We traveled to Sheridan, WY this past weekend for the 41st annual Lion's Club Classic. Besides the Jacks it included host Sheridan College, Region 9 powerhouse, Northwest College and our Mon-Dak brethren, Williston State College.
Even though we came thru with a split it was huge the way we did it. The boys showed some resolve and moxy all weekend. They battled thru adversity, runs, and being in a hostile environment.
On Friday evening it was the host school up first. This is a game where we had chances to steal one. In the first half our shooting was as icy as the roads, shooting 35% and being out scored 16-4 from the line. With those two stats you would think we would be down a few. However, we led 44-40 due to our extremely aggressive defense and high energy. We forced 17 first half turnovers and allowed only 1 total shot the first 3:00.
The 2nd half was back and forth for a good portion with neither side seeing more than an 8 point margin. With about 8 minutes to go we trailed 70-68, however it is a game of runs and the last run usually wins. Over about a minute and half stretch SC went for two lay ups and two threes to up the lead to 10. The Jacks kept fighting until the end, losing 102-92 and were given some high praises by not only this guy but also many General fans.
Game two saw the Jacks come out flat, going down 16-0 quickly and by as much as 22 (29-7) in the first half. However after a bit of clearing the air and looking to our bench for a spark we found a formula that worked. We started to speed up the game, and dirty it on the way to out scoring the Trappers 37-16 the rest of the half to pull to within 1, 45-44.
The 2nd half saw NWC lead most of it by 1 to 4 points. However the Jacks found a way to tie the game and to take a lead the last minute. After Joe Baker hit one of two from the stripe it was 94-92 with 4.5 seconds left. On the inbound the Northwest player went coast to coast getting fouled on the layup. He would air ball the first and miss the second on purpose without any drama to seal the win.
We are now 10-4 on the year, and picked up our biggest win the last two years over Northwest. I am proud of how this group responded to recent strife and came together as one unit for the weekend.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Jack's Race Past Lions
The
Dakota College men’s basketball team scored 68 points in the first half, en
route to a 19 point halftime lead and a 125-93 win over the gritty visitors
from Trinity Bible College on Tuesday evening.
A total of seven Jacks scored in double figures. In the first half a
17-3 run to end the half gave DCB some breathing room at halftime. The Jacks
were an outstanding 10-18 from three for the half and shot a season high 17
free-throws for one half. They also dominated the boards 39-19.
In the second half the teams traded baskets for the
first five to six minutes before another run, this time 20-3 pushed the lead to
beyond 20 points. DCB would cruise from this point on, settling on the 32 point
win.
As a team they shot 46% from the field, including
20-37 from three (54%), and hit on 19 of 30 freebies. The battle on the boards
was not close as the Lumberjacks exploded for 25 offensive boards on the way to
winning the battle 67-42.
Leading DCB in scoring was Philip Lee with 20
points, while also grabbing nine rebounds. Brian Egejuru added 19 points, as
well as six assists. Eric Elliott had a double-double from the bench with 16
points and 12 rebounds, Wesley Harrison also added a double-double with 12
points and 14 rebounds. JJ Morris and Joe Baker added 13 each, with Kenric
Twine rounding out the double digit scoring with 10. Malik Jones led the way in
assists with 9.
"I felt like we took a step forward in this game, our energy was high and the guys seemed to be having fun again playing. Hopefully it continues on this weekend."
Dakota College now heads to Sheridan, WY for a
Thanksgiving Classic, playing at 8 pm MST on Friday evening and 2 pm MST on
Saturday afternoon.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Surprising Split
This weekend we hosted the Cobblestone Classic including men's teams from DCB, Leech Lake, and from up north the University of Winnipeg and Red River College.
On Friday, we hosted Red River and jumped on them from the start, winning 138-59. We led 38-2 at the start and 71-17 at half on the way to the win. We played as a team the entire night, with all players 1-13 getting minutes and contributing. Overall for the game we shot 60% from the field and saw all guys who played score at least 3 points. We had an amazing 36 assists on 53 baskets, and forced 34 turnovers. We also dominated the boards 60-42. There were seven double digit scorers led by Brian Egejuru's 19.
Saturday was a different story and a different team. We hosted the University of Winnipeg and fell 90-84, despite jumping out early 32-14 and leading by 7 at the half. We didn't seem to have the same energy in this game or the same level of cohesiveness. Our assists were at 18, and did force 24 turnovers. However, those were the only bright spots. We were dominated rebounding wise 49-34, including giving up 12 offensive boards. As coach it falls to me to right this ship and find a way to get us back to Lumberjack Basketball which means playing together and for each other.
