Five Friends/Foes

[PointGuard]

Jacksonville @ Illinois—Playing on the road against a much stronger team, Jacksonville came back from a 20 point deficit to nearly overtake the Fighting Illini before losing 71-66 in a game that proved their tenacity and ability to compete with strong teams. C Fred Smith came back from an injury in their previous game to score 20 points while SF Michael Frederick pulled down 14 rebounds. The Dolphins were sent to the foul line only 2 times. Illinois’ 8 more points at the line were the difference in this game. Jacksonville was a +17 in rebounds but a -13 in turnovers. (1-4)

Cal-Davis @ Weber St.—The Aggies never led in game and trailed by 18 at the half. They allowed Weber State to hit 50% of their shots while only converting 30% of their own FG attempts, thus leading to their 74-54 loss. SF Adrian Ballard led their scoring with 11 points. (2-3

Wofford @ Providence—Providence ran away with this game to the tune of 83-50, but the Terriers embarrassing loss was made worse by injuries to 3 of their players. Two suffered hamstring strains. Coach Kyle Anders reported after the game that while SG Victor Griffin is expected to just be shut down for a couple days of practice, SF Brandon Linton is likely to miss 2-3 games. SF Brandon Detmer sustained strained abdominal muscles and also is expected to be out for 2-3 games. PG Alton Johnson led the Terriers in scoring with 16 points. (2-3)

Akron @ Texas St.—Texas State came out on top in the first half 39-35. But Akron came from behind at the end of the game. With the game tied, Akron pulled off a perfect pick and roll freeing them for a jumper with 2 seconds on the clock that resulted in a 76-64 loss for Texas State. Reserve C Matt Wright came off the bench to lead the Bobcats in scoring with 24 points. SF Russell Brown scored 10 and hauled in 10 boards. High-scoring SG Andre Sales popped in 31 poisteadints for Akron. (3-2)

Chicago St. @ Mississippi St.—Chicago State came out on a mission and slowly pulled away from Mississippi State. By the half, the Cougars were in charge 43-32. They kept Mississippi State at arms’ length in the second half to win 69-58 and give Coach DJ Brower his first victory as a head coach. PF Robert Allocco’s 19 points led Chicago State. (1-4)

Akron @ Jacksonville—Akron won their 3rd game against teams coached by one of the friends. In a hard-fought battle, the Zips conquered Jacksonville 75-69. SG Andre Sales scored 26 for Akron (giving him 87 points in the 3 games against friends’ teams). PF Maurice Braun topped Jacksonville’s scoring with 15 points. PG Rowland Bolton sustained a concussion when he was knocked to the floor contesting a rebound. He will miss the Dolphins next game. (1-5)

Cal-Davis @ TX Rio Grande Valley—Cal-Davis stayed close in the first half and trailed by a mere 4 points at the break. But they lost contact in the 2nd half, falling behind by 20 points before being saddled with a 74-63 loss. PF Jeremy Wolthers scored 16 to lead Cal-Davis. (2-4)

Northeastern @ Wofford—The two teams slugged it out in the first half with Wofford coming away with a 40-36 halftime lead. In the 2nd half, Wofford kept up their attack but coupled it with a crippling defense that resulted in an 82-63 stomping of Northeastern. None of Wofford’s three injured players played, but Wofford overcame that disadvantage. Antuan Lackey came in off the bench to pour in 19 points in 15 minutes of floor time. SF Chris Wilder made the most of the chance to start by scoring 18 points and grabbing 5 rebounds plus getting 2 steals and a block. Wofford’s 3 losses are to teams (Utah, Boston College, and Providence) with a combined record of 19-2 with one presently ranked #2 and another #25 in the polls. The Terriers thus have earned their RPI ranking them as the 55th best team in the country. (3-3)

Texas St. @ Miami (OH)—Miami smothered Texas State in the first half to take a 38-24 lead at the break. Texas State continued to be outclassed in the 2nd half, falling behind by as much as 27 points. The final score was 78-55 in favor of Miami (OH). With this e Bobcats’ offense stymied, their leading scorer, PG Gilbert Lemeke, scored just 9 points. (3-3)

Chicago St. @ Mississippi—The second part of Chicago State’s trip to the state of Mississippi wasn’t as successful as the first. After taking an early 7 point lead, Chicago State was overwhelmed by Mississippi’s defense. Trailing 39-32 at the half, they steadily fell further and further behind in the 2nd half. The Cougars fell and fell hard, 79-57. PG Steve Greer scored 15 for Chicago State, while SG Lionel Ball topped all scorers with 21 for Mississippi. (1-5)

Wofford’s C Jamaal Hobbs was selected as the Conference U Freshman Player of the Week. Hobbs is averaging 10.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg thus far this season.

