for Jacksonville. Northern Colorado’s C Dennis Adams hit for 16 points while SG Kenroy Celuck scored 10 and had 10 rebounds and 5 assists. (6-11, 4-2)

Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State again won the Conference T Player of the Week award based upon his scoring 54 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in the Cougars’s two wins this week. Allocco is now averaging 24.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg.

[PointGuard]

Citadel @ Chicago St.: The game was close in the first 10 minutes of the first half and then Chicago State gained control and opened a 14 point lead before settling for a 45-37 halftime advantage. But the Bulldogs made a series of runs in the 2nd that kept the game close. But the Cougars were able to maintain a very small lead. Citadel was forced to foul in the final moments of the game. Chicago State connected to forge a hard-fought 90-84 victory. PF Robert Allocco had another big game, scoring 30 points and pulling down 7 rebounds as well as blocking 4 shots. PF Ryan Roberts scored 10 and dished out 7 assists. SF Devin Archie used great positioning to pull down 10 rebounds. Reserve SG Jared Fischer put 13 points on the board in just 15 minutes of play. For Citadel, PF Mark Jefferson scored 30 points. (11-7, 5-2)

MD Eastern Shore @ Texas St.: Texas State came into this game saddled with a 4-game loss streak. But early in the first half, the Bobcats took control and by the end of the half, led 39-27. Texas State gradually increased their lead in the 2nd half and won going away 79-60. Four of the Bobcats’ starters scored in double points (PF Kebu Dupay with 19 plus 9 rebounds, C Matt Wright with 17, PG Garrick Allen with 14 and 6 assists, and SG Mike Brown with 10 points) and the fifth starter, SF Russell Brown had 8 points and 9 boards. (6-12, 2-5)

Cal-Davis @ Cornell: Cornell took it to the Aggies in the first half, going up by 18 at one point before finishing the half leading 41-31. But Cal-Davis clawed their way back into the game in the 2nd half and by the end, took a one point lead with 17 seconds to play. But the Big Red worked the ball around and then into their big center Tim Sanders who muscled up a shot inside with 3 seconds remaining that fell through the hoop to pin a 75-74 loss on Cal-Davis. The two things that sunk the Aggies: Cornell getting to the line 11 more times where they scored 9 more points…and…23 turnovers by the Aggies while the Big Red had just 6 turnovers. PG Roby Phillips led the Aggies’ scoring with 14 points while reserve guard Nicholas Crudup scored 12. C Tim Sanders scored 28 for Cornell. The win kept Cornell atop the Conference T standings, one game ahead of Chicago State and 2 other teams. (7-11, 3-4)

Wofford @ SE Missouri St.: This game was close from start to finish with 15 lead changes and 10 ties. At the half, SE Missouri State led 38-33. Wofford quickly erased that lead in the 2nd half and the game was a barn-burner throughout the final 20 minutes. With the game tied with 19 seconds to go, Wofford turned the ball over. That allowed SE Missouri State to play for last shot and they made it count with SF Travis Townes draining a 16 footer from the baseline just before the buzzer sounded. Wofford went home with a 69-67 loss. 9 more points by the Redhawks at the free throw line and 9 more turnovers by the Terriers were the difference in the game. PG Antuan Lackey scored 12 to top Wofford’s scoring with PF Kenny Taylor adding 11 and reserves Jamaal Hobbs and Jimmy Griffin each scoring 10. SE Missouri State’s SG Scotty Barker led all scorers with 23 points. (10-8, 4-3)

Lamar @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville came into the game riding a 4-game win streak and must have thought they had this game in the bag. Lamar grabbed the lead on the first possession of the game and never gave it up, leading 41-33 at the half and burying the Dolphins in the 2nd half as Jacksonville fell hard, 71-53. Jacksonville was out-shot 54% to 39%, out-rebounded 37-27, and had 4 more turnovers than the Cardinals. Reserve Morgan Moore led Jacksonville’s scoring with 13 while SG Justin Hartfield added 11. PG John Williams hit for 20 points for Lamar. (6-12, 4-3)

Cal-Davis @ Nicholls St.: The first half was extremely tight with a bunch of lead changes. At the intermission, Nicholls State led 38-36. The early moments of the 2nd half made it look like the game might go down to the last shot, but then the Colonels caught fire and ran away to as much as an 18 point lead. Cal-Davis dropped the game 87-75. SG Steffon Forman topped the scoring for Cal-Davis with 13 points while PF Tyrone Dickerman and reserve C Abraham Jackson both scored 10 with Dickerman also pulling down 9 boards. (7-12, 3-5)

