Manny Garcia Earns All-Tournament Honors as Mavericks Fall to Valdosta State

The Mercy College men’s basketball team led for all of 38 seconds in a New Year’s Eve matinee against Valdosta (Ga.) State, falling 120-64, in the McDonald Fleming Moorhead UWF Christmas Classic, hosted by the University of West Florida.

The Blazers (12-2) used 14-1 and 13-0 runs in the first half to blow the game open.

Senior Manny Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) earned All-Tournament honors, as he scored a team-high 13 points. Sophomore Colin Senior (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) added 12.

Mercy (0-9) will return to the Empire State to host ECC opponent Molloy on Wednesday, January 5, at 7:30 p.m.

Final L.A. run lifts Golden Eagles over CSUS

LOS ANGELES — Even though they out-shot and out-rebounded Cal State L.A., the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors fell to the Golden Eagles, 66-59, Friday afternoon to end the 2010 calendar year.

Reggie Jones had 17 points and seven rebounds while Dan Daviess chipped in 10 points but the Warriors dropped to 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Warriors' lone CCAA win remains the big upset win over Humboldt State on Dec. 4.

Jones, who tallied a total of 18 points in the last two games, got back to his early-season scoring form on a 6-for-8 shooting night. He also added four free throws for his 17-point total. It was his seventh double-digit scoring game after netting 10 Thursday night against Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Cal State Stanislaus held Cal State L.A. to just 35.6 percent shooting (16 for 45) while hitting on 42.9 percent of its field goal attempts. The Warriors also out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, 41-33. Stanislaus, however, committed 17 turnovers.

The Warriors trailed 33-25 at the break but had a strong second half.  A pair of Marcus Lever free throws at 7:06 brought the team within one and on the ensuing possession Evan Scott's layup made it 51-50 in favor of the Warriors.

Brett Sayad gave the Warriors a brief 3-point lead with a three-pointer seconds later, but Cal State L.A. went on a 12-0 run during a five-minute stretch to control the game.

The Golden Eagles, now 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the CCAA, were led by Franklin Session who had 16 points. Chris Robinson and Ryan Wetherell each had 14. David Norris notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

UWF Holds Off Wilmington, Wins 76-65

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The West Florida men’s basketball team will go into the new year with a winning record after a 76-65 victory over Wilmington (Del.) in the final game of the McDonald Fleming Moorhead UWF Christmas Classic on Friday.  With the win, the Argonauts improved to 7-6 and went above .500 for the first time this season, while the Wildcats dropped below .500 at 5-6.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Mike Lewis (Upper Marlboro, Md./Eastern Kentucky) led the Argonauts with a game-high 18 points, highlighted by an 8-12 mark at the free throw line and seven at the line in the last minute.  Three others scored in double digits for UWF, including senior and all-tournament team selection Darryl McGhee (Defuniak Springs, Fla./Gulf Coast CC) with 13 points on 6-7 shooting.

Along with McGhee, sophomore Terrance Beasley (Pensacola, Fla./Tulane) was another spark off the bench, finishing with 13 points and two blocked shots.  Junior Marquis Mathis (Columbus, Ohio/Cincinnati State CC) also finished the night in double digits, scoring 12 points with five rebounds.

The Argos jumped out to a huge lead in the first half, going up by as many as 17 points.  A basket by sophomore Keldric White (Pensacola, Fla./Louisiana) on UWF’s final possession put the Argos ahead 37-22 going into halftime.  West Florida was 17-32 from the floor in the first half, led by Mathis who scored nine first half points on 4-6 shooting.

The Wildcats cut West Florida’s lead to just five points on a 13-3 run in the second half’s first five minutes.  The Argos fought back with a short 7-2 run to go back up by 10, but Wilmington kept fighting and eventually tied the game on a pair of free throws by Ed Freeman with 6:45 left in the game.  UWF quickly took the lead back on a three-pointer by Lewis, but Wilmington stayed within striking distance.

With his team down by six with less than two minutes to go, Wilmington’s Herbert Dennis hit a jumper to make the score 67-63.  On UWF’s next possession, junior Jamel Brazeal (Mobile, Ala./Faulkner State CC) drew a foul and went to the line, making both free throws to again put the Argos ahead by six.  On the Wildcats’ next three possessions, they had two missed shots and one turnover, missing opportunities to get back into the game.  Lewis was then fouled four times in the last minute of play, and he converted on 7-8 attempts to help clinch UWF’s 76-65 win.

The Argos kept up their hot shooting with a field goal percentage of 51.8, marking the fifth time in six games the team has shot over 50 percent.  UWF also won the rebound battle 42-38, led by junior Jamar Moore (Coolidge, Ga./Faulkner State CC) with nine.

Corye Payton finished the night with 13 points off the bench for Wilmington, leading to an all-tournament team selection.  Matthew King also had a strong game with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

West Florida will head on the road on Tuesday, Jan. 4 for a visit to No. 9 Montevallo.  The Argos faced the Falcons once earlier this season, falling 67-50 on the road.  Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m., and fans can listen to all the action live at www.GoArgos.com.

GC Men End 2010 with Big Win, 81-49

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Georgia College men’s basketball team (7-2) may be an old acquaintance that St. Augustine’s College (1-7) would like to forget after a 81-49 Bobcat win Friday in day two of the Hampton Inn & Suites Holiday Classic, hosted by Armstrong Atlantic.

Senior forward Reece Wiedeman (Suwanee, Ga.) had 13 to lead the team in scoring for the second-straight contest, as 12 different GC players reached the scoring column.

GC hit 50 percent (14-28) of its shots in the first half, building a 37-19 lead and not looking back. Surprisingly enough, the 49 points are just the third-lowest total given up by a defensive-minded Bobcat squad this season, behind 30 surrendered to Carson-Newman College and 47 allowed to Carver Bible College.

Wiedeman’s 13 came on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor, and was aided by 11 points each from both Nate Hamilton (Snellville, Ga.) and Mike Augustine (Waterloo, Ill.). Wiedeman’s point total came in just over half the game, as he had just 21 minutes of action in the blowout.

Junior Ryan Aquino (Roswell, Ga.) had a solid line of eight points, seven boards and four assists. Leading the team in helps was Jared Holmes (Indianapolis) with five.

Wiedeman has led the team in scoring in the last two games, and has scored in double figures in five of the last six. Hamilton has a similar feat in four of the last five.

The Bobcats dominated in takeaways, getting 18 while giving up just nine. The offense got everyone involved to the tune of matching a season-high with 20 assists. The last time GC had more than 20 assists was a year ago at this tournament against Voorhees College with 23.

Georgia College shot 47 percent (32-68), while allowing just 33 percent (18-54) from the floor.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Jan. 8 at 3:30 p.m., returning to the Centennial Center to face Clayton State University (9-3, 1-1 PBC). GC is 1-0 in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC).

The Georgia College Department of Athletics, back-to-back winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/GCSUBobcats and www.facebook.com/GCBobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.

Northwest Missouri State 85, Lincoln 66

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Shaneel Narayan scored a season-high 22 points and handed out 11 assists to steal the show in Northwest Missouri State’s 85-66 win against Lincoln Friday at Bearcat Arena. Narayan’s 11 dimes are tied for the second-most in program history.

Northwest point guard DeShaun Cooper picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, but it set the stage for Narayan who had eight points and eight assists in the first half. Northwest scored 47 points in the first half and took a 16-point lead into the break.

Lincoln (2-8, 0-6 MIAA) got within 11 points five minutes into the second half, but consecutive 3-pointers on three possessions for Narayan quickly pushed the lead to 18. His fourth 3-pointer in a span of five minutes capped a 16-2 run that put the game out of reach. Narayan was 5-of-7 from long range. As a team, Lincoln was 5-of-17.

The Blue Tigers placed four in double-figures, but made 23 of 70 shots (33 percent). Leading scorer Pierre DeClue led Lincoln with 15 points, but was 5-of-21 from the field.

Northwest’s leading scorer, Elijah Allen, was also saddled with early foul trouble, but contributed 10 points and seven rebounds in the second half. He finished with 13 and eight. Dillon Starzl came off the bench to score a season-best 16 points, grab five rebounds and block two shots.

It was the first game in nearly two weeks for both teams. Northwest (3-7, 1-5) ended a string of six losses, the program’s longest skid in the last 35 years. The Bearcats wrap up a three-game home stand Wednesday against Missouri Western.
# # #

UDC Firebirds Lose Tough Game to Tuskegee, 69-65

Pensacola, Fl: December 31, 2010-- Playing without the services of their team captain and overall scoring leader, Lillian McGill (Criminal Justice-Sumter, SC), the University of the District of Columbia Firebirds Women's Basketball Team could not sustain their offensive firepower as they fell to the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers, 69-65, today, in the University of West Florida Holiday Classic in Pensacola Florida.  McGill, who was among several members of the Firebirds team suffering from a virus during the Tournament was unable to suit up for today's game.