[PointGuard]

Jacksonville @ Northern Arizona—The Dophins took no prisoners in this game. After gaining a quick advantage, they controlled the boards (39-28) and scored 40 points in the paint compared to 10 by Northern Arizona. Jacksonville expanded its 12 point halftime advantage to 25 points in the 2nd half and bludgeoned Northern Arizona by a final score of 74-55. PG Reggie Scholls scored 15 points while hauling in 8 rebounds. (2-5)

Cal-Davis @ Toledo—When you hold your opponent’s shooting to 40%, you normally have a good chance of winning. But not if, like Cal-Davis in this game, you can only drop in 32% of your FG attempts. The Aggies could never put together a sustained offensive effort and dropped this game to the tune of 72-54. C Casey Givens scored 16 for Cal-Davis, but Toledo’s SF Keith Lightfoot topped all scorers with 22 and his teammate PF Anthony Welch scored 10 points while pulling down 12 boards. (2-5)

Air Force @ Wofford—The two teams exchanged the lead 8 times in the first half and were separated by just a point at the halftime break. But Air Force took flight in the 2nd half and soared to a 76-60 win. PF Kenny Taylor scored 18 for Wofford. For Air Force, SG Ray Marek scored 23 and SF Marque Lloyed had 21. The two combined to hit 10 of 14 three-point attempts. (3-4)

Texas St. @ High Point—Those attending this game got their money’s worth. 23 lead changes, 13 times tied, and neither team having greater than a 5 point lead. Texas State shot a little better and worked the boards better allowing them to come away with a 72-68 road victory. The Bobcats’ guard duo scored a combined 31 points (16 for PG Gilbery Lemeke and 15 for SG Terry Deng). C John DePina barely missed recording a double-double finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds. (4-3)

Chicago St. @ Seton Hall—It’s likely the AD for Chicago State won’t schedule a game against Seton Hall for next season. Although the Cougars were able to hang with the Hall for the early going, they trailed by 19 at the half and suffered an ignominious defeat 91-59. PF Robert Allocco score 20 and had 7 rebounds for Chicago State. PG Levall Howard chipped in 25 for Seton Hall. (1-6)

Jacksonville @ George Mason—Jacksonville played a strong 1st half, opening an 11 point lead and gaining a 32-26 halftime advantage. But George Mason wrestled control in the 2nd half and gradually caught up and then overtook the Dolphins, winning 65-60. SF Michael Frederick topped Jacksonville’s scoring with 17 points. C Roderick Allen scored 15 and pulled down 13 rebounds for George Mason. (2-6)

Wofford @ Mississippi St.—Wofford was unable to emulate Chicago State’s earlier victory over Mississippi State. Mississippi State’s defense completely dominated Wofford. The Terriers his just 25% of their FG attempts and they were forced into making 19 turnovers. Wofford fell and fell hard 71-40. PF Kenny Taylor scored 14 for the Terriers. C Mike Shine dropped in 22 points and SG Jason Cameron had 17 point and 11 boards for Mississippi State. (3-5)

Texas St. @ East Tennessee St.—A second straight tight game for Texas State. 24 lead changes, 15 ties, a one point variance at the half. But again Texas State came out on top, scoring a 78-71 victory. C John DePino scored 21, but the player of the game for Texas State was SG Terry Deng who poured in 19 points and came away with 12 rebounds. (5-3)

Sacramento St. @ Chicago St.—A rare home game for the Cougars and they took advantage of home-cooking to storm to an 83-63 triumph. Chicago State completely dominated the boards (46-22), but getting to the line 24 more times where they scored 20 more points than Sacramento State didn’t hurt their cause at all. SF Bernard Merton had a surprising big game, scoring 19 points. (2-6)

[PointGuard]

Vanderbilt @ Jacksonville—Jacksonville annihilated Vanderbilt in the first half, taking a 34-16 lead to the locker room. Their defense dissolved in the 2nd half and Vanderbilt poured in 47 points in the final 20 minutes of play. But the Dolphins were able to hold off the onslaught to come away with a 70-63 win. Jacksonville was +16 in rebounds but scored 12 more points on free throws than Vanderbilt. PG Ryan McDonald scored 16 points. (3-6)

William & Mary @ Cal-Davis—Cal-Davis got out in front early and never looked back winning easily 76-55. The Aggies hit 51% of their shots, were +16 in rebounding, and scored 18 more points at the line than the Tribe. SG Steffon Forman topped the scoring for Cal-Davis with 19 points. (3-5)

