READY FOR PRIME TIME?

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of January 15-21, 2042

Conference I

Towson Penguins—78, Georgia State Panthers (6-8, 1-2)—67 (There were a series of quick lead changes very early in the game. But Towson then began pouring in points along with silencing the Panthers offense to run away to lead 49-30 at the end of the first half. Georgia State dropped behind by 29 points sz through the 2nd half before cutting into the lead late in the game. C Ron Waldman—19 pts, 12 reb; reserve guard Michael Maxwell—12 pts; SF Danny Williams—11 pts.)

Weber State Wildcats—78, Georgia State Panthers (6-9, 1-3)—72 (The biggest lead in this game was 6 points and there were 13 lead changes. Georgia State trailed 38-36 at halftime, but neither team could gain more than a few point advantage over the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half. At that point the Wildcats moved to the lead and stayed in front until the end. PG Ronald Johnson—18 pts; SG Curtis Lopez—17 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; reserve C Ron Rush—8 pts, 11 reb.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (9-5, 2-1)—95, Air Force Falcons—85 [OT] (Air Force came on strong in the lat part of the first half to lead 46-36 going into the 2nd half. But the Lions sliced into that lead and overtook the Falcons with 12 minutes remaining. The lead then flip flopped with the teams tying at 80-80 when the buzzer sounded. SE Louisiana’s offense ignited in the OT period and they ran away to win by double digits. PG Mike Bree—22 pts, 6 ast; SF Leroy Phillips—16 pts; SG Rostislav Polyansky—12 pts, 8 reb; reserve guard Vashon Patterson—11 pts, 6 ast.)

Elon Phoenix—69, Southeast Louisiana Lions (9-6, 2-2)—63 (The Lions led the entire first half. But after eading by as much as 11 points, SE Louisiana let the Phoenix reduce the lead to 35-30 at the break. 6 minutes into the 2nd half, Elon shut down the Lions and surged ahea by 8 points and held onto a lead the rest of the way. C Travis Dixon—16 pts; PG Mike Bree—10 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl; SG Rostislav Polyansky—10 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl; PF Tom McCrary—10 pts. “It’s horse bleep to lose like that at home,” said Coach Ramon Montez.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (5-9, 2-1)—77, Northwestern State Demons—72 (The Demons were in control most of the first half, but their lead had been cut to 45-43 when the half ended. The Leathernecks pulled ahead in the early going of the 2nd half, the Northwestern State regained control for the middle portion of the 2nd half. Western Illinois blazed past the Demons in the final 4 minutes to gain a nice road win. SG Brandt Kennedy—21 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; SF Aloysius Worley—15 pts; reserve guard Jeremy Williams—12 pts; PG Bill Shin—9 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (6-9, 3-1)—79, Idaho Vandals—76 [OT] (Western Illinois again had a slow start and trailed 26-16 at the half. The Leathernecks narrowed the gap in the 2nd half but couldn’t wrest the lead from the Vandals, but Hunter Anderson tipped in a rebound with 2 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 65-65 forcing an OT. Neither team got more than 2 points ahead in the OT until the Leathernecks led by 2 and Idaho was forced to foul with 10 seconds on the clock. Western Illinois dropped in 1 of 2 free throws for the final margin since Idaho missed a 3 in the final few seconds. SG Brandt Kennedy—18 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; reserve guard Jeremy Williams—14 pts, 3 ast; PG Bill Shin—10 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; PF Hunter Anderson—10 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast.)

UC San Diego Tritons (11-3, 2-1)—71, Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders—50 (The Islanders led for the first 7 minutes, but then the Tritons flew by and established a formidable 40-27 halftime advantage. Their lead grew to as much as 27 points in the 2nd half as they humbled Texas A&M-CC. SF Calvin Sears—20 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl; SG Brandon Payne—15 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl; PG Solomon Rayner—11 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl; PF Bryce Stafford—9 pts, 7 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (12-3, 3-1)—77, East Carolina Pirates—55 (Nearly a wire-to-wire win for the Tritons. They led 42-30 at halftime and never let the Pirates threaten in the 2nd half. SG Brandon Payne—22 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; PF Bryce Stafford—15 pts, C Mike Okotie—10 pts, 6 reb. “Our guys came on strong this week to score 2 solid wins,” said Coach Ken Yamoto.)

Conference R

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (10-4, 3-0)—73, Wagner Seahawks—70 (The Hawks controlled play in the first half and built a 37-27 halftime advantage. Wagner held MD-Eastern Shore’s offense at bay in the first portion of the 2nd half and held a small lead for a full 10 minutes. The Hawks finally were able to creep by the Seahawks with 2 minutes to go for a nice comeback victory. SF Anthony Wilks—15 pts, 7 reb; PF Zamiro Colter—12 pts, 10 reb; C Kyle Mader—12 pts, 7 reb; SG Renard Bell—11 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; reserve guard Jon Arrington—10 pts.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (11-4, 4-0)—69, Oakland Golden Grizzlies—48 (Following 5 quick lead changes, the Hawks took complete control and rolled to a 42-20 halftime lead. MD-Eastern Shore cruised to an easy win. C Kyle Mader—18 pts, 9 reb; PG Joseph Page—11 pts, 5 ast; SG Renard Bell—10 pts, 4 reb.)

Injuries: Curtis Lopez, Georgia State—sprained toe, 8 days; Andre Bradford, Western Illinois—strained calf, 1 day; Renard Bell, MD Eastern Shore—sore wrist, 1 day.

