HOPKINS TOOK ON APPLE VALLEY IN A HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Apple Valley High School was a buzz on Tuesday December 18, 2012 as the boys' basketball team took on Hopkins High School in a big non-conference game. The gym was packed before the game started. Both teams brought a ton of students as both student sections were full.

Hopkins came into the game with a record of 4-1. Apple Valley came into the game with a record of 2-1.

Both teams looked to push the ball down the down the floor at the start. They each wanted to set the tempo early in the contest.

Hopkins looked to get the ball into the hands of Kamali Jahir Chambers. Chambers did a good job of getting his team involved in the offense.

Both teams shot a lot of three-point shots. They were able to get them to drop. Hopkins Jamal Dale Davis was not afraid to shoot the ball. His teammates were able to get him the ball in spots inside the three-point line where he was able to hit a mid-range jumper.

Apple Valley looked to score baskets in transition. Apple Valleys Robert Jones and Hopkins' Kamali Chambers guarded each other closely throughout the first half.

Tyus Robert Jones seemed to roll his ankle with 13:46 left in the first half but he stayed in the game.

Hopkins Amir Coffey did a good job of running the Hopkins offense. He knew where his teammates were supposed to be and he directed his teammates on the floor.

Apple Valley called a timeout with 12:25 left in the first half. The score was Hopkins 15 and Apple Valley 7.

Apple Valley switched between man-to-man and zone defense. They were able to to confuse Hopkins.

Hopkins used mostly a man-to-man defense. They looked to force Apple Valley to hit long shots.

Hopkins was able to make some good fast break lay-ups.

Hopkins called a timeout with 8:28 left in the first half. The score was Hopkins 25 and Apple Valley 13.

Apple Valley's Dustin Fronk continued to keep hitting three-point shots and that kept his team in the game.

Hopkins continued to switch between zone and man-to-man defense. That as affective in the first half because it really slowed down the Apple Valley offense.

With Tyus Robert Jones out of the game because of a back spasms in the first half. The Apple Valley offense sputtered along. They had a tough time hitting shots that they put up.

At halftime the score was Hopkins 42 and Apple Valley 33.

Hopkins got the ball to start the second half. They continued to attack the basket and looked to create their shots.

Apple Valley continued to shoot the ball and they looked to chip into the lead midway through the second half.

Both teams went into a scoring slump in the second half. Neither team could hit shots for a period of time in the second half.

Apple Valley strung some baskets together midway through the second half.

Hopkins tried to play keep away as they swung the the ball around the three-point line as they looked to burn time off the clock.

Dustin Fronk kept his team in the game as he was able to come up and nail some three-point shots.

The game was close throughout the second half. The game was tied at 54 each with 5:18 left in regulation.

The score went back and forth late in the contest. Neither team gave up any easy baskets.

Apple Valley called a timeout with 2:06 left in regulation. The score was Apple Valley 59 and Hopkins 56.

I thought that both teams played very well. Apple Valley was able to play well with out their top player in Tyus Robert Jones. Dennis Austin and Dustin Fronk stepped up big for their teams.

In a fun fast paced game. Apple Valley came away with the 71-64 victory over Hopkins.

The leading scorers for Hopkins were Jamal Davis with 17 points, Jacob Wright with 14 points and Kamali Chambers wit 12 points. Over all Hopkins shot 21-65 from the field that included going 8-35 from behind the three-point line. Hopkins was 14-17 from the free throw line. They brought down a total of 39 rebounds 22 of them on the defensive end.

The leading scorers for Apple Valley were Dustin Fronk with 27 points, Dennis Austin with 18 points, and Harry Somie with 15 points.

University of Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith was on hand watching the game.

I was joined by Aaron Edwards of Metro Youth Sports Media. Check out his thoughts of the Hopkins vs. Apple Valley boys' basketball game. 

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

By  Jason Gonzalez: Minneapolis Star Tribune:

"A sign on the locker room doors at Bloomington Jefferson jumped out at Tom Dasovich. Big, bold, underlined words, in all capital letters, some of them underlined for emphasis:

"Treat every conversation you have on TWITTER or FACEBOOK as if it were a NATIONALLY TELEVISED PRESS CONFERENCE."

The Minnetonka boys' basketball coach spotted the note during his team's recent visit and snapped a picture on his phone. Then he posted it on Twitter with the message "Players take note." Nearly half of his 173 followers retweeted or favorited the message.

Such warnings have become a staple of high school team meetings and huddles at practice, joining longstanding warnings about alcohol and drug use.

With teenagers communicating, venting and celebrating with the lightning speed of social media, coaches and athletic directors are scrambling to cope with and limit negative effects of controversial tweets, posts or photographs. Fears of defamation, suspensions, forfeitures and team chemistry issues have led some coaches and administrators to fight the use of Twitter and Facebook by their athletes.

Others, such as Dasovich, are embracing the reality that teenage athletes will find ways to keep their social status up to date.