UNC-Greensboro @ Wofford—UNC-Greensboro outscored Wofford 36-30 in the first half. In the 2nd half, Wofford applied a tenacious defense and steadily pulled away to post a 70-59 victory. C Jamaal Hobbs led their scoring with 11 points. The Terriers bench contributed 30 points. (4-5)

Texas St. @ Valparaiso—This was Texas State’s 3rd straight close game. The Bobcats held a 40-37 halftime advantage. Most of the 2nd half was close, but then Texas State faded at the end and dropped the game 70-61. Poor shooting contributed to the Bobcats loss as they hit just 31% of their FG attempts. PG Gilbert Lemeke scored 15 for Texas State. (5-4)

Chicago St. @ Canisius—Chicago State opened an 11 point lead at the half and then held on throughout the 2nd half to win their 2nd straight game by the final score of 80-71. The Cougars dropped in 52% of their shots. SG Ryan Roberts was high point man with 21 points, but PF Robert Allocco scored 18 and grabbed 8 boards. (3-6)

Akron @ Cal-Davis—Akron continued its dominance with their 4th victory over a 5-friends’ team. Cal-Davis went to the break with a slim 29-27 edge. But the Aggies were sloppy in the 2nd half, finishing with 22 turnovers and a 68-61 loss. C Casey Givens scored 14 for the Aggies. SG Andre Sales wasn’t as dominant for Akron as in previous games against teams coached by one of the friends, but still had high-point honors with 16 points. (3-6)

Even though DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars have an unimpressive 3-6 record, their wins in their last 2 games plus their strength of schedule which includes a loss to 11th ranked Arkansas, gives them the 72nd best RPI in the nation at this point. They travel to take on #7 ranked Villanova for their next game. Reserve PF David Johnson is nursing a bad bruise to his thigh, but isn’t expected to miss a game.

[PointGuard]

Jacksonville @ Weber St.—Jacksonville couldn’t control Weber State in this game, allowing the Wildcats to hit 51% of their FG attempts and to dominate the boards (37-25). Weber State stomped the Dolphins 82-65. C Fred Smith had 11 points and 9 rebounds for Jacksonville and SF Michael Frederick scored 12. (3-7)

Drexel @ Cal-Davis—Cal-Davis fell behind by 11 points at the end of the 1st half. They struggled to get back into the game and made a game of it towards the end, before falling 79-75. The Aggies were a -12 in rebounding, but the main difference in this game was that the refs put Drexel on the line 19 more times where they scored 13 more points than Cal-Davis. Coach Monroe Thurlow rode the refs hard and had to be restrained by one of his assistants at one point. PF Jeremy Wolthers scored 13 points but was limited to just 14 minutes on the floor due to foul trouble. (3-7)

Wofford @ Central Florida—After falling behind by 7 points in the first half, Wofford came back to take a 37-30 lead to the locker room. They expanded their lead to 15 in the 2nd half, but a late run by Central Florida nearly caught the Terriers. They managed to hold on, though, to edge the Knights 71-66, even though 2 of their starters fouled out and another finished with 4 fouls. PG Alton Johnson scored 14 points. Chris Wilder came off the bench to score 7 points and pull down 10 rebounds. (5-5)

New Orleans @ Texas St.—The lead flipped back and forth throughout the first half, but Texas State gained a 39-35 halftime advantage. They pulled away in the 2nd half, opening a 17 point lead. Even though New Orleans cut into the their lead in the late stages, the Bobcats weren’t seriously threatened. C John DePina scored 16 and also had 9 boards. (6-4)

Chicago St. @ #7 Villanova—Villanova controlled this game the entire way, leading by as much as 25 points. But Chicago State showed spunk but coming back toward the end of the game to draw to within 12 at the end, losing 82-70. PF Robert Allocco had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. PG Robert Beshara scored 27 plus had 8 rebounds and 8 assists for Villanova. (3-7)

[PointGuard]

Jacksonville @ Southern—The only thing Jacksonville did well in this game was to control the boards (34-20). But their defense was porous allowing Southern to drop in 52% of their shots. Southern also only had 9 turnovers compared to 25 by Jacksonville. Southern overwhelmed the Dolphins by a score of 80-59. SG Justin Hartield was the top scorer for Jacksonville with 11 points. (3-8)

Cal-Davis @ Stanford—The Aggies jumped out on top and opened an 11 point lead in the first half. Stanford closed to within 3 points at the break. The score remained close throughout the 2nd half but Stanford was able to come back late in the half and take the game by the score of 60-55. A great effort by the Aggies on the road against a talented team. Four fouls were called against Stanford during the entire game (yes, just 4), and the Aggies never got to the foul line the entire night. Meanwhile Stanford made 15 of 19 free throws. PG Jason Everett carried the Aggies offense with 20 points. During the post-game interview, Coach Monroe Thurlow was asked about the officiating, to which he replied, "It's often said that if you don't have something good to day, don't say anything at all. So with respect to your question about officiating, I have nothing to say." (3-8)