Awards: None.

Comments: A good week with 7 wins and only 3 losses by the 5 teams. “I most heartedly disagree. It was a horrible week. I guess I’m getting too old so enduring 2 losses in a week is really hard to take. Yeah, they both were away games, but we just didn’t play very well,” said Georgia State coach Dontell Spencer.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of January 22-28, 2042

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (7-9, 2-3)—78, Drexel Dragons—55 (This game was close for the first 15 minutes but then the Panthers defense stopped Drexel and Georgia State flew past them to post a 39-25 halftime advantage. The Panthers continued their dominance throughout the 2nd half and steadily pulled further and further ahead. PF Jeremy Young—19 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; C Ron Waldman—13 pts; PG Ronald Johnson—11 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl.)

Georgia State Panthers (8-9, 3-3)—88, Little Rock Trojans—78 (The Panthers wasted little time exerting dominance in this game. By the end of the half they led 50-38. They held off the Trojans throughout the 2nd half to show they could win on the road. PG Ronald Johnson—17 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl; C Ron Rush—13 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; PF Jeremy Young—12 pts; SG Curtis Lopez—11 pts; C Ron Waldman—10 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (10-6, 3-2)—68, Fairfield Stags—58 (SE Louisiana completely overwhelmed the Stags in the first half as they raced to a 41-20 lead at halftime. The Lions held onto a solid lead in the 2nd half, but Fairfield made a run late in the half to narrow the gap to 13 points. PF Tom McCrory—16 pts, 6 reb; SF Leroy Phillips—14 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (11-6, 4-2)—85, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions—59 (The Golden Lions opened a very early 11 point lead but SE Louisiana ate into that and moved ahead with 7 minutes left in the first half and went to the locker room with a 41-34 lead. The Lions continued to pull away throughout the entire 2nd half as they blew out Arkansas Pine Bluff. C Travis Dixon—18 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; SF Leroy Phillips—15 pts, 5 reb; PF Tom McCrory—12 pts, 5 reb; SG Rostislav Polyansky—12 pts, 4 stl; PG Mike Bree—9 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (7-9, 4-1)—81, Northern Colorado Bears—56 (The Leathernecks grabbed the lead for good just 2 minutes into the game. At the half they were ahead 32-20 and pulled further and further away throughout the 2nd half. SF Aloysius Worley—21 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk; PF Hunter Anderson—15 pts, 7 reb; C Walter Jackson—12 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; SG Brandt Kennedy—10 pts, 4 reb.)

Northern Illinois Huskies—63, Western Illinois Leathernecks (7-10, 4-2)—60 (Western Illiois cruised to a 41-28 halftime lead. They held onto their lead in the early part of the 2nd half but totally collapsed in the final 7 minutes of the game. The Huskies caught up and took the lead with 2 minutes left in the game. SG Brandt Kennedy—16 pts, 3 ast, 4 stl; C Walter Jackson—13 pts, 6 reb; PF Hunter Anderson—11 pts, 4 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (13-3, 4-1)—72, Idaho Vandals—49 (Solid defense by the Tritons resulted in a 35-21 halftime advantage. UC San Diego continued to leave the Vandals in the dust in the 2nd half and won with ease. SG Brandon Payne—14 pts, 8 reb, 4 stl; PF Bryce Stafford—12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast.)

Northern Colorado Bears—85, UC San Diego Tritons (13-4, 4-2)—72 (The Bears scored with ease throughout the first half as they raced to a 52-33 halftime lead. The Tritons were able to reduce that lead a little but never seriously threatened in the 2nd half. SG Brandon Payne—13 pts, 3 ast; C Mike Okotie—12 pts, 4 reb; PF Bryce Stafford—11 pts, 5 reb; PG Solomon Rayner—9 pts, 6 ast.) “Our defense was great in our previous game and sucked in this game,” said Coach Ken Yamoto.)

Conference R

Cal State Northridge Matadors—78, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (11-5, 4-1)—70 (The Matadors shot well to take a 40-33 lead to the locker room and then held the Hawks off in the 2nd half. SG Renard Bell—14 pts; SF Anthony Wilks—12 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; reserve guard Jon Arrington—10 pts, 3 ast; PG Joseph Page—8 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast. “We gave it a good try in the 2nd half and nearly caught up, but the Matadors hit some baskets when they needed to,” said Coach Mike McMillan.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-5, 5-1)—74, Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens—63 (The Hawks flew pst the Blue Hens in the first half enroute to a 43-25 halftime lead. They maintained their lead until the final 5 minutes when Delaware narrowed the gap some. SF Anthony Wilks—17 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; SG Renard Bell—13 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; PG Joseph Page—11 pts; C Kyle Mader—10 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl.)

Injuries: Western Illinois’ Aloysius Worley—sore foot, 1 day; UC San Diego’s Brandon Payne—sore foot, 3 days; MD Eastern Shore’s Jason Surpin—back spasms, 3 days.

Awards: None.

