HL exhibition results

[Willie]

Loyola Holds Off Robert Morris In Exhibition Contest
Nov. 1, 2008

CHICAGO - A stingy defensive effort helped Loyola University Chicago earn a 65-57 victory over Robert Morris College in an exhibition contest at the Gentile Center tonight. The first contest of any kind for either team this season featured a combined 44 turnovers, 23 of which were forced by the Rambler defense.

The teams played a back-and-forth affair in the opening 20 minutes, as neither squad led by more than five points. A pair of free throws by Loyola guard Justin Cerasoli helped snap a 25-25 tie and the Ramblers maintained a slim two-point edge at the intermission, 31-29.

Loyola seemed to get more in sync on offense as the game went on as the team improved its marksmanship to 43 percent accuracy from the field in the second period, while holding Robert Morris to 12 of 36 shooting (.333).

Reggie Bunch's tip-in with 15:17 remaining in the game gave the Eagles a 37-35 lead, but Loyola countered with a 10-3 run, capped by a J.R. Blount three-pointer, over the next five minutes to open up a 45-40 advantage.

Robert Morris closed to within a point, at 56-55, with 1:43 left to play, but the Ramblers stemmed the tide and scored nine unanswered points over the next 1:33 to open up a comfortable ten-point lead.

Blount scored a game-high 21 points and snagged seven rebounds to lead Loyola, while Cerasoli chipped in 14 points and Darrin Williams added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Loyola will open up its 2008-09 season on Nov. 14 when it hosts Rockhurst.

loyolaramblers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110108aaa.html

[Willie]

Green Bay Rolls in Exhibition Opener, 93-61
Nov. 1, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay basketball team used a 51-point first half to cruise to a 93-61 victory over Minnesota Duluth in exhibition action Saturday evening at the Resch Center. Green Bay connected on nearly 60 percent of its field goal attempts in the victory.

Junior transfer Chop Tang led a quartet of Phoenix double-figure scorers with 19 points in his first outing in green and white. He was 7-of-14 from the field to help head coach Tod Kowalczyk remain undefeated in 13 exhibition games all time.

Green Bay's offensive prowess came courtesy of a tough defense. The Phoenix forced 23 turnovers and turned them into 34 points. Green Bay led for all but two minutes in the contest and never trailed.

Tang's fellow bench mates added 40 points, as the Phoenix subs outscored the Bulldogs 55-15. The Phoenix also held an 18-0 lead in fast break points.

Sophomore Rahmon Fletcher (13), junior Troy Cotton (11) and senior Ryan Tillema (10) also reached double figures. Freshman Brent Eaton was 3-for-3 from 3-point range to finish with nine points.

Minnesota Duluth held a 34-30 rebounding edge on the night, but made went just 3-of-16 from behind the arc.

Green Bay completes its exhibition slate Sunday, Nov. 9 with a game against UW-Eau Claire.

uwgbathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110108aaa.html

[Willie]

Butler Cruises Past Marian, 61-31, In Exhibition Opener
Nov. 1, 2008

Sophomore Matt Howard scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Butler to a 61-31 victory over Marian in a men's basketball exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (Nov. 1). It was the first outside competition for the young Bulldogs, who are coming off a school-record season.

Howard, the lone returning starter from Butler's 30-4 club of a year ago, set the tone early with 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half. He scored the first four points of an 8-0 Butler run to start the game, and he helped the Bulldogs to a 16-point lead, 26-10, with four straight points late in the first half.

Butler led by 15 at halftime, 27-12, and Marian never trimmed the margin under double-figures in the final 20 minutes.

Second-year head coach Brad Stevens started one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen, and the young quintet struggled to find their collective shooting touch early in the game. Butler shot just 29% in the first half, but bounced back with 50% shooting in the final period.

"I wasn't concerned about our first half shooting," said Stevens. "There were some first night jitters, and Coach Grimes did a good job with their zone."

The Bulldogs didn't struggle at the defensive end, though Stevens said the defense will still get better.