Wofford @ Portland—This was a close game the entire way. Portland led 37-35 at the half. The game was tied 73-73 at the end of regulation. But the Pilots came on strong in OT and won 90-81. Wofford hit 59% of their shots, but made 25 turnovers. PG Alton Johnson popped in 21 points for Wofford. For Portland C Tezale Walcott scored 19 and had 10 boards. (5-6)

Texas St. @ Texas Tech—Playing on the road, Texas State hung with the higher-rated Texas Tech team the entire game. The Bobcats simply ran out of time at the end of the game and lost a squeaker, 65-63. SF Russell Brown scored 13 for Texas State. SF DeShawn Thompson was high-point man for Texas Tech with 21 points. (6-5)

Morgan St. @ Chicago St.—Morgan State controlled the game in the first half but only led by a score of 37-34 at the half. Chicago State chipped away and pulled away in the latter stages of the 2nd half to win 78-70. Chicago State won by knocking down 53% of their shots. PF Robert Allocco poured in 28 points plus had 9 rebounds. PG Steve Greer had 8 points and 8 assists. (4-7)

Chicago State’s Robert Allocco was named the Conference U Player of the Week based on his 28 point, 9 rebound performance. For the season he’s tied for 2nd in scoring in Conference U with 16.3 ppg, is 4th in rebounds with 6.9 rpg, and is 5th in blocks with 1.5 bpg.

In non-Conference U news, Virginia Tech was put on probation due when 2 players were found to have accepted bribes. Virginia Tech will be prohibited from offering scholarships for 2 years and will be banned from post-season play for a year. It’s suspected that Coach Hollis Gunder may likely be fired.

[PointGuard]

DJ Brower (Chicago State Cougars, 4-7, RPI 102)—We had a tough start, losing 4 straight to open the season, but we bounced back to win 5 of 9 and 3 of our last 4 games. And this call came about even though we only played 3 of our 11 pre-conference games at home. So I’m optimistic and look forward to taking on the rest of Conference U. I’m pleased with how the team has done on the boards but we need to tighten up our defense. Our perimeter players needs to improve their shot selection so their shooting percentage improves, but overall Steve Greer (9.2 ppg, 3.5 apg) at PG, Ryan Roberts (9.5 ppg) at SG, and Gavin Johnson (6.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg) have playes well. C David Bracey (4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) has had a couple good games, but needs to improve his consistency and attack the boards harder. PF Robert Allocco (16.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is our anchor and has played exceptionally well.

Kyle Anders (Wofford Terriers, 5-6, RPI 117)—It was disappointing to lose in overtime to Portland in our last game, otherwise we’d be playing above .500, but I’m really enjoying my time here in Spartanburg. My guys are excited about starting play in Conference U. But we’ve got a ways to go. Too many turnovers (16.5 per game) and we need to get stronger both on offense (64.8 ppg) and defense (71.3 ppg). I like my guys to be tough on the boards and thus far, they’ve done pretty well. PG Alton Johnson (11.8 ppg) has been our workhorse and our leader offensively. Freshman C Jamaal Hobbs (9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is still acclimating to Division I college ball and has done well on offense but we’re going to need more rebounding from him. PF Kenny Taylor (8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) has been steady for us. SF Brandon Detmer (6.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg) missed 3 games due to an injury, but will be a key player for us, I believe. We’re still solidifying who will be starting at SG. Freshman Antuan Lackey (6.6 ppg) has been on the floor the most time, but Jimmy Griffith (4.0 ppg) and Victor Griffin (3.2 ppg) are challenging him. We really need one of the 3 to step up and put consistently put some points on the board for us. PF Rod Leonard, who we signed for our lone scholarship this year, should be a big addition next year both offensively and on the boards.

Monroe Thurlow (Cal-Davis Aggies, 3-8, RPI 303)—We’ve played well in 2 or 3 games. But I’m not happy with our record thus far. We’ve lost too many close games. The guys need to nail down those games that we have a good chance to win, and we just haven’t done that so far. We’re going to be working harder on getting our guys familiar with our offensive sets so we can put some more points on the board. Our interior guys have done pretty well but both PF Jeremy Wolthers (10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and C Casey Givens (9.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) need to hit a higher percentage of their shots. Our perimeter players, PG Jason Everett (8.0 ppg, 3.9 apg), SG Steffon Forman (7.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and SF Adrian Ballard (7.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) are shooting well, but need to put more shots up when they get good looks at the basket. We didn’t win as many pre-conference games as I would have liked, but only 6 of the conference teams has 6-5 records and all others were below .500 so I think we have a good chance to do well in conference play. Our goal now though is to beat the Conference U teams one by one starting with Parson Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins this coming week.