UDC led at the break, 35-33, but Tuskegee rallied in the second half to outscore them, 36-30, and take the win. Junior forward Jamilia Bonner (Accounting-Mobile, Al) led all Firebirds in scoring with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 5 steals. Bonner was also named to the All-Tournament Team.  Junior forward Dohnay Banice ( Business Administration- Wilmington, DC) followed with a double-double performance of 15 points and 10 rebounds, her second of the season. Junior forward Aida Gueye (Business Management-Alexandria, VA), starting in place of McGill, added 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 2 steals.

The teams were evenly matched in field goal percentage for the game, with each shooting 39 percent, 27 for 70/UDC and 22 for 57/TU. However, there were major differences in shooting from beyond the arc with UDC making 29 percent (6 for 21) while Tuskegee shot 50 percent (5 for 10).  UDC shot 46 percent (5 for 11) from the charity stripe as Tuskegee converted 71 percent (20 for 28) of their free-throws.

Tequila Martin paced the Golden Tigers to the win with a game-high 26 point, 9 rebound performance, followed by Nnenna Eze, who added 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists.

The Firebirds led in several statistical categories, including points off turnovers (26-19), points in paint (38-30), 2nd chance points (16-15) and bench points. The Golden Tigers controlled the boards (51-38). Foul trouble haunted the Firebirds as they were charged with 24 personal fouls, while the Golden Tigers were only assessed 14.

The Firebirds fell to 7-6 with this loss, but they look to rebound in the New Year when they play the Fayetteville State Broncos at home on January 3, at 5:30 p.m.

Northwest Missouri State 77, Lincoln 61

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Shelly Martin hit five three-pointers and had a team-high 17 points to lead Northwest Missouri State to a 77-61 win against Lincoln Friday at Bearcat Arena. The Bearcats (8-2, 4-2 MIAA) have won four in a row.

Northwest center Kyla Roehrig was the perfect compliment to Martin. Roehrig scored 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and pulled down 12 rebounds for her third double-double this season. Roehrig has had double-digit rebounds in five of her last seven games.

Vivian Essuon had 19 points and 12 rebounds to pace Lincoln (1-9, 0-6), which has lost all nine games since a season-opening win against Rockhurst. Essuon was the only Blue Tiger to reach double figures. The rest of her team was 16-of-46 from the field (35 percent).

Lincoln jumped out to an early five-point lead and it was 16-16 halfway through the first half. Martin and Roehrig single-handedly outscored Lincoln 15-11 the rest of the half and the Bearcats led 43-27 at the break.

Northwest was 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first frame and 10-for-20 for the game. Martin finished 5-for-7. It’s the second time Martin has made five treys in a game this season.

The lead was 68-38 following Martin’s fifth 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining. Northwest’s starters sat the rest of the way.

It was the first game in nearly two weeks for both teams. Northwest wraps up a three-game homestand Wednesday against Missouri Western.

Valdosta State Blows Out Mercy 120-64

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Valdosta State topped the 100-point barrier for the third time this season as the Blazers defeated Mercy 120-64 in the final day of play at the McDonald Fleming Moorhead UWF Christmas Classic at the UWF Field House Friday evening.

The Blazers (12-2) led for all but 38 seconds of the game as Mercy (0-9) hit an early three before VSU reeled off a 12-4 run to grab the lead. Trailing 3-2, Sidney Harris hit a lay-up to put Valdosta State in front before Josh Sparks added a basket. Ed Wilson scored for the Flyers, but Will Alston added a three-point play and Christian Hunter added a pair of free throws. James Mindingall pulled MC back to within four points, but Harris added a three that pushed the Blazer advantage to 14-7.

Mercy got no closer than five points the rest of the half as Valdosta State quickly pushed its edge to double digits while it topped 20 points on a Tristan Steele lay-up with 8:00 minutes remaining in the first half.

The Steele basket came in the midst of a 25-5 run that extended the Blazer lead from 30-16 to 55-21 with 2:17 to go in the first half while a pair of Billy McShepard free throws with 57 seconds remaining in the half established a 58-23 halftime lead.

Mercy connected on just 10-of-40 first half field goal attempts and turned the ball over nine times in the first 20 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Valdosta State hit 18-of-38 first half shots to shoot 47.4 percent from the floor in the frame.

The Valdosta State lead stretched to as much as 77-31 less than six minutes into the second half before the Flyers used a 12-3 spurt to close to within 37 points. The Blazers quickly stretched their advantage back to 40 points while Tristan Steele put into triple digits with a lay-up with 5:45 remaining in the game.

Martrez Scott pushed the VSU lead to 51 points with a dunk two minutes later while a Steele three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining closed out the scoring.

Tristan Steele led Valdosta State with a career-high 31 points as he connected on 12-of-19 shots. Kevin Harris added 16 and Hunter contributed 13 while Alston tallied his second double-double of the year as he finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Sparks just missed a double-double as he scored eight points while also pulling down 11 rebounds.

The Blazers shot 53.2 percent from the floor in the game as they connected on 42-of-79 field goal attempts while also connecting 22-of-34 free throws. Valdosta State also owned a 61-36 advantage in rebounding and registered 11 steals on 19 Mercy turnovers. VSU also blocked 10 shots in the game, including six by Sparks.

Manny Garcia led Mercy with 13 points while Colin Senior tallied 12. The Flyers shot 33.3 percent from the floor in the game and hit 8-of-15 free throws.

Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, January 6 when it returns home to The Complex to host Carver Bible at 7:30 p.m.

Ichabods dominate second half, take out Mules, 57-45

(Topeka, Kan.) – The Central Missouri Mules were outscored 35-19 in the final half, and were held to their lowest point total since 2002 against Missouri-Rolla (32), as the Washburn Ichabods took a 57-45 win at Lee Arena on New Year’s Eve.

The shooting was the story in the first half, or lack thereof. Central Missouri (8-4, 3-3 MIAA) shot only 36.0 percent and made nine shots from the field, but Washburn (6-4, 3-3 MIAA) was even worse, hitting a season-low five shots for 20.8 percent.
          
The Mules grabbed an early 7-2 lead, but that would be the largest margin for either team in the opening period. The Ichabods tied it at seven with 14:06 to play, and grabbed its biggest advantage at three on a couple De’Andre Washington free throws at the 6:05 mark. UCM went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes though, making it 20-15 with 3:58 to play on a bucket by senior forward Manny Richardson. The Mules carried that advantage into the break, hitting the locker room up 26-22.
          
Senior forward Joel Barkers tallied a team-high eight points for UCM, while also grabbing nine rebounds in the half. UCM used a 20-16 advantage on the boards as well, but committed 10 turnovers.
          
The Ichabods came out on fire to open the second stanza, scoring 21 points in the first 10 minutes. The Mules continued with the same pace though, and WU used a 22-4 run to hold a 50-36 lead with about six minutes to play. Central Missouri went more than six minutes without scoring a point during the rally.
          
Both teams shot a season-low in the contest, with UCM hitting 33.3 percent, and WU tallying a 32.0 percent clip. The difference came on the free throw line, where the Ichabods had 23 points, compared to the Mules’ 10 points.

UCM had won three in a row, while WU had lost three consecutive coming into the contest, but a 12-day layover stunned both team’s offenses.
          
Barkers was the leader for UCM in the game, scoring 14 points and pulling down a career-high 14 rebounds. Boo Hunter hit for 13 points, but went only 2-of-11 from the floor. Only six players scored for UCM, and two were in double figures.
          
Logan Stutz put up 21 points and had 12 boards in the game for WU, putting up 15 in the final half.
            Central Missouri will head to Hays for a contest with Fort Hays State on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Second Half Slump Costs UWF in 75-54 Loss

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Sixteen second half turnovers proved costly for the University of West Florida women’s basketball team on Friday afternoon as they fell, 75-54, to Harding University in the final game of the 2010 UWF Holiday Classic. The Argonauts led the game at the halftime break, 32-31, but were outscored 44-22 in the second stanza.

Sierra Rollins led the Lady Bisons (8-3) with 13 points and 11 rebounds en route to earning Tournament MVP honors. Harding pulled away in large part thanks to free throw shooting, as they knocked down 21-of-23 (91.3%) foul shots on the night.

West Florida (7-6) had another tough night from three-point range, going 0-for-10 from behind the arc. The game is the fourth of the season in which the Argonauts have failed to hit a three-point field goal. Keaundrea Merriewether paced UWF with a career-high nine points.

The opening half was by far the more competitive of the two periods, with the teams swapping the lead on four occasions. The Argos took their biggest lead at the 13:46 mark, when Kirstin McIntyre scored on a put-back to make the score 15-10.

Harding took control with a 7-0 spurt late in the half. All-Tournament selection Kallie Bartee set up Bailey St. Clair for a running lay-in at the 4:46 mark to end the run and put the visitors ahead, 27-24.

Three late-free throws by Jessica Young gave UWF a 32-31 advantage at the intermission. Young finished the game with seven points, all from the foul line, while chipping in a team-high eight rebounds.

St. Clair opened up the 2nd half with a three-pointer on Harding’s first possession, giving the Lady Bisons a lead they would not relinquish. Harding opened the period on a 19-6 run, capped by Brittany Gottsponer’s three-pointer to make the score 50-40 with 11:16 remaining.

