LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Thursday, February 14th
@ CBU 73, ATU 51
OBU 68, @ UAM 64 OT
@ HU 90, DSU 64
@ SAU 49, HSU 36
@ Flagler 85, UWF 80
Saturday, February 16th
@ UNA 94, VSU 82
CBU 86, @ HSU 55
HU 69, @ OBU 58
@ DSU 63, UAM 60
@ ATU 68, SAU 58
UWA 67, @ UWG 66
$UM 74, @ UAH 52
Monday, February 18th
@ UWG 81, UM 67
@ UAH 72, UWA 64
@ UNA 88, UWF 66
GSC teams in CAPS; All Times Central; Confernece games in Bold; $—Shown on NCAA/CSTV Broadband (http://www.cstv.com/ncaa/divii/)
UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, February 20th
Reinhardt @ VSU 6:30 pm
Thursday, February 21st
HU @ ATU 7:30 pm
UAM @ HSU 8:00 pm
CBU @ OBU 8:00 pm
SAU @ DSU 8:00 pm
Saturday, February 23rd
ATU @ UAM 4:00 pm
VSU @ UWA 4:00 pm
DSU @ CBU 5:00 pm
UNA @ UAH 7:00 pm
19-HSU @ HU 7:30 pm
UWF @ UM 7:30 pm
OBU @ SAU 7:30 pm
Flagler @ UWG 12:00 pm
Monday, February 25th
VSU @ UM 7:30 pm
UWA @ UWF 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 26th
UWG @ UNA 3:00 pm
19-Televised on CSTV; GSC teams in CAPS; All Times Central; Confernece games in Bold
GSC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE (13-12, 6-4)
The Chargers moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the 2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament with a 72-64 win over West Alabama at Spragins Hall Monday night. The victory snapped a three game losing skid for the Chargers and completed a season sweep of the Tigers, whom UAH has beaten six of the last seven meetings. Although not official, the Chargers look to be headed back to Southaven. Tyler Dunaway paced UAH with 18 points. He was 5-for-13 from the field with four 3-pointers and 4-for-4 from the line. Kael Coleman followed with 15 points and six rebounds. He was 4-for-4 from the field and 7-of-10 from the line. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Cody Jones dropped in 13 points and five rebounds and guard Maurice Dobbins tallied a career-high 12 points and five rebounds in the first start ever. The win was needed after a 10th straight loss to Montevallo on Saturday. That game was close over the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Chargers only trailed by a bucket after a three point play by Dunaway cut the Falcons lead to 49-47 with 9:31 left. Then, the wheels came off the Charger bus. UAH would score only five points the rest of the game. Even with that, the Chargers only trailed 58-52 with 4:46 remaining. But, UAH went scoreless the rest of the game, missing their last seven shots and committed a turnover. Meanwhile, Montevallo finished the game with a 16-0 run to blow the game open.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO (13-10, 5-5)
The Weevils suffered through a winless week with an overtime loss to OBU at home (68-64) and a last minute loss at Delta State (63-60). The Weevils led the Tigers by 12 with 10 minutes left in the contest, but a 19-6 run from OBU sent the game into overtime, where UAM hit only one shot in five minutes – a three pointer from junior Duke Sturdivant, allowing OBU to walk away with a thrilling come-from-behind victory to remain tied for first place in the division. UAM hit only five foul shots in the second half, leading the team to a final 48 percent from the foul line in the game. The loss was the first at home this season. UAM was led by juniors Deron Brown and Marcus Baham, both scoring 12 points, while junior Bernard Seymour trailed closely with 11. Sturdivant rounded out the UAM double-digit scorers with 10 points. Two days later, the Statesmen used 11 second-half points from Earnesto Green, including a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the game that eventually sent the Weevils home with a loss. UAM had two chances to send the game into overtime, but Brown and freshman D'Angelo Dean missed shots in the final seconds. Dean led the Weevils with 17 points, while sophomore Giovanni Marchetti and junior Raymond Wright both scored 11 points. Freshman Justin Johnson was the only other Weevil to reach double-digits with 10 points. Poor free-throw shooting once again played a part in the loss. The Weevils shot just 40 percent from the line in the first half, but pulled that percentage up with a 4-of-6 total in the second half, for a final 50 percent for the game.