Comments: Maryland Eastern Shore is in a 3-way tie for 1st in Conference R. UC San Diego and Western Illinois both are in a 6-way tie for 1st in Conference Q. In Conference N, Southeast Louisiana is in a 5-way tie for 3rd place. With two wins this week Georgia State clawed their way into a 3-way tie for 8th place in Conference I.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of January 29-February 4, 2042

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (9-9, 4-3)—78, Brown Bears—75 [OT] (What a game! Never more than 6 points separating the two teams. 20 lead changes. 12 ties. Team shooting stats that were quite similar. Brown controlling the boards 46-34 that was offset by Georgia State having a 27-12 turnover advantage. Brown led 32-30 at the half. Georgia State’s Danny Williams dropped in a turn-around jumper with 2 seconds remaining to send the game to OT tied at 65-65. Then with the game tied yet again and time expiring, Curtis Lopez drilled a 3 to win the game. PF Jeremy Young—22 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; SF Danny Williams—16 pts, 4 ast, 4 stl; reserve guard Kennedy Henderson—12 pts; C Ron Waldman—10 pts, 18 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk.)

Pennsylvania Quakers—81, Georgia State Panthers (9-10, 4-4)—60 (Although Penn was ahead most of the first half, the score was close and there were 11 lead changes. The Panthers trailed 36-30 at halftime and stayed close for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half. But the Quakers then shut down Georgia State’s offense and pulled away for a big win. SG Curtis Lopez—25 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl. “Curtis did a helluva job, but none of our other players was able to make more than 6 points,” said Coach Dontell Spencer.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (12-6, 5-2)—87, Ball State Cardinals—76 (There were 12 lead changes during the early portions of the first half, but by halftime the Lions had stepped out to a 44-33 advantage. Ball State got close a couple times in the 2nd half, but each time SE Louisiana was able to re-establish a double-digit lead. C Travis Dixon—21 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl; SG Rostislav Polyansky—17 pts, 5 reb; Mike Bree—12 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast; SF Leroy Dixon—12 pts, 4 ast.)

Texas-Rio Grande Vaqueros—105, Southeast Louisiana Lions (12-7, 5-3)—98 [3 OT] (In a game where each team had double-digit leads at various points, this ending was a real barn-burner. The Lions led 40-31 at halftime, but the Vaqueros came back late in the 2nd half to gain a 69-69 tie that sent the game to OT. And then not one OT, but THREE! The Lions ran out of gas in the 3rd OT. PF Tom McCrory—20 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk; SG Rostislav Polyansky—19 pts; C Travis Dixon—15 pts, 11 reb, 3 blk; reserve guard Jafar Roe—10 pts.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (8-10, 5-2)—72, East Carolina Pirates—54 (The first half was a tussle with 10 lead changes. But the Leathernecks escaped with a 33-27 lead and then totally dismantled the Pirates in the 2nd half, stretching their lead to 30 points before settling for a leisurely win. SG Brandt Kennedy—19 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl; C Walter Jackson—14 pts, 4 reb; PF Hunter Anderson—10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (9-10, 6-2)—73, Troy Trojans—70 (Troy led by 14 midway through the first half and by a 41-31 score at halftime. The Leathernecks snipped away at the lead for the first 9 minutes of the 2nd half and then finally caught up and held onto a small lead to come away with a satisfying road victory. PF Hunter Anderson—14 pts, 5 reb; SF Aloysius Worley—14 pts, 4 reb; SG Brandt Kennedy—11 pts.)

UC San Diego Tritons (14-4, 5-2)—65, Northern Illinois Huskies—44 (After 5 minutes of play, the Tritons took control and motored to a 39-19 halftime lead and then held onto that big margin throughout the 2nd half. PF Bryce Stafford—14 pts, 6 reb; PG Brandon Payne—13 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast; SF Calvin Sears—13 pts.)

UC San Diego Tritons (15-4, 6-2)—81, Texas State Bobcats—70 (Another good start and first half yielded the Tritons a 46-31 lead at the break. Their lead grew to 21 points in the 2nd half and while the Bobcats cut into that lead some late in the game, the result was never in doubt. C Mike Okotie—16 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; PF Bryce Stafford—15 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast; SF Calvin Sears—15 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; SG Brandon Payne—12 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast; PG Solomon Rayner—10 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl.)

Conference R

Eastern Illinois Panthers—76, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-6, 5-2)—73 (The entire game was close but the Hawks carved out a 40-36 halftime advantage with good shooting. They were unable to continue their sharp shooting in the 2nd half and after 16 lead changes in the game, the Panthers sneaked past them in the final 2 minutes. PG Joseph Page—14 pts, 5 ast; PF Zamiro Colter—14 pts, 6 reb; SF Anthony Wilks—14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; C Kyle Mader—11 pts, 7 reb; SG Jon Arrington—10 pts. “Eastern Illinois did a great job containing our SG Renard Bell…keeping him from getting any clear shots the entire night,” said Coach Mike McMillan.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (13-6, 6-2)—77, Northern Kentucky Norse—75 [OT] (The Hawks seemed in control for most of the game, sporting a 14 point lead in the first half and an 11 point lead midway through the 2nd half, but the Norse finished strong to tie the game and send it to OT. The lead shifted throughout the entire OT period. With the Hawks ahead by 2, the Norse passed up an open shot from 15 feet away to opt to try to win the game with a 3 at the conclusion of the OT but it rimmed out. (PF Zamiro Colter—20 pts, 7 reb; C Kyle Mader—17 pts, 6 reb; SF Anthony Wilks—11 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl.)

Injuries: Vashon Patterson, SE Louisiana—sore knee, 2 days; Brett DeManby, Western Illinois—sprained wrist, 14 days; Bryce Stafford, UC San Diego—mild concussion, 9 days; Mike Okotie, UC San Diego—sprained finger, 4 days.

Awards: Curtis Lopez, Georgia State—Conference I Freshman Player of the Week.