Texas St. @ Howard: Texas State deployed a rock-solid defense in the first half and led 29-23 at the break. But the Bobcats’ defense crumbled in the 2nd half allowing Howard to cruise by them and beat Texas State by a score of 63-52. SF Russell Brown scored 14 and grabbed 10 boards for Texas State. Howard’s C RaShawn Lynch torched the Bobcats for 30 points. (6-13, 2-6)

Cornell @ Chicago St.: In a battle for a share of first place, Chicago State hung with the Big Red in the first half but still trailed at the break 43-38. But the dominance of Cornell came through in the 2nd half as they pulled away for a 84-66 beatdown of the Cougars. Cornell blazed the nets, hitting 62% of their FG attempts and controlled the boards 34-24. SF Devin Archie and PF Robert Allocco shared scoring honors for Chicago State with 14 points apiece. C Tim Sanden scored 21 for Cornell. (11-8, 5-3)

Lamar @ Wofford: The lead changed constantly in the 1st half as neither team could gain an advantage. Wofford came away with a 42-39 halftime edge. The 2nd half was a continuance but midway through the half, Lamar went on a run that Wofford could never counter. The Terriers dropped the game at home by a score of 93-74. For Wofford, PF Kenny Taylor scored 21, C Brandon Linton had 17 (plus 8 rebounds), and PG Antuan Lackey added 11. But the guard tandem of John Williams (25 points) and Andy Cherry (24 points) was too much for Wofford. (10-9, 4-4)

Jacksonville @ North Carolina Central: Jacksonville never was in this game, trailing 41-19 at the half and finished with a 69-47 butt-kicking. Jacksonville’s PG Reggie Scholl scored 16. (6-13, 4-4)

[PointGuard]

Chicago St. @ Texas St.: The loud and boisterous home crowd not only motivated Texas State but kept Chicago State from executing in the first half. By the end of the half, the Bobcats led 44-24. They increased their lead to 25 early in the 2nd half and then coasted to a 74-62 victory as Vernell Srrom bested his old pal DJ Brower. C Matt Wright led the Bobcats with 17 points with SG Mike Brown dropping in 16 and reserve Brian Rollerson adding 14 while SF Russell Brown had 11 rebounds. PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State scored 23 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, but the rest of the Cougars didn’t show up for this game. (Texas State: 7-13, 3-6; Chicago State: 11-9, 5-4)

Citadel @ Cal-Davis: While the score throughout most of the first half was tight, Cal-Davis was able to take a 33-28 lead at the break. The Aggies pulled away in the 2nd half and won going away 67-51. The Aggies’ defense held Citadel’s shooting to 33%. Cal-Davis’ PF Mike Blackman tossed in 15 points while his teammates reserve guard Nicholas Crudup scored 13 and SF Tyrone Dickerman had 12 points and 8 rebounds as well as 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. (8-12, 4-5)

Wofford @ Northern Colorado: While Northern Colorado led the entire first half, Wofford stuck with them and only trailed 28-23 at the half. But the Terriers fell further behind in the 2nd half and dropped their 3rd straight game…this time by a score of 58-48. Both teams shot poorly but the Bears held a 45-34 rebounding advantage, a 15-10 turnover advantage and scored 9 more points at the line than the Terriers. SF Brandon Detmer scored 11 plus had 8 boards for Wofford. For Northern Colorado, C Dennis Adams had a double-double (13 points and 13 rebounds). (10-10, 4-5)

Sacred Heart @ Jacksonville: The first half was a series of lead changes, but Jacksonville came out of it with a 32-26 edge. In the last 10 minutes of the game the Dolphins were able to pull away and achieved a 66-53 win. SF Michael Frederick scored 14 points for Jacksonville, while PF Maurice Braun had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve guard Jacque Thompson added 10 points. (7-13, 5-4)

Cal-Davis @ Samford: This was a very close game the entire way. Cal-Davis held a razor narrow 39-37 lead at the break. But Samford’s 54% shooting plus the refs sending the Bulldogs to the line 25 more times where they scored 18 more points than the Aggies resulted in Cal-Davis falling 81-77. C Mike Blackman scored 16, PG Roby Phillips hit for 15, and reserve PF Dale Lemon added 10. C Tim Canty scored 22 for Samford. (8-13, 4-6)

Sacramento St. @ Chicago St.: Without injured PF Robert Allocco, Chicago State came into this game with a big disadvantage. The Cougars trailed 45-38 at the half and ended up losing 84-75. 24 turnovers were the Cougars downfall. SF Devin Archie score 18 for Chicago State while 4 players (PG Ryan Roberts, SG Chris Scott, and reserves Jared Fischer and Dane Jackson) finished with 10 points each. C Anthony Davis scored 20 points for Sacramento State. (11-10, 5-5)