"We probably didn't guard as well as the score would indicate," noted Stevens. "But we really tried to guard and technically we'll get better through the course of the year. I'm excited about this team's ability to defend."

Butler limited Marian to 17% shooting in the first half and 24% shooting for the game. The Knights hit just three of 15 attempts from beyond the three-point arc.

Stevens played all 14 players in the exhibition opener and ten cracked the scoring column. Freshman Shelvin Mack joined Howard in double-figures with 11 points, freshman Gordon Hayward had eight points and junior Willie Veasley added seven points and seven rebounds.

The Bulldogs will play their final exhibition contest against Oakland City on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

butlersports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110108aaa.html

[Willie]

Men's basketball: Terry Evans leaves UWGB's rout with shoulder injury
By Aaron Wallender
Press-Gazette correspondent
November 2, 2008

ASHWAUBENON — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball team may have suffered a huge loss before it even plays a meaningful game.

The Phoenix opened its season with a 93-61 exhibition win over Minnesota-Duluth at the Resch Center on Saturday night, but the result is secondary. Senior guard Terry Evans left the game with what appeared to be an injured right shoulder.

Evans, an all-Horizon League defensive player and jack-of-all-trades for the Phoenix last season, was injured going for a steal about 7½ minutes into the first half and didn't return.

There didn't appear to be much contact on the play, but Evans immediately grabbed his shoulder and went to the sideline as play continued before being helped to the locker room by a team trainer.

Evans didn't return to the game, but returned to the bench before the first half ended with his right arm in a sling and a large bag of ice wrapped around his shoulder.

The team and coach Tod Kowalczyk downplayed the severity of the injury and seemed optimistic about a fairly speedy return for Evans. But Kowalczyk admitted he wasn't sure how long Evans will be sidelined and said Evans will have an MRI today or Monday that will give a better idea of the injury's severity.

"All indications are he'll be out for a short period of time," Kowalczyk said. "What that is and how short is defined, I have no idea yet.

"Terry's as tough of a guy as I've ever coached, so if anybody can get back quickly, it's him."

The injury didn't slow UWGB against the overmatched Bulldogs, who never were a threat.

UWGB shot 61.3 percent (19-of-31) in the first half to open a 51-33 bulge at the break.

The Phoenix finished shooting 58.6 percent. That's a testament to the team's depth and versatility, said senior guard Ryan Tillema.

"We have a very well-rounded team this year. We have a lot of depth, so even though Terry went down and he is our defensive stopper we just picked up where he left off and made sure that we were doing our defensive principles and making sure to make it hard on the opposition," said Tillema, who finished with 10 points.

And while most of the significant contributors from last year's team are back for the Phoenix this season, Kowalczyk got a look at the newcomers who are expected to contribute — forward Chop Tang and guards Brent Eaton and Jesse Childs.

Other than a few ill-advised shots early in the shot clock, Tang was impressive on the offensive end with a game-high 19 points.

"He's a play-maker. He can score off the dribble, he can catch and shoot, but he can pass it as well," Kowalczyk said.

"We didn't get the ball in the post enough to him tonight but that's something we'll work on that in practice."

Tang wasn't shy about putting the ball up, attempting a team-high 14 shots. The Eastern Arizona Junior College transfer saw as many minutes as the starters and said he felt a high level of comfort with his new teammates.

"I've been comfortable since practice (started). We've been working since the summertime together so I've been really comfortable," Tang said.

Eaton finished with nine points and showed his range by hitting three straight 3-pointers in a span of 1:28 in the second half.

Childs didn't score in 16 minutes as he backed up Rahmon Fletcher at the point guard spot, but he had just one turnover and Kowalczyk said he was pleased with both players' performances.

Fletcher finished with 13 points and Troy Cotton added 11 for UWGB.

John Vaudreuil led the Bulldogs with 17 points and nine rebounds while Brian Sykora added 14 points.

www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081102/GPG020101/811020623/1229

[Willie]

Panthers Ride Defense, Second-Half Surge To Win Over Raiders
Nov. 5, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Ricky Franklin had 17 points and Anthony Hill added 12 as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee captured a 68-43 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering Wednesday night in an exhibition contest at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers limited the Raiders to just 27.9 percent shooting from the field while pulling away over the final 11 minutes.