Comments: UC San Diego and Western Illinois continued to play great ball with 2 wins apiece and that shook 2 teams from the 5 way tie for 1st place in Conference Q and left them now in a tie with just Texas Southern. MD-Eastern Shore and SE Louisiana are both just 1 game out of the leaders in Conferences R and N, respectively. Georgia State remains mired in the middle of the Conference I standings. Coach Ramon Montez of SE Louisiana said, “Losing that triple overtime game was tough to endure, but I like our chances the rest of the season with all 5 of our starters averaging in double figures.” When he heard that quote, MD-Eastern Shore coach Mike McMillan laughed and said, “All 5 of my starters are averaging in double figures also. So I guess that means our chances the rest of the season are good too and I can kick back and relax.” Georgia State coach Dontell Spencer snarled, “Hell, I’m not worried about getting all my starters scoring in double figures. It’s our defense that’s killing me.”

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of February 5-11, 2042

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (10-10, 5-4)—80, Tulsa Golden Hurricanes—67 (The teams swapped the lead 9 times during the initial 15 minutes, but the Panthers then were able to open a 33-27 halftime advantage. They then expanded their lead to 22 points in the 2nd half, but Tulsa narrowed the gap some when Georgia State eased up during the final 4 minutes. PF Jeremy Young—16 pts, 4 reb; PG Ronald Johnson—13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast; SG Curtis Lopez—10 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl; reserve C Ron Rush—9 pts, 7 reb, 2 blk.)

Kent State Golden Flashes—71, Georgia State Panthers (10-11, 5-5)—56 (The Panthers had a solid first half which ended with the score tied at 30-30. Georgia State controlled things for the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, but fell behind and steadily fell off the pace. SG Curtis Lopez—16 pts; PF Jeremy Young—11 pts; reserve C Ron Rush—9 pts; C Ron Waldman—8 pts, 10 reb.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (13-7, 6-3)—70, Miami (OH) Red hawks—54 (Both teams had spurts at various times in the first half during which there were 8 lead changes. SE Louisiana came out of it with a 31-28 lead and then totally ran away from the Red Hawks during the 2nd half. PG Mike Bree—17 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast; SF Leroy Phillips—11 pts, 5 reb, 2 stl; C Travis Dixon—11 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl; PF Tom McCrary—10 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast.)

Omaha Mavericks—79, Southeast Louisiana Lions (13-8, 6-4)—71 (The game was close during the first half but Omaha managed to take a 41-35 lead to the locker room. Omaha then maintained a several point lead the entire 2nd half. SF Leroy Phillips—15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; PF Tom McCrary—15 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk; C Travis Dixon—10 pts, 5 reb; PG Mike Bree—9 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-10, 7-2)—61, Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks—47 (The Leathernecks applied a rock solid defense from the very beginning of the game. By the half they led 34-15. The Warhawks weren’t able to make inroads against Western Illinois’ D for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, although with their lead at 27 points, the Leathernecks eased up during the final 10 minutes. SF Aloysius Worley—13 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl; C Walter Jackson—10 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk.)

Texas Southern Tigers—67, Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-11, 7-3)—60 (The Tigers edged ahead midway through the 1st half and never gave up the lead thereafter. The Leathernecks trailed 34-29 at halftime and never were far out of the game, but never truly threatened. SG Brandt Kennedy—14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast; C Walter Jackson—11 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl; SF Aloysius Worley—10 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; reserve forward Andre Bradford—10 pts, 4 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (16-4, 7-2)—74, Troy Trojans—65 (The score was very close the entire first half (with Troy ahead 38-37 at halftime) and the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half. But UC San Diego then began pulling away. PG Solomon Rayner—22 pts, 4 ast, 3 stl; SG Brandon Payne—15 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk.)

UC San Diego Tritons (17-4, 8-2)—86, Louisiana Monroe Warhawks—69 (After 12 lead changes during the first 14 minutes of this game, the Tritons edged ahead to take a 37-32 lead at the break. They then built on that lead throughout the 2nd half to win convincingly by hitting 55% of their FG’s and 46% of their 3’s. SG Brandon Payen—23 pts, 2 stl, 3 blk; PG Solomon Rayner—15 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast; reserve guard Shane Patton—12 pts, 2 stl.)

Conference R

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (14-6, 7-2)—70, Siena Saints—64 (There were 9 lead changes in the first half, but the Hawks were up 33-27 at halftime. MD Eastern Shore then gradually increased their lead to as much as 15 points in the 2nd half and eased to a victory. SF Anthony Wilks—28 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk; PG Joseph Page—16 pts, 3 reb, 8 ast.)

Florida A&M Rattlers—86, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (14-7, 7-3)—63 (Neither team could gain an advantage throughout the entire 1st half and the game was tied at 35-35 at the break. The first 10 minutes of the 2nd half were a continuance. There were 19 lead changes in those 30 minutes of play. But then the Rattlers shut down the Hawks’ offense and sprinted to a lopsided win. PG Joseph Page—16 pts, 5 ast; C Kyle Mader—15 pts, 4 reb; SF Anthony Wilks—13 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast.)

Injuries: None.

Award: None.

