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[PointGuard]

Team Assessments by the 5 Coaches

Western Illinois (9-2), Terry Morillo: “We’re working a 4-game win streak, the 2nd time we’ve had that this season. Our losses were to Villanova and Providence, both strong programs. So I’m optimistic. We’ve outscored our opponents 71.3 to 63.0 and we’re hitting 49% of our FG’s and 37% of our 3’s. SF Ty Wilfork is averaging 13.1 ppg, PF Orvo Haapajarvi 10.5 ppg, and PG Mohamed Ammons 10.0 ppg with our other two starters close to averaging in double figures…and we have depth from the bench as well. Ty, Orvo and Mohamed are all seniors and definitely are our team leaders. Ty’s also averaging 5.4 rpg and 2.6 apg, Orvo’s averaging 5.2 rpg and 3.1 apg, and Mohamed is averaging 3.3 apg. Our NET Ranking presently is 46th best which is probably high, but hell, I’ll take it.”

UC San Diego (8-3), Ken Kamoto: “I was most impressed by our guys pulling off that 3-point road win over Seton Hall a few weeks ago, but overall I think we’ve played well so far this season. We won 5 out of the 6 road games we played, losing only to Oklahoma State. We’ve outscored our opponents thus far by 6 points a game and our defense has been solid (64.5 ppg). 4 of our starters are averaging in double figures: SG DeVante Botts—15.8; PF Jeremiah Mason—14.5, PG Al LeVasseur—10.5, and C Bryce Stafford—10.0 and our remaining starter, SF Steve McCrary, is hitting 55% of his shots so I think as he gains confidence, he’ll begin putting up more shots.”

Georgia State (8-3), Dontell Spencer: “We started out great, but slipped the final two weeks. But I think that’s let our guys know they have to go out and play extra hard each and every game. I’d like to see us taking better shots so we hit a higher percentage of our shots, but our defense has been stellar (64.1 ppg). SF David Selby has been terrific, averaging 16.8 ppg and C Marshall Sanders. Another part of our game that has been solid has been rebounding with PF Aaron Samuels, C Marshall Sanders, SF David Selby and C Jared Sharp combining to pull down 23 rpg and our guards doing a pretty good job on the boards as well. We’re excited about beginning conference play since with our promotion we will have a whole new set of opponents. There’s really some good teams, so it will be a challenge.”

Southeastern Louisiana (6-6), Ramon Montez: “We’ve been inconsistent, but our competition was pretty stiff. And 8 of our games were on the road. We lost 6 of those, but we’re 4-0 at home. Our offense was pretty anemic, but I think it will improve when we get into conference play. SG Will Collins is our leading scorer with 11.9 ppg and Jason Nee, who’s started at both C and PF, is averaging 10.9 ppg with PF Mike Sanders right behind at 9.9 ppg. Our bench players have been solid.”

Maryland Eastern Shore (4-7), Mike McMillan: “I think we’re better than our record would indicate. So bring on conference play. We’re a pretty good shooting team (47%) but need to work the boards better. PG Carl Hancock has run hot and cold but is averaging 11.6 ppg and SF Anthony Wilks has put in 10.6 ppg. Our other 3 starters are each averaging about 9 ppg. Our C’s, Kyle Mader and Zamiro Colter, have combined to average 15.7 ppg and 10.5 rpg.”

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of January 8-14, 2040

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (9-3, 1-0)—60, St. Joseph’s Hawks—50 (There were 13 lead changes in the first half, but the Panthers went on a late run that gave them a 32-25 edge at the break. Georgia State then held onto a solid lead throughout the 2nd half. PG Mike Boxler—16 pts; SF David Selby—11 pts; C Jared Sharp—10 pts, 5 reb; PF Aaron Samuels—13 reb; C Marshall Sanders—12 reb.)

George Washington Colonials—62, Georgia State Panthers (9-4, 1-1)—51 (The Colonials gained control early and led 26-19 by halftime. The Panthers fell further behind in the 2nd half and never challenged. PF Aaron Samuels—13 pts, 9 reb, 5 blocks; SF David Selby—12 pts, 5 reb. “This was the 4th straight game in which our offense failed to gel. It’s disappointing to lose at home. We need to do better,” said Coach Spencer.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (7-6, 1-0)—73, Eastern Kentucky Colonels—59 (The Lions totally dominated from start to finish. They led 42-19 at halftime and coasted through the 2nd half. PF Mike Sanders—19 pts, 7 reb; PG Mike Bree—12 pts, 5 ast; C Jared Nee—11 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (8-6, 2-0)—69, Samford Bulldogs—46 (Another total blowout for the Lions. Fantastic defense led to a 39-15 halftime lead and they led by as much as 37 points in the 2nd half. Reserve PG Thomas Matthews—19 pts. SE Louisiana’s bench scored 41 points. Starting PG Mike Bree suffered a broken nose just 2 minutes into the game.)

Conference R

Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-2, 1-0)—66, Lafayette Leopards—53 (The Leathernecks gradually pulled away in the first half and led 32-20 at the break. They extended their lead to 19 points and were never challenged. SG Brandt Kennedy—14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl; C David Perry—12 pts, 10 reb, 4 blk; PG Mohamed Ammons—12 pts.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (11-2, 2-0)—71, Tennessee State Tigers—58 (Western Illinois got off to a quick start and fashioned a 38-24 halftime lead. They upped their lead to 21 points early in the 2nd half and then cruised to an easy win. SG Brandt Kennedy—17 pts, 4 stl; SF Ty Wilfork—15 pts; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—13 pts; PG Mohamed Ammons—11 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (9-3, 1-0)—80, Bryant Bulldogs—61 (The Tritons offense sizzled in the first half as they built a 50-29 halftime advantage. Bryant was never able to cut into their lead in the 2nd half. PF Jeremiah Mason—15 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk; C Bryce Stafford—12 pts, 11 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 blk; PG Al LeVasseur—10 pts, 9 ast.)

UC San Diego Tritons (10-3, 2-0)—82, North Alabama Lions—75 (There were 11 lead changes in early in the 1st half, but the Tritons came out on top 44-33 at halftime. The Lions kept the game close in the 2nd half but could never overtake UC San Diego. The Tritons hit 60% of their FG’s. C Bryce Stafford—20 pts, 5 reb; SF Steve McCrary—17 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk; PG Al LeVasseur—11 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl; SG DeVante Botts—11 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl, 4 blk.)

Grambling Tigers—80, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4-8, 0-1)—63 (The Tigers and their home crowd were just too much for the Hawks. By halftime MD-Eastern Shore trailed 44-32 and they slipped further behind throughout the 2nd half. SG Carl Hancock—15 pts; SF Anthony Wilks—12 pts; Reserve C/PF Zamiro Colter—12 pts, 5 reb; C Kyle Mader—11 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (5-8, 1-0)—76, California Baptist Lancers—60 (The Hawks used a solid defense to take a 38-22 halftime lead. They held onto their big lead throughout the 2nd half. SG Carl Hancock—22 pts, reserve guard Rick Miller—11 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; PG Ivoree Spence—10 pts.)