He manages two Twitter accounts and encourages his players to use them to follow team news and events. He also monitors or trolls through his players' tweets, on the lookout for anything that could taint the Minnetonka name.

"I thought about getting one of those teachable moments out of it," Dasovich said of posting the locker room door message. "Helping kids navigate that world, I think, is important. [Proper use of social media] is a big issue with schools and teams."

Huddle talk: Be smart online

DeLaSalle football coach Sean McMenomy's phone erupted the afternoon former Gophers wide receiver and DeLaSalle alum A.J. Barker posted his denunciation of Gophers coach Jerry Kill and the football program on the Internet. Though he didn't coach Barker, McMenomy still felt the effects of something he classified as an example of how far such statements can reach.

Daily reminders are now a part of McMenomy's battle against ill-advised social media use. The post-practice and postgame speech message to "avoid parties, drugs, alcohol" now includes "be mindful of what you're putting on the Internet."

"With what happened in recent months and last year, you worry about it," McMenomy said.

This past season a Breck football player began a Facebook quarrel with someone at DeLaSalle that led to his suspension and required an in-person apology to the downtown Minneapolis school.

"We are always trying to keep ahead of the game," McMenomy said. "A kid can put whatever the heck they want out there. We gotta figure out what we can do to protect ourselves, and that's educate kids and stay on kids."

Curtailing chatter in Edina

Edina boys' hockey coach Curt Giles made Barker's rant required reading for his team and asked his players to steer clear of such potential social media distractions.

Junior defenseman Tyler Nanne said he took the message to heart. The avid Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat user said he has sacrificed a lot of his social media freedoms.

Nanne and senior defenseman Matt Nelson agreed it's tough to operate under such limiting guidelines, but the consequences of misuse are much worse if left in the hands of their 1,000-plus Twitter followers.

"It can destroy a team and a program," Nelson said. "The guidelines are to protect ourselves and the program as a whole."

Nelson, who has committed to play hockey at Princeton, already has received social media guidelines from his future college. Many major colleges have taken similar measures. The University of Michigan recently formalized social media practices for all athletes and required each to sign an agreement. Associate athletic director David Ablauf called it a "reactionary" response to a growing problem.

Edina girls' hockey players Casey McGarvey and Shelby Anderson said they've learned you can't take back an ill- advised message once you've hit send. And Lakeville North girls' volleyball player Alyssa Goehner considers her 1,062 followers a serious responsibility.

"Sometimes kids send out things and they don't understand the end result, how far it reaches," said Giles, who requires his players to put all their phones in a box prior to games. "[Kids] are going to use it. You always see them on their phones, on Facebook, in Twitterland. We just have to make sure they understand how to use it."

Coach learning curve, too

Understanding the proper use of social media also can be a challenge for coaches and athletic directors. For some, it's overwhelming to even try.

While Bloomington Jefferson girls' basketball coach Andy Meinhardt is well-schooled on social media and took the initiative to post the warning sign on the school's locker room doors, boys' basketball coach Jeff Evens admits to knowing little about the social media world.

Former Southwest football John Biezuns embraced the new world by connecting with colleagues and players. In November, he suddenly resigned for personal reasons amid speculation of misusing social media. 

He recently said he could not speak on the matter, but acknowledged he has learned a lot from his social media use and called its integration with sports "probably not a good thing."

"Coaches need to be aware of anything social media and as a coach, you have to be careful what you say," Biezuns said. "Anything that gets written down, e-mailed or texted can come back to haunt you."

Bloomington Jefferson athletic director Brian Fell will implement a version of the University of Michigan's new social media guidelines for next year's Jaguars athletes.

Minnetonka boys' basketball captain Riley Dearring is convinced the Skippers' approach is best.

"We all try to look out for each other. If we feel there is something that should not be put out there, we let each other know," Dearring said. "I think it's a good way for players to connect with other players. It's a good way to get information out."

ST. CROIX LUTHERAN TOOK ON HERITAGE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN A BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAME

St. Croix Lutheran and Heritage Christian Academy squared off in a high school boys' basketball game. St. Croix Lutheran High School came into the game with a record of 3-1. Heritage Christian Academy had a record of 5-0 going into the game.

During the warmups both of these teams looked relaxed and ready to play.

St. Croix moved the ball around the three-point line as they were able to take time off the clock and slow down the pace of the game. St. Croix started the game in a zone defense. They didn't want Heritage to get any wide open looks at the basket.

St. Croix was able to get the ball into the hands of Cody Sticha. Sticha was all over the floor. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball in spots were they knew he could hit his shots.

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Heritage didn't get down on themselves when they were not able to hit a shot for a period of time in the first half. They just kept on shooting the ball.

St. Croix Lutheran called a timeout with 6:34 left in the first half. The score was St. Croix Lutheran 27 and Heritage 25.

Heritage did a good job of bringing the ball down the floor and making fast break baskets. They were also able to take the ball to the rack and make lay-ups.

The score went back and forth late in the first half. Neither team gave up any uncontested shots.

Heritage went on a run late in the first half. They were able to get the lead late in the half.