Texas St. @ Loyola-Maryland: Texas State shot poorly and fell behind 44-27 at the intermission. The Bobcats shooting didn’t improve in the 2nd half and Texas State took a 78-51 beatdown. SG Mike Brown scored 13 and PG Garrick Allen added 10 for the Bobcats. (7-14, 3-7)

North Dakota @ Wofford: While the first half was close all the way, Wofford escaped with a 29-25 lead. The Terriers expanded their lead to as much as 18 points in the 2nd half and won 69-58. PG Antuan Lackey led Wofford’s scoring with 14 points while C Brandon Linton scored 10 and pulled down 9 boards. (11-10, 5-5)

Jacksonville @ Utah Valley: The two teams exchanged the lead 9 times in the first half with Jacksonville coming out on top 35-33 at the break. But Utah Valley put the Dolphins away in the 2nd half. The final score was 78-60. PG Reggie Scholl topped the scoring for the Jacksonville with 13 points and SF Michael Frederick and reserve PF Morgan Moore both scored 11. Utah Valley’s C Richard Winston burned the Dolphins for 41 points. (7-14, 5-5)

Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State was the Conference T Player of the Week even though he only played in one of his team’s two games.

Injuries: Chicago State’s PF Robert Allocco strained an abdominal muscle. He did not play in the last game this week and will miss the next 1 or 2 games. PG Scott Ward of Cal-Davis sustained a mild concussion but is expected to be available for his team’s next game.

[PointGuard]

A little over half way through conference play:

Loyola-Maryland leads Conference T with an 8-2 record, followed closely by 7-3 Cornell. Five teams are tied for 3rd with 6-4 records. DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars with its 5-5 record is tied with 2 other teams for 8th place. In a tie for 11th place is Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies at 4-6. Four teams bring up the bottom of the 18-team conference standings with 3-7 records including Vernell Strom’s Texas State Bobcats.

In 18-team Conference U three teams (Abilene-Christian, SIU-Edwardsville, and Utah Valley) are tied for the top spot with 8-2 records. Lamar (7-3) is a game behind in 4th place. Parsons Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins and Kyle Ander’s Wofford Terriers are tied with SE Missouri State for 5th place with 5-5 records.

[PointGuard]

American @ Cal-Davis: The lead exchanged two times early in the first half and then Cal-Davis shut down the Eagles clipping their wings to move to a 40-19 halftime lead. The Aggies then cruised through the 2nd half to finish shooting down the Eagles 76-59. Cal-Davis sunk an incredible 69% of their FG attempts. C Mike Blackman led the Cal-Davis charge with 16 points while reserve PF Abraham Jackson chipped in 12 points. (9-13, 5-6)

St. Peter’s @ Texas St.: Defense predominated early in the game, but Texas State picked things up as the half proceeded and moved out to a 33-24 halftime advantage. The Bobcats continued to clamp down defensively allowing them to triumph 58-47. Texas State’s PF Kebu Dupay starred by scoring 24 points and pulling down 8 rebounds. C Matt Wright added 11 points for the Bobcats. SF Andy Jordan was most of the Peacock’s offense, scoring 21 points. (8-14, 4-7)

Chicago St. @ Cal St. Northridge: Chicago State was never really in this game. By the end of the first half they trailed 45-27. The Cougars were unable to get close in the 2nd half and ignominiously fell 85-67. SF Devin Archie was the leading scorer for Chicago State with 18 points. PF Robert Allocco again experienced problems with his abdominal muscles and played only one minute and may miss the Cougars next game. With Allocco hurting, Chicago State is struggling. (11-11, 5-6)

Wofford @ Robert Morris: Wofford struggled to put points on the board in the first half and fell behind 31-22 at the intermission. The Terriers weren’t able to significantly cut into the Colonials lead in the 2nd half and fell 60-52. C Jamaal Hobbs came off the bench to score 14 points for Wofford. (11-11, 5-6)

SE Missouri St. @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville forced the Redhawks to make 20 turnovers and turned some of those into fast break scores. By the end of the first half, the Dolphins led 38-31. Jacksonville kept SE Missouri State off-balance in the in the 2nd half and topped the Redhawks by a score of 70-61. Jacksonville’s reserve guard Jacque Thompson scored 14 while dishing out 5 assists. C Ross Walked added 12 points. (8-14, 6-5)