Once pushing the lead to double-digits, Harding was never again tested. A fastbreak hoop from St. Clair stretched the advantage to 69-50 with 2:30 on the clock, and Lauren Harrison gave the Lady Bisons their biggest lead, 75-52, in the game’s final minute.

Michaela Brown scored 12 points off the bench for Harding, while St. Clair scored 11 and Bartee added ten. The Lady Bisons shot just 38.7% from the floor but had more assists (15) than turnovers.

UWF gave the ball away 23 times for the game. Young and Sher’Ryan Scott, who scored eight points in the game, grabbed UWF’s All-Tournament spots.

Young was stellar for UWF on the defensive end, tallying a career-high five blocked shots and three steals. Octavia Bearden and Jade Howard each added eight points for the Argonauts.

UWF will take the weekend off before returning to the court on January 8, when they will face the University of Mobile, an NAIA institution. UWF is 2-0 against NAIA teams in 2010-11. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 pm.

2010 Hampton Inn & Suites Holiday Classic: Day Two Wrapup

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Barton College overcame a 24-point second-half deficit, collecting a 105-101 overtime victory over host Armstrong Atlantic State University to wrap up action in the 2010 Hampton Inn & Suites Holiday Classic on Friday afternoon at Alumni Arena. Georgia College finished the Classic with a 2-0 mark after picking up an 81-49 win over St. Augustine's.

Both the Pirates (6-3) and the Bulldogs (7-4) put on an offensive display in the first half as Armstrong shot 75 percent from the floor (24-of-32), including 9-of-12 three-pointers, while Barton hit 18-of-29 from the floor for 62.1 percent. The Pirates built a 69-49 halftime lead and stretched that lead to 24, 79-55, on a jumper by Chris Vanlandingham with 14:47 remaining in the second half.

The Bulldogs started their charge by going on a 25-10 run over the next 10 minutes, eventually tying the game on a Greg Mammel free throw with 19 seconds remaining. The Pirates' Chris Edwards took the out-of-bounds pass and drove all the way down the floor, converting a layup with 12 seconds left. On the other end, L.J. Dunn grabbed an offensive rebound off of a missed shot by R.D. Dowdy, drew a foul and sank both free throws with 5.5 seconds left to tie the game at 96-96. A three-point attempt to win at the buzzer by the Pirates' Mychal Horn fell short and the game went into overtime.

The Pirates took a three-point lead in the overtime period on two free throws from Vanlandingham and a free throw from DeVon Jones, but Mammel canned a three-pointer with 48 seconds left to tie the game at 101-all. Gerald Boston then gave the Bulldogs the lead for good with a three-pointer with five seconds left, and Dowdy added a free throw at the end for the final margin.

"We just didn't complete plays when we needed it [down the stretch]," Armstrong head men's basketball coach Jeremy Luther said. "We didn't run our plays and didn't stop them from getting basket after basket. It's a real tough loss, but we've got to learn from this and move on."

The Pirates placed five players in double figures on the night, led by three players with 17 points apiece - Vanlandingham, Jesse Wheeler and Brett Goodwell. Grant Domsic added 14 points off the bench and Chris Edwards chipped in 10 points. Barton was led by Dunn's 29 points and 14 rebounds, while Boston added 23 points and Mammel chipped in 14 points off the bench.

In the day's first game, Georgia College completed a perfect 2-0 mark in the Classic with a 32-point win over St. Augustine's. The Bobcats (7-2) shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half en route to building a 37-19 lead at intermission, then held the Falcons (1-7) to just 33 percent shooting from the floor during the entire game to notch the win.

Twelve different players scored for the Bobcats on the afternoon, led by Reece Wiedeman's 13 points. Nate Hamliton and Mike Augustine each chipped in 11 points for Georgia College. Matthew McMillan led the Falcons on the day with nine points and five rebounds.

The Pirates return to action on Monday, January 3, hosting Flagler in a Peach Belt Conference contest at 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

Women's Basketball completes perfect LA trip

LOS ANGELES — The Cal State Stanislaus women's basketball team will celebrate New Year's Eve when they get back to Turlock tonight after completing a perfect 2-0 road trip to the L.A. area this week.

The Warriors beat the Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles, 76-59, on Friday to win their fourth straight Caifornia Collegiate Athletic Association contest. Cal State Stanislaus now improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in CCAA play.

Cal State Stanislaus has now won five of its last six games overall. The Warriors opened conference play with two losses to Chico State during Thanksgiving week and has not lost a CCAA game since. Dating back to the end of last season, the Warriors are 9-2 in their last 11 CCAA contests.

Friday afternoon at the Eagles Nest, Andreanna Marshall led the Warriors with 19 points and five rebounds with four assists and three steals. Katie Busi grabbed nine rebounds to go with her 14 points and Christin Gowan netted her second straight 17-point game. Gowan also led the team with five assists and five steals.

The Warriors again led wire-to-wire in the game with a 10-point advantage three different times in the first half until a 47-39 intermission score.

Despite shooting just 28.1 percent in the second half, the strong CSUS defense again limited its opponents as the Golden Eagles shot just 16.7 percent (4-for-24) in the second half. The Warriors were able to parlay that into a lead as large as 19 points on a Trisha Werre jumper halfway through the second half.

Stanislaus again got to the free throw line and converted on its opportunities hitting 20 of 26 free throw attempts.

Cal State L.A., which dropped to 5-5  overall and 2-4 in the CCAA, was led by Gretchen Tiernan's 14 points. Shatori Dearman had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Dominguez Hills exacts revenge on Wildcats

CARSON, Calif. – The excitement has been building for the Chico State men’s basketball team’s 2011. But what had been a sweet 2010 for the Wildcats ended on a sour note with a 76-65 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday afternoon at the Torodome in Carson. Sean Park recorded career highs of 23 points and nine rebounds, but the Wildcats could not sustain enough offense against the 15th-ranked Toros, who sent them home swept in Southern California.

The Wildcats, who fell at Cal State L.A. Thursday, fell to 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Damario Sims was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 14 points. Terence Pellum contributed eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

Zareh Zargaryan and Marcquentince Davis finished with 16 points apiece for Cal State Dominguez Hills, which made its final 10 free throws and last four field goal attempts (including three 3-pointers) to salt the game away. The Toros limited Chico State to 29-percent shooting in the second stanza to improve to 9-1 overall and move into sole possession of first place in the CCAA at 5-1.

The Wildcats kicked off 2010 with an improbable upset of eventual National Champion Cal Poly Pomona, stunned the Toros in the opening round of the CCAA Championship Tournament, and then went 7-3 in the 2010 section of this 2010-11 season.


Terence Pellum pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds and scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting.
But the Toros put a dent in that body of work with a win undoubtedly flamed by the fires of retaliation after the Wildcats finished their promising season in such shocking fashion last season.

Payback looked like money in the bank in Friday’s early going as the Toros tore out to a 9-2 lead. Not so fast. Josh Jackson, Park and Sims stuck 3-pointers to spark an 18-6 Wildcats run that gave them their largest lead of the game at 20-15.

It was a costly stint of minutes, however, as the already injury-depleted ’Cats lost Jay Flores to a lost tooth and bloody mouth and Chris Sharp to an injury. Even before that, Park and Roderick Hawkins were playing in pain.

The lead changed hands five times from that point to the end of the half and the Toros went into the break leading 39-37.

The Wildcats tasted the lead for the last time when Sims sank a 3-pointer two minutes into the second half to make it 42-41, but 12 of their next 13 shots were off the mark and the Toros went on a 10-2 run during that eight-minute drought to take control 51-44.

Park’s jumper with 8:19 to go trimmed the lead to five, as did his 3-pointer at the 5:49 mark, but that was a close as the Wildcats could get. The Toros made their last four shots (including a trio of treys), beginning with Robert Wilhite’s 3-pointer with 5:38 remaining, and also made 8-of-8 free throws down the stretch. In all, Cal State Dominguez Hills scored on eight of their last nine possessions.

Chico State will enter the New Year alone in sixth place in the CCAA. The Wildcats hope to improve their lot in January when they play six home games out of eight beginning next weekend when UC San Diego and Cal State East Bay come to town.

]GAME NOTES – The Wildcats have lost nine of their last 11 meetings against Cal State Dominguez Hills but still lead the series 16-14…The Wildcats have come home from weekend road trips in the CCAA winless 32 times out of 58 since they joined the conference in the 1998-99 season…Park’s 23 points came in 28 minutes off the bench. The freshman is currently averaging a team-best 19.8 points per 40 minutes of action…Sims and Park combined to make 6-of-13 threes, while the rest of the team hit only 3-of-18.

#22 Lady Buffs drop third straight, fall 67-60 to #1 Delta State

CLEVELAND, Miss. – The West Texas A&M Lady Buff basketball team suffered another defeat to a top-25-ranked team this season, falling 67-60 to No. 1-ranked Delta State at Walter Sillers Coliseum in Cleveland, Miss., on Friday.