Milwaukee was sluggish itself at times on offense, committing 17 turnovers. But the Panthers shot a solid 47.3 percent from the field and used 12 players in claiming the win.

The Panthers scored nine of the first 10 points of the game and led by as many 13 points in the first half, only to see the Raiders pull within five points with 14 minutes to play. But, Milwaukee used a 12-1 run to regain control and were never threatened after that.

Avery Smith and Tone Boyle added eight points for UWM, which also got seven points and five assists from Deonte Roberts.

"One of my biggest concerns became a reality," Jeter said. "Watching us work out, we've been a little careless with some of our decisions with the basketball. It's something I know will get better but the turnovers are something we want to limit."

UWM used a young starting five, with veteran Franklin and junior college transfer Tone Boyle joined by sophomores Hill and Roberts plus true freshman Tony Meier. The Panthers also used new faces Ryan Haggerty (true freshman) and James Eayrs (junior-college transfer) off the bench.

"It was a challenge for some of them, and I thought they responded fairly well," Jeter said. "When I get back and watch the tape I know there will be a few things we're going to work on. I was pleased with the effort of the younger players. I thought they did give an effort when they were out there."

Milwaukee will wrap up exhibition play Saturday night by hosting UW-Parkside. The game begins at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

uwmpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110508aaa.html

[Willie]

McCallum Victorious In Coaching Debut As Titans Crush Tiffin, 85-60
November 8, 2008

The Detroit Titans scored the game's first eight points and never looked back as first-year head coach Ray McCallum and UDM started the new season with an 85-60 exhibition victory over the Tiffin Dragons on Saturday at Calihan Hall.

Four Titans scored in double digits on the day, led by senior Chris Hayes' double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Juniors Eulis Stephens and Thomas Kennedy notched 18 points apiece, while junior Xavier Keeling added 12.

Detroit took command right from the start, hitting four of its first seven shots and forcing three turnovers in the first four minutes of play to take a quick 8-2 lead. Detroit later went on an 18-3 run to blow the game wide open. Stephens led the surge, scoring seven points, while Keeling added four points, two rebounds and a steal during the run. UDM would extend its lead throughout the half, taking a 28-point advantage, its largest of the first half, 43-15, with just two minutes left.

The Titans continued their strong play in the second half, opening a 30-point lead on three occasions.

UDM dominated the boards, outrebounding Tiffin, 39-29. UDM also created 25 turnovers and blocked 10 shots, including five by junior Jason Bennett.

The Titans will now get ready for their official season opener next Friday, Nov. 8, when the Titans head to West Lafayette, IN, for a showdown with the 10th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. The game will be streamed live on ESPN360, with tip-off slated for 9 p.m. (EST).

detroittitans.com/mbasketball.jsp?id=1226187534933

[Willie]

Butler Races Past Oakland City, 91-52, In Exhibition Contest
Nov. 8, 2008

Four players scored in double-figures and all 14 players cracked the scoring column to power Butler to a 91-52 victory over Oakland City in a men's basketball exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (Nov. 8). The game wrapped up the preseason schedule for the Bulldogs.

Freshman Shelvin Mack hit a pair of three-pointers and sophomore Matt Howard added a pair of free throws and a slam dunk to spark Butler to a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes of the game. The Bulldogs never looked back.

A 12-0 run, featuring three-pointers by Mack and freshman Gordon Hayward gave Butler a 22-3 lead less than six minutes into the contest, and the Bulldogs stretched the margin to 32 points, 40-8, on a three-pointer by sophomore Grant Leiendecker with 7:58 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs led by as many as 36 points late in the first half and took a 56-22 lead to the locker room at halftime. Butler shot 61% from the field in the first half, including 50% (8-16) from beyond the three-point arc.