Texas St. @ Citadel: Texas State gave Citadel too many clear shots in the 1st half. This allowed the Bulldogs to take a 44-26 lead to the locker room. The Bobcats didn’t have the firepower to pull close in the 2nd half and got crushed 79-63. The Bobcats lost the battle of the boards 40-26. SG Mike Brown scored 14 and PF Kebu Dupay had 12 for Texas State. Citadel’s big men were too much for the Bobcats with PF Bobby Fields tossing in 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds and C Mark Jefferson scoring 19 and pulling down 12 boards. (8-15, 4-8)

Chicago St. @ Harvard: PF Robert Allocco’s strained abdominal continues to limit his court time and hamper his play. Harvard ran away from Chicago State in the first half leaving the Cougars in a 54-36 halftime hole. The Cougars never pulled close in the 2nd half, crashing 93-74 and extending their loss streak to 5 games. Top scorers for Chicago State were: PF Robert Allocco-13 pts, PG Ryan Roberts-12 pts, SF Devin Archie-11 pts, reserve Tim Watson-10 pts. (11-12, 5-7)

Loyola-Maryland @ Cal-Davis: Loyola-Maryland’s Greyhounds ran away from Cal-Davis to fashion a 36-28 halftime advantage. Cal-Davis made it close in the 2nd half but came up short, losing 73-68. For the Aggies, SG Steffon Forman scored 13 points and PG Scott Ward fed 7 assists. (9-14, 5-7)

SIU-Edwardsville @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville annihilated the Cougars early, running away to a 41-21 halftime lead. The Dolphins then cruised throughout the 2nd half but still won 77-66. Jacksonville held a 38-27 rebounding advantage. Jacksonville was led by C Ross Walker’s 21 points, but PG Reggie Scholl scored 11 and SF Michael Frederick and PF Maurice Braun added 10 apiece. (9-14, 7-5)

Longwood @ Wofford: Wofford struggled in the first half as they were unable to solve Longwood’s defense. By the break the Terriers trailed 29-22. Apparently Coach Kyle Anders’ halftime talk solved things. Wofford looked like a different team in the 2nd half. They began getting clear for shots and not only caught up but overtook the Lancers as they drove to a 61-54 home court win. C Brandon Linton scored 12 and SG Victor Griffin added 10 to lead Wofford’s offense. (12-11, 6-6)

[PointGuard]

Samford @ Texas St.: Texas State started out OK, but early in the 2nd half, it became apparent they had not brought a defense to the gym. Letting Samford score almost at will, the Bobcats let the Bulldogs run away from them and trailed 47-38 at the break. The Bobcats’ woes continued throughout the 2nd half and they ended up getting whipped 81-61. Ultimately, Samford controlled the ball too much due to Texas State being out-rebounded 28-21 and turning the ball over 27 times compared to Samford’s 16. That allowed the Bulldogs to get 15 more FG attempts than the Bobcats. SG Mike Brown scored 15 and C Matt Wright contributed 10 but six Samford players scored in double figures, led by PG Wesley Rosen’s 19 points and 8 assists. (8-16, 4-9)

Cal-Davis @ St. Peter’s: Cal-Davis stunk in the first half, by the end of which they were on the short end of a 40-18 score. In the 2nd half, the Aggies finally got their offense clicking but they were unable to shut down the Peacocks and ended up with a lopsided 75-59 loss. SF Tori Johnson with 12 points was the only Aggie to score in double figures. C Mike Blackman grabbed 10 boards. St. Peter’s was led by SF Andy Jordan’s 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. (9-15, 5-8)

Northwestern St. @ Chicago St.: While never pulling away in the first half, Chicago State was in control an finished the first 20 minutes with a 29-23 lead. They expanded their lead to 17 in the 2nd half before settling for a 66-53 victory that broke their loss skein. The Cougars held the Demons to 28% shooting and also out-rebounded Northwestern State by a whopping 52-33 margin. PF Robert Allocco returned to the lineup to score 22 points and haul in 12 rebounds plus block 4 shots. (10-14, 6-7)

Wofford @ Texas Rio Grande Valley: Wofford came ready to play. They quickly took control of this game, scorching the net to take a 45-32 halftime lead. They expanded their lead throughout the 2nd half and crushed the Vaqueros 101-60. Wofford hit 63% of their FG attempts and out-rebounded the Vaqueros 38-24. PG Antuan Lackey scored 15, PF Kenny Taylor had 14 (plus 9 rebounds), C Brandon Linton had 10, and reserves Chris Wilder scored 13 and Colin Emery added 12. (13-11, 7-6)

Jacksonville @ Incarnate Word: Jacksonville kept the game close in the first half but trailed 30-24 at the break. The Dolphins were unable to cut into the Cardinals lead in the 2nd half and lost 62-50. Jacksonville was outmuscled on the boards 40-19. PF Maurice Braun scored 16 points while C Ross Walker and SG Justin Hartfield each added 11. (9-15, 7-6)