In a fast action packed first half the score at halftime was Heritage 40 and St. Croix Lutheran 37.

As the second half got underway both teams came out firing on all cylinders. St. Croix Lutheran continued to look to get the ball into the hands of Cody Sticha. If Sticha didn't think that he had a good shot he would pass the ball to his teammate for him to try to make a basket.

St. Croix started the second half in a zone defense. They didn't press in the zone but they started it at half court. Heritage did a good job of advancing the ball down the floor.

Brad Basco brought the ball down the floor for Heritage. He would shout out plays and tell his teammates were they should be on offense. Basco did a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense.

Heritage called a timeout with 13:11 left in regulation. The score was Heritage 48 and St. Croix Lutheran 46.

Heritage continued to push the ball down the floor as they were able to hit lay-ups in transition.

The score went back and forth throughout the second half. I thought that both teams were evenly matched and both played very well throughout the contest.

Heritage called a timeout with 9:45 left in regulation. The score was Heritage 50 and St. Croix 48.

The score went back and forth late in the contest. Neither team was going to let the other make easy baskets.

Christian Pieper made some nice jump shots for Heritage. He mostly hit his shots from within the three-point line.

Spencer Bland came to life late in the ball game. He was able to drain a few baskets to keep his team involved in the offense.

Both teams dove on the floor after loose balls and they each battled it out on the boards going after rebounds.

Zach Weld came up with some nice long three-point shots to keep his team in the game. Heritage was able to hang onto the lead late in the game. St. Croix Lutheran did try to make a comeback but they were unable to do that.

St. Croix Lutheran called a timeout with 1:43 left in regulation. The score was Heritage 66 and St. Croix Lutheran 63.

The game came down to the wire. Heritage came away with the 67-63 victory over St. Croix Lutheran.

The leading scorers for Heritage were Spenser Bland and Zach Weld both with 16 points each.

The leading scorer for St. Croix Lutheran was Cody Sticha with 18 points. Aage Rovney hit a few three-point shots and ended with 12 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts of the St. Croix Lutheran and Heritage Christian Academy boys' basketball game. I was also joined by Doug Erlien from KMSP FOX CH9. Check out his web cast of the event on Ihigh.com

ST. THOMAS ACADEMY TOOK ON ACADEMY OF HOLY ANGELS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Cadets of St. Thomas Academy High School went up against the Stars of Holy Angels in a boys' non-conference basketball game. St. Thomas came into the game with a record of 0-2 while Holy Angels had a record of 3-2.

Holy Angels started out the game in a man-to-man defense. They wanted to make it hard for St. Thomas to make shots.

Holy Angels started to work the ball around the three point line as they looked for their shots.

St. Thomas called a timeout with 15:12 left in the score was Holy Angels 7 and St. Thomas 0.

St. Thomas got hot midway through the first half. They were able to cut the deficit to 4 at 10-14 with 9:12 left in the first half.

Holy Angels kept on attacking the basket. They didn’t want to give up any easy shots.

St. Thomas called a timeout with 7:18 left in the first half the score was Holy Angles 16 and St. Thomas 12.

St. Thomas kept on attacking the basket late in the first half.

In a very slow style of play in the first half. Holy Angels had a lead of 27-25 at halftime.

As the second half got underway both teams came out fired up. St. Thomas looked focused on the task at hand.

Jalen Patterson for St. Thomas was all over the floor. He was able to get to the basket and find his shot. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball.

Nick Griffin for St. Thomas came up with some nice shots and was able to keep his teammates involved in the offense. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball where he was able to get his shots to fall. Griffin was able to make his fair share of lay-ups and jump shots.

Holy Angels called a timeout with 16:18 left in regulation. The score was Holy Angels 31 and St. Thomas 27.

Jordan Dembley was all over the floor for Holy Angels. He was able to get his teammates involved in the offense.

Holy Angels stayed in a zone defense for most of the second half.

St. Thomas was able to cut the deficit and get with in a point with 11:15 left in the contest. 35-34.

The score went back and forth midway through the second half.

St. Thomas called a timeout with 10:15 left in the game. The score was Holy Angels 40 and St. Thomas 37.

The game went back and forth for a period of time late in the contest. Neither team gave up easy baskets throughout the game.

The St. Thomas players didn't give up. They didn't quit. They were down for most of the game they fought hard and battled through out the game .

St. Thomas's Jalen Patterson tied the game at 30 with 1.3 seconds left in regulation.

At the end of regulation the score was tied at 51.

As the over time period got underway Both teams looked for their shots as they looked to take time off the clock.

At the end of the end of the first over time the score was tied at 53.

Jalen Patterson found the basket for St. Thomas early in the second over time period. The score went back and forth as both teams looked for shots that they could make.

At the end of the end of the second over time the score was tied at 56.

As the triple overtime period started St. Thomas looked to control the tempo. Both teams were able to score early on lay-ups.

Holy Angels called a timeout with 20.8 seconds left in triple overtime. The score was tied at 62.