Awards: SG Brandt Kennedy was named the Freshman Player of the Week for Conference R. UC San Diego’s C Bryce Stafford was the Conference S Freshman Player of the Week.

Injuries: PG Mike Boxler of Georgia State—sprained ankle—4 days; SE Louisiana’s PG Mike Bree—broken nose—49 days. SE Louisiana’s PF Mike Sanders—back spasms—4 days; SF Rod Woodard—sore hand—3 days.

Comments: SE Louisiana, Western Illinois and UC San Diego got off to great starts in conference play…each scored 2 lopsided wins during the first week of conference play. But the Leathernecks’ wins were particularly impressive since both were accomplished in road games. While Georgia State won 1 of the 2 games they played this week, they’ve only been able to knock down between 32% and 36% of their FG's in each of their last 4 games.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of January 15-21, 2040

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (10-4, 2-1)—79, Harvard Crimson—72 (The Panthers led throughout most of the first half, but Harvard overtook them with 4-1/2 minutes remaining and held on to take a 42-35 halftime lead. Georgia State cut into the lead in the early going of the 2nd half, caught up with 14 minutes to go and the two teams exchanged the lead repeatedly over the next 10 minutes. Then the Panthers slowly pulled away to achieve the victory. SF David Selby—22 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; PG Mike Boxler—16 pts; C Marshall Sanders—12 pts, 10 reb; SG Clint Strohm—12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl.)

Indiana Hoosiers—77, Georgia State Panthers (10-5, 2-2)--74 (In their 2nd away game of the week, Georgia State came out strong and built a 47-36 halftime advantage. The Panthers expanded their lead to as much as 19 points in the 2nd half and looked to have the game sewed up. But Indiana took advantage of Georgia State’s players exhaustion and quickly overtook them in a 4 minute run and held on for the final minute of the game to post a disappointing loss on the Panthers. SF David Selby—16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk; PG Cy Hogue—12 pts, 6 ast; C Marshall Sanders—11 pts, 6 reb; SG Clint Strohm—11 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (9-6, 3-0)—71, Incarnate Word Cardinals—61 (The Cardinals led for the first 11 minutes of the game, but the Lions edged past them and led at the half 33-29. Their lead ballooned to as much as 23 points with 8 minutes to play. The Cardinals then ate into that big lead, but never really were a threat. C Jason Nee—19 pts, 7 reb; PF Mike Sanders—13 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; SG Will Collins—10 pts.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (10-6, 4-0)—77, South Alabama Jaguars—66 (The Lions grabbed the lead 2 minutes into the game and never gave it up. After leading 43-30 at the half, the 2nd half was almost a repaly of the Lions previous game. They led by as much as 23 points again and as in the previous game eased up to allow the Cardinals to cut the lead in half in the final 7 minutes. C Jason Nee—18 pts; PF Mike Sanders—15 pts, 8 reb; SG Will Collins—11 pts. “The two games, particularly the 2nd halves, this week were sort of like watching the movie ‘Groundhog Day’,” said coach Ramon Montez.)

Conference R

Western Illinois Leathernecks (12-2, 3-0)—86, Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers—50 (Western Illinois shot out of the gate and grabbed a double digit lead within 3 minutes, led 40-17 at the half, opened as much as a 42 point lead in the 2nd half to bludgeon the Mountaineers. PG Mohamed Ammons—22 pts, 6 ast; C David Perry—16 pts, 6 reb; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—12 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl.)

NC-Wilmington Seahawks—72, Western Illinois Leathernecks (12-3, 3-1)—60 (The Seahawks grabbed an early lead, and with their home crowd urging them on, ground out a 45-33 halftime advantage. Western Illinois was unable to cut into that lead in the 2nd half. SF Ty Wilfork—20 pts, 10 reb; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—12 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; SG Brandt Kennedy—11 pts.)

Conference S

San Jose State Spartans—68, UC San Diego Tritons (10-4, 2-1)—58 (San Jose State was in control most of the first half and spurted in the final few minutes to a 39-25 halftime advantage. The Spartans lead grew to 23 points midway through the 2nd half. UC San Diego fought hard to comeback, but the difference was just too great. PG Al LeVasseur—16 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl; SG DeVante Botts—15 pts, 6 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (11-4, 3-1)—73, McNeese State Cowboys—32 (UC San Diego returned home and applied a devastating defense. By the half, the Tritons were on top 25-18 and then in the 2nd half their offense sizzled as well and they annihilated the Cowboys. SG DeVante Botts—30 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; PF Jeremiah Mason—17 pts, 13 reb.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (6-8, 2-1)—74, Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens—66 (Defense predominated in the first half during with the Hawks grabbed a 33-25 advantage. But the 2nd half was characterized by offense by both teams. SF Anthony Wilks—18 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast; SG Carl Hancock—15 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl; PG Ivoree Spence—11 pts, 9 ast.; C Zamiro Colter—9 pts, 8 reb.)

Hartford Hawks—58, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (6-9, 2-2)—55 (This game see-sawed back and forth. MD-Eastern Shore was on top 29-26 at halftime but Hartford’s defense was better in the 2nd half allowing them to edge ahead for the win. PG Ivoree Spence—12 pts, 4 ast; PF Zamiro Colter—8 pts, 7 reb.)

Awards: SG DeVante Botts of UC San Diego is the Conference S Player of the Week.

Injuries: C Jared Sharp of Georgia State—strained hamstring—10 days; PG Thomas Matthews—sore hip—5 days. Western Illinois’ C David Perry—sprained wrist—14 days…and PG Mohamed Ammons—sore wrist—2 days. SG Ray West of MD-Eastern Shore—sore calf—1 day.

Comments: “I really thought we were going to beat Indiana on their home court, but we just ran out of gas at the end,” said Georgia State’s coach Dontell Spencer. Southeastern Louisiana’s two away games this week were so alike and kept the Lion’s conference record perfect. After pulling off 2 road wins last week, Western Illinois’ road magic evaporated this week, although they were able to win at home. After suffering a road loss, UC San Diego came back with a scintillating defense for a runaway win at home. Rumors have it that the Tritons’ freshman SG Brandon Payne is unhappy sitting on the bench watching DeVante Botts. MD-Eastern Shore coach Mike McMillan said, “We’re trying but we just haven’t been able to put together a win streak. Right now we’re running hot and cold.”