Comments: All 5 teams scored wins at home early in the week but only UC San Diego was able to win their away game while the other 4 teams bombed on the road this week. MD Eastern Shore is 10-1 at home and 4-6 away and now is tied with 2 other teams for 2nd place in Conference R. Georgia State is 7-1 at home and 3-10 away and is tied for 10th place in Conference I. SE Louisiana is 5-2 at home and 8-6 away and is now tied with 3 other teams for 4th place in Conference N. Western Illinois is 5-1 at home and 5-10 away and is tied for 3rd place in Conference Q. UC San Diego is 10-0 at home and 7-4 away and is tied for 1st place in Conference Q.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of February 12-18, 2042

Conference I

Georgia State Panthers (11-11, 6-5)—78, Cleveland State Vikings—51 (The Panthers couldn’t shake the Vikings in the first half and after 9 lead changes Georgia State held just a slim 30-29 halftime lead. But the Panthers combined a fired up offense with a stingy defense in the 2nd half and left the Vikings reeling. SG Curtis Lopez—18 pts; SF Danny Williams—12 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; C Ron Waldman—12 pts, 6 reb.)

Northern Iowa Panthers—78, Georgia State Panthers (11-12, 6-6)—71 (In the “battle of the panthers”, Georgia State leapt away from Northern Iowa to post a 48-31 halftime advantage. Georgia State’s lead began to evaporate after 3 minutes of play in the 2nd half. Northern Iowa steadily ate into it and caught up with 4 minutes to go and then continued to outscore Georgia State. SG Curtis Lopez—26 pts, reserve C Ron Rush—10 pts, 3 ast, 2 blk. “We let Northern Iowa’s crowd intimidate us in the 2nd half. There’s really no excuse, though, for losing such a big haltime advantage,” said coach Dontell Spencer.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (14-8, 7-4)—75, South Dakota Coyotes—57 (The Coyotes led most of the first half and went to the locker room up 31-27. But the Lions offense ripped the net to shreds in the 2nd half. They took a lead they never relinquished with 14 minutes left in the game and drew away to score an impressive win. PF Tom McCrary—17 pts, 9 reb, 2 blk; SG Rostislav Polyansky—14 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl; C Travis Dixon—12 pts, 4 reb; reserve guard Vashon Patterson—11 pts.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (15-8, 8-4)—87, Niagara Purple Eagles—62 (The Lions gained the lead for good early in the game. By halftime they were ahead 43-29. They expanded their lead in the 2nd half to as much as 35 points. SF Leroy Phillips—23 pts, 5 reb; PF Tom McCrary—22 pts, 5 reb; reserve guard Vashon Patterson—13 pts, 4 reb.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (11-11, 8-3)—72, Texas State Bobcats—56 (Texas State led for most of the first 10 minutes and then the Leathernecks came back to go ahead 38-29 at halftime. They gradually increased their lead throughout the 2nd half. SG Brandt Kennedy—29 pts; reserve forward Andre Bradford—13 pts, 3 reb; PF Hunter Anderson—8 pts, 10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (12-11, 9-3)—55, Marist Red Foxes—36 (Western Illinois wasted little time gaining control and led 29-17 at the half. The Red Foxes were unable to cut into that lead as Western Illinois marched to a solid win. PG Bill Shin—16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk; SF Aloysius Worley—10 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl; SG Brandt Kennedy—8 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl.)

UC San Diego Tritons (18-4, 9-2)—83, Texas Southern Tigers—78 (It took the Tritons most of the first half to pull ahead of the Tigers but came on strong in the final 8 minutes to lead 42-30 going into the 2nd half. UC San Diego continued to look strong as the 2nd half started and their lead grew to 18 points. But Texas Southern shut down the Tritons offense for 5 minutes and the Tigers moved ahead with 7 minutes remaining. The lead fluctuated for the next 4 minutes but UC San Diego hit some key buckets late to escape with a win. SG Brandon Payne—22 pts, 9 reb, 2 stl; PF Bryce Stafford—20 pts, 4 reb; PG Solomon Rayner—13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast; reserve C Maurice Brooks—9 pts, 7 reb.)

Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers—92, UC San Diego Tritons (18-5, 9-3)—84 (The Mountaineers climbed to a quick lead but the Tritons overtook them and scrambled their way to a 48-43 lead at the break. UC San Diego then went ahead by 12 but midway through the 2nd half the two teams were exchanging the lead back and forth. Mount St. Mary’s continued to shoot well from all over the court and sent their fans home happy by edging ahead in the final 3 minutes. PG Solomon Rayner—14 pts, 3 ast; reserve forward Eli Braxton—13 pts, 3 reb; SG Brandon Payne—12 pts, 5 reb, 4 stl, 2 blk; reserve C Maurice Brooks—11 pts, 6 reb.)

Conference R

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (15-7, 8-3)—85, Grambling Tigers—74 (Both teams shot well, but Grambling had 25 turnovers that gave the game to the Hawks. MD-Eastern Shore came from behind 9 minutes into the game and built a 40-33 halftime advantage. The Hawks expanded their lead to 18 points with 13 minutes to go and then held the Tigers off for the remainder of the game. SF Anthony Wilks—17 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl; PG Joseph Page—16 pts, 3 stl; PF Zamiro Colter—15 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl; SG Renard Bell—12 pts, 5 ast, 5 stl; reserve C Curtis Davis—9 pts, 2 stl, 2 stl.)

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (16-7, 9-3)—92, South Carolina Upstate Spartans—73 (An exciting first half ended after 7 lead changes with the Hawks on top 45-41. MD-Eastern Shore tightened their defense to draw away from the Spartans. SF Anthony Wilks—18 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl; PF Zamiro Colter—15 pts; PG Joseph Page—12 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast; SG Renard Bell—12 pts, 6 reb.)