St. Peter’s @ Chicago St.: Both teams put on an offensive show in the first half with Chicago State coming out on top 45-43. The Cougars were able to build their lead to 12 in the 2nd half, but then let St. Peter’s back into the game. Leading by 2 with 2 minutes to go, the Cougars were able to move out to a 76-69 win when the Peacocks were forced to foul. Chicago State was led by PF Robert Allocco’s 15 points and 10 boards. Reserve guard Dane Jackson scored 13 in 13 minutes of court time and PG Ryan Roberts put in 10 points. St. Peter’s SG Kevin Medley had 15 points and 11 rebounds. (11-14, 7-7)

Cal-Davis @ Harvard: Cal-Davis stayed close throughout the first half, but never got the lead and finished the half trailing 43-39. The Crimson gradually expanded their lead in the 2nd half as the Aggies were out-rebounded 42-35 and had 15 turnovers to Harvard’s 8. For Cal-Davis SG Steffon Forman scored 16, C Mike Blackman and reserve Dale Litton both scored 12, and SF Tori Johnsen added 10. (9-16, 5-9)

Texas St. @ Sacramento St.: Sacramento State maintained control of the game in the first half and built a 42-32 halftime edge. The Bobcats made a run in the 2nd half to get close, but then faded late in th3 game to fall 87-75. PG Garrick Allen had 19 points for Texas State and C Anthony Davis led Sacramento State with 24 points (and 9 rebounds). (8-17, 4-10)

SIU-Edwardsville @ Wofford: Neither team gained much of an advantage in the first half and there were many lead changes. Wofford trailed 29-27 at the break. But the Terriers got their offense on track in the 2nd half and ran away from the Cougars to post a solid 77-63 win. Wofford controlled the boards to the tune of 40-26. C Brandon Linton scored 13 points and SF Brandon Detmer had 12 and both players pulled down 9 boards apiece. Reserve C Jamaal Hobbs scored 11 and PG Antuan Lackey added 10. (14-11, 8-6)

Texas Rio Grande Valley @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville scored first and never looked back, leading 43-31 at the half and opening a 24 point lead in the 2nd half and finished by stomping the Vaqueros 82-62. The Dolphins hit 60% of their shots and held a 33-24 rebounding advantage. Jacksonville’s PF Maurice Braun led their scoring with 19 points. PG Reggie Scholl dropped in 17 points, SF Michael Frederick had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and SG Justin Hartfield contributed 12 points. (10-15, 8-6)

[PointGuard]

Chicago St. @ Howard: The lead switched several times between the two teams in the first half, which ended in a 37-37 tie. But Howard took control in the 2nd half and gradually expanded their lead all the way to the end of the game resulting in a 78-61 loss by Chicago State. The Cougars were led by PF Robert Allocco’s 23 points while SF Devin Archie added 11 points and PG Ryan Roberts had 7 assists. Howard’s SF Antonio Stallings tossed in 20 points. (11-15, 7-8)

MD Eastern Shore @ Cal-Davis: Maryland Eastern Shore opened an early 9 point lead but was reeled back in by Cal-Davis. At the break, the Aggies held a slim 31-29 advantage. Cal-Davis was in charge in the 2nd half and achieved a 69-62 win by controlling the board (40-24). SG Steffon Forman had 15 points and 7 assists while reserve C Abraham Jackson chipped in 10 points for the Aggies. (7-16, 6-9)

Texas St. @ Cal St. Northridge: In a game filled with 20 lead changes and 10 ties, Cal State Northridge came out of the first half with a 35-28 lead. But the Texas State Bobcats fought like, well like Bobcats, and the 2nd half came down to the final minute of play when the Matadors hit a 3 and then held off Texas State, pinning a 69-66 loss on the Bobcats. The loss kept the hapless Bobcats mired in last place in Conference T. For Texas State, C Matt Wright scored 14, PG Garrick Allen tossed in 12, and reserve SF Xavier Wilson added 11. (8-18, 4-11)

Incarnate Word @ Wofford: Wofford scored on the initial possession of the game and never trailed in the game. By the end of the first half, they held a whopping 42-23 lead. They held the Cardinals off in the 2nd half as they throttled Incarnate Word by a final score of 77-61. Four of the Terriers’ starters scored in double figures: PG Antuan Lackey had 15, PF Kenny Taylor hit for 14, SG Victor Griffin scored 12, and C Brandon Linton added 11. (15-11, 9-6)

Longwood @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville’s offense clicked in the first half and they pulled away for a 44-28 halftime lead. They then coasted through the 2nd half and came away with a solid 81-67 victory. PG Reggie Scholl led the Dolphins with 21 points and C Ross Walker scored 14 while SG Justin Hartfield hit for 10 points. Longwood’s C Demond Harris scored 30 and grabbed 9 rebounds. (11-15, 9-6)

The wins by Wofford and Jacksonville put them into a 3-way tie with Lamar for 4th place in Conference U and a chance to tie SIU-Edwardsville for 3rd place.