Parsons Nyland (Jacksonville Dolphins, 3-8, RPI 196)—This head coaching gig isn’t as easy as I expected. Pretty rough start. We had a couple good wins against some good competition (Baylor and Vanderbilt), but haven’t played well otherwise. But his is a young team with 5 freshmen and 4 sophomores and just 2 seniors. Thus far PF Maurice Braun is leading us offensively with 10.5 ppg, plus he’s come up big on the boards (7.0 rpg). C Fred Smith isn’t far behind with 9.5 ppg and Ross Walker has been None of our perimeter players has yet stood out, but we have 4 of them (Reggie Scholl, Michael Frederick, Justin Hartfield, and Rowland Bolton) scoring between 7 and 8.5 ppg. Recruiting wise, I’m happy with the point guard (Josh Jones) who has signed an LOI to play for us next year…even though he’s not ranked that highly, our assessment is that his passing, ball handling and defensive skills will make him a key player for us, if not as a freshman, at least for the 3 remaining years. We’ve got one more scholarship to fill and are looking closely at a couple strong centers.

Vernell Strom (Texas State Bobcats, 6-5, RPI 176)—Overall I think we’ve played pretty well so far. And we played a heckuva game against a very talented Texas Tech team in our last game and even though we lost by 2 points, our guys now realize they can compete with anyone. Defensively we’ve played particularly well. And offensively we’ve got 3 players averaging in double figures (C John DePina, 11.7 ppg; PG Gilbert Lemeke, 11.0 ppg; and SG Terry Deng, 10.4 ppg) so that keeps the opposition from focusing on any one guy. SF Russell Brown is averaging 7.9 ppg, but if he can start hitting his 3’s, he could be in double figures also. PF Kebu Dupay (5.5 ppg) has had a slow start and is being challenged as a starter by Brian Robertson (3.6 ppg in 7.6 mpg). We have landed one recruit but still need 3 more so have some major work to Thdo on the recruiting front.

[PointGuard]

Conference play began this week.

Lamar @ Texas St.—Lamar came out of the gate scoring and quickly opened a 15 point lead, but Texas State came on to pull ahead 39-30 at the half. The Bobcats then streaked to a 24 point lead midway through the 2nd half before cruising to an easy 76-61 walloping of the Cardinals. SG Terry Deng topped Texas State’s scoring with 13 points and also had 8 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block. C John DePina added 12 points plus yanked down 12 rebounds. PG Gilbert Lemeke scored 9 and had 7 assists. (7-5, 1-0)

Wofford @ Nebraska-Omaha—The first half was a defensive battle during that was close all the way, although Wofford trailed at the break 24-22. Things stayed close until late in the 2nd half when Nebraska-Omaha pulled away for a 59-50 victory. C Jamaal Hobbs and PF Kenny Taylor both scored 11 points for Wofford. (5-7, 0-1)

Howard @ Chicago St.—Howard came out strong and led by 9 in the first half before Chicago State put on a late run to lead 40-36 at the half. Then the Cougars put 54 points on the board in the 2nd half to clobber Howard 94-72. Both teams hit just over 50% of their shots, but Chicago State forced Howard to turn the ball over 21 times whereas the Cougars had just 11 turnovers. PF Robert Allocco dropped in 26 points plus had 4 blocks. (5-7, 1-0)

Jacksonville @ Cal-Davis—In the first contest between two of the friends (now foes), Monroe Thurlow got the best of Parsons Nyland as Cal-Davis got on the board first and held a lead the entire game, winning 68-59. SG Steffon Forman led all scorers with 17 points for Cal-Davis and C Casey Givens scored 16 plus had 8 boards. For Jacksonville, PG Reggie Scholl scored 16 and dished out 6 assists. (Cal-Davis: 4-8, 1-0; Jacksonville: 3-9, 0-1)

Incarnate Word @ Texas St.—After the first few minutes, Texas State took control and maintained it the rest of the game, blasting Incarnate Word 74-59. John DePina stroked in 18 points and muscled his way to 15 rebounds. SF Russell Brown also had a double-double for Texas State (10 points and 10 boards). Neither team shot well, but the Bobcats had a 46-32 rebounding advantage. (8-5, 2-0)