"We came out of the gate well and played well in the first half," said Butler head coach Brad Stevens. "I thought it was a great lesson in the second half when things are going well for you, do you continue to do that. We probably didn't play as well as we needed to, but exhibition games are for learning and I feel we've progressed the way we're supposed to."

Oakland City scored the first six points of the second half to cut the margin to 28, 56-28, but the Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead back above 30, where it remained. Butler's biggest lead came on the final tally of the game, a conventional three-point play by junior Alex Anglin.

Mack led all scorers with 16 points, while sophomore Shawn Vanzant added 13. Howard and junior Avery Jukes each scored 12 points. Freshman Ronald Nored led all players with six assists, while sophomore Zach Hahn added five assists. The Bulldogs had 24 assists on 31 baskets.

Eight different Butler players combined on 15 three-point field goals in the game, led by Mack and Vanzant with four apiece.

Craig Parks led Oakland City with 15 points, while Brandon Hopf and Chris Sandifar each added 10.

The Bulldogs will begin the regular season at Drake on Nov. 15. That game in Des Moines, Iowa, is slated for 7 p.m. (CT, 8 p.m. in Indianapolis). Butler's first home game will be against Ball State on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.

butlersports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110808aaa.html

[Willie]

Hill Sparks Panthers Past Rangers
Nov. 8, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Anthony Hill scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a 75-59 win over UW-Parkside Saturday night in an exhibition contest at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

UWM used 16 different players and had just one player on the floor for more than 22 minutes. The Panthers built a double-digit lead early in the second half and then were never threatened.

Milwaukee also got 14 points from Avery Smith, 10 points from Tone Boyle and eight points and nine rebounds from Tony Meier.

D.J. Dantzler scored 17 points to lead the Rangers, who beat the Panthers in an exhibition game two seasons ago and lost by just three points to UWM last season.

UWM made a marked improvement from Wednesday's exhibition opener in a pair of statistical categories. The Panthers cut their turnovers from 17 to nine and went from a plus-seven to a plus-19 edge in rebounding, while also consistently getting the ball into the lane offensively.

"I thought tonight we addressed those issues well," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "I like the fact we were able to get the ball into the paint - our points in the paint were great - and the guys were being aggressive to the rim. So the two things that were a little bit of a concern in the last game we were able to turn into positives for this one."

The Panthers led by as many as eight points in the first half, building a 15-7 lead just eight minutes in before still leading 35-27 after a three-point by Boyle with 3:23 remaining.

Milwaukee pushed its lead to 10 on a Hill basket with just under 16 minutes to play in the game and went up 54-41 on a layin by Smith two minutes later. From there, UWM substituted liberally and moved to a perfect 2-0 in exhibition play.

UWM will now get ready to open the regular season next weekend at the World Vision Classsic in Ames, Iowa. The Panthers will face Loyola Marymount Friday, Cal Davis Saturday and Iowa State Sunday.

uwmpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110808aaa.html

[Willie]

Crusaders Roll to Win In Exhibition Action
11/08/08

Ahead by just two at the half, Valparaiso stormed out of the gate in the second half with a 23-4 run and rolled from there, finishing the night with an 85-63 victory over Elmhurst in an exhibition game at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

“This was a good game for us tonight,” said Crusader head coach Homer Drew. “We were able to play all of our guys and try some different combinations with all the new faces we have.”

The Division III Blue Jays hung around with the Crusaders in the first half and led on multiple occasions early on. With Elmhurst ahead 17-15 midway through the first half, Valpo went on an 11-2 spurt, started by a jumper from De’Andre Haskins (Long Beach, Calif./La Lumiere [Ind.] School), over a span of 3:35 to take a 26-19 lead. Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) and Logan Jones (Madison, Ind./Madison) each chipped in baskets during the run, which Haskins capped with a fast-break jumper followed by a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to give the Crusaders their largest lead of the opening stanza.

