READY FOR PRIME TIME?

[PointGuard]

Five Musketeers’ comments on their expectations (Part 5 of 5)

Ken Yamoto, UC-San Diego Tritons: “We’ve been picked to finish 4th in Conference U. We’re too young a team to be likely to be able to do that. 9 of our scholarship players are freshmen and sophomores. We have 4 freshmen PG’s so I’m going to have to start senior walk-on Dalonte Kearns at the “1”. But as they gain some experience, it’s possible that one of the freshmen will replace him. Chris Williams, a senior who started for us last year and averaged 8.0 ppg, will be our SG. At SF will be sophomore Brad Sanders who was a solid reserve who averaged 5.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg last season. Senior Jack Robinson will again start for us at PF where he averaged 11.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg last year. We’ll be starting senior Michel Woodward at C who subbed last season but has developed well.”

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

November 13-19, 2036:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (1-0)—82, SE Missouri State—50 (It was a game for 8 minutes and then became a runaway. The Braves hit 59% of their shots and out-rebounded the Redhawks 36-17. Scoring honors belonged to PG Todd Young who pumped in 26 points while teammates SF Harold Hein scored 13, PF Jared Kraft had 11, and C Bernie Graham and reserve B.J. Johnson each scored 10.)

Alcorn State (2-0)—71, South Carolina State—58 (The Bulldogs led by as much as 17 points throughout the first half and a good portion of the 2nd half. But the Braves fought back to overtake SC State midway through the 2nd half and pulled away all the way to the end of the game. SG Caleb Sanden scored 26 and PG Todd Young dropped in 15 points.)

Nicholls State—71, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-1)—56 (Nicholls State took control early and never relented, primarily by scoring 13 more points at the free throw line. C Chris Betts scored 19, SG Bill Thorton had 16, and SF Dan Jefferson scored 10.)

Duquesne—88, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2)—66 (The Golden Lions kept up with the Dukes for 6 minutes but then fell further and further behind. SF Dan Jefferson and reserve C Delvon Palmer both scored 13 points and PG William Huggins hit for 11.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (1-0)—69, Robert Morris—60 (The Hawks took control of the game midway through the first half and built as much as a 19 point lead before easing up late in the game. The entire starting 5 scored in double figures: PF Dwayne Bullett-17, C Terrance Minor-11, PG Lataryl Brown-11, SG Carl Hancock-11, and PF Tony Reuter-10.)

MD-Eastern Shore (2-0)—77, Northern Colorado—71 (This game was close the entire way. SG Carl Hancock and PF Dwayne Bullet each hit for 19 points and C Terrance Minor added 10.)

Conference U:

Eastern Washington—75, UC-San Diego (0-1)—65 (The game was close in the first half with 9 lead changes, but Eastern Washington was in control throughout the 2nd half. PG Dalonte Kearns had 15 points, SG Chris Williams hit for 14 points, PF Jack Robinson scored 11, and C Michel Woodward had 10 points and 14 boards.)

UC-San Diego (1-1)—86, Montana State—71 (The Tritons gained a double digit lead late in the first half and then expanded it to as much as 20 in the 2nd half. PF Jack Robinson dropped in 18 points, reserve forward Jeremiah Mason scored 16, C Michel Woodward had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and PG Dalonte Kearns added 13.)

Western Illinois (1-0)—70, Longwood—58 (There were 5 lead changes early and then the Leathernecks drew away and won with ease by forcing the Lancers to make 27 turnovers. SF James Johnson and reserve C Zac Johnson both scored 15 and reserve PF Jim Bergmann added 10.)

Western Illinois (2-0)—76, Fordham—56 (SG Marcelo Barker hit for 24, SF James Johnson drilled in 17, and C Craig Grant had 10 points and 9 boards as the Leathernecks took control early and surged for an big road win.)

Significant Injuries: None.

Awards: None

Comments: Arkansas-Pine Bluff got off to a shaky start. But both losses were on the road. The Golden Lions only have one game at home during the entire pre-conference portion of the season, though.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

November 20-26, 2036:

Conference S:

Vanderbilt—69, Alcorn State (2-1)—49 (For the entire first half and first 9 minutes of the 2nd half, the lead flip-flopped 17 times. But then Vanderbilt clamped down defensively and drew away. Alcorn State hit just 37% of their shots and had 19 turnovers. SG Caleb Sanden was the only player to score in double figures for the Braves, finishing with 22 points.)