Chicago St. @ Loyola-Maryland: Chicago State took on the conference-leading Greyhounds in their regular season game. Loyola-Maryland tore the Cougars up early in the first half as they stormed out to an early 17 point lead. But the Cougars turned the tables with their defense holding the Greyhounds scoreless for 7 minutes. By the end of the half, surprisingly the Cougars had come out on top 34-31. The second half was a donnybrook. After 14 lead changes and 9 ties, the buzzer sounded with Chicago State scoring a big 76-72 upset on the road. PF Robert Allocco scored 26 points, C Lamont Milford had 12 points, and SF Devin Archie pulled down 10 boards for the Cougars. (12-15, 8-8)

Northwestern St. @ Cal-Davis: Cal-Davis held a small lead throughout much of the first half and came away with a 45-39 edge at the break. The Aggies then put things away with a commanding 2nd half performance that led to an 89-71 crushing of the Demons. C Abraham Jackson came off the bench for Cal-Davis to toss in 19 points. SG Steffon Forman hit 6 of 8 FG’s and 3 of 5 three-point shots and scored 17 while pulling down 8 rebounds while reserves Nicholas Crudup and Dale Linton both scored 12 for the Aggies. Four reserves scored 52 of the Aggies’ 89 points. (8-16, 7-9)

Cornell @ Texas St.: Last place Texas State hosted 2nd place Cornell. Cornell struck early and jumped out to a 10 point lead, but Texas State went on a run midway through the half that not only caught the Big Red but continued so that the Bobcats led 34-23 at the break. Texas State then stomped Cornell in the 2nd half, opening a 22 point lead and finishing with a 76-57 pasting of Cornell. The Bobcats out-rebounded Cornell 36-21. Texas State’s SG Mike Brown scored 14, reserve SF Brian Rollerson popped in 12, and reserve PG Collin Jackson hit for 10. (9-18, 5-11)

Wofford @ Abilene Christian: Wofford scrambled as if they were playing for their life as they took on the first place Wildcats. Their first half defense was so strong that they built a 27-18 advantage at the break. The Terriers then continued to expand their lead in the 2nd half and finished by hammering the Wildcats 61-44. Wofford held Abilene Christian’s shooting to 23% and dominated the boards 38-21. Wofford’s offense was topped by PF Kenny Taylor’s 11 points (and he also had 11 rebounds) and SF Brandon Detmer’s 10 points. No players for the Wildcats scored in double figures. (16-11, 10-6)

Jacksonville @ Lipscomb: Jacksonville got it going right away and held onto the lead throughout the first half. They took a 32-25 lead into the locker room. In the early portion of the 2nd half, they increased their lead to 13 points and then held off the Bisons to finish with a 66-58 victory. SF Michael Frederick topped Jacksonville’s scoring with 15 points. Reserve guard Jacque Thompson dropped in 14 points and PF Maurice Braun scored 9 plus had 11 rebounds. (12-15, 10-6)

Injuries: C Abraham Jackson of Cal-Davis came down with the flu but should be ready to play in the conference tournament. Wofford’s PG Antuan Lackey bruised his hand badly but will be ready to play in the conference tournament. But Wofford’s PF Kenny Taylor tore his ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season.

[PointGuard]

Conference T



The three coach’s teams (Chicago State, Cal-Davis, and Texas State) that got promoted last year to Conference T did not have impressive seasons this year.

The only team to win more than half their games was DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars. They were an up and down team throughout the year. Fortunately for Brower, he had a star player in Robert Allocco. But when Allocco was injured for a portion of the season, the team was unable to compete successfully. Brower said, “Finishing tied for 6th in the conference isn’t anything to crow about, particularly when we were tied with 5 other teams for 6th place. We’d sure like to make some noise in the conference tournament and rise above the middle of the pack.”

Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies played horribly on the road (2-14). The team was marginally successful in Conference T but needed a star who could have led them to greater success. Thurlow commented, “We were happy with the promotion to Conference T. But it’s obvious we have some maturing and development to work on this coming year because we want to become a force in Conference T and also quality for post-season tournaments.”