Lafayette @ Wofford—Wofford totally destroyed Lafayette in the first half to take a 42-19 lead. They then maintained their lead in the 2nd half, stomping Lafayette 78-55. The Terriers hit 53% of their shots, including knocking down 14 of 30 three-pointers. Reserve SG Antuan Lackey drilled in 26 points (hitting 9 of 11 from the field including 8 of 9 from beyond the arc). (6-7, 1-1)

Chicago St. @ Longwood—Chicago State was focused from the very beginning. By the half they led 42-34 and then opened the game further in the 2nd half to pick up a nice road win, 84-76. The big difference in the game was the Cougars 41-27 rebounding advantage. PF Robert Allocco continued to score well, hitting for 20 points while grabbing 7 boards, and getting 3 steals and 2 blocks. (6-7, 2-0)

Florida Gulf Coast @ Cal-Davis—Cal-Davis put on an offensive show in the first half to take a 54-31 lead to the locker room. They never let Florida Gulf Coast back into the game and posted a 90-63 win. The Aggies hit 58% of their FG attempts and a very impressive 16 of 24 threes. SF Adrian Ballard topped their scoring with 19 points. PG Jason Everett scored 11 points while handing out 8 assists. (5-8, 2-0)

Jacksonville @ Grand Canyon—Jacksonville kept the game close in the first half, trailing by just 2 at the half. But Grand Canyon shut down the Dolphins offense in the 2nd half enroute to a 69-55 flattening of the Dolphins. PG Reggie Scholl scored 15 but had 9 turnovers for Jacksonville. For Grand Canyon, PF Eric Williams scored 15 with 10 rebounds. (3-10, 0-2)

Chicago State’s Robert Allocco was named the Conference U Player of the Week for the 2nd straight week and the 3rd time this season. This week he scored 46 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in Chicago State’s two wins.

[PointGuard]

Texas St. @ Abilene Christian—While staying close in the first half, Texas State had a 30-25 deficit at the half. Abilene Christian pulled ahead by as much as 16 points in the 2nd half, but Texas State made a run late the came up a little short. Texas State lost their first game in Conference U by the score of 68-63. SG Terry Deng scored 11 for the Bobcats. SF Higgins Harmon scored 12 and had 11 rebounds for Abilene Christian. (8-6, 2-1)

Utah Valley @ Wofford—The two teams exchanged the lead 10 times plus had 7 ties in this game. Utah Valley led by 3 at the half and at the end of regulation, the game was tied 79-79. In overtime, Wofford took control and pulled out a 91-85 victory. Team stats were as close as the game. C Jamaal Hobbs scored 20 points for the Terriers. PG Alton Johnson added 18 points plus dished out 8 assists. (7-7, 2-1)

Cal-Davis @ Grand Canyon—Cal-Davis led by 7 during the first half, but by the break the score was tied 31-31. Grand Canyon gradually took control in the latter stages of the 2nd half. The Aggies hit just 2 of 19 three’s which was a big part of their 63-55 loss. PF Jason Everett scored 11 and had 9 rebounds and 5 assists, but also had 8 turnovers. SG Steffon Forman had 7 blocks and 6 steals in this game. (5-9, 2-1)

Florida Gulf Coast @ Jacksonville—The first half was a battle with 9 lead changes. Jacksonville came away with a 41-38 halftime lead. The Dolphins then scored 53 points in the 2nd half as they rolled to a 94-76 triumph. Jacksonville shot the lights out, hitting 62% of their FG attempts. C Fred Smith scored 24 for Jacksonville. SG Mills Keown scored 20 for Florida Gulf Coast. (4-10, 1-2)

North Dakota @ Chicago St.—Chicago State held the lead throughout this game and knocked off North Dakota by a score of 73-58. PF Robert Allocco scored 13 points for the Cougars, but North Dakota’s SG Rashun Harper topped all scorers with 20 points. (7-7, 3-0)

Texas St. @ Nebraska-Omaha—Texas State took apart the Mavericks from beginning to end, leading by as much as 23 points, and finished with an easy 70-58 road win. The Bobcats outshot Nebraska-Omaha 50% to 33%. PF Kebu Dupay broke out to score 18 points for the Bobcats. (9-6, 3-1)

Incarnate Word @ Wofford—Wofford quickly gained control of this game and led at the half 36-24. Their lead ballooned to 22 in the 2nd half. That allowed Coach Kyle Anders to play his bench extensively enroute to a 79-63 victory. C Jamaal Hobbs led Wofford offensively with 17 points while PF Kenny Taylor scored 10 and grabbed 10 rebounds. (8-7, 3-1)