Alcorn State (3-1)—92, Western Carolina—88 (Alcorn State buiilt a 29 point lead only to surrender it late in the game and let the Catamounts hit a 3 to tie the game at the end of regulation. There basically was no defense by either team in the OT with Alcorn State scoring 19 points. SG Caleb Sanden hit 7 of 13 three’s and scored 30 points plus had 8 rebounds. C Bernie Graham had a double-double with 22 points and 10 boards. PG Todd Young scored 17 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2)—84, Jacksonville State—63 (The Golden Lions took charge early and never looked back. SG Bill Thornton poured in 28 points plus had 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a block. C Chris Betts had 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block. SF Dan Jefferson scored 11 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2)—82, Samford—66 (There were 4 quick lead changes to begin the game, but then the Golden Lions exploded to lead 48-27 at the half. Arkansas-Pine Bluff put in 54% of their shots and totally dominated the boards (44-27). C Chris Betts had 20 points, SG Bill Thorton had 19 points and 11 rebounds. PG William Huggins had 15 points and 7 assists. SF Dan Jefferson scored 11 points.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (3-0)—76, Niagara—49 (The Hawks outflew the Eagles from the get-go and steadily expanded their lead to the very end of the game. PF Dwayne Bullett scored 19 plus pulled down 10 boards, SG Carl Hancock hit for 15 points, C Terrance Minor scored 12 and picked off 9 rebounds, and SG Lataryl Brown chipped in 10 points.)

MD-Eastern Shore (4-0)—67, Georgia Southern—58 (This game was close for 28 minutes with 12 lead changes. Then the Hawks went on a run that put them up by 12 and they gamely held on for a nice road victory. SG Carl Hancok scored 19, PF Dwayne Bulletput in 13, SF Tony Reuter dropped in 12, and C Terrance Minor had a double with 10 points and 10 boards.)

Conference U:

UC-San Diego (2-1)—84, Detroit Mercy—73 (15 lead changes and 7 ties in this game. Neither team could get more than a few points ahead in the first half. The Tritons held a very small lead through most of the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half and then gradually pulled away in the final 8 minutes of the game. Freshman SF Jeremiah Mason scored 19 points in his 19 minutes of play. SG Chris Williams, SF Brad Sanders and C Michael Woodward each scored 13 points with Williams also getting 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. PG Dalonte Keams scored 10 and had 8 assists.)

Kent State—70, UC-San Diego (2-2)—65 (OT) (The Tritons forged a 35-31 halftime lead and then led by as much as 14 points midway through the 2nd half. Kent State tied the game with a last second shot to force an overtime. Both teams had difficulty scoring in the OT with the Tritons only able to hit one basket. SF Brad Sanders led the Tritons scoring with 15 points with PF Jack Robinson putting in 12 points and C Michael Woodward finishing with 10 pints.)

#4 ranked Dayton—76, Western Illinois (2-1)—72 (Dayton opened a 12 point lead midway through the first half but the Leathernecks came back to take a 37-36 lead going to the lockerroom. Western Illinois continued playing well in the 2nd half, leading most of the way by as much as 9 points. The talented Flyers caught up with 3 minutes remaining and went on to gain a come from behind victory. C Craig Grant scored 16 but his counterpart on the Flyers also scored 16 and dominated the boards 12-1. SG Marcelo Barker scored 12. Coach Terry Morillo said, “I’m proud of how my guys nearly scored a upset victory on the road against a highly ranked team. Although we lost, it showed my guys play with a lot of grit.)

Cleveland State—73, Western Illinois (2-2)—59 (Western Illinois led most of the first half but let the Vikings overtake them at the end of the half and take a 36-33 halftime advantage. The score remained close for 12 minutes of the 2nd half but then the Leathernecks offense faded in the final portion of the game. SF James Johnson tossed in 13 points and reserve freshman Eliran Zaichik scored 12 points.)