Texas State, under the tutelage of Vernell Strom, was outclassed this season. Their road record (1-13) was even worse than that of Cal-Davis. Strom said, “It’s embarrassing to be tied for the bottom spot in the conference. And to not even qualify for the conference tournament was a real bummer.” As one of the three bottom teams in the conference, it is likely that Texas State will regress back to Conference U next season.


Conference U



The top of the conference was muddled with 6 teams finishing within a game of each other.

Both Kyle Anders and Parsons Nyland were hoping to join their friends in Conference T next season.

Anders’ Wofford Terriers had a good, but not great, season. Parsons Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins pre-conference record was very unimpressive, but they salvaged some pride by playing better once they began competing in Conference U. While both teams had good conference records (10-6), neither was able to be one of the top 3 teams in the conference. Therefore, the only way that either can be promoted to Conference T is to win the conference tournament.

Wofford’s chances of winning the Conference U tournament were torpedoed when PF Kenny Taylor was injured at the end of the regular season. Kyle Anders said, “We definitely will miss Kenny, but we’ll bring Jamaal Hobbs back into the starting lineup. Jamaal is a good scorer, but it will be tough to replace Kenny’s rebounding capabilities.”

After losing 9 straight and 11 of 12 games early in the season, the Jacksonville Dolphins got their act together and played well the last half of their season, winning 10 of their last 14 games. Parsons Nyland declared, “My guys became hungry for wins and we were definitely among the best teams in Conference U as the season progressed. Our focus now is completely on performing well in the Conference U tourney.”

[PointGuard]

Day 1

Cal-Davis—77, Citadel—75 (Cal-Davis falls behind by 10 in 1st half and trails by 5 at the break. But the Aggies take control in the 2nd half. After leading by 7, Cal-Davis has to defend a last second shot by the Bulldogs that would have tied the game in a thrilling ending. The Aggies out-rebound Citadel 37-21. C Mike Blackman scores 18, SF Tori Johnson hits for 12, PG Roby Phillips pops in 11, reserve Abraham Jackson adds 10, and SG Steffon Forman feeds 7 assists to teammates while PF Tyrone Dickerson grabs 9 boards for Cal-Davis. C Jason Black of Citadel tops all scorers with 21.)

Howard—70, Northwestern St.—69 (In a game that was close the entire way, Howard’s RaShawn Lynch tips in a rebound with 4 seconds remaining to win the game and score his 23rd point.)

Nicholls St.—67, St. Peter’s—48 (Nicholls State blows away St. Peter’s with hot shooting and a tight defense. C Jay Mitchell scores 23 and pulls down 10 boards to lead Nicholls State.)

Harvard—79, Chicago St.—74 (Chicago State blitzes Harvard in the first half to lead 44-30 at the half, but then lets the Crimson back into the game in the 2nd half and collapses in the final 3 minutes to lose a game they should have won. PF Robert Allocco scores 24, SF Devin Archie hauls down 12 boards, reserve Dane Jackson pours in 11 points (in 14 minutes of play), and PG Ryan Roberts adds 10 points for Chicago State. PF Damon Jackson’s sharp shooting results in 24 points for Harvard.)

Day 2

Loyola-Maryland—85, Harvard—81 (Loyola-Maryland leads entire way, but game is close throughout. PG Travis Bryant connects for 23 points plus has 7 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Loyola-Maryland to victory. C Garrick Harrington scores 28 and SG Brian Bergmann scores 20 for Harvard.)

Nicholls St.—94, Samford—79 (Nicholls State has 2nd blowout win of the tournament as C Jay Mitchell scores 18 and grabs 11 rebounds for the Colonels.)

Howard—62, Cornell-58 (In a close game the entire 40 minutes, Howard’s SF Antonio Stallings and C RaShawn Lynch both score 18 points with Stallings also recording 9 rebounds.)

Sacramento St.—81, Cal-Davis—77 (First half is an offensive show by both teams with Sacramento State leading at the break 50-45. Cal-Davis falls behind by 11 early in the 2nd half but then gamely fights back to nearly overcome Sacramento State. The Aggies are led by PG Roby Phillips 19 points while sub Abraham Jackson scores 16 and reserve Mark Stone adds 13.)

Day 3-Semi-Finals

Sacramento State—84, Loyola-Maryland—74 (Sacramento State not only upset favored Loyola-Maryland but made it look easy. All 5 starters plus a reserve scored in double figures for Sacramento State, led by C Anthony Davis’ 15 points. Loyola-Maryland’s PG Travis Bryant led all scorers with 21 points.)