ARKANSAS TECH (15-8, 6-4)
The Wonder Boys went 1-1 last week to remain in the hunt for a berth in the GSC Tournament. With its 1-1 record, Tech improved to 15-8 overall and 6-4 in the GSC. The 15 wins is just the third time Tech has reached that mark since joining the NCAA Division II level in 1996. Tech opened the week by falling 73-51 at Christian Brothers. The loss the CBU was Tech's largest margin of defeat on the season (22 points) and just the second time this season the Wonder Boys had lost by more than 20 points in a game. Following the CBU loss, Tech returned home to collect a 68-58 win last Saturday over Southern Arkansas. In that game, Tech sealed the victory by hitting 9-of-10 free throws in the final 23 seconds of the game. For the week, sophomore guard Brandon Friedel averaged 13.5 points and 4.0 boards per game and shot 42 percent from long distance, while junior guard Chad Henderson averaged 13.5 points and shot 47 percent from the floor and 58 percent from 3-poin line and junior guard Jamar Flowers averaged 11.5 points and 5.0 boards per contest. The fourth double-digit scorer was junior forward Troy Marcus, who averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Tech will return to action on Thursday when it hosts GSC West Division leader, Harding, in a 7:30 p.m. game and then the Wonder Boys travel to Monticello, Ark., to play UAM at 4 p.m. UAM is one of four teams to defeat Tech in GSC play this season.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (15-9, 6-4)
The Bucs moved into a tie for third place in the GSC West Division last week as they picked up two big wins, winning 73-51 over Arkansas Tech and 86-55 at Henderson State. Nick Kohs posted back-to-back double-doubles with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists against ATU and 22 points and 13 rebounds at HSU. The Bucs have two key games this week as they visit second-place Ouachita Baptist Thursday night and host Delta State Saturday.
DELTA STATE (12-10, 6-4)
The Delta State Statesmen split the week last week, dropping a 90-64 decision at Harding on Thursday before returning home and defeating Arkansas-Monticello, 63-60, on Saturday. The Statesmen's trip to Searcy was a bitter one for more reasons than the final score, as senior center Ray Selvage suffered a career-ending knee injury midway through the first half. The Statesmen were able to rally together on Saturday to grind out the three-point win over the Boll Weevils. Earnesto Green connected on a 25-footer with 19 seconds remaining to give the Statesmen the final leg up and allowed his team to keep pace with the rest of the field for Southaven. This week brings another couple of tough tests for Coach Jason Conner's squad. A dangerous game on Thursday with Southern Arkansas at home, before they travel up to Memphis to take on CBU on Saturday afternoon. Game times are 8:00 p.m. on Thursday and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
HARDING (14-9, 8-2)
The Harding Bisons moved to the top of the Gulf South Conference West Division this week with a pair of victories. Harding started the week with a 90-64 win over Delta State at the Rhodes Field House. Matt Hall led Harding with 30 points and Chris Dixon scored a career-high 25. The Bisons shot 50 percent for the game and limited Delta State to 33 percent. The Statesmen shot 0-for-19 from three-point range in the second half. Harding then went on the road to defeat Ouachita Baptist 69-58 in a game between two teams tied for the division lead. Hall again led Harding with 20 points and Trent Morgan and Steven Barnett added 17 each. The Bisons improved to 10-0 on the season when holding opponents to below 40 percent shooting. Harding outscored Ouachita Baptist 38-12 in the paint.
HENDERSON STATE (3-20, 0-10)
Henderson State loss to Christian Brothers was only the third time in 24 meetings. It was also the first time CBU beat Henderson State at home. The 36 points scored against Southern Arkansas was the lowest output since the 1959-60 season as Southern Arkansas beat the Reddies 49-36. The 20 loses this season by the Reddies are the most in school history. Henderson State has won 54 of its last 57 games when shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The last time the Reddies lost shooting better than 50 percent from the floor was at Incarnate word on Jan. 5, 2008. Henderson State converted on 31 of 46 shots for 67 percent from the field.
MONTEVALLO (10-14, 3-6)
The Falcons collected a key Gulf South Conference road victory at the University of Alabama-Huntsville Saturday night. With the game tied at 44-44, UM outscored UAH 30-8 in the final 11 minutes of the second half, to post a 74-52 victory. Terrill Humphrey led UM with 19 points. Anthony Brown and Jonathaon Hewitt added 17 and 16 points, respectively. UM then dropped an 81-67 decision at West Georgia Monday night. Humphrey led UM with a game-high 27 points, 17 in the second half. UM is at 3-6 in the GSC East, 10-14 overall. Humphrey continues to pace the Falcon offense, averaging 17.9 points per game. Tauras Dortch (11.0) and Anthony Brown (10.7) follow with Brown (6.9) leading in rebounding. UM will host the University of West Florida for a key GSC game Saturday night. UM will play their final home game at the McChesney Student Activity Center for the season against Valdosta State Monday night.