The No. 22-ranked Lady Buffs dropped a fourth straight contest to teams ranked inside the USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll and fell to 6-5 overall on the season with the road loss. The top-ranked Lady Statesmen meanwhile improved to 8-0 overall, while picking up their 988th all-time victory. DSU extended its NCAA Division II seventh-best home winning streak to 54-consecutive games as well.

Just as they did against No. 5-ranked Arkansas Tech a few nights ago, the WTAMU defense forced the home team from getting into any type of rhythm on the offensive side of the court. The Lady Buffs led  by as many as 10 points in the first half, but the Lady Statesmen closed out the period on a 6-2 run and WT instead took a 34-28 lead into the break.

Up 9-8 with 12:41 remaining in the first half, Ashley Leven (Jr-2L, Amarillo, Texas) hit a jumper that helped spark a 13-5 run for the Lady Buffs and WT led 22-13 with 7:35 left on the clock. DSU countered though with a 9-0 run and tied the game at 22-22 with 6:00 left to play in the period.

Jamie Simmons (Jr-1L, Houston, Texas) then nailed a jumper with 5:39 showing on the clock and Ariel Robertson (Fr-RS, Cedar Hill, Texas) put in back-to-back layups in-between a pair of free throws from Megan McLain (Sr-3L, Channing, Texas) and a bucket from Aly Sherman (Jr-1L, Mt. Vernon, Texas).

The 10-0 run put WT on top 32-22 before DSU could counter with six straight points at the other end. Simmons then hit both of her attempts at the charity stripe just before the end of the half to give the Lady Buffs the six-point lead heading into the locker rooms.

The Lady Statesmen came out of the break scoring the first eight points of the second half and with 17:35 left to play, DSU took its first lead since the 15:11 mark of the first period, up 36-34. Sherman then put in her second bucket of the day with 16:34 left to play in the game, which tied the game at 36-36.

The two teams would trade buckets over the next few possessions before DSU’s Bug Cooper scored on a layup and then hit the and-one-attempt following a foul to give the Lady Statesmen a 43-38 lead. McLain followed with a pair of free throws and Robertson put in another layup to pull the Lady Buffs within a point, down 43-42.

With 11:38 left in the period, Cooper hit a jumper that gave DSU a 47-42 lead, but Simmons recorded the game’s next four points and WT again trailed by just one point, 47-46 with 9:17 remaining.

The Lady Statesmen were held without a field goal for over three minutes until Moe Bell drained a three-pointer with 8:09 left to play. This gave DSU a 52-46 lead and sparked a 10-2 run, which gave the Lady Statesmen a 58-48 lead with 5:31 left in the game.

WT was forced to foul down the stretch, and despite outscoring the Lady Statesmen 12-6 over the final 5:21, the 11-point deficit was too large to comeback from. A couple of three-pointers from Robertson down the stretch pulled the Lady Buffs closer, but time slipped away from the visiting team and DSU came away with the 67-60 victory.

Simmons paced the Lady Buff offense with a team-high 20 points, while Robertson followed with a total of 16 points off the bench. McLain finished the contest with 10 points. Simmons recorded eight rebounds and Sherman led all WT players with four assists.

Cooper tied a career-high as she led all players with 27 points. Walker (13 points) and Bell (10 points) each tallied double-digit efforts for the Lady Statesmen as well. Walker came within a rebound shy of collecting a double-double, finishing the afternoon with nine boards. Cooper dished out a game-high six assists as well.

The Lady Buffs outshot the home team, 47.9% to 45.6% from the field, but it was the -12.2% difference from the first half (54.5%) to the second half (42.3%) that hurt WT. The Lady Buffs did however manage outshoot the Lady Statesmen 40% to 20% from three-point range.

WT improved at the free throw line on Friday, making 10-of-13 from the charity stripe. The 76.9% effort was the third best outing for the Lady Buffs this season. DSU shot 65.0% after going 13-for-20 from the line.

DSU out-rebounded the Lady Buffs 40-26 and scored 17 more (21-4) second-chance points than the Lady Buffs did. Each team tallied 24 points apiece off of the other opponent’s turnovers.

Despite dropping the past three contests to three top-10 ranked teams, the Lady Buffs should be well prepared for the upcoming Lone Star Conference South Division schedule.

Before opening conference play though, WT still has two LSC crossover games remaining - with both of them coming on the road. The Lady Buffs will have the next five days to prepare for its next opponent as they will ring-in the 2011 portion of the season on the road against Southeastern Oklahoma. The Lady Buffs and Savage Storm will play next Thursday, Jan. 6, with a tip-off set for 6 p.m. inside Bloomer Sullivan Arena in Durant, Okla. WT will then face East Central on Saturday, Jan. 8, in Ada, Okla.

Grizzlies to ring in 2011 with important 2-game swing in Nebraska

KEARNEY, Neb.- After a solid 6-2 start in 2010, the Adams State College men's basketball team will look to get back to their winning ways when they begin the 2011 portion of the campaign here against the University of Nebraska-Kearney Sunday evening in what could be their final visit to the Lopers' Health & Sports Center.

Tip-off is at 5 p.m. CST (4 p.m. Mountain) following a 3 p.m. CST women's start.

The Grizzlies, 3-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, have never won on the Lopers' home court, and have defeated UNK, 5-5 overall and 3-3 in RMAC play, just once in 23 all-time tries.

The Grizzlies then continue the important Nebraska road swing at Chadron State, also 5-5 overall and 3-3 in RMAC play, Monday at 5 p.m., before returning home to begin a stretch in which they play 4 of 6 and 8 of 12 games in the friendly confines Plachy Hall.

Monday's game against the Eagles in Armstrong Gymnasium can be heard live on KSPK-FM (104.1 in Alamosa) as the second half of a women's and men's doubleheader.  The station will also have tape-delayed coverage of Sunday's games following the Denver Broncos' season finale.

Live streaming coverage of both games can also be seen with a single-game or season pass subscription to America One (formerly B2 Networks) or followed with live statistics at the links at the bottom of this article.

The Grizzlies hold a slight 15-14 edge in the all-time series with Chadron State but have dropped three straight decisions by just eight combined points, including a 95-93 overtime heartbreaker in Plachy Hall last season.

The Grizzlies enter the road trip in a 3-way tie for fifth place in the RMAC's tightly-bunched overall standings, just a half-game behind Mesa State, the team that beat the Grizzlies, 89-77, in their final pre-holiday game.  They also sit just a half-game ahead of both the Lopers and Eagles, who face Fort Lewis (7-2, 3-2 RMAC) on Sunday night, making the set of tilts quite important for future RMAC tournament qualifying and seeding hopes for all four teams.

The Lopers, who will leave the RMAC after the 2011-12 season in which they will visit Plachy Hall for the only regular season meeting of the teams, have been solid at home thus far in the season and sport a perfect 3-0 mark in the Health & Sports Center, including a 73-65 win over Mesa State, and an earlier 12-point non-conference victory over in-state rival Nebraska-Omaha.

The Lopers, who got out to a 2-0 RMAC start, however, limped out of 2010 dropping three of their last four in two weekend trips to the metro Denver area.

Loper freshman forward Mike Dentlinger, who checks in at 6-feet-6-inches and 210 pounds, leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with 13.9-point and 6.6-rebound per game averages.  He is also shooting 53.8 percent from the field and is the only Loper to have started all 10 games.

Meanwhile, veteran Max Froehlich, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, is the team's top defensive player with 14 steals and eight blocked shots.  He also paces the team with 48 assists, good for a 4.8 per game average that has him ranked second in the RMAC, and is second on the team in scoring after pouring in an even dozen per game.  The Preseason All-RMAC pick also leads the RMAC with his 89.1 success rate from the free throw line, a big part of why the Lopers lead the RMAC in that category as a team at 80.3 percent.

Chadron State also had a rough end to 2010 dropping three of four in their trips to Denver after defeating both Mesa State and Western State on the first weekend of December in the middle of what was a 4-game, home-court winning streak.

The Eagles are led by 6-foot-4 junior guard Kevin McClelland, who is averaging 15.2 points per game to rank ninth in the RMAC.  Trey Mosby is also averaging in double figures at 10.1 points per game while Preseason All-RMAC pick Moala Tautuaa leads a balanced rebounding squad with 4.4 boards per night.
The Eagles, 4-1 at home, also have three of the top eight long-range sharp-shooters in the RMAC and pace the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.385) while making 77.

The Grizzlies, 3-1 on the road this year, hold the RMAC lead in five statistical categories, including field goal percentage defense (.403), and have held all but one of their opponents below the 50.0 percent mark this season.

Led by RMAC individual leader Jamiko Verner (Denver, Colo.), the Grizzlies also lead the RMAC in steals, turnover margin and rebounding.

Offensively, the Grizzlies are second in the RMAC in scoring average (84.2) and have four players averaging in double figures, including junior Marqus Richards (Los Angeles, Calif.) at 13.6 points per game.