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of January 22-28, 2040

Conference I

Drexel Dragons—86, Georgia State Panthers (10-6, 2-3)—75 (There were 7 lead changes in the first 7 minutes of the game, but the Panthers offense went cold and Drexel pulled away to achieve a 40-30 halftime lead. Drexel’s lead grew to 19 midway through the 2nd half and Georgia State was unable to do more than cutting the lead in half, and the Panthers suffered a home defeat. C Marshall Sanders and PF Jared Sharp—14 pts apiece; PG Cy Hogue—11 pts; SG Clint Strohm—11 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl; SF David Selby—10 pts. Coach Spencer said, “We let their starting guards combine to score 47 points.”)

Colgate Raiders—68, Georgia State Panthers (10-7, 2-4)—56 (The Panthers fell behind a minute into the game and with 17 minutes to go in the first half, they trailed by 13 and were behind 39-24 at halftime. Colgate led by as much as 22 points in the 2nd half. PG Cy Hogue—13 pts; PG Mike Boxler—13 pts.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (11-6, 5-0)—62, South Dakota Coyotes—55 (South Dakota led for most of the game. The Lions forged ahead with 5 minutes to go and then held off the Coyotes. PG Thomas Matthews—16 pts; PF Mike Sanders—11 pts, 5 reb; C Jason Nee—16 reb.)

IUPUI Jaguars—80, Southeast Louisiana Lions (11-7, 5-1)—74 (The game was close throughout the first half with IUPUI gaining a 39-36 halftime advantage. But 6 minutes into the 2nd half, the Jaguars forged ahead to lead by 11 points 2 minutes late. The Lions got close by could not regain the lead. PF Mike Sanders—18 pts; SG Will Collins—19 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl. “We failed to do what was needed on the boards. Going -14 gave the Jaguars just too many opportunities,” said Coach Montez.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (13-3, 4-1)—70, Troy Trojans—49 (Following 4 very early lead changes, the Leathernecks got on top and led 35-31 at the end of the 1st half and then built a 27 point lead in the 2nd half to bury Troy. SF Ty Wilfork—13 pts, 5 reb; PG Mohamed Ammons—10 pts.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (14-3, 5-1)—55, Manhattan Jaspers—43 (Western Illinois broke out on top and never trailed, leading 27-19 at the break and then opening as much as a 24 point lead in the 2nd half. PG Mohamed Ammons—18 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast; SF Ty Wilford—9 pts, 9 reb, 3 blk.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (12-4, 4-1)—66, Wagner Seahawks—63 (This game was close for all 40 minutes. UC San Diego led 36-34 when the teams went to the lockerroom. Calvin Henderson knocked down a 3 to break the last of 12 ties and win the game for the Tritons. PF Jeremiah Mason—20 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk; SG DeVante Botts—18 pts; C Bryce Stafford—13 pts. “That was a heckuva game and good to win on the road,” said Coach Yamoto.)

UC San Diego Tritons (13-4, 5-1)—78, Eastern Illinois Panthers—63 (The Tritons were in control thoughout the 1st half and led 34-25 at the break. But Eastern Illinois ate into the lead in the 2nd half and took a 2 point lead with 10 minutes remaining. UC San Diego then poured in shots from all over the court to spurt to a big win. SG DeVante Botts—25 pts, 4 reb, 6 stl; PG Al LeVasseur—15 pts, 5 ast; PF Jeremiah Mason—13 pts, 7 reb; SF Steve McCrary—11 reb.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (7-9, 3-2)—83, Appalachian State Mountaineers—58 (MD-Eastern Shore ground out a 39-27 halftime advantage and then drubbed the Moutaineers in the 2nd half, outshooting Appalachian State 56% to 40%, holding a 33-23 rebounding advantage and a 16-11 turnover advantage. SF Anthony Wilks—17 pts, 5 reb; PF/C Zamiro Colter—13 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk; C Kyle Mader—12 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; SG Ray West—12 pts, 4 reb; SG Carl Hancock—11 pts.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (8-9, 4-2)—83 North Carolina A&T Aggies—74 (Neither team could gain more than a very small advantage and there were 18 lead changes throughout the first half and during the first 7 minutes of the 2nd half. The Hawks then slowly pulled ahead and held onto a solid lead during the final 9 minutes in the game. SF Anthony Wilks—18 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast; SG Carl Hancock—13 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; PF/C Zamiro Colter—12 pts, 8 reb; C Kyle Mader—10 pts.)

Awards: None.

Injuries: Gerald Payne of Georgia State—mild concussion—6 days. SE Louisiana’s SG Bill Shin—sore hip—3 days and PG Brennan Hess—sore wrist—2 days; SG Ray West of MD-Eastern Shore—sprained ankle--8 days.

Comments: UC San Diego is tied for 1st in Conference S with MD-Eastern Shore a game behind. Western Illinois is alone in 2nd place in Conference R. SE Louisiana is tied for the lead in Conference O. But Georgia State is now mired in a 6-way tie for 10th place in Conference I, 3 games behind 1st plac Charleston Southern.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of January 29-February 4, 2040

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (11-7, 3-4)—78, Western Michigan Broncos—59 (The Panthers jumped out to a big lead early in the game, but Western Michigan fought back to narrow the gap to 38-35 at halftime. Georgia State owned the Broncos in the 2nd half to gain a solid victory. PG Cy Hogue—16 pts; PF Jared Sharp—15 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk; reserve forward Aaron Samuels—14 pts; PG Mike Boxler—11 pts.)

Georgia State Panthers (12-7, 4-4)—74, South Dakota State Jackrabbits—61 (Defense prevailed in the first half with the Panthers finishing the half with a 23-19 edge. But the 2nd half was all offense. And the Panthers gobbled up the hometown Jackrabbits, leaping to an 18 point advantage and winning easily to even their conference record. PG Cy Hogue—14 pts; PF David Selby—13 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk; C Marshall Sanders—10 pts, 8 reb; reserve forward Aaron Samueld—10 pts, 4 reb.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (12-7, 6-1)—79, Niagara Purple Eagles—61 (The game was close most of the first half, but at halftime the Lions led 38-31. SE Louisiana gradually extended their lead throughout the 2nd half. The Lions outscored Niagara 36-18 on points in the paint. C Jason Need—18 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl; SF Shawnelle Allen—16 pts; SG Will Collins—13 pts.)

Arkansas State Red Wolves—78, Southeast Louisiana Lions (12-8, 6-2)—70 (SE Louisiana held the lead throughout the first half and led 39-30 at halftime. In the 2nd half the Red Wolves began gnawing away at the lead and overtook the Lions with 10 minutes remaining. Arkansas State held a 44-20 rebounding advantage. PF Mike Sanders—16 pts; C Jason Nee—12 pts, 5 reb, 3 stl; reserve forward Morris Few—11 pts; SG Will Collins—10 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl.)