Significant Injuries: PG Tom Daniel of Western Illinois sprained his toe and won’t be back to 100% for a week.

Awards: Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s SG Bill Thorton was named the Conference S Player of the Week.

Comments: MD-Eastern Shore set the bar high with 4 straight victories to begin the season. Dwayne Bullett and Carl Hancock are averaging 17 and 16 points, respectively. The Hawks will be tested this coming week, though, since both games will be on the road.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

November 27-December 3, 2036:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (4-1)—64, Portland—55 (“We played great defensively and managed to hit 50% of our shots,” said Coach Ramon Montez. “PF Jared Kraft was monster on the glass today with 14 rebounds, out-muscling everyone.” C Bernie Graham led the scoring with 19 points while SG Caleb Sanden hit for 14 and PG Todd Young scored 10.)

Texas State—83, Alcorn State (4-2)—77 (There were 24 lead changes and 17 ties in this game. Hometown Texas State pulled it out in the final minutes. SG Caleb Sanden poured in 31 points, C Bernie Graham had 10 points and 8 boards, and reserve guard Teremun Harris added 10 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-2)—77, Texas Arlington—70 (While the Golden Lions led most of the way, the Mavericks overtook them midway through the 2nd half and held onto a small lead for about 6 minutes. Arkansas-Pine Bluff rallied to regain the lead and held on to grasp the road win. SG Bill Thorton tossed in 20 points and had 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block. C Chris Betts also had a big game with 19 points and 8 boards and SF Dan Jefferson put in 15 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-2)—91, Missouri State—78 (The lead shifted back and forth for about 5 minutes but the Golden Lions then began to pull away and led by a 50-38 score at the break. Missouri State closed the gap to 4 points a few times in the 2nd half, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff gamely held them off for another road victory. C Chris Betts had 23 points, SG Bill Thorton scored 22, SF Dan Jefferson contributed 17 points, 8 boards, 6 assists and a steal and a block, and PG William Huggins scored 11 to go along with 8 assists.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (5-0)— 66, Central Connecticut—60 (The Hawks took the hostile crowd out of the game early by establishing a 15 point lead in the first half. The Blue Devils cut their deficit to 35-28 at the break and then put a scare into the Hawks by taking a small lead with 6 minutes to go. MD-Eaxtern Shore regained the momentum to finish strongly. 20 turnovers by the Blue Devils were the difference in this game. PF Dwayne Bullett had 13 points and C Terrance Minor had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.)

MD-Eastern Shore (6-0)—75, Pepperdine—72 (The Hawks scored an upset victory on the road after 13 lead changes and 8 ties. MD-Eastern Shore outscored the Waves 8-4 in the final 3 minutes to gain the win. Topping their scoring was C Terrance Minor with 17 points, SF Tony Rueter had 13 points, PG Lataryl Brown also had 13 points but also dished out 9 assists, and PF Dwayne Bullett scored 12 points.)

Conference U:

UC-San Diego (3-2)—74, Chattanooga—70 (Both teams had points in the game where they took double digit leads and it looked like they might pull away but that was never to be the case. At the half, UC-San Diego led by a single point and the game was in double the final 12 minutes even though the Tritons led most of the way by a few points. UC-San Diego won the game by controlling the boards, 43-26. PG Dalonte Keams had a huge game with 17 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. SG Chris Williams also contributed 17 points and PF Jack Robinson had 14 points and 9 boards. Although SF Brad Sanders uncharacteristically had but 2 points, he grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and had 4 steals and 3 blocks. Ken Yamoto, the Tritons head coach, said, “That was a tough game. The Mocs’ crowd was cherring them on but we showed determination and fight all the way.”)

UC-San Diego (4-2)—87, Canisius—78 (There were 10 lead changes in the first half but the Tritons rallied late to take a 51-42 lead to the locker room. They held a double digit lead almost the entire way in the 2nd half and were never seriously challenged. PF Jack Robinson dropped in 25 points, while SF Jeremiah Mason came in off the bench to score 20, C Michael Woodward chimed in with 13 points and 9 boards, and PG Dalonte Keams had 9 points, 13 assists, 3 rebounds, and 5 steals.)