Elmhurst would not go away quietly, however, fighting back and again tying the score briefly at 31 with 2:46 to play in the first. A pair of free throws by Howard Little (Chicago, Ill./Stoneridge [Calif.] School) put the Crusaders ahead for good, but the Blue Jays’ Brent Ruch kept it a two-point game at the half at 38-36 with a layup on their final possession.

The start of the second half was a different story, though. Erik Buggs (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) recorded a steal on Elmhurst’s opening possession and started a fast-break which was finished by a layup from Michael Rogers (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption [N.Y.] Christian). Little quickly followed with an offensive rebound and layup on the Crusaders’ next possession as Valpo started to pull away.

After the teams traded a pair of points, Little got out ahead of everybody for a fast-break basket to extend the lead to eight. The Blue Jays missed their next shot and it was Buggs who came down with the rebound and found Igbavboa for the bucket on the break. A tip-in by Ruch slowed Valpo’s momentum and cut the lead back down to eight at 48-40 with 16:19, where it would remain for the next minute and a half.

Haskins broke the scoring drought in a big way, knocking down a trifecta with 14:39 to play to push Valpo’s advantage back into double figures. After a Blue Jay miss, it was again Haskins hitting the triple off a feed from Jake Diebler (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) to extend the lead to 14 points.

The next time down the floor, Diebler took his turn for a 3-pointer as Igbavboa found the senior open to make it a 17-point game with 12:47 to play. Benjamin Fumey (Bremen, Germany/Freie Hansestadt) and Little each added a pair of free throws, with Little’s capping the 21-4 run over the first 8:36 of the second half as Valpo went ahead 61-40. The Crusaders would never lead by less than 15 points the rest of the way.

“I thought we gave up too many first-half points, but that we did a much better job defensively in the second half,” said Drew. “Erik really set the tone with his defensive pressure, creating steals and opportunities for us to run up and down the floor. I really thought the turning point of the game was when De’Andre hit his back-to-back threes and then Jake hit a three of his own.”

Igbavboa paced three Crusaders in double figures with 18 points to go with a team-best seven rebounds. Haskins connected on all five of his shots from the field, three from behind the arc, for 15 points off the bench, while Fumey went 5-of-6 from the floor for 13 points. Buggs and Rogers tied for team-high honors with four steals apiece.

Ruch led all players with 19 points and nine rebounds for Elmhurst. Ryan Burks chipped in 17 points for the visiting Blue Jays.

Valparaiso kicks off regular season play next Saturday, November 15, at the ARC as the Crusaders host Marian College. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and all the action can be heard live on the Valpo Sports Radio Network (WVUR, 95.1 FM, Valparaiso; WAKE, 1500 AM, Valparaiso; WEFM, 95.9 FM, Michigan City; WWLO, 89.1 FM, Lowell) and online at www.valpoathletics.com. The official Crusader website will also have links for live video and statistics.

www.valpoathletics.com/news/mbb/110808_Elmhurst.php

[Willie]

Men's basketball: Phoenix cruises past Blugolds
By Bill Huber
November 10, 2008

ASHWAUBENON — Sporting a shiner below his left eye, junior forward Randy Berry was the only member of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's starting lineup on the floor to open Sunday night's exhibition against UW-Eau Claire.


Fortunately for the Phoenix, Troy Cotton brought his shooting eye to the men's exhibition basketball game against the Division III Blugolds at the Resch Center.

Behind an early 3-point barrage by the junior guard, UWGB beat UW-Eau Claire 92-61 to close its two-game preseason.

The Phoenix was without three starters: senior forward Terry Evans (shoulder), senior guard Ryan Tillema (knee) and sophomore point guard Rahmon Fletcher (flu). Another, senior forward Mike Schachtner, watched from the bench for the first 5-plus minutes.

The Phoenix rolled, nonetheless. Cotton, starting in place of Tillema, buried four 3-pointers in the first 7 minutes to put UWGB in control 23-5. His first tied the game 3-3, and he sank three in as many possessions to cap the huge opening flurry. The first of those 3s made it 17-5, then he dove for a loose ball to put the Phoenix in transition, where he sank a 3 from the wing. On the next position, he hit nothing but net from the corner.