Conference R

Western Illinois Leathernecks (15-3, 6-1)—59, Oakland Golden Grizzlies—41 (The Leathernecks put Oakland away early and led 39-15 at the half and then rolled to a lopsided win. PG Mohamed Ammons—21 pts, 4 ast; SG Bill Shin—10 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl.; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—8 pts, 13 reb.)

Northern Kentucky Norse—79, Western Illinois Leathernecks (15-4, 6-2)—66 (The Leathernecks led for the first 13 minutes but led the Norse tie them at halftime. But Northern Kentucky took control in the 2nd half. PF Orvo Haapajarvi—22 pts, 6 reb; SF Ty Wilford—14 pts.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (14-4, 6-1)—90, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles—74 (The lead shifted between the 2 teams for 5 minutes but then the visiting Tritons began pulling away and led 39-32 at the end of the half. UC San Diego steadily added to their lead as the 2nd half progressed. The Tritons hit 63% of their FG attempts and held a 32-23 rebounding advantage. SG DeVante Botts—21 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk; PF Jeremiah Mason—19 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; reserve guard Brandon Payne—17 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl; C Bryce Stafford—10 pts, 8 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (15-4, 7-1)—76, Appalachian State Mountaineers—68 (UC San Diego crushed the Mountaineers in the first half to lead 43-27 when they went to the locker room. The Tritons held onto a big lead for 8 minutes of the 2nd half, but Appalachian State they chipped away at the lead but simply ran out of time and the Tritons came away with their 2nd road win of the week. SG DeVante Botts—31 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; PF Jeremiah Mason—10 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (9-9, 5-2)—81, Campbell Camels—65 (There were 6 lead changes in the first half, but the Hawks pulled away in the final minutes to post a 48-42 lead going into the 2nd half. MD-Eastern Shore held onto a small lead in the 2nd half but with jumped ahead in the final 11 minutes, leading by 22 at one point. Reserve forward Zamiro Colter—22 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; PG Ivoree Spence—12 pts, 5 ast; SF Anthony Wilks—12 pts; C Kyle Mader—10 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (10-9, 6-2)—75, Eastern Illinois Panthers—67 (Eastern Illinois controlled the 1st half, leading by as much as 12 points and by a 37-29 score at the half. But the Hawks offense clicked in the 2nd half and they overtook the Panthers with 14 minutes to go and never looked back. PG Ivoree Spence—15 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast; SF Anthony Wilks—13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk; C Kyle Mader—13 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; SG Ray West—12 pts; PF Rob Evans—8 pts, 10 reb.)

Awards: UC San Diego SG DeVante Botts was the Conference S Player of the Week, his 2nd such award this season.

Injuries: State’s PG Cy Hogue broke his wrist and will miss the rest of the season; UC San Diego’s SF Steve McCrary—sore hand—4 days.

Comments: Georgia State climbed up to a 3-way tie for 7th place in Conference I, but is just 2 games off the lead. MD-Eastern Shore is in 3rd place in Conference S, one game behind co-leader UC San Diego. The Tritons NET Ranking is 59th best in Division 1. SE Louisiana is tied for 1st place in Conference O and they have the 65th best NET Ranking. Western Illinois is in 2nd place in Conference R and their NET Ranking is 58th best in the nation.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of February 5-11, 2040

Conference I

Saint Mary’s Gaels—68, Georgia State Panthers (12-8, 4-5)—62 (This game was close the entire way. Georgia State led 37-34 at the break and held onto a small lead for the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half. The lead then flipped back and forth over the next 5 minutes, but then Saint Mary’s edged ahead and maintained a little lead over the final 7 minutes. SF David Selby—19 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast; PF Aaron Samuels—10 pts, 11 reb, 3 blk. “Poor shooting really derailed us, but we also didn’t do well on the boards. Losing at home sucks,” said Coach Spencer.

Drake Bulldogs—80, Georgia State Panthers (12-9, 4-6)—68 (Yet another close game, although the Panthers let the Bulldogs pull away in the final five minutes. PF Aaron Samuels—15 pts, 16 reb; SF David Selby—13 pts, 5 reb; C Jared Sharp—11 pts, 5 reb; PG Mike Boxler—10 pts.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (13-8, 7-2)—72, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors—51 (The Lions led from beginning to end. They held a 33-21 halftime advantage and expanded their lead throughout the 2nd half. SG Will Collins—19 pts; C Jason Nee—14 pts, 13 reb, 4 blk; PF Mike Sanders—13 pts; SF Shawnelle Allen—10 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl.)

James Madison Dukes—86, Southeast Louisiana Lions (13-9, 7-3)—77 (A close game for 30 minutes with SE Lousiana holding a 41-34 lead at the half. But the Dukes took control in the last 10 minutes. PF Mike Sanders—17 pts; SG Will Collins—13 pts, 5 ast, 5 stl; SF Shawnelle Allen—10 pts, 8 reb.)

Conference R

Western Illinois Leathernecks (16-4, 7-2)—86, Loyola (MD) Greyhounds—80 [OT] (The Greyhounds ran off to a 31-19 lead at the break and held onto a lead until there were just 3-1/2 minutes to go. With both teams scoring on nearly every possession in the final 2 minutes, the buzzer sounded with the scored tied at 67-67. Overtime was an offensive explosion with the Leathernecks outscoring Loyola 19-13 in those 5 minutes. SG Brandt Kennedy—20 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; SF Ty Wilfork—17 pts, 11 reb; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—16 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; C David Perry—10 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (17-4, 8-2)—67, Sacramento State Hornets—58 (The first half ended with the Hornets on top 35-28. Their lead increased to 11 with 16 minutes left to play in the game, but then Western Illinois began eating into the lead and overtook Sacramento State with 10 minutes to go and the Leathernecks never relinquished the lead. C David Perry—16 pts, 5 reb; SF Ty Wilfork—16 pts, 4 reb; SG Brandt Kennedy—11 pts, 5 reb, 4 stl.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (16-4, 8-1)—97, North Carolina A&T Aggies—60 (The Tritons manhandled the Aggies in the first half to forge a 50-27 advantage at halftime. The beating continued in the 2nd half. SG DeVante Botts—22 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl; PF Jeremiah Mason—18 pts, 9 reb; PG Al LeVasseur—15 pts, 4 ast; C Bryce Stafford—10 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast.)