Charlie Koontz for Holy Angels came up with the game winning shot late in the triple over time. Holy Angels came away with the 64-62 victory over St. Thomas Academy.

The leading scores for St. Thomas Academy were Nick Griffin with 19, Jalen Patterson with 16, Mitch Newburg 8 and John Henry Neuberger 6.

The leading scorers for Holy Angels were Charlie Koontz with 16, Delshon Stickland with 15, Jordan Dembley 14 and Danny Sullivan with 8 points.

I thought that both teams played well. The game was close throughout. Neither team gave up and it came down to the triple overtime. Both of these teams will get better as the season goes on.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts of the Holy Angels vs St. Thomas Academy game. 

Gophers Take Three WCHA Points From Tigers, Tie 4-4 in Overtime

By Brian Deutsch:

 

"COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 4/5 Minnesota men’s hockey took three of four conference points this weekend from Colorado College after skating to a 4-4 overtime tie with the Tigers on Saturday night. Seth Ambroz tallied a goal and an assist while both Travis Boyd and Nate Schmidt notched two assists each in the tie.

Minnesota (11-3-3 overall, 6-3-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) dominated the first period with three goals in the opening stanza. Colorado Springs native Tom Serratore opened the night with his second goal of the weekend just 4:39 into the game before Erik Haula deflected in a shot from Kyle Rau 34 seconds later at 5:13 for a power-play goal to make it a two-goal game. Minnesota would end the night 1-for-6 while on the advantage. Ambroz added his fourth goal of the year at 14:32 of the first. Schmidt would assist on the final two goals of the period – giving the junior a helper in six-straight games.

After Rylan Schwartz put the Tigers (8-8-2, 5-4-1) on the board at 8:30 of the second period, Mike Reilly would reclaim a three-goal lead for the Gophers with his second goal of the year at 15:41 with Boyd’s second assist of the night.

However, the lead would not last as the Tigers swung momentum in their favor with a pair of quick goals early in the third from Alex Krushelnyski before Schwartz found the net for the second time on Saturday with 24 seconds left in regulation for the equalizer with the Colorado College net empty.

Neither team would break the tie in overtime as the game would end in a 4-4 tie.

Adam Wilcox made 23 saves in net for Minnesota to move to 10-2-3 in his rookie season while Josh Thorimbert made 25 saves to move to 4-4-1 on the year. The Minnesota penalty kill went 3-for-4 on the night while the Gophers’ held the shot advantage at 29-27.

Minnesota returns to action later this month with the Mariucci Classic on Dec. 29-30. This year’s tournament opens with defending national champion Boston College taking on Alabama in Huntsville on Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. The Gophers will follow against Air Force at 7 p.m. Air Force and UAH face off at 4 p.m. on Dec. 30 followed by a rematch of last year’s Frozen Four semifinal between Boston College and Minnesota at 7 p.m."

 

Area Boys Hockey: Greenway rallies, nips Northern Lakes | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota

By: brainerddispatch.com

COLERAINE — The Northern Lakes Lightning let a 5-1 lead slip away as Greenway scored five unanswered goals to pin a 6-5 loss on the Lightning in a non-conference game Thursday.

Northern Lakes built a 3-0 lead after the first period on two goals from Ben Moe and one from Gaven Bickford.

Aspen Florey and Kyle Narveson scored in the second period for the Lightning.

Bazil Zuehlke’s goal at 3:40 of the third period finished the comeback for the Green Wave.

Greenway 0 4 2 — 6

Northern Lakes 3 2 0 — 5

First period: NL-Ben Moe 2:52; NL-Gavin Bickford 4:33; NL-Moe 10:49

Second period: G-Bazil Zuehlke 8:56; NL-Aspen Florey 9:56; NL-Kyle Narveson 10:48; G-Zuehlke 13:14; G-Alex Trounbly (Zuehlke) 13:14; G- Zach Childs 16:55

Third period: G-Jayden Gangl 1:49, Zuehlke 3:40.

Shots on goal: NL , G

Goalies: NL-Oliver Erholtz; G-Sam LaDoux, Mike LaDoux

Overall: NL 1-3. Next: Northern Lakes at Kittson Central 3 p.m. Saturday.

■ Wadena-Deer Creek , Litchfield/D-C

WADENA — The Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons edged the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines 4-3 in a non-conference game Thursday.

Overall: WDC 1-3. Next: Wadena-Deer Creek at Willmar 1 p.m. Saturday

Area Boys Hockey: Greenway rallies, nips Northern Lakes | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota

Boys Basketball: Blong, Brainerd battle to win over Bison | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota

 By Jeremy Millsop Sports Writer:

"For Jacob Blong, Thursday night almost made up for all last year.

The Brainerd Warriors’ senior center suffered through injury and sickness to miss most of his junior season. If Thursday is any indication, Blong will have a successful senior campaign.