As hot as Cotton was from the outside, Bryquis Perine was just as good running the offense. The sophomore guard, starting in place of Fletcher, had eight assists in the first half. He directed back-to-back fast breaks, setting up layups by Brent Eaton and Chop Tang, the latter of which was a three-point play that built the margin to 36-13.

"I thought Bry did a good job finding guys, and a lot of times, he found his Milwaukee buddy in Troy Cotton," coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "Troy's had a great offseason and has performed very well in the preseason."

The Phoenix led 46-17 at halftime, and it wasn't difficult to understand why. UWGB sank 7 of 15 3-pointers, sank 51.6 percent of its field-goal attempts (compared to 38.9 percent for the Blugolds), owned an 18-12 edge in rebounds (including 7-2 on the offensive end) and forced 15 turnovers that it converted into 20 points.

Cotton wound up with 23 points in 24 minutes, finishing 7-for-12 from 3-point range. Tang, who was overly aggressive in scoring a game-high 19 points in UWGB's 93-61 exhibition win over Minnesota-Duluth on Nov. 1, was assertive but more under control in scoring 19 points against the Blugolds. He added a game-high seven rebounds. Schachtner, second-team all-conference selection on the Horizon League's preseason team, chipped in 16 points.

"We've got seven guys who could be starters," Kowalczyk said. "Who those starters are could be different every game. I think sometimes when you bring a scorer like Mike off the bench, it brings a spark."

The lineup changes gave Kowalczyk an opportunity to give more players more playing time in UWGB's final tune-up before facing Utah in the regular-season opener at Utah on Nov. 18. Cotton, Tang, Perine and Eaton moved into the starting lineup, combining for 57 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists. Plus, point guard Jesse Childs and forward Pat Nelson played significant minutes.

About the only glaring weakness for UWGB was its free-throw shooting. The Phoenix shot just 25-for-42 from the line. Tang, with such a diverse offensive game, hit just 4-of-8 foul shots.

Guards Josh Prince (14 points) and Colin Boone (13) combined for 27 points for UWEC. Boone hit three 3-pointers in a span of just a couple of minutes midway through the second half.

www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081110/GPG020101/811100454/1229

[Willie]

Vikings Dismantle John Carroll, 81-33
11/10/2008

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Out to prove that the 21-13 record of a year ago was no fluke, the Cleveland State Vikings played their lone exhibition contest of the preseason, dismantling John Carroll, 81-33, on Monday night in the Wolstein Center.

Thirteen of the 14 Vikings who played scored, led by a 13-point effort from Norris Cole and 11 points off the bench from Eric Schiele. Maurice Haynes led John Carroll with nine points.

"I thought our first unit pressed a little bit offensively because they are trying to live up to expectations," CSU head coach Gary Waters said. "The played hard and did the job defensively, but missed out on some opportunities at the offensive end.

"I thought our second group really played hard and extended the lead, which was good to see. We are still in a position where we are trying to determine those last couple of spots in the rotation so it was nice to see some positive thing from that group.

"We are going to live and die by our defense and it showed tonight. We didn't give them too many good shots in the first half and we controlled the boards.

The Vikings did everything right defensively, limiting the Blue Streaks to just 12-for-57 shooting (.211), including a four-for-16 effort from three-point, out-rebounded JCU 52-27, forced 24 turnovers and made 15 steals.

Offensively, CSU shot .508 from the field (30-50), made five three-pointers and handed out assist on 20 of 30 baskets.

"When we play as a team, we are very hard to stop," Waters added.

The Blue Streaks opened the scoring on a basket inside by Tyler Kirsch just 32 seconds into the game to take a 2-0 lead.

The rest of the night belonged to the Vikings as CSU ran off eight straight points, including baskets by Brown and Bullock and a three-pointer from Cole, to take an 8-2 lead with 18:05 left.

A 15-2 spurt minutes later would turn a four-point game into a runaway as the Vikings interior defense limited the Blue Streaks .179 shooting (5-28) and gave CSU a 28-18 rebounding edge as CSU built a 33-14 halftime lead.