We are home on Tuesday when we host Trinity Bible College before heading to Wyoming for the Sheridan Thanksgiving Classic.
On Friday, we hosted Red River and jumped on them from the start, winning 138-59. We led 38-2 at the start and 71-17 at half on the way to the win. We played as a team the entire night, with all players 1-13 getting minutes and contributing. Overall for the game we shot 60% from the field and saw all guys who played score at least 3 points. We had an amazing 36 assists on 53 baskets, and forced 34 turnovers. We also dominated the boards 60-42. There were seven double digit scorers led by Brian Egejuru's 19.
Saturday was a different story and a different team. We hosted the University of Winnipeg and fell 90-84, despite jumping out early 32-14 and leading by 7 at the half. We didn't seem to have the same energy in this game or the same level of cohesiveness. Our assists were at 18, and did force 24 turnovers. However, those were the only bright spots. We were dominated rebounding wise 49-34, including giving up 12 offensive boards. As coach it falls to me to right this ship and find a way to get us back to Lumberjack Basketball which means playing together and for each other.
We are home on Tuesday when we host Trinity Bible College before heading to Wyoming for the Sheridan Thanksgiving Classic.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Triple Double, Defense Key 101-55 Win
The Jack's basketball team continued is defensive theme with a dominating performance at home vs the Cobbers of Concordia College in a 101-55 win on Monday evening. Malik Jones also had a first in many years for the Jack's with a triple-double.
We jumped out early on Concordia and never looked back, leading by 29 at half en route to the 55 point win. The team has completely bought in to our defense first philosophy. We are continuously forcing 20+ turnovers and starting to play hard together and stay together. The excitement and energy on the bench is truly refreshing.
Hopefully this all holds up going forward as we have a busy couple weeks. We will play host to the Cobblestone Classic this weekend at 8 pm on Friday and 6 pm on Saturday then will host Trinity Bible next Tuesday at 8 pm.
I look forward to seeing you all at the games.
We jumped out early on Concordia and never looked back, leading by 29 at half en route to the 55 point win. The team has completely bought in to our defense first philosophy. We are continuously forcing 20+ turnovers and starting to play hard together and stay together. The excitement and energy on the bench is truly refreshing.
Hopefully this all holds up going forward as we have a busy couple weeks. We will play host to the Cobblestone Classic this weekend at 8 pm on Friday and 6 pm on Saturday then will host Trinity Bible next Tuesday at 8 pm.
I look forward to seeing you all at the games.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Defense Keys Weekend Split
The Dakota College Men's Basketball Team traveled to Wahpeton on Friday and Saturday to participate in the Baymont Inn Classic at NDSCS. They came away with a split defeating Anoka Ramsey and falling to Ellsworth CC.
On Friday, the Jacks used a run in the middle of the second half to come back from a 12 point deficit in a 91-86 win over Anoka Ramsey College (MN). DCB jumped out to a quick start, up 9-2 early before a run allowed the Golden Rams to take a brief two point lead. A quick 8-0 run would give the Jacks a 22-16 lead in the middle of the first half. This is when things started to get a bit hairy for them, ARC would proceed to outscore Dakota College by 12 the rest of the half, taking a 40-34 lead into halftime. For the first half neither team lit it up, with ARC shooting 42% and DCB 39%. The Golden Rams also held the advantage at the line 8-2.
In the second half it was back and forth to start, but a run by Anoka would give them their biggest lead of the game at 12, 67-55 with about 9:00 to go. This is when the DCB defense took over, as the pressure of full court man and the 1-2-2 press proved to be to much to handle, forcing 13 turnovers in the second half. The Jacks would win the second half 57-46. For the game, Brian Egejuru led with 20 points, while JJ Morris added 18, Eric Elliott 13 ,and Philip Lee 10. Kenric Twine would have a solid game with nine points and a game high 10 rebounds. For the game the Jacks shot 44% from the field and hit 9-three point shots.
In game two on Saturday, it was Ellsworth CC (IA) that came calling. In this game it was Ellsworth who controlled the game early and held on throughout the half. There would only be two lead changes in the first half, with DCB's biggest lead being four. It was a 42-36 Panther advantage at the half. In the second half ECC hit the first three of the half for the game's biggest lead, 45-36. From this point the teams would be back and forth, with the Jack's forcing a number of ties and five lead changes. Defensively the team got back in but offensively it was a struggle again as countless "gimmes" were left off the board.