Campbell Camels—75, UC San Diego Tritons (16-5, 8-2)—72 (UC San Diego held a narrow lead most of the first half, but was overtaken to trail 36-34 at the break. Campbell opened a 10 point lead with 6 minutes remaining, but the Tritons fought back to tie with a minute left. Campbell scored and converted the subsequent free throw with 22 seconds remaining. The Tritons got off a 3 point shot that rimmed out as time was expiring. The Camels outscored the Tritons 30-16 and the free throw line. PF Jeremiah Mason—24 pts; SG DeVante Botts—13 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (11-9, 7-2)—69, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles—67 (The first half was very close and ended in a 32-32 tie. After the lead shifted between the 2 teams in the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half, the Hawks moved out to a 10 point lead and then gamely held on to escape with a slim road victory. With Tennessee Tech scoring 11 more points on free throws, MD-Eastern Shore won by hitting 50% of their shots from the field compared to just 37% by the Golden Eagles. PF Anthony Wilks—15 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast; PG Ivoree Spence—12 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast; SG Ray West—11 pts.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-9, 8-2)—64, McNeese State Cowboys—50 (The game was tied at 31-31 at the half. It was still tied 3 minutes into the 2nd half, but then the Hawks pulled away to win handily. MD-Eastern Shore by being +9 on the board and making 7 less turnovers than the Cowboys. SG Carl Hancock—20 pts; PG Ivoree Spence—12 pts.)

Awards: None.

Injuries: Idris Bass of Western Illinois—sore calf—5 days; Kyle Mader of MD-Eastern Shore—sore hand—1 day.

Comments: Maryland Eastern Shore and UC San Diego are tied for 2nd place in Conference S. Western Illinois is alone in 2nd place in Conference S and Southeastern Louisiana is tied for 2nd place in Conference O. Georgia State’s 2 losses this week dropped them into a 4-way tie for 12th place in Conference I.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of February 12-18, 2040

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (13-9, 5-6)—84, Kent State Golden Flashes—74 [2 OT] (Although this game was close the entire way, it generally appeared to be going Kent State’s way with the Golden Flashes holding a few 10 points leads whereas any time the Panthers would take the lead it was by no more than 2 points. But Georgia State came back from a 7 point deficit in the final 5 minutes of regulation and tied the game on a successful backdoor play that tied the game at 60-60. The game remained knotted at the end of the first overtime, but in the 2nd overtime Georgia State outscored Kent State 14-4. SF David Selby—19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk; PG Elton Sheals—14 pts, 8 ast; SG Clint Strohm—10 pts, 4 ast, 5 reb, 4 stl; C Marshall Sanders and C Jared Sharp (combined)—18 pts, 18 reb.)

Georgia State Panthers (14-9, 6-6)—83, Colorado State Rams—71 (The Panthers got their game in gear from the start and led 52-30 at the break. They then coasted to an easy road win. PG Elton Sheals—22 pts, 5 ast, 2 reb, 3 stl; C Marshall Sanders—18 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; PG Clint Strohm—12 pts, 5 reb.)

Conference O

Southeasterner Louisiana Lions (14-9, 8-3)—73, Marist Red Foxes—51 (The lead shifted repeatedly throughout the first half with Marist eking out a 38-36 halftime lead. Marist opened a 5 point advantage early in the 2nd half. But the Lions evened the score with 15 minutes remaining and then ran away to soundly thump the visiting Red Foxes. PF Mike Sanders—15 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl; C Jason Nee—12 pts, 6 reb; PG Mike Bree—11 pts; reserve C Fred Morant—11 pts, 6 reb.)

Texas San Antonio Roadrunners—76, Southeastern Louisiana Lions (14-10, 8-4)—73 (SE Louisiana fell behind early and never recovered, trailing at the half by a 49-34 score and trailing by double digits throughout the first 13 minutes. But the Lions caught first late and rapidly cut into the lead, worrying not only the Roadrunners but the entire home crowd. But the clock ran out of the comeback and they came up just short. Reserve guard Thomas Matthews—16 pts; C Jason Nee—16 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl, 2 blk.)

Conference R

Western Illinois Leathernecks (18-4, 9-2)—74, Gardner Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs—60 (Western Illinois scored first and then built a 46-23 halftime advantage. Coach Morillo liberally played his bench in the 2nd half, and while Gardner Webb cut into the lead, there was never any doubt of the outcome. SF Orvo Haapajarvi—21 pts; PF Idris Bass—16 pts.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (19-4, 10-2)—76, Lipscomb Bisons—59 (Another wire-to-wire win as the Leathernecks breezed to a 38-31 lead at the half and then led by as much as 24 points in the 2nd half. PF Idris Bass—23 pts, 5 reb; C David Perry—16 pts; reserve forward Eliran Zaichik—14 pts.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (17-5, 9-2)—81, Hartford Hawks—62 (UC San Diego dominated early in the 1st half and left the Hawks with a 47-26 halftime deficit. The Tritons held onto their big lead al the wayl to the end. PF Jeremiah Mason—15 pts , 9 reb; PG Al LeVasseur—15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; SG DeVante Botts—15 pts; C Bryce Stafford—12 pts, 5 ast, 7 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk.)

UC San Diego Tritons (18-5, 10-2)—83, MD-Eastern Shore Hawks—68 (UC San Diego continued to demonstrate their strength by running off to a 42-27 halftime advantage and never letting the Hawks get close in the 2nd half. PG Al LeVasseur—23 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl; PF Jeremiah Mason—14 pts, 6 reb; reserve C Camara McWilliams—13 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast; reserve guard Brandon Payne—12 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl; C Bryce Stafford—10 pts.)

Wagner Seahawks—75, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-10, 8-3)—64 (There were 10 lead changes in the first 29 minutes of this game. But then Wagner steadily pulled away. SG Carl Hancock—19 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; SF Anthony Wilks—15 pts, 8 reb; PF Rob Evans—11 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl.)

UC San Diego Tritons—83, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-11, 8-4)—68 (The Hawks fell short in their 2nd straight road game as they let the Tritons hit 65% of their FG’s and 60% of their 3’s. SG Carl Hancock—18 pts, 5 ast; PG Ivoree Spence—10 pts, 5 reb; reserve guard Rick Miller—10 pts.)

Awards: None.

Injuries: Clint Strohm of Georgia State—sore arm—3 days; Will Collins of SE Louisiana—sore foot—5 days; Jason Nee of SE Louisiana—food poisoning—2 days; Mohamed Ammons—sore hips—2 days; Rob Evans of MD-Eastern Shore—sore wrist—1 day; Anthony Wilks—strained toe—6 days.

Comments: With 2 wins apiece UC San Diego and Western Illinois continued their highly successful seasons and Georgia State moved up to the middle of the pack in Conference I. But MD-Eastern Shore suffered 2 road defeats. “We’re too good of a team to go on the road and play so poorly in the first half that we put ourselves in a deep hole. We need to begin with more intensity,” said Coach Mike McMillan of MD-Eastern Shore. “I was pleased how we made a valiant comeback effort in the 2nd half against Wagner, though. Had we begun that comeback 1-2 minutes earlier, the outcome could very well have been different.” SE Lousiana’s coach Ramon Montez said, “We’re now tied for 3rd with another team just 1 game behind us. The last 7 games we’ve alternated losses and wins. We need to do better. With just 4 games left in conference play, we need to finish strong to ensure we’ll earn a promotion next year.”