Blong led the Warriors with 18 points, five coming in the overtime frame, to help the Warriors to a 62-56 season-opening victory over Section 8-4A opponent Buffalo at Brainerd High School. Blong scored the first three points of the extra frame to give Brainerd the momentum.

“I just stepped up I guess,” said Blong. “We knew they were a big team — bigger than us probably. We knew that we weren’t going to dribble that much so we held out on them and stopped their penetration and won the game.”

After Blong’s eruption, Marcus Comstock and Jack Sauer scored eight consecutive points to put the game out of reach. Comstock spent most of the game getting pushed to the floor, but still managed 13 points. Sauer tallied 14 points and Ian Haug scored 13 for the Warriors.

“Marcus has a banged up knee and Jacob’s shin is bothering him so we’ll ice them down and really take it easy in practice Friday, but those two were warriors tonight,” said Brainerd head coach Scott Stanfield.

“We had to defensive rebound and I think we did a really good of that late and into the overtime. They only got one look. We boarded it and then they had to foul us and you know what, that probably was the game. Rebounding was a key.”

A Haug 3-pointer at 2:37 was key during regulation as it tied the game 47-47. He then tied it again with 1:48 left with a free throw to send the game into overtime. Brainerd held a 26-20 halftime lead, but shot just 50 percent from the line and was forced into nine turnovers. That helped Buffalo tie the score with 10:57 in the second half. The Bison then built a 45-42 lead and maintained it until Haug’s 3.

“They’re a really well-coached team and I love playing against Buffalo,” said Stanfield. “This is a good measuring stick this early. We were a little revved up to begin with and I don’t know if we ever really settled down, but that was the style of game it was.

“It’s just fun coaching against them. I think (Buffalo head coach Nick Guida) is one of the best coaches in the state. He’s proven that over the years.”

The Warriors went to the free throw line 17 times in the first half and made 11. Blong scored 10 of his points in the opening frame and Sauer tallied eight for Brainerd’s six-point halftime edge.

“It was great for the team, it was fun getting out there finally again, but we all played really hard out there and we ended up winning it at the end,” said Blong. “They’re a really good team and we knew it was going to be a challenge the whole time. Beating these guys is going to be a great momentum builder going forward.”

Brainerd’s defense held Buffalo to 31-percent shooting in the opening frame and the Bison reached the free throw line just twice. Brainerd’s defense was the key, said Stanfield. It held Buffalo, which had already played two games, to 34 percent shooting from the field and 4-of-19 from 3-point.

“Shooting is not going to be there every night and when it isn’t you have to find something else that you can get a win on and tonight it was our rebounding and defensive effort,” Stanfield said. “It was just fantastic. Our kids hustled and never gave up.

“When we got into overtime I felt really comfortable that we were going to take it.”

Buffalo 20 28 8 — 56

Brainerd 26 22 14 — 62

Boys Basketball: Blong, Brainerd battle to win over Bison | BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota

Basketball tournaments formats, locations modified for 2014 and beyond

Basketball tournaments formats, locations modified for 2014 and beyond

Beginning in 2014 and for three years, the boys’ basketball tournament will be played one week before the girls’ basketball tournament, and the girls will play a Tuesday through Saturday schedule. During those same years the boys will play a familiar Wednesday through Saturday schedule.

 

In addition to the flip-flop of weeks, the use of Mariucci Arena for both tournaments will come into play. In 2017 and 2018 the formats will revert to the traditional schedule of playing the girls’ tournament first and then the boys’ tournament.

 

The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors approved the modifications to the tournaments at its meeting today. The modifications became necessary when Target Center entered into an agreement to host a new collegiate hockey conference tournament during the traditional week of the boys’ basketball tournament. Target Center has served as the primary host for the boys’ tournaments since 2003 and for the girls’ tournament since 2004.

 

Beginning in 2014, Target Center will host the Division I National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament through 2018. The dates of that tournament fall in either the second or third full week of March.

 

An additional complicating factor involved the availability of Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota which has served as host of 10 quarterfinal games on Wednesday and Thursday for both tournaments since the semifinals and championship games have been played at Target Center. University officials have elected to reserve some dates at Williams Arena in future years to potentially host early-round games in either the NCAA or NIT tournaments for its women’s and men’s basketball teams.

The Board accepted the favored staff recommendation of switching the order of the two basketball tournaments for three years (2014-16) and then reverting to the traditional girls first-boys second format for the following two years (2017-18). The decision also allows eight teams from four classes to come to Minneapolis for the tournaments, the option preferred by both the Board and coaches associations over playing quarterfinal games at various Minnesota sites and then bringing only four teams in each class to Minneapolis for semifinals and championships.

 

From 2014 through 2016, the proposal accepted by the Board will allow the boys to utilize both Williams Arena and Target Center Wednesday through Saturday. The following week, when the new collegiate hockey tournament will be played at Target Center, the girls will primarily utilize Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota. Target Center will be utilized for some quarterfinal games on Tuesday of that week.

 

For 2017 and 2018, the girls’ tournament will be played first, using the same venues and schedule during the week that Target Center hosts the hockey tournament. The boys’ tournament will be played Wednesday through Saturday the following week.