Western Illinois (3-2)—70, Northwestern State—53 (The Leathernecks scored first and never trailed in this game by playing stellar defense. Northwestern State was only able to hit 39% of their shots, made 18 turnovers and pull down just 24 turnovers (compared to 36 by Western Illinois). The Leathernecks’ lead grew from 5 at the half to as much as 22 in the 2nd half. Leading the way offensively was SG Marcelo Barker with 20 points while C Craig Grant had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.)

Western Illinois (4-2)—73, Mercer—53 (This game was all-Western Illinois. They led by as much as 30 points to put up a W on the road. SG Marcelo Barker scored 25 points followed by SF James Johnson and PG Tom Daniels who scored 12 apiece, and C Craig Grant who had another double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.)

Significant Injuries: PG Lataryl Brown of MD-Eastern Shore is nursing a sore hip that could possibly limit him for a couple games.

Awards: None. But in two games apiece Western Illinois’ Marcelo Barker and Alcorn State’s Caleb Sanden both scored 45 points, Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Chris Betts and Bill Thorton both scored 42, UC-San Diego’s Dalonte Keams had 24 assists, and Western Illinois’ Craig Grant has 25 rebounds.

Comments: All the teams other than Alcorn State went 2-0 this week with MD-Eastern Shore rolling to 6 straight wins to open their season. The Hawks had to struggle for their two narrow road victories though. The other 4 teams each now have 4-2 records. Arkansas-Pine Bluff had two solid victories on the road.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

December 4-10, 2036:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (5-2)—73, Florida Atlantic—60 (This game was exceedingly close the entire way until the Braves pulled away in the final 5 minutes. SG Caleb Sanden dropped in 21 points, PG Todd Young and C Bernie Graham both had 14 points with Graham also grabbing 8 boards, and PF Jared Kraft added 10 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-2)—83, Northwestern—70 (The lead bounced band and forth over the first 8 minutes, but then the Golden Lions starting lineup carried them to an upset victory over the hometown Wildcats. C Chris Betts had a huge game with 28 points and 13 boards. SG Bill Thorton scored 23 with 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. SF Dan Jefferson tossed in 16 points, PG William Huggins had 10 points and 9 assists, and while PF Antonio Gailey scored just 4 points, he had 10 rebounds.)

Conference T:

Charleston—67, MD-Eastern Shore (6-1)—62 (While there weren’t a lot of lead changes, both teams had fairly long periods when they had the lead in both halves. But in the final 5 minutes the Hawks let the Cougars break what had been a tight defense to lose not only the lead but the game. PF Dwayne Bullet scored 14 points, C Terrance Minor had 12 points and 9 rebounds, and SG Carl Hancock scored 10 points.)

MD-Eastern Shore (7-1)—79, Dixie State—68 (The Hawks and Trailblazers had 18 lead changes and 11 ties during this game. MD-Eastern Shore broke away late in the final 4 minutes. The Hawks won by outshooting Dixie State 55% to 46%. PG Lataryl Brown hit 6 of 8 FG’s and 3 of 5 threes to score 17 points. C Terrance Minor had 12 points, reserve guard Edouard Gaultier 11, and SG Carl Hancock 10.)

Conference U:

Arkansas—60, UC-San Diego (4-3)—54 (The Tritons had a tough time getting their shots to drop (34% shooting) and were -11 in rebounding. Even with that UC-San Diego led for large portion of the first half although they trailed 28-21 at the end of the half. The Tritons came back to take a small lead midway through the 2nd half, but Arkansas’ defense was just too tough. SG Chris Williams scored 15 and PG Dalonte Keams had 8 points and 10 assists.)

Saint Louis—73, Western Illinois (4-3)—65 (There were some very early lead changes but then the Billikens got ahead and stayed that way, leading by as much as 21 with 9 minutes to go. The Leathernecks cut into that lead but never seriously challenged. “Saint Louis just simply outplayed us tonight,” said Coach Terry Morillo. SG Marcelo Barker scored 16 and SF James Johnson added 11 but also made 11 turnovers.)