Injuries: Ronald Johnson, Georgia State—sore foot, 4 days; Zamiro Colter, MD-Eastern Shore—sprained ankle, 6 days.

Awards: SG Curtis Lopez of Georgia State was named the Conference I Freshman Player of the Week. UC San Diego’s SG Brandon Payne was selected as the Conference Q Player of the Week.

Comments: MD-Eastern Shore won two games with a high scoring offense while Western Illinois and Southeast Louisiana both put together solid defensive displays to win 2 games each this week. With 2 weeks left in the regular season Maryland Eastern Shore is now tied with 2 other teams in 2nd place in Conference R. Western Illinois moved up into a 3 way tie with UC San Diego and Texas Southern for 1st place in Conference Q. Southeast Louisiana’s two wins moved them into a 3-way tie for 3rd place in Conference N. Georgia State is in a 5-way tie for 7th place in Conference I.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of February 19-25, 2042

Conference I

Drake Bulldogs—93, Georgia State Panthers (11-13, 6-7)—84 (Although there were 16 lead changes in this game, the Panthers were ahead 39-33 at the half and led by 9 points with 8 minutes to go. But Drake’s offense was sizzling and the Bulldogs came back to overtake Georgia State with 4 minutes remaining and then hit nearly every shot they took to run off to a solid win. PF Jeremy Young—26 pts; C Ron Waldman—17 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk; reserve guard Michael Maxwell—10 pts; SG Curtis Lopez—9 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk. “Letting the Bulldogs score 60 points in the 2nd half was criminal defense,” said Coach Dontell Spencer. “We really let down our hometown fans.”

Georgia State Panthers (12-13, 7-7)—65, St. Joseph’s Hawks—53 (After trailing early in the game, the Panthers overtook the Hawks with 13 minutes to go in the first half and never gave up the lead after that. PF Jeremy Young—18 pts, 9 reb, 2 blk; SG Curtis Lopez—15 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk.)

Conference N

Southeast Louisiana Lions (16-8, 9-4)—78, LaSalle Explorers—67 (It took just 2 minutes for the Lions to take control of this game. By the end of the first half they were on top 31-24. They gradually padded their lead throughout the 2nd half. SF Leroy Phillips—19 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk; SG Rostislav Polyansky—18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl; PF Tom McCrary—15 pts, 13 reb; reserve C Aaron Sims—10 pts.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (17-8, 10-4)—79, Lehigh Mountain Hawks—69 (Lehigh was ahead for the first 14 minutes, but the Lions then narrowed the gap to 34-33 at halftime. The lead flip-flopped for 3 minutes in the 2nd half. After that SE Louisiana rushed past the Mountain Hawks, leading by as much as 21 points. Lehigh cut into the lead late in the game, but there never was a double which team would prevail. SG Rostislav Polyansky—21 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl; SF Leroy Phillips—17 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; reserve forward Andrew Stokes-11 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk.)

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (13-11, 10-3)—79, Portland Pilots—61 (The Leathernecks offense kicked into gear 4 minutes into the 2nd half and produced a 50-30 halftime advantage. Western Illinois held onto their big lead throughout the 2nd half. SG Brandt Kennedy—23 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; PG Bill Shin—19 pts, 8 ast; reserve guard Jeremy Williams—14 pts.)

UC San Diego—62, Western Illinois Leathernecks (13-12, 10-4)--48 (UC San Diego led from beginning to end. At the half the Leathernecks trailed 28-19 and they quickly fell behind by 17 points early in the 2nd half. Western Illinois was unable to get close after that. SG Brandt Kennedy—13 pts, 7 reb; C Walter Jackson—10 pts.)

UC San Diego Tritons (19-5, 10-3)—85, Manhattan Jaspers—73 (There were 9 lead changes in the first hlaf, but the Tritons were on top 36-31 when the half ended. They maintained a double digit lead for nearly the entire 20 minutes of the 2nd half. SG Brandon Payne—21 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl; PG Solomon Rayner—19 pts, 8 ast; C Mike Okotie—14 pts, 5 reb; SF Calvin Sears—11 pts, 5 ast; reserve forward Eli Braxton—10 pts, 4 reb.)

UC San Diego Tritons (20-5, 11-3)—62, Western Illinois Leathernecks—48 (The Tritons opened a 28-19 halftime lead and pulled out to as much as a 17 point lead in the 2nd half. PG Solomon Rayner—11 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl; SF Calvin Sears—9 pts, 3 stl; reserve forward Jimmy Wade—9 pts.)

Conference R

NC-Wilmington Seahawks—65, [i]Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks[/i] (16-8, 9-4)—54 (Poor shooting (31%) and 20 turnovers doomed the Hawks to trail 29-23 at the half and then steadily further off the pace in the 2nd half. SF Anthony Wilks—17 pts, 4 reb; C Kyle Mader—13 pts, 7 reb.)

Robert Morris Colonials—85, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (16-9, 9-5)—65 (In this game, the Hawks defense failed them and put them in a 50-32 hole at halftime. They were unable to make any serious inroads into lessening the lead in the 2nd half. SF Anthony Wilks—15 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk; C Kyle Mader—14 pts, 9 reb; reserve C Curtis Davis—14 pts, 3 reb.)

Injuries: Georgia State’s Curtis Lopez—sore foot, 4 days; SE Louisiana’s Mike Bree—sore arm, 5 days; Western Illinois’ Aloysius Worley—sore back, 4 days.