 

Contractual arrangements with the venues must still be worked out, and staff will need to complete the details of which classes will play when and where.

“This solution is not ideal, but it is the least complicated to implement and meets the preference of the Board and the basketball coaches associations to maintain an eight-team Twin Cities tournament for all classes,” explained Associate Director Kevin Merkle who oversees boys’ basketball.

“We worked diligently with officials at both Target Center and the university to secure dates, then developed and shared various scenarios with a core group of coaches, region secretaries and athletic directors,” added Associate Director Lisa Lissimore who oversees girls’ basketball.

“League staff spent weeks working on this issue and presented the Board with two options,” said executive Director Dave Stead. “The other option was to combine genders and play the tournaments over that same two-week period, but that would have still necessitated the requirement of using Tuesdays and Mariucci Arena.”

DINUNNO’S LAST SECOND SHOT LIFTS COLONELS TO 7-0

By Kevin Britton, Assistant Director of Athletic Public Relations:

" Mike DiNunno’s lay-up with 2.3 seconds left completed a comeback from 10 points down with 6:38 left in the game as Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team beat Western Carolina 72-70 on Saturday at McBrayer Arena.

                       

The last-second win keeps the Colonels undefeated at 7-0.  EKU is off to its best start in 66 years.  The 1946-47 squad began the season with 11 straight wins.

A tip-in by James Sinclair put the Catamounts (3-5) in front 62-52 with only six and a half minutes left in the game.  Eastern closed the gap to four on four occasions but couldn’t get any closer until Corey Walden’s lay-up made it 68-66 with 2:06 left to play.  Over the next minute, Western Carolina took advantage of three offensive rebounds to put up three shots, including two three-pointers, in an attempt to build on its lead. 

After the final offensive board, Walden knocked the ball loose, Jeff Johnson picked it up near the free throw line and launched a pass down court to a streaking Glenn Cosey for the game tying lay-up with 1:15 showing on the clock.  The Catamounts had held the lead since the 11:49 mark of the first half.

Cosey’s jumper with 27 ticks remaining put the home squad in front by two.  Trey Sumler answered on the other end with a jumper to tie with 16 seconds to go.  DiNunno drove the length of the court and laid in the game winner.  Western did not get a shot off before the buzzer sounded.

Cosey led EKU with 15 points.  DiNunno finished with 14 points and seven assists.  Walden had 11 points and six rebounds.

Tawaski King led all players with 18 points for Western Carolina.  Sinclair finished with 10 points and eight boards.

Eastern shot 50 percent or better for the fifth time in seven games this season.  The Colonels knocked down 28-of-52 for a season-best 54 percent.  After making 6-of-11 attempts from three-point range in the first half, WCU made just 1-of-13 in the second.  The Catamounts shot 29 percent from deep.

The Colonels were out-rebounded by 10, but out-scored Western 42-26 in the paint.  As it has all season, EKU took advantage of the other team’s turnovers.  WCU committed only three more than Eastern, but were out-scored by seven points off turnovers.

After playing seven straight games at home to start the season, the Colonels will be on the road for the first time Tuesday at North Carolina Central University in Durham.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m."

SFA Moves To 5-0 With Win Over San Diego

By Ben Rikard, Assistant Director of Media Relations, Stephen F. Austin State University 

"Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1981-82 on Saturday, getting 18 points from Taylor Smith and 15 from Antonio Bostic in a 56-51 win over San Diego at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

SFA (5-0) managed to avenge a 66-61 loss a year ago to the Toreros (3-5) by forcing 20 San Diego turnovers and limiting leading scorer Johnny Dee to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting after averaging nearly 17 points per game entering Saturday evening.

The Jacks shot just 41 percent from the floor and did not out rebound its opponent for the first time in 15 games; however, they did allow just a pair of offensive rebounds to the Toreros and made the most of its opportunities, outscoring USD 10-1 in second-chance points and owning a 10-point advantage in points off of turnovers.

Smith had six rebounds and a pair of blocks to go along with his game-high 18 points, while Bostic did yeoman’s work all night defensively on Dee and had turned out a career-high five steals with his 15 points. Hal Bateman also had five assists and a steal, and Jacob Parker added seven points and three rebounds.

Point guard Chris Anderson led USD with 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes of work.

SFA fell behind for just the second time all season early in the first half when Anderson drained one of USD’s four three-point baskets on the night, putting the Toreros up 10-7 less than four minutes in to the game; however, SFA answered with consecutive buckets from Parker to spark an 8-2 run and did not fall behind again until a five straight points from John Sinis capped an 8-0 Torero run. That stretch lasted nearly seven minutes without SFA cracking the scoring column until Desmond Haymon connected on SFA’s first shot from beyond the arc on the night to knot things at 20-20.