Significant Injuries: None

Awards: None

Comments: The only team of the five to play 2 games this week, MD-Eastern Shore, had their 6 game win streak broken at home, but they started a new one in their next game which was on the road. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s road win over Conference F’s Northwestern was a big upset keyed by the 51 combined points by Chris Betts and Bill Thorton.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

December 11-17, 2036:

Conference S:

Vermont—56, Alcorn State (5-3)—44 (Alcorn State stayed up with the Catamounts until 12 minutes remained in the game, but seemed to run out of gas at that point. The Braves out-rebounded Vermont 40-26 but only hit 32% of their shots and made 26 turnovers. SG Caleb Sanden scored 16 and C Bernie Graham added 11.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-2)—76, NJIT—58 (The Golden Lions jumped out to a big lead and never looked back. Arkansas-Pine Bluff had 6 more rebounds and 6 less turnovers than the Highlanders. The Golden Lions offense was centered on SG Bill Thornton (20 points), SF Dan Jefferson (18 points), and reserve C Delvon Palmer (12 points). PF Antonio Gailey had 8 points, 14 rebounds. 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (8-1)—59, Houston Baptist—37 (“40 minutes of great defense and total control of the boards (41-27)!” exclaimed Coach Mike McMillan. C Terrance Minor and PF Dwayne Bullett both pumped in 16 points with Bullett also recording 13 rebounds. SG Carl Hancock scored 11 points.)

Conference U:

Virginia—82, UC-San Diego (4-4)—61 (Certainly no disgrace in losing to a very good Conference B team. Coach Ken Yamoto said, “We played the Cavaliers tough in the first half and were in striking distance at 45-39 when the half ended. But Virginia just totally shut us down in the 2nd half.” PF Jack Robinson topped the scoring for the Tritons with 15 points. C Michel Woodward had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Reserve forward Jared Keating scored 12 points in 9 minutes of playing time.)

Western Illinois (5-3)—69, Kansas State—57 (The Leathernecks came away with a nice road win over Kansas State, a Conference C team. The first 15 minutes of the 1st half were close but then the Wildcats pulled away only to be reeled back in by Western Illinois which trailed by just a 33-30 score at the end of the first half. Kansas State held onto their lead for 5 minutes in the 2nd half, but then the Leathernecks grabbed the lead and steadily expanded it up to the end of the game. Western Illinois outshot the Wildcats 52% to 38%. SF James Johnson shot well to score 18 points, SG Marcelo Barker hit for 15 points, and C Craig Grant had 13 points.)

Significant Injuries: Guard Marcos Santini of MD-Eastern Shore has a strained abdominal that will take nearly 2 weeks to heal.

Awards: None

Comments: Few games, but the highlight was Western Illinois’ victory over highly favored Kansas State. The Leathernecks’ strong defense kept the Wildcats at bay.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

December 18-24, 2036:

Conference S:

Eastern Illinois—68, Alcorn State (5-4)—67 (Alcorn State got off to a bad start and trailed 38-26 at the end of the first half. The Braves nipped away at the Panthers’ lead throughout the 2nd half and finally forged ahead with 9 minutes to go. After leading by 6 points, the game came down to the wire and Eastern Illinois hit a 14 footer with 3 seconds left to gain their home win. “After struggling to get ahead, it was tough to lose it in the final seconds,” said Coach Ramon Montez. SG Caleb Sanden scored 20 and had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 steals. PF Jared Kraft added 15 points.)

#10 Dayton—77, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-3)—58 (Taking on #10 ranked Dayton from Conference F was a bigger hurdle than the Golden Lions could jump. The Flyers took over after the first 2 minutes and buried Arkansas-Pine Bluff. SF Dan Jefferson scored 13 points.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (9-1)—76, Youngstown State—55 (There were 15 lead changes and 9 ties in the first half. At the break the Hawks held a slim 37-35 advantage. But MD-Eastern Shore applied a stout defense that stymied the Penguins throughout the entire 2nd half. Reserves SG Carl Hancock who topped the scoring for the Hawks with 14 points and C Geordie Johnson had 13 points. PG Lataryl Brown and SF Tony Reuter both scored 13 points and PF Dwayne Bullett added 11 points.)