North Dakota @ Cal-Davis—The Aggies gained a 10 point lead in the first half, only to lose it and go to the locker room tied 33-33. Cal-Davis folded in the 2nd half to suffer a bad 74-57 home loss as they hit just 36% of their shots. Reserve guard Nicholas Crudup scored 11 points in 8 minutes of play. PF Jeremy Wolthers added 8 points and also had 10 rebounds. (5-10, 2-2)

Howard @ Jacksonville—An exciting first half ended tied 37-37. But Jacksonville’s defense was like a sieve in the 2nd half and they got blown out at home 90-71. Howard hit 58% of their FG attempts and 15 of 24 from 3 point distance. PF Maurice Braun led Jacksonville’s scoring with 16 points. But Howard’s SG Kyle Fisher dropped in 24 points while his teammate SF Antonio Stallings added 22. (4-11, 1-3)

Chicago St. @ Florida Gulf Coast—Chicago State pulled away to lead 45-32 at the half. But they nearly let the Eagles overtake them before finally edging Florida Gulf Coast, 76-72. PF Robert Allocco had another big game, scoring 24 and taking down 11 boards. SG Mills Keown led Florida Gulf Coast with 20 points. (8-7, 4-0)

Chicago State is on top of Conference U with a 4-0 record. Texas State and Wofford are in a 5-way tie for 2nd place with 3-1 records.

Injuries: Wofford’s SG Jimmy Griffith injured his hip but should just miss one game. Texas State’s SF Russell Brown jammed his wrist and will sit out the next game. Cal-Davis’ SG Roby Phillips strained his calf and missed the Aggies last game and will also be out for their next game.

[PointGuard]

Utah Valley @ Texas St.—The Bobcats took the lead from the outset and by the end of the first half led 44-32. They maintained a double digit lead throughout the 2nd half, finishing the game with a solid 77-64 win. The biggest difference in the game was that Texas Tech out-rebounded the Wolverines 36-26. SG Terry Deng led Texas State’s scoring with 22 points. PG Gilbert Lemeke played a strong all-around game, scoring 11, grabbing 7 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, and getting 3 steals while C John DePina scored 14 and pulled down 8 boards. (10-6, 4-1)

Wofford @ Abilene Christian—Wofford’s offense couldn’t get untracked in the first half and they trailed 33-20 at the break. The Terriers scored 41 in the 2nd half, but Abilene Christian scored 42 to drop a 75-61 loss on Wofford. PG Alton Johnson scored 15 and PF Kenny Taylor added 14 with both players picking off 8 boards. Abilene Christian’s PF Ryan West scored 24 points. (8-8, 3-2)

Cal-Davis @ Howard—This game was close throughout the early part of the first half, but Howard pulled away for a 42-26 halftime lead. Howard continued pounding the Aggies in the 2nd half to open a 25 point lead. Cal-Davis narrowed the difference but still lost 68-55. Cal-Davis had 21 turnovers to Howard’s 9. The Aggies blocked 14 Bison shots. PF Jeremy Wolthers scored 10 and had 9 rebounds for Cal-Davis. (5-11, 2-3)

Jacksonville @ Chicago St.—Another game involving two of the 5 coaches. DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars took control of the game early and never let up. They led 39-23 at the half and expanded their lead to 24 in the 2nd half. The final margin of victory for the Cougars over Parsons Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins was 73-56. Chicago State outshot Jacksonville 47% to 35%. PF Morgan Moore came in off the bench to lead Chicago State in scoring with 13 points and rebounds with 9. Jacksonville’s PF Robert Allocco led all scorers with 21 and his teammate SF Gavin Johnson had a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds). (Chicago State: 9-7, 5-0; Jacksonville: 4-12, 1-4)

Texas St. @ Wofford—Vernell Strom squared off against Kyle Anders. Ander’s Wofford team had the best of it in the 1st half, leading by as much as 7 points and taking a 40-39 lead to the locker room. But Strom got his Texas State team on track in the 2nd half and they gradually pulled away to take a 79-71 win over Wofford. Texas State had just 9 turnovers while Wofford turned the ball over 19 times. For Texas State, SG Terry Deng and reserve C Matt Wright both scored 19 points. PG Alton Johnson dropped in 22 points for Wofford. (Texas State: 11-6, 5-1; Wofford: 8-9, 3-3)

Longwood @ Jacksonville—The first half was a barn-burner. The lead switched back and forth with Longwood holding a 34-33 edge at the half. Jacksonville applied a staunch defense in the 2nd half that allowed Longwood to score just 16 points in that stanza. Jacksonville ran away to stomp the Lancers 72-50. Longwood hit just 29% of their shots during the game. Jacksonville controlled the boards 49-34. PG Reggie Scholl led the Dolphins’ scoring with 18 points while PF Maurice Braun scored 15 and grabbed 13 rebounds. (5-12, 2-4)