Awards: None.

Comments: “Losing 2 games this week took us out of the running for 1st place in Conference R,” said Coach Mike McMillan of MD-Eastern Shore. UC San Diego’s victory over Western Illinois catapulted them into sole possession of 1st place in Conferenc Q with Western Illinois tied for 2nd, just a game behind. SE Louisiana is tied for 2nd place, a game behind 1st place in Conference Q. By continuing to split games each week, Georgia State remains tied with 4 other teams for 6th place in Conference I.

[PointGuard]

Summary of Games During the Week of February 26-March 4, 2042

Conference I

Rhode Island Rams—85, Georgia State Panthers (12-14, 7-8)—63 (The game opened with 9 lead changes in the initial 7 minutes, but then the Rams pulled away the rest of the half to take a 41-25 lead to the locker room. Georgia State continued slipping further behind in the 2nd half. C Ron Waldman—23 pts, 9 reb; SF Danny Williams—11 pts; PF Jeremy Young—10 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk.)

Georgia State Panthers (13-14, 8-8)—108, Towson Tigers—75 (Offense was king in this game. The Panthers ran away to a 56-40 halftime advantage and continued sinking baskets in the 2nd half. Both teams shot well. Georgia State hit 59% of their FGA’s and 52% of their 3PA’s. Towson knocked down 55% of their FGA’s and 61% of their 3’s. C Ron Waldman—24 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; PF Jeremy Young—21 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl; reserve C Ron Rush—12 pts; SF Danny Williams—11 pts, 5 reb; reserve guard Michael Maxwell—10 pts, 3 ast. “We need to repeat this in the conference tourney,” said Coach Dontell Spencer.)

Conference N

Evansville Purple Aces—88, Southeast Louisiana Lions (17-9, 10-5)—85 (A very close game the entire 40 minutes with 19 lead changes and 13 ties. At halftime the Lions were on top 38-37. SE Louisiana had a chance to tie it and got off a 3 with 3 seconds to go, but it clanged off the front rim. The Lions hit 60% of their FG’s and 57% of their 3’s, but 19 turnovers did them in. PF Tom McCrary—16 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk; SF Leroy Phillips—14 pts, 7 reb; SG Rostislav Polyansky—12 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast; PG Mike Bree—11 pts, 5 ast.)

Southeast Louisiana Lions (18-9, 11-5)—92, Air Force Falcons—46 (This was no contest from the very onset of the game. The Lions left Air Force sitting on the tarmac and took a 45-22 halftime lead and then continued to scorch the Falcons in the 2nd half. SE Louisiana tossed in 66% of their shots from the field including 59% of their 3’s whereas Air Force hit an anemic 24% of their FG’s and 22% of their 3’s. The Lions’ bench outscored the Falcons’ bench 32-14. SG Rostislav Polyansky—16 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; PF Tom McCrary—14 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; C Travis Dixon—12 pts, 2 blk; PG Mike Bree—9 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl

Conference Q

Western Illinois Leathernecks (14-12, 11-4)—70, Texas A&M-CC Islanders—62 (Both teams shot well in the first half and the lead shifted back and forth, but the Leathernecks managed to take a 36-33 lead at the midpoint of the game. Western Illinois gradually increased their lead to as much as 11 points and then kept the Islanders from making a serious comeback. PG Bill Shin—13 pts, 3 ast, 4 stl; SG Brandt Kennedy—12pts, 6 reb; SG Aloysius Worley—11 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; C Walter Jackson—10 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl; PF Hunter Anderson—10 pts, 5 reb.)

Western Illinois Leathernecks (15-12, 12-4)—57, Northwestern State Demons—53 (The Leathernecks were in charge throughout the 1st half but the Demons closed to within 24-19 at the half. Western Illinois managed to hold onto a small lead for 14 minutes of the 2nd half but then the Demons caught and passed them. But in the final 2 minutes Western Illinois hit some key shots to escape with a narrow victory. SF Aloysius Worley—23 pts, 8 reb; PF Hunter Anderson—9 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk.)

UC San Diego Tritons (21-5, 12-3)—75, Northwestern State Demons—62 (The Tritons had no problem handling the Demons to gain a solid road win. After forging a 38-20 halftime advantage, UC San Diego held onto a big lead. Northwestern State was only able to shave off some of the lead in the late going as Coach Yamoto was playing his subs. SG Brandon Payne—18 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; PG Solomon Rayner—16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast; SF Curtis Sears—13 pts.)

Texas A&M-CC Islanders—52, UC San Diego Tritons (21-6, 12-4)—UC San Diego jumped out to a lead and built it to 12 points in the first half. At the half they led 26-18. But the Islandes began nibbling at the lead and with 9 minutes to go slipped by the Tritons. There then were 11 lead changes before the Islanders edged away in the final 90 seconds. SF Curtis Sears—10 pts, 8 reb; SG Brandon Payne—8 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl.)

Conference R

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (17-9, 10-5)—68, Fairleigh Dickinson Knights—58 (In the first 16 minutes of the game there were 13 lead changes, but the Hawks spurted to a 41-33 advantage in the final 4 minutes of the half. MD-Eastern Shore came out in the 2nd half and steadily pulled away to develop a 21 point lead with 6 minutes to go. The Knights then shut down the Hawks offense but only had enough time to cut the lead in half. SF Anthony Wilks—16 pts; C Kyle Mader—11 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 7 stl; PF Joseph Page—11 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl.)