Conference U:

Delaware—80, UC-San Diego (4-5)—72 (The Tritons had a hard time getting the ball in the hoop in the first half and trailed 45-25 after 20 minutes of play. UC-San Diego trimmed the Fightin’ Blue Hens’ lead in the 2nd half but the hill was just too big to get over the top. Coach Ken Yamoto said, “Road games are tough but I’m proud of how my guys fought to get back into the game in the 2nd half.” Guard Jeremiah Mason came off the bench to score 16 points in 15 minutes of play. C Michel Woodward had 14 points and 10 boards, PF Jack Robinson scored 13 and grabbed 9 rebounds, and PG Dalonte Keams scored 11 points.)

Lipscomb—76, Western Illinois (5-4)—69 (The first half went back and forth with the Leathernecks coming out on top 42-40. But Western Illinois could go ahead by no more than 4 points in the early part of the 2nd half. Lipscomb took the lead for good after the 15th lead change of the game. “When you’re +17 on the boards, you shouldn’t lose a game. But gotta give credit to Lipscomb’s late game defense. They shut us down,“ said Coach Terry Morillo. SG Marcelo Barker had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. Other Tritons in double figures were reserve forward Eliran Zaichik who scored 11 points and PG Tom Daniel with 10 points.)
'
Significant Injuries: None

Awards: None

Comments: MD-Eastern Shore continued their strong start this season. Too many away games for the other 4 teams.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

December 25-31, 2036:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (6-4)—81, Presbyterian—58 (There were 7 lead changes in the first 8 minutes of the game. Alcorn State then jumped ahead and steadily added to their lead the rest of the game. The Braves hit 59% of their shots from the field and forced the Blue Hose to turn the ball over 22 times. C Bernie Graham hit for 15 points plus had 8 rebounds. SG Caleb Sanden scored 14 points, PF Jared Kraft dropped in 13 points, and reserve guard Teremun Harris added 11 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7-3)—66, Florida Atlantic—54 (The Golden Lions led 36-23 at the end of the first half and had their lead ballon to 23 in the 2nd half before the Owls trimmed the lead late in the game. SF Dan Jefferson topped all scorers with 21 points. C Chris Betts scored 18 and PG Walter Huggins chipped in 11 points.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (10-1)—86, IUPUI—64 (The Hawks shellacked the Jaguars in the first half, taking a commanding 45-21 lead into the 2nd half. Their lead expanded to 36 points and then they coasted to an easy victory. C Terrance Minor had 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. C/PF Geordie Johnson tossed in 16 points, SG Carl Hancock hit for 13 points, and PF Dwayne Bullett and PG Lataryl Brown each scored 11 points.)

Conference U:

UC-San Diego (5-5)—60, Loyola Marymount—55 (This game was razor close the entire way with 16 lead changes and 9 ties. SG Chris Williams with 11 points was the only member of the Tritons to score in double figures, but C Michel Woodward had 8 points and 14 boards plus 4 blocks.)

Western Illinois (6-4)—66, Siena—54 (The Leathernecks led for much of the first half only to lose the lead in the final 4 minutes and trail 27-24 at the break. In the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half neither team could gain a substantial lead. But after 10 lead changes, Western Illinois finally was able to begin slowly gaining more and more of a lead and pretty much shut down Siena’s offense over the final 5 minutes. PF James Johnson and SG Marcelo Barker both scored 15 points with Johnson also grabbing 9 rebounds and reserve forward Joe Bergmann scored 10.)

Significant Injuries: None. All 5 teams will be at full strength entering conference play next week.