Senior Seth Heinbaugh (Prescott Valley, Ariz.), also amongst that group at 11.3 points per game, is leading the team while ranking fourth in the RMAC with his 8.4-rebound per game average.  He also leads the RMAC in field goal percentage at .617.

Edinboro Downs FSU, 87-80

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Edinboro used a 16-7 run in the final minutes to down Fairmont State 87-80, on Friday afternoon in the final game of the FSU New Year’s Classic.

The Falcons drop to 7-3 on the season while Edinboro improves to 6-1.

Lauren Gilbert scored 19 points and Kaitlin Snyder added 18 for the Falcons. Rachel Murray finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Kelsi Wright rounded out the Falcons in double figures with 10.

Renee Brown paced the Fighting Scots with 20 points. Darche’ Jackson and Kiara Brown tallied 14 points apiece for Edinboro. Miki Cerchiaro and Samantha Blazetic each notched 12 points.

Edinboro held a decisive 39-27 advantage on the glass. Fairmont State tured the ball over 20 times to the Fighting Scots 14.

Fairmont State sprinted out to a 10-0 lead in the first half, Wright scored five points during the run. The Fighting Scots got back in the game with a 14-4 run to tie the game at 34-34 with three minutes to play in the half. Edinboro would go to the half holding a 40-39 advantage.

Both teams shot 50 percent from the field FSU was 16-of-32 and Edinboro was 15-of-30. Gilbert (12) and Snyder (10) paced the FSU attack in the first 20 minutes. Brown kept the Fighting Scots with 12 points in the half.  

Fairmont State got used an early 8-2 jolt in the second half to go back in front 54-49, Gilbert and Snyder each hit a three during the run. Edinboro broke a 63-63 tie with a 16-7 run to take a 79-70 lead and would make free throws down the stretch to claim the 87-80 victory.

The Falcons return to action against Concord on January 8 at Joe Retton Arena.

Concord 59, Clarion 51
Jolysa Brown tallied 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead Concord to a 59-51 victory over Clarion on Friday afternoon during day two of the FSU New Year’s Classic.

Concord is now 5-4 on the season and Clarion drops to 1-7.

Camisha Alexander added 15 points and Amanda Bertrand notched 11 for the Mountain Lions.

Courtney Healy paced the Golden Eagles with a double-double 16 points and 11 rebounds. Lauren Savulchak finished with 10 points for Clarion.
 

Catawba posts fourth straight win, rallying past Belmont Abbey

SALISBURY, NC -- Catawba rallied to pull out a 63-58 win over visiting Belmont Abbey in women’s basketball action on Friday afternoon at Goodman Gym. Dana Hicks (York, SC/Gaston Day) scored six key points down the stretch, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds, to help the Catawba Indians improve to 8-4. The Crusaders fell to 2-6.

Hicks’ double-double was her tenth of the season for Catawba. Kisha Long (Dallas, NC/Gaston Day) added 14 points and Milica Ivanovic (Belgrade, SERBIA/Sports High/Bethel) 11 for the Lady Indians, who won for the fourth straight time.

Shayla Jackson (Knoxville, TN) just missed a double-double for Belmont Abbey as she had 18 points and nine rebounds. Kelsey Long (Pilot Mountain, NC) added a dozen points, while Paula Regalado (Roanoke, TX) pitched in with 11 points and six rebounds.

Belmont Abbey took an 11-point lead early in the second half at 44-33 following a three-pointer by Brittaney Rice (Milton, VT). Catawba would rally back and tie the game just inside the 10 minute mark. Lewis and Kisha Long hit back-to-back three-pointers and when Anna Dellapenta (Thomasville, NC/E. Davidson HS/Elon) converted a layup following a steal the game was knotted at 48-all.

Elizabeth Merritt (Lexington, NC/E. Davidson HS) gave Catawba its first lead since the six-minute mark of the opening half at 53-52 on a jumper with 5:57 to go. Kelsey Long pulled the Crusaders even on a free throw with 5:38 left, but a quick layup by Kisha Long after a steal and consecutive put backs by Hicks moved Catawba ahead 59-53 with 3:37 remaining.

Belmont Abbey cut the margin to three points with 40 seconds left after a three-pointer by Kelsey Long and a jumper by Jackson. Kisha Long sank two free throws for Catawba with 33 seconds to go and after Hicks grabbed a rebound following a Crusader miss, the Lady Indians ran out the clock.

Catawba led 18-13 in the opening half, but Belmont Abbey surged ahead with a 16-5 run to lead 29-23 late in the frame. The Lady Indians scored the final six points of the half to draw even at the break. The Crusaders then raced to its early second half edge.

Catawba was aided by 18 Belmont Abbey turnovers, while the Lady Indians committed just 10 miscues. Both teams shot just over 40%, but Catawba canned half of its attempts (12-of-24) in the second stanza.

Lynn Women’s Basketball Goes Wild Against Wilmington

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University’s women’s basketball team is going to be taking some serious confidence into the New Year following a blistering 76-32 victory over Wilmington (Del.) in the final game of the LU Courtyard by Marriott Boca Raton Christmas Classic.  This is the fifth-lowest total allowed in program history while the Fighting Knights 14 blocks are a school record.  Lynn improves to 6-4 overall.

The Fighting Knights defense was outstanding during the past two days, holding their opponents to 76 points (38 per game) on a paltry 21.7% shooting.

Marquis Lee led all scorers with 16 points and was followed by Kira Harvey (13 points) and Chelsea Patterson (11 points).  LU shot 44.3% as a team.

Lynn had its ups and downs in the opening half but played strong enough to head into the locker room ahead 37-7.  It is the second-fewest points ever allowed in a half and most since 2004 when Puerto Rico-Cayey was held to five.  The Blue & White held Wilmington (1-11) to just 10.7% shooting while recording seven blocks and 28 boards through the first 20 minutes of play.

The Lady Wildcats shot just 15.6% overall but did outrebound the Blue & White 48-45.  They committed 25 turnovers, 18 of which were recorded as steals for LU.

Lynn’s defensive prowess was on display right from the start as Marquis Lee stole the ball off the dribble and went coast-to-coast for the easy lay-up.  A three-pointer by Amanda Schultz on the next possession and LU was on its way to the victory.

Wilmington cut the deficit to one, 5-4, but a baseline jumper by Lee started a 21-0 run that the Lady Wildcats could not recover from.  Harvey led the charge with seven points followed by Quanisha Dixon and Shay Harris with five points during the 8:20 span.

Lynn eased its foot off the accelerator in the second half as the Lady Wildcats doubled their point total in the first five minutes of play.  The Knights lead never dipped below 30 points, though, and reached the high-point of 44 when Harvey drained a three from the right wing with 28 ticks on the clock remaining.

The Blue & White jump full steam into their Sunshine State Conference schedule when they return to action at Saint Leo on Sunday, January 2, at 2 p.m.  Fans can follow the action live by logging on to www.LynnFightingKnights.com and selecting “Game Central.”

Columbus State Baseball Ranked 11th in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll

COLUMBUS - The 2011 Columbus State Baseball team will open the season ranked No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Preseason Top 40 poll.  They also finished the 2010 season ranked 11th nationally.

Columbus State had an outstanding season a year ago posting a 44-12 record and winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Aiken, SC.  CSU received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament falling to Georgia College, the eventual Southeast Region winner.  The Cougars got off to a blazing start last year setting a school record by winning 21 consecutive games early in the season.

CSU is one of five Peach Belt Conference teams ranked in the preseason poll. Georgia College is the highest ranked PBC institution, coming in at No. 4. with Francis Marion ranked No. 15, USC Aiken at No. 20 and North Georgia is tabbed No. 35 in the preseason poll. Both UNC Pembroke and Georgia Southwestern received votes in the poll.

Head Coach Greg Appleton and the Cougars will begin the season on Friday, February 4th when they host the University of West Alabama for a three game series at Ragsdale Field.

Prairie Stars Back After Holiday Layoff

SPRINGFIELD – After two weeks off for the holidays, the Illinois-Springfield men’s basketball team welcomes Indianapolis and Southern Indiana to the TRAC for a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games. The Prairie Stars play the Greyhounds Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday they host USI for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

UIS is coming off of a 95-52 victory over Eureka, Dec. 18, where senior Brandon Farmer led the way with 16 points. Junior Michael Fakuade, meanwhile, continues his impressive streak of five straight double-doubles, as he added 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Red Devils.

Leading the way for the Prairie Stars is Fakuade, who is averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting 60 percent from the field. Junior Lester Hart and Farmer are also scoring in doubles figures for UIS, as they score 11 and 10 points per game respectively.

The Greyhounds have won four straight since dropping their GLVC opener to Northern Kentucky, 87-69. UIndy is also 2-1 away from the Indiana state capital, with its lone loss at NKU.

Individually for UIndy, Darius Adams is scoring just over 20 points a game, while three others are also in double figures. DeWann Squires leads UIndy with five rebounds per game, while the team pulls down 35 boards per game.

USI has opened the season with a 9-1 mark, dropping its only game to No. 1 ranked Bellarmine, 69-60. Since the loss, the Eagles have won four straight and defeated Harris-Stowe and St. Catherine in their last two games.