John Carroll would score the first two baskets of the second half but a 19-0 Viking burst midway through the second half took the game from a 22-point margin to 41.

With seniors filling five of the top seven slots in the lineup, it was the sophomore class of Cole, Schiele and D'Aundray Brown, that stood out on Monday.

Cole, who averaged in double figures in scoring over his final seven games as a freshman, picked right up where he left off, going five-for-10 from the field with four rebounds, five assists and pair of steals.

Schiele, who missed most of the 2007-08 season with a broken bone in his back, caught fire with 11 minutes left in the game, scoring all of his 11 points in a five minute stretch that saw CSU go from a 43-26 lead to a 60-29 advantage.

"We all know the Eric can shoot the ball, and it is runs like that that make it important that we determine what else he can do on the floor for us," Waters said.

Brown finished with nine points, on four-for-six shooting, with three rebounds and a pair of steals.

The senior duo of J'Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson, each of whom who were named to the preseason Horizon League first team, combined for just 11 points in the contest.

"We have great senior leadership on this team," Waters said.

Bullock scored just six points, but made up for it by grabbing nine rebounds, handing out two assists and blocking a pair of shots. In addition to five points, Jackson also made 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Vikings will now have five days to get ready for their regular season opener, hosting Oakland on Saturday, Nov. 15 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center.

csuvikings.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111008aab.html

[Willie]

Penguins rout Golden Tornadoes in final exhibition game
Published:Tuesday, November 11, 2008
By Pete Mollica

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State basketball coach Jerry Slocum said the Penguins still have a long way to go this season to become a good team. Don’t tell that to Geneva College.

The Penguins finished out their exhibition season Tuesday night by routing the outmanned Golden Tornadoes, 98-52, at Beeghly Center.

The Penguins will open regular season play Saturday night against Buffalo in a 7:05 contest at Beeghly.

www.vindy.com/news/2008/nov/11/youngstown-8212-youngstown-state-basketball/

[Willie]

Men's Basketball Defeats Aurora, 85-56, In Exhibition Action
Nov. 11, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- Sophomore forward Tori Boyd's double-double highlighted the UIC men's basketball team's 85-56 exhibition victory over Aurora at the new-look UIC Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Boyd was active on all fronts from the get-go, scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes of work.

Jovan Ignjatovic added 15 points and six boards, while Scott VanderMeer provided 10 points and five rebounds.

Newcomer Rob Eppinger had nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, to help spark a decisive 60-34 rebounding advantage for UIC.

It took some time for the hosts to get used to their remodeled Pavilion digs, which now features a giant video board in the arena's east end, a ribbon board and a refinished court.

Aurora took advantage of the Flames' slow start and came out firing in the first half, knocking down seven three-point field goals and shooting 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from downtown. Dusty Magee (22 points) netted six of the Spartan treys, helping the visitors jump out to an eight-point lead on two occasions.

But the Flames erased the early disadvantage with offensive patience and suffocating defense. Led by a second unit of Eppinger, Zavion Neely, Chris Buchanan, Kris Harris and Jeremy Buttell, UIC turned that eight-point deficit into a 10-point lead going into intermission. A Buchanan layup started a quick 10-0 spurt that eventually transformed into 23-5 UIC outburst to close the opening period.

UIC blew the game open in the middle of the second stanza, as a 9-0 run that was spurred by back-to-back buckets by Buchanan pushed the Flames' lead to 20. UIC would go up by as many as 31 before the night was over.

The Flames shot 55.3 percent (21-for-38) while holding the Spartans to just 9-for-40 shooting from the floor in the game's final 20 minutes.

"I thought that, as far as a learning experience, it was a good game," said UIC head coach Jimmy Collins. "Our guys responded well, especially the new guys when we put them in. They played with a lot of energy, and I thought they picked the rest of the guys up."

UIC opens the 2008-09 regular season against in-state rival Bradley this Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. inside the Braves' Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill.

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