From there the ‘Jacks clamped down defensively, holding USD to just four points in the final 3:48, and took the lead for good on consecutive buckets from Smith and Thomas Walkup who got his lone bucket of the night on a breakaway two-handed dunk to put the ‘Jacks up 25-22 with 2:39 to go in the period. USD did manage to cut the lead back to within a point, but SFA answered again with a bucket from Smith and a triple from Deshaunt Walker to give the ‘Jacks a six-point lead going into the break.

Neither team was able to mount much of a run in the second period, but the ‘Jacks never surrendered the advantage. SFA did much of its damage in the second period from the foul line, hitting 10 of its 16 freebies in the second period. USD got as close as one point on a pair of foul shots from Mike Davis with just under 11 minutes to play, but SFA immediately responded with four straight points of its own in less than a minute to push the lead quickly back to five.

From there the Toreros were not able to cut the SFA lead to less than three points until Anderson converted on a three-point play with 3:21 to go to narrow the lead to just 48-46. But SFA again answered, this time with a Bostic jumper on the ensuing possession and then milked the clock down before hitting four foul shots and another Bostic transition jumper in the final 90 seconds to hang on for the victory.

SFA will next put its perfect mark on the line on Wednesday when it travels to College Station to take on Texas A&M, looking for its first win over the Aggies since the 1970-71 season."

BIG FIRST HALF RUN SINKS UNLV WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IN 82-58 LOSS TO No. 23 DAYTON

 By Mark Wasik

 Lady Rebels to play Binghamton in ASU Classic consolation game Sunday

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) -" The UNLV women's basketball team played No. 23 Dayton even in the second half, but couldn't overcome a huge first-half ending run by the Flyers, dropping an 82-58 contest on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the ASU Classic at Wells Fargo Arena. UNLV (2-5) will now play in the consolation game on Sunday against Binghamton at 11 am (PST), while Dayton (8-0) moves to the championship game against Arizona State.

Thanks to five quick points from Kelli Thompson, UNLV took an early 7-2 lead. The Lady Rebels' last lead of the game was at 9-7 off another Thompson basket at the 14:56 mark. Dayton then scored seven straight to take the lead for good, going up 14-9 at the 13:15 mark. UNLV closed the edge to 18-17 off a Thompson trey, and following a Dayton three-pointer, Amie Callaway made one of two at the line to make it a 21-18 game with 8:35 on the clock.

UNLV would score just one point the rest of the half, missing its last 14 shots of the opening stanza. Dayton made the Lady Rebels pay for that scoring drought, as the Flyers went on a 21-1 run to burst out a 42-19 halftime edge. Dayton connected on nine of 12 shots in that stretch, and finished the half shooting 50% to 24.1% for UNLV.

The Lady Rebels came out determined to make a charge in the second half, and a 13-4 run in the first four minutes did just that. After being held scoreless in the first half, Danielle Miller scored five straight during the run, while back-to-back treys from Thompson and Amanda Anderson capped the run to bring UNLV within 46-32 at the 15:42 mark of the second half. Dayton countered back with an 11-0 run to go up by 25, 57-32. Again UNLV made a run, with seven straight points cutting the lead back down to 18 at 57-39 at 11:13, and the Flyers' edge remained between 15-23 points for the rest of the game until the final two minutes.

Thompson finished with a game and season-high 27 points to pace UNLV. Miller was the next highest scorer with nine points and nine rebounds, while Alana Cesarz added eight points, and Rmanii Haynes dished out seven assists. UNLV shot 35.1% (20-of-57) for the game, was 6-of-22 from three-point range for 27.3%, and made just 12-of-22 at the line for 54.5%. UNLV was out rebounded by a 51-35 margin, which led to a 16-4 edge on second chance points for Dayton.

Four finished in double figures for Dayton, with Samantha MacKay posting 18 points. Andrea Hoover added 14, Ally Malott 13 and Cassie Sant 12. The Flyers shot 47.1% (33-of-70) for the afternoon from the floor, were 7-of-22 from downtown for 31.8%, and made 9-of-18 at the charity stripe for 50%. "

Travis Records Double-Double in 73-64 Win Over Fordham

By: Tim Williamson, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications:

Jonah Travis had a double-double, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Harvard men’s basketball team defeated Fordham, 73-64, Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.

Wesley Saunders added a game-high 17 points, hitting 13-of-18 free throws, and Siyani Chambers scored 13 points for Harvard, which evens its record to 3-3 on the year. Agunwa Okolie also reached double figures in points, tallying 11 points, while pulling down seven boards. Branden Frazier led Fordham with 16 points, as the Rams slip to 1-6 this season.

The Crimson knocked down 40 percent of its 3-point attempts (6-of-15), and scored 20 points off Fordham turnovers.

Saunders scored Harvard’s first basket by driving the lane and drawing contact before hitting a layup and the ensuing free throw, tying the game, 3-3. Okolie, who made his first-career start, added a dunk moments later, giving the Crimson a 5-3 lead. After Fordham went up, 7-5, Saunders made another nice move in the lane, making a basket after being fouled, 8-7. With just over 14 minutes left in the first, Kenyatta Smith scored on a tip-in, giving the Crimson a 10-9 advantage.