This season for USI, CJ Trotter leads the offense at 16.6 points per game, while Mohamed Ntumba averages 13 points and eight rebounds and Isaac McClure is also in double figures for the Screaming Eagles, as he puts in 10 points.

An Internet broadcast will be available for the Indianapolis (http://wicr.uindy.edu/audio/) and Southern Indiana (http://www.820theedge.com/) contests.

UIndy and USI Visit the TRAC

SPRINGFIELD – After Wednesday’s heartbreaker, the Illinois-Springfield women’s basketball team returns to action Sunday when it welcomes Indianapolis to the TRAC for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off. The Prairie Stars will then stay home Tuesday evening, as Southern Indiana visits at 5:30 p.m.

In Wednesday’s game, UIS was led by junior Bailey Beale and freshman Megan Bergerud, who each had 13 points, while four Prairie Stars grabbed a team-high three rebounds. Also in the game, senior Paulina Pogorzelski matched her career-high with three steals.

Pogorzelski continues to lead the Prairie Star offense, as she pours in 13 points a game, while Beale and Bergerud follow at 12.4 and 11 points per contest respectively. Pogorzelski and Bergerud also clean the glass for UIS, as the duo combines for 14 rebounds per game,

Sunday’s opponent, Indianapolis has been off since Dec. 19 when it fell to Tampa 70-53. The Greyhounds have lost 4-of-5 after starting the season at 4-0, as their last win was over Florida Southern, 78-60, Dec. 18.

Leading the Greyhounds is Samantha Meissel, who is scoring 17.9 points per game and nearly pulling down five rebounds. Also in double figures for UIndy is Katie Lyons, who is averaging 10 points per game and is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field.

Southern Indiana this season is 5-5 and is 2-4 in its last six games, as it dropped a game Thursday night against Michigan Tech. However, the Screaming Eagles are also 0-3 away from the Physical Activates Center this season.

For USI, Ellen Young and Amie Newhart top the scoring at 12.9 and 10.4 points per game. Young is also cleaning the glass for the Eagles, as she is pulling down six rebounds a contest.

An Internet broadcast will be available for the Indianapolis (http://wicr.uindy.edu/audio/) and Southern Indiana (http://www.820theedge.com/) contests.

Bostwick to succeed Tjeerdsma as head coach

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Northwest Missouri State University has announced that Northwest defensive coordinator Scott Bostwick will succeed Mel Tjeerdsma as head football coach. The announcement came Friday following news that Tjeerdsma is retiring following 17 seasons with the Bearcats.
Bostwick is the 18th head coach of a program that will enter its 96th season three wins shy of 500 (497-388-33).

The 2007 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year, Bostwick has been Tjeerdsma’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach since the duo’s arrival in 1994. Together they won 12 MIAA championships, three NCAA championships and led the Bearcats to seven title game appearances in the last 13 seasons.

“I’ve been a coordinator for 26 years and if I was ever going to be a head coach, this is where I wanted to be,” said Bostwick. “It would be a challenge for anyone to try to walk in Mel’s shoes, but I’m excited for it. It’s what I’ve wanted, it’s why I’ve stayed here and here it is.

“The Bearcat Paw represents a lot to Northwest faculty, alumni and past players and I want to uphold the traditions of what it has stood for the last 15 years. Our work ethic, commitment and preparation will not change.”

Year-in and year-out, Bostwick has continuously produced one of the top defenses in the nation. The Bearcats have the led the MIAA in scoring defense in each of the last five seasons and in total defense in two of the last three.

The Bearcats have finished in the top 10 nationally in stopping the run three times in the last five years, including 2006 when the team set a program record by allowing just 75 rushing yards per game. Only eight individuals have posted 100 yards rushing against Northwest in the last 77 games dating back to 2004.

“Scott Bostwick has been instrumental in the rise and continued success of Northwest football,” said Northwest director of athletics Wren Baker. “He is just as committed to the personal development and academic success of his players as he is to winning football games. We are extremely proud to have Coach Bostwick be the next head coach of the Bearcats.”

Along with team success has come numerous individual accolades for Northwest defenders. Bostwick has coached 20 defensive players who have combined to appear on numerous All-America teams. The 2010 team featured cornerback Ryan Jones who became the sixth Bearcat to be named MIAA Defensive Player of the Year under Bostwick.

Safety Myles Burnsides was named the 2009-10 Ken B. Jones Award Winner as the MIAA's top male student-athlete. Following his junior season in 2008, Burnsides became the first Bearcat to be named Division II National Defensive Player of the Year.  He was named National Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2009-10.

In 2005, Dave Tollefson became the first defensive player under Bostwick to be drafted into the NFL when the Packers made him a seventh-round draft pick (253rd overall). Tollefson set a Northwest record by registering 12.5 sacks that year. He earned a championship ring as a member of the New York Giants at the conclusion of the 2007 season.

Bostwick mentored five first-team All-MIAA selections in 2010, the highest number in one season under his regime. He’s had four first-teamers three other times since 2005. Bostwick has coached 54 Bearcats who have combined to earn 83 All-MIAA honors.

Prior to joining the staff at Northwest, Bostwick spent four years at Western Washington University in Mt. Vernon, Wash. He served as defensive coordinator at Nebraska Wesleyan, his alma mater, from 1986-1990.

Bostwick holds a bachelor's degree from Nebraska Wesleyan, where he was a four-year letterwinner and was named all-conference and all-district on the gridiron. He was inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2006 and is the program's third-leading tackler.

Bostwick and his wife, Sue, reside in Maryville and have two children, Leah and Eric.

#9 Falcons Fall on the Road at #23 Christian Brothers, 73-66

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The ninth-ranked University of Montevallo men's basketball team (7-2) suffered its second loss of the season to 23rd-ranked Christian Brothers University (7-2), 73-66. The game featured 55 fouls including 45 in the second half. Both teams struggled from the free throw line as the Falcons hot 47.8 percent of their shots from the charity stripe while CBU hit 56.4 percent. The Falcons had 23 free throw attempts compared to CBU’s 39.

UM was led by junior Antoine Davis (Washington, D.C./M.M. Washington) who scored a season-high 24 points to lead all scorers. Senior Cecil Coleman (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech) had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds while junior Tyrell Coleman (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown) chipped in 11 points off of three three-pointers. Junior Ryan Westbrooks (Nashville, Tenn./Hillsboro) added nine points.

The Falcons shot 42.4 percent from the field while CBU once again was red hot from the field as the Bucs hit 61.5 percent from the field. In the Falcons two games against the Bucs CBU has hit 63 percent of their shots while UM has averaged 41.7 percent.

The Falcons and Bucs battled closely for the first 10 minutes of the game as neither team gained more than a three-point lead. UM then suffered an 11-minute cold streak from the field as they scored just four points in the final 11 minutes of the first half. This allowed the Bucs to outscore the Falcons 24-4 down the stretch and take a 37-18 lead into halftime.

UM and CBU traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half which did not help UM’s cause as the Falcons continued to trail by double-digit points. With 4:13 left in the game and UM down 59-42 the Falcons went on a 10-2 run to cut the CBU lead to just nine. The Bucs responded with a lay-up and then they forced a turnover which led to a dunk to regain a 13-point advantage. With under two minutes to play the Falcons began to get whistled for a foul on every possession which allowed the Bucs to keep UM at bay. A late four-point run by the Falcons cut the Bucs lead to just seven points with three seconds left in the game but it would not be enough as CBU won 73-66.

The Falcons had three players foul out of the game while two others had four fouls. CBU had four players with four fouls when the game ended. Only two players that entered the game came away with out a foul and they played a combined seven minutes.

The ninth-ranked Falcons will return to action Tuesday, Jan. 4 at home against the University of West Florida at 4 p.m.

Ryan's Career High Leads UCSD Past Sonoma State, 73-64

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Senior guard Casey Ryan erupted for a career-high 28 points to lead the UC San Diego men's basketball team to an impressive 73-64 victory over visiting Sonoma State on Thursday night at RIMAC Arena.

UCSD was in control from the outset and led by as many as 12 points en route to its second victory in three games. The Tritons improve to 7-4 overall in 2010-11 and 2-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and will look to even their league record against Cal State East Bay on Monday evening.

"After we came up short in against Humboldt (on December 19), we really needed to come out and get a win at home before we hit the road for three games next week," head coach Chris Carlson said. "I thought we got off to a great start and that really set the tone for us tonight. Casey had a big performance and Christian was excellent, especially in the first half. We'll definitely look to carry this effort into Monday's game at East Bay."

In what proved to be one of his finest performances as a Triton, Ryan finished 7-of-12 from the floor to lead three players in double figures for UCSD. He was 13-of-18 at the foul line -- sinking 10 free throws in the final six and a half minutes to put the game away -- and also tallied nine rebounds and five assists in a game-high 37 minutes.

The Jackson, Calif. native shattered his previous high of 19 points that came against Simon Fraser earlier this season, punctuating his performance with an emphatic dunk as he was fouled late in the second half and then completing the three-point play to thwart a Sonoma rally.