NORTH ALABAMA (21-7, 8-2)
A pair of big Gulf South Conference wins last week gave the University of North Alabama men's basketball team sole possession of first place in the East Division, along with the school's first Top 25 ranking since 1994. The Lions knocked off Valdosta State and West Florida at home to improve to 21-7 overall with a division-leading 8-2 record in conference play. Saturday against the Blazers, North Alabama shot 50 percent from the floor and had three players score more than 20 points during the 94-82 victory at Flowers Hall. With the win, the Lions assured a spot in the upcoming GSC Tournament in Southaven, Miss. UNA raced out to an early double-digit lead and took a 49-35 lead into the half after Isaac Gay hit a three-pointer at the buzzer. The Lions would continue to dominate over the final 20 minutes, leading by as many as 24 points in the second half. Quinn Beckwith and Thomas Fraise scored 21 points each to lead the Lions. Casey Holt added a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He entered the game needing only six boards to reach 500 for his career, which now stands at 506. The victory also capped the school's 11th 20-win season and the first for head coach Bobby Champagne. Two days later, a barrage of three-point baskets in the first 20 minutes set the stage for an 88-66 win over West Florida. UNA made nine three-point baskets in the first half had total control with a 47-26 lead at intermission. The Lions improved to 12-2 all-time against West Florida and, in sweeping this season's series, current Lion coach Bobby Champagne is 9-1 against the Argonauts. Fraise led four UNA players in double-figures with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Holt added 19 points, Beckwith 17 and Kenny Johnson 13. UNA has a two-game lead in the GSC race with just two games to play and the Lions are trying to earn their first GSC East Division title since 1995-96.
OUACHITA BAPTIST (16-7, 7-3)
The Ouachita Baptist men's basketball team had a roller coaster ride throughout the week by going 1-1. The Tigers began the week with a thrilling 68-64 road victory against Arkansas-Monticello, halting the Boll Weevils home winning streak at 10. But on Saturday night in a matchup of the top two Gulf South Conference West Division teams, Harding downed Ouachita Baptist, 69-58, snapping the Tigers' eight-game win streak. Against Arkansas-Monticello, Ed Keyes led the way with 18 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. Memo Rodriguez chipped in with 16 and Antonio Benjamin added 12. Against the Bisons, Jaranimo Marks came off the bench to score 13 points. Benjamin finished with 11 and Keyes pulled down 13 boards. The Tigers play host to Christian Brothers Thursday and travel to Southern Arkansas Saturday.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS (11-12, 2-8)
Southern Arkansas had a split week, winning 49-36 at home over Henderson State on Thursday, before dropping a 68-58 decision at Arkansas Tech on Saturday. The Muleriders' victory against the Reddies snapped a six-game losing streak. As low as the final score was, it was just 19-18 Southern Arkansas, at the half. HSU took the lead on the first bucket of the second half, but SAU regained control after that and never trailed again, leading by as much as 17 points before the final outcome. Channin Harden had a game-high 17 points to lead Southern Arkansas, and David Verwers finished with five rebounds. The Arkansas Tech contest was much closer than the final score indicates. Trailing by as much as 11 points in the first frame, the Muleriders narrowed it to a two-point margin, 33-31, at the break. SAU took the early second-half lead before the Wonder Boys moved ahead for a 52-45 advantage at 4:43. Harden then took over, scoring 10 of Southern Arkansas' final 13 points, including seven to tie it at 55-55 with 1:05 remaining. His free throw narrowed it to 57-56 with 23 ticks left, but free throws sealed it for ATU from thereon. Harden had a game-high 29 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Verwers grabbed a game-high 10 boards. The Muleriders (11-12, 2-8) travel to Delta State on Thursday before hosting Ouachita Baptist on Saturday.
VALDOSTA STATE (13-10, 5-4)
Ricky Coleman registered the ninth 20-point game of the season as he tallied 20 as the Blazers fell 94-82 at North Alabama. Though seeing very limited time, Artis Young has made the most of his time on the court as he has blocked three shots, dished out three assists and pulled down five rebounds in his five contests. Valdosta State has begun to heat up from the floor over the course of the last two weeks as the Blazers are shooting 51.1 percent in the last three games … The Blazers have hit 95-of-186 field goal attempts in that span and have raised their average from 43.9 percent to 44.8 percent in the process. Valdosta State has out-rebounded its last three opponents by an average of 42.3 per game to 29.3 per contest. VSU currently leads the Gulf South Conference in rebounding at 43.0 per contest and is also first in GSC only games at 43.8 per game.