Awards: None

Comments: Overall the 5 teams played well during pre-conference play with one more game to go before Conference Play begins. Not only does MD-Eastern Shore have a stellar 10-1 record, but they’ve scored 72 ppg while giving up an average of 60 ppg. The Hawks have hit 51% of their FGA’s. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has the 2nd best record at 7-3 (and a NET Rank of 53) and they accomplished that while playing 9 of their 10 games on the road. Chris Betts (16.7 ppg), Bill Thorton (16.5 ppg), and Dan Jefferson (14.5 ppg) lead the Golden Lions’ attack. Western Illinois also played extensively on the road with 8 of their 10 games being away games, but yet they won 6 while losing just 4 and are outscoring their opponents 68.9 to 62.9 ppg. Their Net Rank is 75th best. Marcelo Barker is averaging 15.4 ppg. Another 6-4 team is Alcorn State whose Net Rank is 86th best. The Braves are averaging 70.0 ppg while giving up 64.5 ppg to their opponents. Caleb Sanden is leading the way with 19.9 ppg. UC-San Diego is 5-5. They have 4 players averaging in double figures, led by Jack Robinson’s 13.1 ppg.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

January 1-7, 2037:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (7-4)—79, Cal State Fullerton—69 (The Braves broke out hard out of the gate and after 7 minutes they led by 17. From there on they simply held onto a double digit lead to post a win in their final pre-conference game. SG Caleb Sanden drilled 8 of 11 from the field and scored 20 points. PG Todd Young also shot well and finished with 16 points. C Bernie Graham scored most of his 13 points at the free throw line. And PF Jared Kraft played strong defense while scoring 11 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8-3)—87, Lafayette—73 (The teams traded the lead 12 times in the first half and came to the end of it tied at 42-42. But the Golden Lions began pulling away as soon as they got onto the floor in the 2nd half and posted a solid road victory in their preparation for conference play. Arkansas-Pine Bluff outshot Lafayette 52% to 37% (and 53% to 35% on 3’s) plus held a 35-28 rebounding advantage. Topping their scoring was C Chris Betts with 21 points. PG Walter Huggins had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, SG Bill Thorton scored 14 while posting 4 boards, 4 assists, and 4 steals, and reserve forward Henry White added 11 points.)

Conference T:

Stanford—84, MD-Eastern Shore (11-2)—70 (The Cardinal took control early and led by as much as 31 points before the Hawks cut into that lead in the final 8 minutes. Scoring in double figures for MD-Eastern Shore were: PF Dwayne Bullet with 18, SF Tony Rueter with 14, and SG Carl Hancock who scored 13.)

Conference U:

UC-San Diego (6-5)—82, MD-Baltimore County—74 (MD-Baltimore County controlled the game In the first half to post a 46-35 halftime advantage. The Tritons came out in the 2nd half looking to make up ground and they gradually did just that. With 9 minutes remaining they overtook the Retrievers and then continued to grind out more points than the Retrievers. Slight advantages by UC-San Diego in both rebounding and turnovers proved to be the difference.)

Western Illinois (7-4)—84, Charlotte—55 (It took about 5 minutes for the 49ers to get their offense producing and by then they trailed by 10 points. Sound defense by the Leathernecks resulted in their leading 41-26 at the end of the half. That lead persisted for the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half, but then Western Illinois rapidly expanded their lead and came away with a surprisingly easy road win. C Craig Grand led the way with 26 points, hitting 12 of 13 attempts from the field. SF James Johnson contributed 14 points and reserve PF Joe Bergmann hit all 6 of his FGA’s to score 12 points in the 14 minutes he played.)

Significant Injuries: None

Awards: C Craig Grant of Western Illinois was named the Conference U Player of the Week.

Comments: The only loss by the 5 teams in this final week of pre-conference games was MD-Eastern Shore which played on the road at Stanford of Conference G. All 5 coaches reported their teams were ready for and looking forward to conference play.

[PointGuard]

Game Results:

January 8-14, 2037:

Conference S:

Alcorn State (8-4, 1-0)—63, New Orleans—58 (The Braves had to come back in the final 6 minutes to overcome the 23 points scored by New Orleans’ C Brian Brand. PG Todd Young scored 16 points, SG Caleb Sanden tossed in 13 points, and C Bernie Graham had 10 points and 9 boards.)