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of February 19-25, 2040

Conference I

Bradley Braves—76, Georgia State Panthers (14-10, 6-7)—68 (The Panthers fell behind early, came back midway through the first half and then let Bradley bury them in the final 10 minutes to put Georgia State in a 50-31 hole at the half. Bradley held onto as much as a 23 point lead until there were 6 minutes remaining. But there was just not enough time for the Panthers’ late run to make up the difference. PF Aaron Samuels—15 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk; SG Clint Strohm—14 pts, 5 reb; SF David Selby—10 pts; PG Elton Sheals—10 pts, 4 reb.)

Saint Joseph’s Hawks—75, Georgia State Panthers (14-11, 6-8)—56 (7 lead changes early in the game, but then the Hawks took control and at the half were ahead 38-26. The Panthers continued to fall further and further behind in the 2nd half. SF David Selby—11 pts, 5 reb; SG Clint Strohm—11 pts.)

Conference O

Liberty Flames—71, Southeastern Louisiana Lions (14-11, 8-5)—70 (An extremely close game the entire 40 minutes. At the half SE Louisiana led 29-26. Following a series of lead changes in the 2nd half, the Lions held onto a very small lead in the final 6 minutes only to see Liberty hit an 18 foot jumper with 4 seconds to go to nip the Lions at the very end. C Fred Morant—18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; PF Jason Nee—15 pts, 5 stl; SF Mike Sanders—13 pts, 5 reb.)

Eastern Kentucky Colonels—76, Southeastern Louisiana Lions (14-12, 8-6)—60 (No more than 3 points separated the 2 teams for the first 14 minutes of the game, but the Colonels then carved out a 37-27 lead at the half. That difference grew to 20 with 12 minutes to go and SE Louisiana was unable to cut significantly into that lead. PF Mike Sanders—15 pts.)

Conference R

VMI Keydets—62, Western Illinois Leathernecks (19-5, 10-3)—61 (VMI took control early and held a 35-29 advantage at the half. The Keydets then pulled ahead by 21 points with 8 minutes to go. The Leathernecks then clamped down defensively and made a run all the way to the end of the game that came up a single point short. PF Orvo Haapajarvi—22 pts; SF Ty Wilfork—12 pts, 5 reb; SG Brandt Kennedy—11 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (20-5, 11-3)—79, Lafayette Leopards—64 (Western Illinois scored first and never gave up the lead. By the half they were ahead 43-24 and then kept the Leopards from making a serious run in the 2nd half. PF Orvo Haapajarvi—22 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk; SG Brandt Kennedy—19 pts; SF Ty Wilfork—16 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl; PG Mohamed Ammons—13 pts, 7 ast.)

Conference S

California Baptist Lancers—59, UC San Diego Tritons (18-6, 10-3)—57 (The Tritons cruised through the first round enroute to a 32-23 lead at halftime. But the Lancers began to nibble at the lead in the 2nd half and spurted past UC San Diego with 9 minutes to go. Down by 8 with 3 minutes to go, the Tritons made an all-out effort to comeback but missed a shot on their final possession that would have tied the game. SG DeVante Botts left the game with an injury after playing just 12 minutes. PF Jeremiah Mason—13 pts, 10 reb; SG DeVante Botts—11 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl. PG Al LeVasseur, who’d hit 13 of 19 shots and scored 38 points in the Tritons two previous games, went 0 for 17 from the field in this game.)

UC San Diego Tritons (19-6, 11-3)—84, Bryant Bulldogs—73 (Bryant led for the first 10 minutes, but the Tritons defense throttled the Bulldogs and allowed UC San Diego to go ahead 42-31 at the half. The Tritons held onto a solid lead throughout the 2nd half. PF Jeremiah Mason—25 pts, 5 reb; C Bryce Stafford—12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast; SG Al LeVasseur—12 pts, 5 ast; SF Steve McCrary—11 pts.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (13-11, 9-4)—76, North Alabama Lions—66 (The first half ended in a 37-37 tie and there was no more than 4 points separating the 2 teams and lead flip-flopped through the first 17 minutes of the 2nd half. But MD-Eastern Shore did not let the Lions score another point and ran off to a double digit win. PF Rob Evans—17 pts, 6 reb; C Kyle Mader—14 pts, 5 reb; SG Carl Hancock—14 pts, 8 reb, 4 stl; reserve guard Rick Miller—10 pts.)

Grambling Tigers—73, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (13-12, 9-5)—60 (After 9 lead changes, the Tigers were able to open a 41-33 halftime lead in the final 3 minutes of the half. Grambling quickly opened a 17 point lead in the 2nd half and won with ease on the Hawks home court. SG Carl Hancock—16 pts, 4 reb; PF Rob Evans—14 pts, 4 reb; PG Ivoree Spence—10 pts. Grambling has now won 12 games in a row.)

Awards: None.

Injuries: UC San Diego’s DeVante Botts—severe back pain—44 days; MD-Eastern Shore’s Rick Miller—sore foot—1 day; MD-Eastern Shore’s Ray West—sore shoulder—1 day.

Comments: A rough week for the 5 teams with just 3 wins against 7 losses. Even though they split their 2 games this past week, Western Illinois was able to crack into the polls, though, and is now ranked #24 in the Media Poll. SE Louisiana is now in a 5-way tie for 3rd place in the Conference R standings as they try to stay in position to gain a promotion next year. Georgia State’s 2 losses dropped them into a 3-way tie for 11th place in Conference I with just 3 other teams with worse records and needs to win in the final week to avoid being one of the 4 teams to be relegated next year. UC San Diego’s coach Ken Yamoto said, “It looks like DeVante Bott’s back injury will keep him out the remainder of the season. That’s a big blow since he’s our leading scorer (16.8 ppg).” “While we want to win every game, beatin’ St. Joseph’s on their court was a tough challenge. But not showin’ up at home against Bradley was beyond the pale. We just can’t be doin’ that,” said Georgia State coach Dontell Spencer.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games the Week of February 26-March 4, 2040--FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON

Conference I

George Washington Colonials—64, Georgia State Panthers (14-12, 6-9)—63 (The margins by both teams throughout the first half were razor thin. George Washington was ahead 26-25 when the buzzer sounded. The first 6 minutes of the 2nd half were the same, but the visiting Panthers pulled away to a 7 point lead. The Colonials nibbled away at the lead, and then trailing by a single point and time expiring, they got the ball to their star SG Caleb Huston who put up a shot that was off target but the refs ruled he was fouled on the shot. He went to the line and dropped in both shots to score his 28th and 29th point of the game, but more importantly to tie and then win the game for George Washington. SF David Selby—15 pts, 5 ast; PF Aaron Samuels—12 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast; reserve PG Mike Boxler—10 pts. “After finally gaining a decent lead, the last few minutes of this game were like ripping my fingernails off one by one,” said coach Dontell Spencer.)