Christian Hatch scored 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds for UCSD, while James McCann put in 16. The Tritons shot 45% (21-47) for the game and went to the free throw line a total of 38 times, converting 29, 76%.

Steven Pratt finished with 19 points, five rebounds and six assists for the Seawolves, who dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the CCAA. Matthew French tallied 10 points and grabbed three boards.

UCSD held an early 14-6 lead as SSU was ice cold to start the game, but the visitors would rally to with 18-16 on a layup by Pratt with 6:15 remaining in the first half. McCann hit a three and the found Hatch for an easy lay-in under the basket to put the Tritons in front, 27-20, but the Seawolves came back to tie the score at 28 on back-to-back triples from Pratt and Ash Arnott.

Ryan answered with a layup on the final possession of the half, giving UCSD a 30-28 cushion at the break.

Sonoma would take a brief 33-32 lead a little more than two minutes into the second stanza, but UCSD scored seven straight points to lead 43-35 with 12:40 left to play. Ryan capped the run with a big three as the shot clock was winding down.

The Seawolves would trim the deficit to just two once again, pulling to within 45-43 with 11:34 remaining, but Hatch scored back-to-back baskets for the Tritons and McCann sank two free throws to put UCSD back up by eight with 9:47 on the clock.

It looked as though Sonoma had one final run left, but McCann got to the rim and converted and Ryan scored five straight points, including his big three-point play, to give the Tritons a 58-47 lead with six and a half minutes left.

UCSD hit 15 free throws down the stretch and Sonoma would get no closer than six the rest of the way.

The Tritons will now play three road games in six days beginning with Monday's stop at Cal State East Bay. UCSD will then take on Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

--www.ucsdtritons.com--

UAA knocks off #11 CWU in double-OT

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Taylor Rohde had career-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds Thursday to lead the Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team to a 98-93, double-overtime victory over 11th-ranked Central Washington in a wild game at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Seawolves (9-3, 1-0 GNAC) also got 23 points from senior Brandon Walker and 18 points from senior Casey Robinson to win their Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener and beat the Wildcats here for the second straight season.

CWU (9-2, 2-1 GNAC) was led by 23 points from center Chris Sprinker, while wing Jamar Berry scored 18 points before fouling out late in the first overtime.

The Seawolves – who won their eighth straight – led 35-27 at halftime and extended to a 44-31 advantage with 16 minutes left in the second half. But the Wildcats chipped away steadily and took their first lead since the opening moments on Chris Scott’s three-pointer at the 5:57 mark. UAA’s bench was immediately called for a technical foul after that, and Scott hit both free throws to make it 58-54.

The Wildcats went up 65-59 on another Scott trey with 2:38 remaining before UAA answered with the next five points. Scott again extended CWU’s lead – this time to 67-64 – with an acrobatic layup with 43 seconds on the clock and UAA committed a 5-second violation on the inbounds attempt. Humberto Perez would miss the front end of a bonus opportunity, however, and Mario Gill sank one of two free throws with 10 seconds left.

Sprinker had a chance to ice the game with 7 seconds remaining, but the 6-9 center made just one of two charities. UAA dribbled up quickly and had the ball knocked out of bounds with 0.5 seconds showing. Inbounding from in front of his own bench, senior point guard Drew Robinson flipped a long lob pass to Casey Robinson on the other side of the court, and the 6-6 forward from Manila, Utah, drained a three-pointer to make it 68-68.

UAA appeared in complete control with an 82-74 lead in the first extra session, but CWU took advantage of two untimely Seawolf turnovers to score the final eight points, knotting it on two Sprinker free throws with 9 seconds left. Both teams would miss chances to win in the final ticks before the second overtime, with neither squad able to get off a shot.

Rohde, a 6-9 junior transfer from Arizona State, made sure UAA never trailed again, though, scoring the Seawolves’ first seven points in the second OT, including a three-point play to make it 89-86 at the 2:18 mark. After Perez missed a three-pointer on the next possession, Steve White drove in for a layup to make it 91-86, and the Wildcats would not earn a chance to tie the rest of the way. Walker, who shot 8 of 15 from the field, clinched the win with two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining.

Walker nailed 5 of 7 three-pointers and Casey Robinson was 5 of 9 as UAA shot a season-best 63.2 percent (12 of 19) from long range as a team.

Rohde shot 8 of 14 from the field and 12 of 15 at the charity stripe, pulled down nine of his rebounds on the offensive end, and added a pair of emphatic blocks.

White led UAA with six assists as the Seawolves overcame an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers.

UAA’s winning streak is now its longest since a school-record 18-game string in its Final Four season of 2007-08. That streak ended here with a 74-72 overtime loss to the Wildcats on Feb. 16, 2008.

The Seawolves begin the 2011 calendar year with a 5:30 pm AST showdown against Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, on Saturday.

UCSD Returns to Action with 77-55 Pummeling of Sonoma State

LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's basketball team returned to the court following a 10-day layoff and showed little signs of rust on Thursday, downing visiting Sonoma State 77-55 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association clash at RIMAC Arena.

The Seawolves erased a 15-point deficit to pull within 54-50 with seven and a half minutes remaining, but the Tritons closed the game on a commanding 23-5 run to pick up their third win in the last four games.

UCSD improves to 5-7 overall and ups its conference mark to 3-2 heading into next week's three-game road trip. The Tritons will play three times in a span of six days, beginning with a stop at Cal State East Monday evening at 5:30.

Junior point guard Chelsea Carlisle turned in another All-American effort for UCSD, scoring a game-high 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting. The Agoura Hills native sank a career-high six three-pointers on 10 attempts and also racked up five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 36 minutes.

Freshman guard Megan Perry had a stellar effort as well, finishing with a season-high 12 points in her first career start. She finished 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from the three-point line. Sophomore guard Emily Osga chipped in with 12 points, three boards and five assists.

Katrina Fahey scored 15 points to lead Sonoma (4-5, 2-3 CCAA), but no other player finished with more than nine for the visitors.

UCSD shot 46% (26-56) for the game, including a blistering 48% (13-27) in the second half. The Tritons were on target from long distance all evening, draining a season-high tying 12 threes on 25 attempts, 48%. UCSD also hit 12 threes in the 94-54 win over Notre Dame de Namur on November 27.

The Tritons scored the first eight points of the game and led by as many as 15 (36-21) in the first half before taking a 36-24 lead into the locker room at the break. Carlisle finished with 15 first-half points, while Perry finished 4-for-5 from the field and put in 10.

Lauren Freidenberg scored to put UCSD in front 42-28 two minutes into the second half, but Aly Conway scored consecutive baskets to ignite a 26-12 SSU run over the next 10 minutes. Fahey and Jaclyn Bisordi hit back-to-back threes to bring the Seawolves to within 51-45 with 8:46 left and Oly Larkin's triple a little more than a minute later made it 54-50.

Carlisle answered with a runner for UCSD on the other end and then proceeded to score six of the Tritons' next eight points, including a big three that pushed the lead back to 11 at 64-53 with 4:43 remaining.

The Tritons scored 15 unanswered points to put the game away with Carlisle and Osga hitting back-to-back triples to cap off the run. Freshman Erin Dautremont then got into the act, hitting her first-career three with 19 seconds left to give UCSD its biggest advantage at the final horn.

Six of the Tritons' 12 threes came during the game's final eight minutes.

Sonoma shot 38% (20-53) from the field and outrebounded UCSD 35-34 for the game, but the Tritons forced the Seawolves into 18 turnovers leading to 24 points on the other end.

UCSD will be going for the season sweep of Cal State East Bay on Monday after defeating the Pioneers 61-37 on December 14. The Tritons will then face Chico State on Friday and Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday to wrap up the trip.

Yellowjackets Go Cold in Second Half, Fall 70-54

BILLINGS, Mont. – Jaxon Myaer’s 17 points were overshadowed by 20 points from Jeremy Green and a double-double by Blake Poole, as Saint Martin’s University used a second half surge to defeat the Montana State Billings men’s basketball team 70-54 Thursday night at Alterowitz Gymnasium.

Poole had 11 points and 13 rebounds, going 5-of-9 from the field, while Green was 7-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe to help the Saints improve to 9-4 on the season and 2-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Galen Squiers also chipped in 17 points, while Brok Pendleton added 12 points of his own.

Myaer’s 17 points came on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from the line in the losing effort. Leon Sutton dumped in 10 points, while Robert Mayes had a team-high six boards and Tyler Barnes added eight points and four rebounds.

The Yellowjackets fall to 2-8 on the season and have started out league play 0-3. The loss was the second consecutive for the Yellowjackets and their seventh in the last eight games.

The first half went well for the Jackets, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and from beyond the arc. The Jackets also converted three of their four free throws, but the Saints converted all nine of their attempts from the line, and hit 13-of-14 for the game.

The Jackets built their largest lead of the game at four, 14-10, in the first half when Myaer hit one of his two three-pointers from the top of the arc with 15:21 to go.