WEST ALBAMA (9-15, 2-7)
The West Alabama men's basketball team picked up its second-straight Gulf South Conference road victory with a 67-66 win over West Georgia at the HPE Building on the UWG campus on Saturday. The win avenges a 13-point victory by the Wolves over the Tigers at Pruitt Hall on Jan. 14. UWA's bid to win its third-straight Gulf South Conference road win came up short as the Tigers fell to Alabama in Huntsville 72-64 on Monday night at UAH's Spragins Hall. UWA senior Chris Malone finished with 16 points. He connected on five treys in the first period. Freshman Demarcus King, who was playing just 34 minutes away from his hometown of Tanner, Ala., turned in 12 points off the bench for the Tigers in the opening half and finished with a game-high and season-best 19 points. As a team, UWA drained 13 three-pointers against UAH.
WEST FLORIDA (13-11, 3-7)
After two consecutive conference wins, the Argos ran into two very strong opponents. West Florida traveled to Flagler College, and dropped an 85-80 decision to the 19-5 Flagler team. The Argos had the lead for much of the game, but hot three point shooting in the second half for Flagler doomed West Florida. All five Argonaut starters scored in double digits, with Josh Jackson leading the way with 16 points. Kenny Holmes had an outstanding game with 12 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Then, on Monday night, the Argos traveled to Florence, Alabama to play the top team in the GSC. The Lions proved they are the best team by putting away West Florida early, and led at halftime 47-26 on the strength of 9 of 18 three pointers. David Maddux led West Florida with 12 points, while Charles Bouie added 11 points and three blocks in just 16 minutes.
WEST GEORGIA (14-10, 6-4)
The roller coaster was operating at full speed again last week for the West Georgia Wolves. Saturday, UWG fell in a 67-66 home stunner to West Alabama. Two nights later the Wolves overcame major injury problems to knock off Montevallo, 81-67. The victory over the Falcons clinched UWG a Gulf South Conference Tournament berth for the 13th consecutive year. Saturday, the Wolves jumped to an early 10-point lead over UWA. However, point guard Adam Stanger went down with a serious eye injury barely five minutes into the game. That, coupled with the absence of backup point guard Deion Sims, left the Wolves seriously shorthanded against the improved Tigers. Terrence Hundley played valiantly, scoring 24 to try to keep the Wolves in the game. Also, Paul Harper added 15 and pulled 12 rebounds. With Stanger still out, Sims returned to the lineup for the Montevallo game and performed iron man duties. The freshman played 39 minutes with four assists, only one turnover, and scored 11 in the win. Doug Daniels led the attack with 19, while Hundley scored 16 in only 15 minutes of play. He went down with a first half ankle injury, and came back to play but five minutes in the second half. UWG steps outside the league Saturday for a home game vs. Flagler. Tuesday, the Wolves travel to Florence to battle division leading North Alabama.
GSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
EAST DIVISION
North Alabama center Thomas Fraise (JR, 6-6, 300, New Orleans, LA).
Fraise collects his third award of the season, helping UNA clinch a berth in the GSC Tournament behind a pair of wins. The junior averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 25.0 minutes of action, while firing 56.7 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Fraise tipped off the week, netting a game-high tying 21 points in just 26 minutes of a 94-82 home win over Valdosta State. Next, the New Orleans, LA native posted his sixth double-double of the season, scoring a game-best 21 points and grabbing 13 boards in 24 minutes of an 88-66 victory over West Florida.
WEST DIVISION
Harding forward Matt Hall (SR, 6-6, 225, DeQueen, AR).
Hall earns his fifth accolade of the season, helping HU take over first place in the West Division via a pair of key triumphs last week. The senior averaged 25.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the foul line.
Hall started the week on a high note, scoring at least 30 points in a game for the fourth time this season. The DeQueen, AR native led all players in a 90-64 win over Delta State, netting 30 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 11-of-12 from the four line. He capped the week, leading the Bisons to first-place in the West Division, scoring a game-high 20 points and adding a team-high seven rebounds in a 69-58 win at Ouachita Baptist.
| Downloadable Files |
| Complete PDF Release |