Harvard Crimson—75, Georgia State Panthers (14-13, 6-10)—60 (There were 6 lead changes in the first 3 minutes, but then the Crimson took control to build a 34-27 halftime advantage. The gap gradually increased throughout the 2nd half as the Panthers could not find a way to make any kind of run and lost their final home game of the season. SF David Selby—24 pts; C Marshall Sanders-8 pts, 11 reb.)

Conference O

Southeast Louisiana Lions (15-12, 9-6)—59, Samford Bulldogs—47 (It took the Lions 7 minutes before they were able to begin breaking away, but by the end of the half they led 32-25. Their lead grew to 18 points with 8 minutes to play in the game and they cruised to an easy win by holding home team Samford’s shooting to 33% and forcing 24 turnovers. C Jason Nee—18 pts, 12 reb; SG Will Collins—9 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (16-12, 10-6)—73, Incarnate Word Cardinals—55 (SE Louisiana got off to a quick start and never trailed in this contest. By the half they were in total command by the score of 41-20. The Lions outplayed the Cardinals in all aspects of the game. SG Will Collins—18 pts, 5 reb, 3 stl; PG Mike Bree—10 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast.)

Conference R

Tennessee Tech Tigers—58, Western Illinois Leathernecks (20-6, 11-4)—54 (The Leathernecks fell behind by 10 points in the first half before rallying late to close to within 3 points at 28-25 at the break. They pulled ahead 4 minutes into the 2nd half and held onto it until the Tigers shut them down defensively in the final 3 minutes to spring past them and post a home court loss on Western Illinois. The Leathernecks had a horrible shooting night, hitting just 28% of their FG’s and 7% of their 3’s. SF Ty Wilford—12 pts; C David Perry—12 pts.)

Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers—94, Western Illinois Leathernecks (20-7, 11-5)—74 (There were 25 lead changes and 12 ties in the first 30 minutes of this game, but then the Moutaineers ahhilated the Leathernecks in the final 10 minutes. C David Perry—17 pts, 7 reb; PG Mohamed Ammons—13 pts, 5 ast; SG Brandt Kennedy-13 pts, 5 reb, 5 stl; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—10 pts, 5 reb.)

Conference S

UC San Diego Tritons (20-6, 12-3)—80, North Alabama Lions—77 (The Tritons got off to a good start but let the Lions catch and take a small lead 8 minutes into the first half. But UC San Diego came back to take a 41-36 lead at halftime. Their lead ballooned to 20 points midway through the 2nd half but then they lost momentum and let the Lions nearly overtake them. SG Brandon Payne—26 pts, 7 reb; PG Al LeVasseur—20 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl; PF Jeremiah Mason—15 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast.)

UC San Diego Tritons (21-6, 13-3)—76, San Jose Spartans—68 (The game was close with 10 lead changes in the first 11 minutes but the Tritons they rallied to take a 42-28 lead to the locker room. Their lead grew to 16 in the 2nd half before the Spartans cut into it during the final few minutes. San Jose State outshot the Tritons 66% to 43% but turned the ball over 26 times to seal their defeat. SG Brandon Payne--19 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl; PG Al LeVasseur—16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (14-12, 10-5)—81, California Baptist Lancers—79 [OT] (Maryland Eastern Shore led most of the way. At the half they were ahead 39-34. While the Hawks seemed in control throughout the 2nd half, the Lancers caught up and tied the game at 69-69 at the end of regulation play. In overtime the two teams never were more than 2 points apart and MD-Eastern Shore’s Kyle Mader hit an 8 foot jumper with 14 seconds left and then gained the victory by preventing the Lancers from getting off a good shot on their final possession. SF Anthony Wilks—26 pts, 4 reb; C Kyle Mader—11 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (15-12, 11-5)—62, Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens—52 (The Hawks took an early 10 point lead but then fell behind by at the end of the half 29-26. MD-Eastern Shore recovered in the 2nd half and used a solid defense to allow them to pull away from Delaware. SF Anthony Wilks—12 pts, 4 reb; C Kyle Mader—10 pts, 8 reb, 3 stl; PG Ivoree Spence—10 pts.)

Awards: None.

Injuries: Rob Evans of Maryland Eastern Shore—bruised thigh—16 days.

Comments:

Georgia State finished in a 3-way tie for 13th place in Conference I and therefore is in the lowest 4 teams which will result in a relegation next season. Coach Dontell Spencer said, “After moving up the conference rankings most every year, I guess my head too big and as they say, 'pride goes before a fall'. The promotion we achieved after last season obviously put us into tougher competition that was above our abilities. It’s disappointing to be dropping back to Conference J. But it shows we need to do a better job at recruiting and preparing our guys if we want to be able to compete at higher conference levels.”

Southeast Louisiana holds 3rd place alone in Conference O. “We needed to win both games this week and did it to give us sole possession of 3rd place and ensure our promotion next season,” said Coach Ramon Montez. “IUPUI and James Madison will be the solid favorites in the conference tourney, but we’d sure like to surprise them and win a slot in the Big Dance. We didn’t play either of them on our court. And while we lost to both on their court, we gave them both a challenge.”

Western Illinois finished in a 3-way tie for 2nd place in Conference R. “Dropping our final 2 games cost us the conference championship. We need to regain our mojo for the conference tourney. I’m optimistic that we’ll spring back and come on strong. Even though we have 20 wins this season, I think we need to win the tournament to get a berth in the NCAA Tournament.”

UC San Diego snatched 2nd place in Conference S. “I had to admit I was worried when DeVante Bott sustained a back injury that will keep him out of uniform for the remainder of the season. But Brandon Payne’s play in both games this week was truly amazing. He and Al LeVasseur teamed up to score 81 points between the two of them in our two wins this week. So we’re ready for post-season play,” said Coach Ken Yamoto.

Maryland Eastern Shore finished alone in 3rd place in Conference S. “Rob Evans bruised thigh will likely keep him out of action for tournament play, but while it depletes our depth, Zamiro Colter is ready to step in and start. Gaining sole possession of 3rd place by winning our final 2 games was big since it ensures that we’ll be promoted next season plus it gives us momentum going into the conference tourney,” said Coach Mike McMillan.

[PointGuard]

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Conference O

Day 1: Southeast Louisiana Lions (17-12)—71, South Alabama Jaguars—54 (The Lions jumped out to a lead, but the Jaguars appeared like they’d make a game of it midway through the first half when they edged ahead a couple times. But SE Louisiana then roared to a 41-28 halftime lead and were never seriously challenged in the 2nd half. C Jason Nee—21 pts, 5 reb; PG Mike Bree—18 pts, 3 ast. “After our hiccup in the middle of the first half, I was pleased how our guys buckled down, quickly built a solid lead and then tenaciously kept the Jaguars at bay,” said Coach Ramon Montez.)

