by jksander » Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:01 pm
November 21, 1938
#1 Winona State (4-0) @ #13 Southern Indiana (2-0)
We built up an 18-9 lead on USI with 12:47 to go in the first half, but the Screaming Eagles kept it close down the stretch, pulling within a 26-25 margin with 4:32 to play. We led 38-34 at the half but were seeing a lot more fight than we had from any previous opponent, and Roy Wright and Jerrance Smith were already in foul trouble.
USI fought hard in the second half, keeping the game within a possession, then tying it 49-49 with 15:32 to play. They took their first lead of the game moments later, and from there we were in a dogfight. Kevin Young got a great steal and dished it to Roy Wright who scored on a stunning dunk to put us back ahead 55-53 with 13:27 to play, but USI was right there to fight us shot for shot, and they again led 59-60 with 11:32 to go. We went on a solid 9-3 run over the next three minutes to expand our lead to five, and we broke it open from there to lead 76-63 with just 6:04 to play. We pounded them from there to win this one 93-73 once we’d broken their defense.
Eddie Dunleavy is out for at least two weeks due to a severely bruised shoulder. Drew Greenleaf will step in to play a bigger role during that time.
Player of the Game: Jerrance Smith (27 pts 2 reb 6 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Rickey James (15 pts 13 reb 3 stl 2 blk) Roy Wright (16 pts 7 reb 2 ast 4 blk)
November 24, 1938
#1 Winona State (5-0) @ Lincoln (1-2)
Lincoln was no match for us in the early minutes of the game, and we built a 15-8 lead on them with 11:15 to go in the first half. But our depleted starting five, now with two former bench players occupying starting spots, suffered from the expanded workload, and our bench players let them sneak back in. Our lead of 22-21 with 7:17 to play in the half was tenuous at best, and Lincoln’s fans sensed the chance to upset the #1 team in the nation in what was supposed to be a “money game.” But they never quite closed the gap and we built our lead down the stretch and at least held a 39-35 advantage at the break.
With Soward neutralized by foul trouble and an overall poor shooting night, the Lions kept at us in the second half, but with 14:40 to play in the game we’d built our lead to ten, up 51-41. And they didn’t have the depth to successfully counter. With 9:12 remaining we led 63-50, and the game became a blowout from there once Soward started really hitting his outside shots. We won easily, 90-62.
Player of the Game: Rickey James (21 pts 11 reb 1 stl 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Jerrance Smith (19 pts 3 reb 5 ast 1 stl) Drew Greenleaf (6 pts 10 reb 3 ast 1 stl) Anthony Soward (17 pts 3 ast)
November 28, 1938
#1 Winona State (6-0) @ Kentucky Wesleyan (2-2)
We led quickly 12-5 against the Panthers, who were preseason #1 but are now battling to find a sense of place in a season that’s quickly running away from them. But they’re a good shooting team, and they were able to fight to stick with us so our lead was only six, up 26-20, with 11:21 to play in the half. And their defense clamped down on us over the following three minute stretch, tying us 28-28 with 7:02 to go before halftime. They’d lead 40-41 at the half, our first “trailing” half of the season.
The Panthers controlled the tip and the first few minutes of the second half, expanding their lead to five and dictating the pace of the game, up 44-49 with 16:21 to go. We tied it up 53-53 with 11:30 left, and Rickey James got a great rebound to score two off his own missed shot a minute later to put us ahead 55-53. We built our lead back to ten, up 63-53 with just under seven to play, and Wesleyan looked gassed from there. They were the first team to hold us under 80 on offense, but it wasn’t enough as we stumped them 78-63 to remain undefeated.
Player of the Game: Rickey James (19 pts 20 reb 6 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Anthony Soward (20 pts 2 reb 2 stl 1 blk) Roy Wright (12 pts 12 reb 2 ast 1 stl 2 blk)
December 1, 1938
#8 Queens (4-1) @ #1 Winona State (7-0)
I’m told by our trainer that we won’t get Dunleavy back until the Bemidji State game. And we won’t get Steve Booth back until at least our 5th conference game of the season, our road trip to Saginaw Valley State on January 16th.
Our focus tonight was on our return to home, bringing with us the #8 team in the nation for a “playoff potential” game. The Royals drew first blood but with 15:38 to play in the half we’d taken our first lead, 6-4, on a Greenleaf dunk and we turned it into an early blowout, up 30-15 with 9:02 left before the break. Anthony “Sure Shot” Soward was in great form, helping put Queens College in a 52-30 chokehold at the break with his 14 points, while Rickey James already had 13 points and eight boards. We dethroned the Royals in humiliating fashion from there, leading 80-53 with 9:24 to play and coasting to victory by a 99-69 margin.
Player of the Game: Anthony Soward (31 pts 1 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Rickey James (19 pts 11 reb 3 ast 2 blk) Jerrance Smith (9 pts 1 reb 8 ast 1 stl 1 blk)