Alcorn State (9-4, 2-0)—84, St. Francis (NY)—61 (The game was close for 13 minutes, but the Braves then opened a solid lead and were up 41-32 at the end of the first half. The 2nd half totally belonged to Alcorn State. SG Caleb Sanden led the scoring with 24 points. Reserve guard Teremun Harris poured in 17 points while playing just 11 minutes. PG Todd Young had 14 points and 7 assists and C Bernie Graham scored 10 while pulling down 8 rebounds.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (9-3, 1-0)—76, Campbell—72 (It looked like the Golden Lions would blow this game open when they went ahead by 17 midway thourgh the first half. But the Camels came charging back to narrow the gap to 42-40 at the break. Then the lead shifted back throughout the 2nd half. After a total of 18 lead changes and 10 ties, Arkansas-Pine Bluff pulled it out in the final 2 minutes. SG Bill Thorton had 21 points and 7 rebounds, C Chris Betts had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, and PF Antonio Gailey and SF Dan Jefferson both scored 10 points.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (10-3, 2-0)—78, Gardner-Webb—64 (The Runnin’ Bulldogs hit the first basket but then Arkansas-Pine Bluff took over the never gave the lead back. The Golden Lions hit just 9% of the 3 point attempts but made up for it by knocking down 57% of their FGA’s. C Chris Betts had 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. PG Antonio Gailey hit for 18 points and picked off 9 boards. SF Dan Jefferson and SG Bill Thorton had 11 and 10 points, respectively.)

Conference T:

MD-Eastern Shore (12-2, 1-0)—73, Seattle—49 (Both teams continuously ran the shot clock nearly to 0, but the Hawks hit 57% of their shots to bury the Redhawks. 4 starters for MD-Eastern Shore scored in double figures…PF Dwayne Bullet-15; C Terrance Minor-14; PF Tony Rueter-13, and PG Lataryl Brown-10.)

Morgan State—79, MD-Eastern Shore (12-3, 1-1)—75 (MD-Eastern Shore looked to be in complete control of the game as they posted a 46-33 lead at the end of the first half. But Morgan State clamped down defensively in the final 10 minutes and turned the game completely around to come from behind and delight their home fans. Topping the scoring for the Hawks was SF Tony Rueter with 17 points to go along with 7 rebounds. PF Dwayne Bullett had 15 points and 8 reobunds. C Terrance Minor had a double-double, scoring 14 and pulling down 12 boards. Reserve C Geordie Johnson scored 10. But the Hawks starting guards combined for just 7 points while the Bears starting guards totalled 27 points.)

Conference U:

Sacred Heart—78, UC-San Diego (6-6, 0-1)—61 (“We played well in the first half and were behind by just 3 points going into the 2nd half. But we folded in the 2nd half. Playing on the road is tough, but ya gotta play the full 40 minutes, not just 20,” said Coach Ken Yamoto. PF Jack Robinson scored 20, C Michel Woodward had 10 points and 11 boards, and reserve SF Jeremiah Mason hit for 10 points.)

UC-San Diego (7-6, 1-1)—79, Delaware State—64 (After 9 lead changes in the first half, the Tritons edged ahead 38-35 at the break. The team came out on fire in the 2nd half and opened a 21 point lead before the Hornets trimmed the lead a little at the end of the game. Good defense limited the Hornets shooting to 35% and forced them to turn the ball over 19 times. PF Jack Robinson scored 13 and C Michel Woodward and SG Chris Williams each scored 12 with Woodward also grabbing 12 boards.)

Massachusetts-Lowell—65, Western Illinois (7-5, 0-1)—58 (This game was exceptionally close in the first half and for 7 minutes of the 2nd half, but then the Leathernecks went into a scoring drought for 4 minutes and could never recover. “I really HATE losing at home,” said Coach Terry Morillo. PG Tom Daniel scored 15, C Craig Grant added 13, and SG Marcelo Barker had 10 points.)

Western Illinois (8-5, 1-1)—79, Maine—60 (Western Illinois outshot the Black Bears 56% to 35% and expanded their lead from midway through the first half until the very end of the game. SG Marcelo Barker was hot as a firecracker, hitting 10 of 13 from the field including 4 of 6 from 3-point distance and all 10 of his free throws to score 34 points. Reserve forward Zac Johnson scored 10 points and had 7 rebounds.)

Significant Injuries: None

Awards: SG Marcelo Barker was the Player of the Week in Conference U.

Comments: Coaches Ramon Montez and Dontell Spencer had their teams, which were new to Conference S, begin conference play with 2 victories each.