Day 2: Southeast Louisiana Lions (18-12)—71, Georgia Southern Eagles—64 (Georgia Southern pulled ahead by 8 midway through the first half, forcing the Lions to play catch up…which they did to take a 27-26 halftime lead. The lead wavered back and forth for 11 minutes in the 2nd half and then SE Louisiana moved out to a 12 point lead over the next 5 minutes and then held on to earn advancement to the championship game. The difference in the game was a 9 turnover advantage for the Lions. PF Mike Sanders—13 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl; C Jason Nee—13 pts, 6 reb; SF Shawnelle Allen—12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; PG Mike Bree—10 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl. “This was a really tough game between two equal teams. Fortunately we got that one big run at the midpoint of the 2nd half to pull this one out,” said Coach Ramon Montez.)

Day 3 (Championship): Southeast Louisiana Lions (19-12)—94, IUPUI Jaguars—65 (The Lions got through a closely contested first half (during which there were 14 lead changes) with a 36-35 lead. SE Louisiana took control in the 2nd half, steadily expanding their lead as they scored 58 points in the half to roll over the highly favored Jaguars and earn a trip to the Big Dance. C Jason Nee—15 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk; PG Mike Bree—14 pts, 8 ast, 2 stl; SG Will Collins—13 pts, 6 ast. “The guys psyched each other up in the locker room at halftime and came out with guns blazing,” said Coach Ramon Montez. “Jason (Nee) and Mike (Bree) really came up big in all 3 tournament games for us.”)

Conference R

Day 1: Western Illinois Leathernecks (21-7)—72, Loyola (MD) Greyhounds—58 (After 7 lead changes in the first 12 minutes, Western Illinois spurted to a 40-31 edge at the half. Their lead grew to 21 points in the 2nd half as they ran past the Greyhounds. C David Perry—16 pts, 4 reb; SG Brandt Kennedy—14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk; SF Ty Wilfork—13 pts, 13 reb; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—10 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk. Coach Terry Morillo, “Just an example of purely solid basketball for the entire game by my guys on both ends of the court.”)

Day 2: Western Illinois Leathernecks (22-7)—65, Tennessee State Tigers—64 (Western Illinois led throughout most of the first half and was up 36-29 at halftime. But the Tigers wouldn’t die. The 2nd half was an up and down affair with numerous lead changes. As the game wound dow, The Leathernecks were ahead by 3. The Tigers scored on a backdoor play to get within a point and pressed. Western Illinois wasn’t able to break the press and turned the ball over. After a time out, Tennessee State worked the ball inside to Jared Brown. His shot was tipped just enough by Orvo Haapajarvi to make it rim around and out to conserve the win for Western Illiois. C David Perry—18 pts, 5 reb; SF Ty Wilfork—10 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl; PF Orvo Haapajarvi—10 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk. “The 2nd half took 10 years off my life,” said Coach Terry Morillo.)

Day 3 (Championship): Mount St. Mary’s Moutaineers—62, Western Illinois Leathernecks (22-8)—56 (The Mountaineers carved out a 37-30 halftime advantage and held onto a lead until the Leathernecks caught up with 9 minutes to go in the game. The lead shifted back and forth over the next 4 minutes, but then Mount St. Mary’s put on a final push to recapture the lead and hold it til the end. SF Ty Wilfork—14 pts, 6 reb; PG Mohamed Ammons—12 pts, 4 ast. “Well, we made a game of it, but just came up a little short,” said Coach Terry Morillo.)

Conference S

Day 1: UC San Diego Tritons (22-6)—68, Wagner Seahawks—58 (Neither team could gain much of an advantage during the first half and for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half during which there were 12 lead changes. The Tritons then scored 14 unanswered points to put the ball game out of reach for the Seahawks. SG Brandon Payne—20 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk; PF Jeremiah Mason—13 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast. “Wagner gave us all we could handle for 30 minutes, but Brandon (Payne) got hot and gave us the boost we needed,” said Coach Ken Yamoto. “Brandon’s really done a superb job taking over as our starting SG after DeVante Botts got sidelined by a serious injury.”)

Day 1: Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (16-12)—76, McNeese State Cowboys—56 (The Hawks held a solid lead through the middle of the first half, but McNeese State came back to knot the score at 35-35 at the break. The lead kept switching back and forth for the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, but MD-Eastern Shore then began to creep away and continued to expand their lead all the way to the end. SF Anthony Wilks—22 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; C Kyle Mader—16 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; SG Carl Hancock—10 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl. Coach Mike McMillan said, “Sure glad to be advancing, but unfortunately we have to go up against my compatriot Ken Yamoto’s team in the next round. We’ll need to come on strong to have a chance.”)

Day 2: Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (17-12)—66, UC San Diego Tritons (22-7)—62 (There were 15 lead changes throughout this game. The Hawks held a 33-29 advantage at halftime. The two teams traded the lead back and forth, but the Hawks edged past the Tritons in the final 2 minutes to gain the upset win. For MD-Eastern Shore: SG Ray West—14 pts; SF Anthony Wilks—11 pts; PG Ivoree Spence—10pts, 4 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk; reserve forward Zamiro Colter—10 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk. For UC San Diego: SG Brandon Payne--17 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; PG Al LeVasseur—11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl; C Bryce Stafford—11 pts, 5 reb; PF Jeremiah Mason—9 pts, 12 reb. “I’m proud of how our guys hung in against a ery strong Tritons team,” said Coach Mike McMillan. Coach Ken Yamoto responded, “Mike prepared a helluva a strong game plan and his team executed it extremely well. The Hawks would grab the lead, we’d come back and edge ahead, and damned if Mike’s team didn’t respond every time to regain the lead. If they can do that again tomorrow night, I think they have a chance against a very strong Grambling team.”

Day 3 (Championship): Grambling Tigers—68, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (17-13)—66 pulled ahead early in the first half, but the Hawks overtook them and led by 5 before the Tigers came back late to take a 34-33 halftime lead. Grambling jumped out to a commanding lead early in the 2nd half and led by 14 points with 6 minutes to go. MD-Eastern Shore then caught fire and nearly caught up, but needed just a little more time to have a chance to complete the comeback. Reserve forward Zamiro Colter—17 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl, 2 blk; SF Anthony Wilks—15 pts, 7 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk. “We made a great comeback effort and gave the Tigers a real scare but couldn’t quite get it done,” said Coach Mike McMillan. “Grambling is a great team and will make a very good representative for our conference in the NCAA Tourney.”)