Chicago St. @ Cal-Davis—Another game involving two of the friends, now foes (DJ Brower of Chicago State vs Monroe Thurlow of Cal-Davis). While Chicago State held a 37-27 rebounding advantage, Cal-Davis held a 25-8 turnover advantage. Turnovers turned out to be the controlling factor as Cal-Davis pinned a first-loss within Conference U on Chicago State by a score of 77-64. PF Jeremy Wolthers scored 16 points for Cal-Davis and SF Adrian Ballard had 6 steals. Tim Watson came in off the bench to lead Chicago State’s scoring with 11 points. SF Gavin Johnson pulled down 10 rebounds for the Cougars. (Cal-Davis: 6-11, 3-3; Chicago State: 9-8, 5-1)

Chicago State and Texas State are part of a 3-way tie with Howard for first place in Conference U with 5-1 records. Wofford and Cal-Davis are tied for 7th place with 3-3 records. Jacksonville is tied for 11th place with a 2-4 record.

Injuries: SF Tori Johnsen of Cal-Davis has a badly bruised foot and is day-to-day but ex not expected to miss a game.

[PointGuard]

Wofford @ Lamar—Lamar clamped down defensively in the first half and jumped out to a 45-23 lead at the half. Wofford was unable to get back into the game and underwent a 74-55 stomping. C Jamaal Hobbs with 16 points was the only Terrier to score in double figures. Lamar’s C Greg Ryan scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. (8-10, 3-4)

Lafayette @ Texas St.—Texas State scored first and never gave up the lead. The Bobcats hit 50% of their shots enroute to a 78-65 victory. Both SG Terry Deng and C John DePina scored 21 points for Texas State and PG Gilbert Lemeke score 10 and dished out 7 assists. (12-6, 6-1)

Cal-Davis @ Longwood—The game was close for much of the first half, but Longwood pulled away in the latter stages to post a 37-26 halftime advantage. The Aggies’ 21 turnover sealed their doom and they dropped the game to the tune of 68-59. SG Steffon Forman led the scoring for Cal-Davis with 15 points. C Andy Datcher scored 22 points for Longwood. (6-12 3-4)
J
acksonville @ North Dakota—The two teams exchanged the lead 11 times in the first half, but North Dakota gradually pulled away to lead 41-32 at the half. Jacksonville fell behind by as much as 21 points in the 2nd half. They cut the lead late in the game but still lost 73-60. Reserve SG Rowland Bolton scored 17 points for Jacksonville in his 17 minutes on the court. (5-13, 2-5)

Grand Canyon @ Chicago St.—Chicago State his 56% of their shots and rolled to a 41-22 halftime lead before winning decisively by a score of 68-50. PF Robert Allocco scored 20 points plus had 2 steals and 3 blocks for Chicago State. (10-8, 6-1)
T
exas St. @ Longwood—Neither team could pull away in this game. Texas State finished the first half with a slim 42-39 lead. After 14 lead changes and 9 ties, the Bobcats edged Longwood 89-81 for their 5th straight win. The biggest difference in the game was Texas State’s control of the boards (40-29). PG Gilbert Lemeke scored 19, SG Terry Deng added 18, and C John DePina recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. C Demond Harris scored 21 points for Longwood. (13-6, 7-1)

Abilene Christian @ Chicago St.—The game was close throughout the early-going, but Chicago State moved out to a 48-38 lead at the break. The Cougars then expanded their lead to 19 in the 2nd half before finishing with a commanding 78-64 win. Guard Tim Watson came off the bench to lead Chicago State’s scoring with 17 points. (11-8, 7-1)

Utah Valley @ Jacksonville—Jacksonville played solidly in the first half to build a 43-27 halftime advantage. The Dolphins then held off Utah Valley in the 2nd half to prevail 70-59. PG Reggie Scholl poured in 22 points for Jacksonville. (6-13, 3-5)

Wofford @ Cal-Davis—Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies held a small lead throughout the first half and went in the 2nd half ahead by a 30-26 score. The Aggie’s defense continued to stymie Kyle Anders’ Wofford Terriers in the 2nd half and the Aggies rolled to an easy 64-46 victory. Wofford hit just 31% of their shots while Cal-Davis knocked down 51% of their FG attempts. C Casey Givens scored 22 and pulled down 8 boards for the Aggies. Reserve SF Brandon Linton topped Wofford’s scoring with just 8 points. The loss was Wofford’s 4th straight. (Cal-Davis: 7-12, 4-4; Wofford: 8-11, 3-5)