Wagner Seahawks—71, Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (17-10, 10-6)—66 (The Hawks came out flat and by the end of the half trailed 38-22. Wagner held onto a solid lead until MD-Eastern Shore rallied late in the 2nd half but simply ran out of time. PG Joseph Page—13 pts, 4 ast; SF Anthony Wilks—12 pts, 7 reb, 2 blk; PF Zamiro Colter—11 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk.)

Injuries: Changa Battle, SE Louisiana—sore shoulder, 5 days.

Awards: None

Comments: Only Western Illinois was able to win both games in the final week of the regular season. Here’s how the 5 teams did within their conferences:
• Georgia State Panthers: 8-8, 3-way tie for 7th place in Conference I.
• Southeast Louisiana Lions: 11-5, 2-way tie for 2nd place in Conference N.
• UC San Diego Tritons: 12-4, 2-way tie for 1st place in Conference Q.
• Western Illinois Leathernecks: 12-4, 2-way tie for 1st place in Conference Q.
• Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks: 10-6, 4th place in Conference R.

[PointGuard]

Conference Tournaments

Conference I

#9 seed Georgia State Panthers (14-14) –90, #8 seed Weber State Wildcats—77 (The Panthers got off to a big lead and held onto it throughout the game...outshooting the Wildcats 55% to 43% and holding a 35-28 rebounding advantage. PF Jeremy Young—18 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl; C Ron Waldman—15 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl; SG Curtis Lopez—14 pts, 2 stl.)

#1 seed Rhode Island Rams—47, #9 seed Georgia State Panthers (14-15)—34 (The Panthers went up by 8 points midway through the first half but the Rams clamped down defensively and took a 19-18 lead to the locker room. Georgia State moved ahead by 6 in the middle of the 2nd half, but again Rhode Island closed the door and won going away. PG Ronald Johnson—8 pts, 3 stl. “Our D was good, but the Rams’ D was simply devastating,” said Coach Dontell Spencer.)

[PointGuard]

Conference Tournaments

Conference N

#6 seed Ball State Cardinals—75, #3 seed Southeast Louisiana Lions (18-10)—71 (Ball State had as much as a 10 point lead in the first half but by halftime the Lions had shaved that lead to 41-40. The lead shifted back and forth throughout the 2nd half but SE Louisiana missed some key shots in the final two minutes to let the game slip out of their hands. SF Leroy Phillips—19 pts, 3 reb; SG Rostislav Polyansky—10 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; PF Tom McCrary—10 pts. “We played well, but the difference was that the Cardinals hit 7 more 3-pointers. Tough to lose in the opening round, though, “said Coach Ramon Montez.)

[PointGuard]

Conference Tournaments

Conference Q

#1 seed UC San Diego Tritons (22-6)—85, #8 seed Louisiana Monroe Warhawks—77 (This game was close throughout the entire first half and for the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half with 14 lead changes. But the Tritons pulled away late with good shooting (51%) and by out-rebounding the Warhawks 31-26. SG Brandon Payne—24 pts, 5 reb, 4 stl; PF Bryce Stafford—16 pts, 7 reb; PG Solomon Rayner—11 pts, 3 reb, 7 ast; SF Curtis Sears—10 pts, 2 stl; reserve guard Shane Patton—10 pts, 4 stl.)

#2 seed Western Illinois Leathernecks (16-12)—69, #10 seed East Carolina Pirates—60 (10 lead changes in the first half with the Leathernecks edging ahead 32-28 at the break. They then increased their lead to 14 points 8 minutes into the second half and then held the Pirates off to win due to pulling down 6 more boards and making 4 less turnovers than East Carolina. SG Brandt Kennedy—17 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl; SF Aloysius Worley—15 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; C Walter Jackson—11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl.)

#1 seed UC San Diego Tritons (23-6)—77, #12 seed Texas State Bobcats—38 (Even though they got off to a slow start, the Tritons totally shut down the Bobcats in the first half and shot ahead late to take a 34-13 lead into the 2nd half. The Bobcats were no competition at all in the 2nd half and hit just 22% of their shots while making 17 turnovers in the game. UC San Diego also held a formidable 48-21 advantage on the boards. SG Brandon Payne—20 pts, 7 reb; PG Solomon Rayner—12 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl.)

#3 seed Texas Southern Tigers—91, #2 seed Western Illinois Leathernecks (16-13)—75 (The Tigers jumped ahead immediately, opened a solid lead, led 43-31 at the half, and never let the Leathernecks close the gap in the 2nd half. SG Brandt Kennedy—14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl; SF Aloysius Worley—13 pts, 10 reb, 3 stl; C Walter Jackson—10 pts, 4 reb. Coach Terry Morillo said, “We just got totally out-played tonight.”)

#1 seed UC San Diego Tritons (24-6)—91, #3 seed Texas Southern Tigers—80 [Championship] (The first half was close but the Tigers came out of it with a 43-42 lead. After another close 6 minutes in the 2nd half, the Tritons began to dominate and gradually pull away the rest of the game. UC San Diego hit 60% of their FGA’s and 47% of their 3’s. PF Bryce Stafford—24 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; SG Brandon Payne—19 pts, 3 reb, 4 stl; reserve guard Shane Patton—14 pts, 4 reb; PG Solomon Rayner—9 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl. “Our guys put together 3 really good games to win the conference championship. Brandon (Payne) was tremendous, averaging 21 ppg in the tourney,” said Coach Ken Yamoto.)