The Rams went on a 10-0 run to go up by nine, 19-9, with 11:38 remaining, and then added to its lead with a dunk by Ryan Canty off a Fordham miss, making it 21-10. After Saunders hit two foul shots, Chambers made a pass under the hoop to Travis, who finished with a layup, pulling Harvard back within seven, 21-14. Christian Webster stepped up on Harvard’s next possession and nailed a 3-pointer from the corner, as Harvard extended its run to 7-0 and made it a 21-17 game with 9:23 left.

On the next trip down the floor, Travis hit another layup, and connected on a free throw after being fouled, as it became a one-point game, 21-20. Chambers headed to the charity stripe at the 8:24 mark, and made both, giving Harvard a 22-21 lead and extending the scoring run to 12-0. With 6:46 left, Travis drew contact yet again before hitting a layup, giving the Crimson a 24-23 advantage.  After Harvard went up 27-23 after making more foul shots, Travis grabbed an offensive board and put it back to give the Crimson a six-point lead, 29-23.

Laurent Rivard buried a triple off an assist by Chambers with just over three minutes to play, but Fordham answered with its own 3-pointer seconds later, 32-31. Harvard carried a 36-33 lead into the break, thanks to shooting 85.7 percent from the line (12-of-14) and a 20-6 edge in rebounds. Travis led all players with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.

In the second, Okolie made a layup on the break, as Harvard led, 38-35, and then Travis collected an offensive rebound for another basket in the paint, 40-35. With 15:02 left, Christian Webster dribbled the lane, and finished with a bucket, as Harvard went up by six, 43-37.

Fordham got into foul trouble early in the second half, as the Crimson grew its lead to 46-37 by the 13:02 mark. After the Rams went on a mini-run to cut Harvard’s advantage to 46-41, Chambered hit a 3-pointer, making it a 49-43 contest in favor of the Crimson. With less than eight minutes to play, Saunders sent a pass to Chambers, who banked a 3-pointer off the backboard, as Harvard continued to lead, 57-48.

Rivard hit another triple for the Crimson moments later, as Harvard widened its advantage to 10, 60-50.The Rams crawled back to within seven, 62-55, with 4:28 left, and then made it a four-point game, 63-59, with 3:18 to play. Chambers hit his third shot of the day from beyond the arc to stretch the lead back to seven, 66-59, and then Saunders was fouled after grabbing a miss off his own shot with 1:39 left. Saunders hit one foul shot, as Harvard led by eight, 67-59, with 1:39 to go.

With 33.1 ticks left, Okolie headed to the line with Harvard up by four, 67-63, and hit both, making it 69-63.  

The Crimson will head on the road for two games, beginning with a contest at Boston College Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. The game will be shown live on ESPN3.com. 

Mavericks Outlast Gophers in Series Opener

By Brian Deutsch:

"In a battle of six-game unbeaten streaks, the No. 3 Minnesota men’s hockey team came up short on Friday night, falling 3-2 to No. 13/14 Omaha 3-2 at Mariucci Arena in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener.

Minnesota (9-3-2 overall, 4-3-2 WCHA) entered the night unbeaten in its last six games, but the Mavericks would close out the month of November with a perfect 7-0-0 mark after rallying from a one-goal deficit after the first period. Friday’s loss marks the first time this season Minnesota has suffered a loss when leading after the first period (6-1-0).

Omaha (9-3-1, 5-1-1) struck first on Friday night when Dominic Zombo notched his fifth goal of the season at 4:17 with an assist from Josh Achibald. Archibald factored into all three Omaha goals on Friday night – adding a second assist on Jaycob Megna’s power-play goal at 11:51 of the second before tallying the game winner 4:43 into the third period. Ryan Walters earned assists on both of the Mavericks’ final two scores.

The Gophers appeared ready to break this young rivalries trend of road-team advantage (the visiting team has now won each of the six all-time meetings between Omaha and Minnesota) with a pair of goals in the first period. Zach Budish evened the game at 1-1 with his fourth of the season at 5:40 after being set up by Sam Warning and Erik Haula, and Christian Isackson snapped a 12-game goal drought dating back to the season opener on Oct. 12 with his second goal of the year at 15:12 of the opening stanza after being fed by Nick Bjugstad and Nate Schmidt. Warning’s assist came in the forward’s first game back since Oct. 20 – a nine-game stretch due to injury.

The first period lead didn’t last, however, as the Gophers put just 11 shots on goal in the game’s final 40 minutes after 10 shots in the first period. Friday’s loss marks just the second time this season that Minnesota was outshot (27-21) while the Gophers’ 21 shots were a season low.

Adam Wilcox (8-2-2) suffered his first loss since Nov. 3 on Friday night for the Gophers, making 24 saves. His Maverick counterpart – John Faulkner – remained unbeaten this season with 19 saves to move to 8-0-1.

Minnesota returns to action on Saturday with the series finale against the Mavericks. Game time at Mariucci Arena is set for 7 p.m."