Howard—81, Nicholls State—69 (The game was tied at 41-41 at the half, but Howard overwhelmed Nicholls State in the 2nd half with a stalwart defense. C RaShawn Lynch scored 25 points for Howard.)

Day 4-Championship

Sacramento State—82, Howard—74 (Howard led early, but Sacramento State came back to take a 44-36 halftime lead. Then the Hornets expanded their lead to 15 in the 2nd half before holding off Howard to take the conference championship. The Hornets won by hitting 49% of their FG attempts, 9 of 16 from 3 point distance and 21 of 25 from the line. C Joshua Leith scored 18 while PF Anthony Davis scored 11 and grabbed 10 boards for Sacramento State. Howard’s C RaShawn Lynch tossed in 23 points.)

[PointGuard]

Day 1

Wofford—65, Lipscomb—62 (With PF Kenny Taylor sidelined with an injury, Wofford struggles offensively in the 1st half, but scores 41 in 2nd half and wins following 12 lead changes in the game. PG Antuan Lackey scores 17 to lead the Terriers to victory.)

Jacksonville—87, Robert Morris—71 (Jacksonville smashes Robert Morris from outset of game with a potent offense and dominant rebounding. All 5 Dophins starters score in double figures (PF Maurice Braun-15, SF Michael Frederick-13, PG Reggie Scholl-13, SG Justin Hartfield-12, C Ross Walker-10) and reserve Quentin Taylor adds 12.)

Texas Rio Grande Valley—76, SE Missouri State—66 (PG Darius Shannon scores 23 as TX Rio Grande Valley outplays SE Missouri State in 2nd half)

Sacred Heart—71, North Dakota—66 (PG Kendrick Wilson scores 27 for Sacred Heart in their comeback win)

Day 2

SIU Edwardsville-67, Sacred Heart—61 (SIU-Edwardsville holds 38-25 halftime advantage and then has to fight off Sacred Heart’s comeback as SF Albert Seymour scores 16 for SIU-Edwardsville and SG Jason Greer scores 18 for Sacred Heart.)

Utah Valley—76, Texas Rio Grande Valley—62 (Utah Valley comes back from 4 point halftime deficit to streak past the Vaqueros. PF Stephen Bibby scores 15 for Utah Valley.)

Jacksonville—69, Abilene Christian—68 (22 lead changes and 16 ties including a 33-33 knot at the break. With the Dolphins trailing by a single point, PF Maurice Braun sinks two free throws with 7 seconds on clock to win the game. C Ross Walker scores 19 and grabs 9 boards to lead Jacksonville with PG Reggie Scholl picking up 15 points and reserve SF Robbie Martin dropping in 11 points.)

Wofford—83, Lamar—70 (In a game of expected equals, Wofford takes the game to Lamar. Leading 46-38 at the half, the Terriers expand their lead to 24 in the 2nd half before a late run by Lamar makes the game look closer than it really was. Reserve Colin Emery scores 17 and reserve Chris Wilder hits for 15 while pulling down 12 rebounds and C Jamaal Hobbs returns to the starting lineup to score 13 while reserve Rod Leonard adds 12 points for Wofford.)

Day 3-Semi-Finals

SIU-Edwardsville-77, Wofford—70 (In a game where Wofford could really have used injured PF Kenny Taylor, the Terriers gamely hung with talented SIU-Edwardsville, trailing by just 4 at the half and keeping in striking distance in the 2nd half. The difference in the game was that the Cougars scored 9 more points at the line than the Terriers. C Jamaal Hobbs topped Wofford’s scorring with 19 points, while PF Brandon Linton (who moved from C to PF) scored 12 and reserve Rod Leonard added 10. SG Richie Hall scored 19 for SIU-Edwardsville.)

Jacksonville—59, Utah Valley—44 (Jacksonville earned their way into the championship game with a convincing win. Jacksonville led by 15 at the half and was never seriously threatened in the 2nd half. The Dolphins forced Utah Valley to make 26 turnovers. PG Reggie Scholl popped in 17 points and reserve Jacque Thompson had 10 points for Jacksonville. C Richard Winston of Utah Valley topped all scorers with 20 points.)

Day 4-Championship

SIU-Edwardsville—80, Jacksonville—58 (This was a crucial game for Jacksonville. Since they didn’t finish in the top 3 in conference play, the only way they could be promoted to the next higher conference was to win the conference championship. But SIU-Edwardsville was just too talented. The Cougars immediately jumped into the lead and by the end of the first half, the Dolphins were behind 40-26. Things didn’t improve in the 2nd half and Jacksonville got flattened, thus ending their season. C Ross Walker had 14 points for Jacksonville.)