The Saints continued to battle back throughout the half as Squiers knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 23-23 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half. The Jackets again took a three point lead (26-23) on free throws by Emery Henning and Barnes.

Pendleton knocked down a mid-range jumper with 4:19 left in the half to give the Saints the lead for the final time in the contest. Saint Martin’s closed out the half on a 13-5 run to take a five point, 36-31, lead into the half.

After coming out of the locker room, balanced scoring by the Saints helped them outscore the Yellowjackets 20-8 over the first 10 minutes of the half to build an 18 point lead, 57-39.

Another Myaer free throw at the nine minute mark brought the lead down to 15, but five straight points by Squiers gave the Saints their largest lead of the game, 20 points, with 7:30 to go in the contest.

MSUB could get no closer than 15 as the two teams traded buckets the rest of the way, and the Saints ran out the clock after the Yellowjackets committed their 21st turnover of the game.

The Yellowjackets shot 43.8 percent from the floor for the game and were just 4-of-12 from long range. The free throw line continued to be a challenge as the Jackets were just 8-of-14 from the line. The Jackets won the battle off the bench, outscoring SMU 17-14.

The Saints pounded the paint throughout the night, scoring 34 points inside and collecting 16 off of second chance opportunities. SMU also converted 23 points off of the Jackets’ 21 turnovers, committing just 12 of their own.

SMU finished the night going 27-of-60 from field, but shot 56.0 percent in the second half. The worst part of the night for the Saints was from downtown, hitting just three of their 17 attempts.

The Yellowjackets will look to turn the page on 2010 and start fresh in 2011 when they take on GNAC foe Western Oregon on New Year’s Day at 7:30 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The game is the second of a doubleheader with the women’s team, playing Alaska Anchorage at 5:30 p.m. Both games can be seen on the web at msubsports.com. Live stats will also be available for both games.

FELICIAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SETS SCHOOL RECORD WITH EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE WIN

WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- Felician College forced 27 turnovers in its 81-73 non-conference women's basketball victory over host University of New Haven on Thursday night at Charger Gymnasium. Felician (8-1) established a school record with its eighth consecutive victory, and improved to 4-0 on the road this season.

Felician put five scorers in double figures, led by Quay Baskerville's (Hartford, CT) 18 points. Freshman Katrina Plummer (West Babylon, NY) posted 14 points and eight rebounds. Nicole Pollard (Swansea, MA) topped New Haven (2-8) with 19 points, all in the second half.

Playing for the first time in 13 days, Felician jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the game's first three minutes. The Chargers came back to trail by one point on two occasions, but the Golden Falcons closed the half an 11-2 run over the final six minutes for 34-24 halftime lead.

Both teams heated up in period two, shooting more than 53 percent for the half. The Golden Falcons maintained a double-digit edge for the first 10 minutes of the second half before seeing the Chargers close to within 59-54 with 8:47 to play. Still ahead by six at the 6:12 mark, Felician received a three-point play by Tierra Cleaves (Paterson, NJ) (10 points) and a Baskerville bucket to move back ahead by 11. The lead hovered between seven and 12 points for the final five minutes. The Golden Falcons withstood seven second-half UNH three-point field goals.

Felician racked up a large edge at the free-throw line, making 25 of 33 attempts, as compared to 12 of 17 for the Chargers. Jessica Ford (Jersey City, NJ) finished with 12 points and nine rebounds and Destiny Barnette (Paterson, NJ) added 12 points and eight boards. The game concludes non-conference play for the Golden Falcons, who finish 6-1 outside the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference in 2010-11. After a stretch of three games in the last 25 days, the Golden Falcons play three CACC contests next week.

Jason Jackson Nails Buzzerbeater, HPU Sinks Concordia

Honolulu, HI (12/30/10) – The HPU men’s basketball team returned to action tonight with a 77-74 win over Concordia University-Ann Arbor. Jason Jackson (10 pts, 6 reb) hit a three-pointer as time expired to give the Sea Warriors the win at the Blaisdell Center. HPU improves to 4-7 while Concordia falls to 8-7.

Five Sea Warriors posted double figures led by Adrian den Dulk with 16 points. Royal Edwards recorded 15 points off the bench and LaBrent Chappell added 13 points and six assists.
Marius Williams led Concordia with 24 points in the losing effort.

The Sea Warriors built a comfortable 55-42 lead midway through the second half. The Cardinals responded with a 14-2 run, tying the game on a Rocko Holmes layup with 7:15 remaining.

Chappell hit a three pointer with 2:02 left to give HPU a small 72-66 cushion, but with under a minute to play Williams tied the game at 74-74 with one of his four three pointers. Jackson then won the game on his only three-point attempt of the evening.

Kyle Allen added 10 points and eight rebounds for HPU.

The Sea Warriors retake the court on New Year’s Day versus Westminster College. Start time at the Neal Blaisdell Center is set at 6:00 p.m. after the HPU women’s basketball game.

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Puts Defensive Clamps on Wayne State (Mich.) to Capture 37th Annual Porreco Cup Championship

ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men’s basketball team used arguably its best team defense of the young season to extend its winning streak to three games Thursday night at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights held a red-hot Wayne State (Mich.) team to almost 30 points below its scoring average en route to a 61-52 victory in the 37th annual Porreco Cup championship game.

It was just like the good old days of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) basketball. The two former conference rivals, who faced each other in three consecutive GLIAC quarterfinals from 2003-05, fought tooth and nail throughout Thursday’s championship tilt. And the contest quickly turned into a defensive dog fight as the majority of GLIAC contests are. The game featured nine lead changes and six ties. In addition, the majority of the contest was played with a lead within two possessions.

Gannon seemed to start pulling away midway through the second half. Trailing 31-29, the Golden Knights ripped off a nine straight points. Tanner Furno (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) tied the game with an offensive put-back. On the next possession, Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) might have hit the shot of the game. The true freshman snapped the tie by draining a three-pointer from the top of the arc as the shot clock expired. He was 1-of-3 from three-point range in the first six games of the season.

Travis Brannen (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) and Danard Crouch (Syracuse, N.Y./Anthony Henninger) added consecutive baskets for a 38-31 lead with 12:27 to play.

Wayne State momentarily stopped the bleeding with a free throw, before Gannon added four more points on a pair of Crouch free throws and another Furno lay-up. In all, the Golden Knights had produced a 13-1 run over the span of three minutes and 51 seconds. The result was Gannon’s largest lead of the evening at 42-32 with 10:38 remaining.

Wayne State was far from dead though. The Warriors immediately followed with nine consecutive points to pull within 42-41 on Dale Brundidge’s lay-up at the 5:25 mark. The visitors climbed back into the game by holding Gannon scoreless for five minutes and 38 seconds.

Gannon, as it did in the semifinals against Seton Hill, then found the reserve tank and won the final five minutes of regulation. Leading 44-43, the Golden Knights regained the upper hand with a Kelvin Agee (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) three-pointer and Kareem Brown (New London, Conn./New London) tip-in for a 49-43 advantage at the 2:17 mark.

Wayne State pulled within three points twice in the final minutes, but Gannon hit 6-of-7 free throws to preserve the victory.

The beginning had an inauspicious start for Gannon. Wayne State opened a 7-0 lead as the Golden Knights failed to score in the first four minutes and 38 seconds. Gannon rallied to tie the score at 13 and neither team was able to grab a lead larger than two points the rest of the first half.

Furno led Gannon in scoring with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench, hitting 5-of-6 shots. Battle was the only other Golden Knight in double digits with 10 points. Seven different Golden Knights scored between six and 12 points in the balanced effort.

Gannon shot 42.9 percent (21-49) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-14) from three-point range and 75 percent (15-20) from the free throw line.

Bryan Smothers headlined the Wayne State offensive unit with 14 points despite a 4-of-17 shooting chart. Bryan Coleman and Ian Larkin added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Wayne State shot 35.1 percent (20-57) from the floor, 30 percent (6-20) from behind the arc and 66.7 percent (6-9) from the charity stripe.

Gannon improved to 5-2 with its third consecutive victory and remained perfect (5-0) at the Hammermill Center. Wayne State is now 9-2 after seeing its seven-game win streak snapped. The Warriors’ only other loss came at Bellarmine, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II.

Head coach John T. Reilly’s club will have three days off before heading into Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover action. The Golden Knights host Millersville Monday, January 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

In the consolation game, Chris Giles poured in 31 points as Seton Hill defeated East Stroudsburg 98-93. The Griffins shot 59.6 percent (34-57) from the field and 71.4 percent (10-14) from three-point range.

Giles was named Porreco Cup Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive season. The junior recorded 53 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and one block during the two-day event. He shot 60.6 percent (20-33) from the floor and 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line. In the process, he scored his 1,000th career point during the second half of the consolation game. He became the first visiting player to win back-to-back MOP awards in the 37-year history of the tournament. Overall, he is the fourth player in Porreco Cup history to win back-to-back awards and the first since Zaid Al-Khas performed the feat in 1998 and 1999.

Brannen and Agee represented Gannon on the all-tournament team. Coleman and Ike Udanoh from Wayne State rounded out the squad.