In the end the advantage at the charity stripe proved to be the difference, as ECC held a 22-6 advantage. For the game DCB shot 41% compared to 45% for ECC. The Jacks did hit 10 threes, and again forced 20+ turnovers with 22. Leading the way was Philip Lee with a career high 24 points on 9-12 shooting, including 4-6 from three. Morris added 17, with Egejuru adding 11 and seven assists.
On the season DCB is 6-2, and will host Concordia College JV at 8 pm on Monday.
On Friday, the Jacks used a run in the middle of the second half to come back from a 12 point deficit in a 91-86 win over Anoka Ramsey College (MN). DCB jumped out to a quick start, up 9-2 early before a run allowed the Golden Rams to take a brief two point lead. A quick 8-0 run would give the Jacks a 22-16 lead in the middle of the first half. This is when things started to get a bit hairy for them, ARC would proceed to outscore Dakota College by 12 the rest of the half, taking a 40-34 lead into halftime. For the first half neither team lit it up, with ARC shooting 42% and DCB 39%. The Golden Rams also held the advantage at the line 8-2.
In the second half it was back and forth to start, but a run by Anoka would give them their biggest lead of the game at 12, 67-55 with about 9:00 to go. This is when the DCB defense took over, as the pressure of full court man and the 1-2-2 press proved to be to much to handle, forcing 13 turnovers in the second half. The Jacks would win the second half 57-46. For the game, Brian Egejuru led with 20 points, while JJ Morris added 18, Eric Elliott 13 ,and Philip Lee 10. Kenric Twine would have a solid game with nine points and a game high 10 rebounds. For the game the Jacks shot 44% from the field and hit 9-three point shots.
In game two on Saturday, it was Ellsworth CC (IA) that came calling. In this game it was Ellsworth who controlled the game early and held on throughout the half. There would only be two lead changes in the first half, with DCB's biggest lead being four. It was a 42-36 Panther advantage at the half. In the second half ECC hit the first three of the half for the game's biggest lead, 45-36. From this point the teams would be back and forth, with the Jack's forcing a number of ties and five lead changes. Defensively the team got back in but offensively it was a struggle again as countless "gimmes" were left off the board.
In the end the advantage at the charity stripe proved to be the difference, as ECC held a 22-6 advantage. For the game DCB shot 41% compared to 45% for ECC. The Jacks did hit 10 threes, and again forced 20+ turnovers with 22. Leading the way was Philip Lee with a career high 24 points on 9-12 shooting, including 4-6 from three. Morris added 17, with Egejuru adding 11 and seven assists.
On the season DCB is 6-2, and will host Concordia College JV at 8 pm on Monday.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Split Over the Weekend, Jacks stand 4-1
The DCB Men's Basketball Team traveled to Devils Lake to take part in the Royals Invitational over the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, they tipped off against the Jimmies of Jamestown. The game was over before it really got going as the Jacks used a 31-3 run in the first half to put the game out of reach by halftime. At the half it was DCB 76, Jamestown 25. For the first half the Jacks shot 66% from the field and 7-10 from three. Defensively it was the press that did the Jimmies in, as they were guilty of 22 first half turnovers, leading to 33 DCB points.
The second half was a bit closer by a 53-42 margin, but in the end it was a 129-67 win for the Lumberjacks. It was a half court defensive game in the second half as we tried to work on shoring up some of our half court defense issues. We did cool a bit in the second half, only shooting 52%, and 5-13 from three. One negative was that we only got to the line 16 times and of those hit just nine.
Overall, Brian Egejuru led the way with 25 points and 11 assists. Kenric Twine added a double double of his own with a career high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Neal Hodges, playing his first game added 18 points on 4-5 from three as well as six rebounds. Eric Elliott and Philip Lee both also seeing their first action added 11 each.
On Sunday it was a stiffer matchup versus #23 preseason Division I foe Iowa Western. The Reivers jumped out early taking advantage of cold shooting and turnovers to jump to a 32-13 lead with just under 8:00 to go. However, the Jacks turned up the pressure again, going on a 13-5 run and outscoring IWCC 21-13 the last part of the half to go into the lockeroom down 11, 45-34. In the first half the Jacks shot 40% while the Reivers hit 58%. IWCC also held a 13-4 advantage at the line.
In the second half it would be back and forth most the half, as the smallest lead would be 8 with around 12:00 to go. The Jacks would have two chances to cut the lead to six or less, but would end with two turnovers. Eventually Iowa Western gained control and finished up the game 114-85. Two big bright spots were the fact that IWCC was forced into 32 turnovers, the third straight game that an opponent has had 30+, and the other bright spot was DCB outrebounded the Reivers on the offensive boards 16-6, despite a huge size and length advantage.
We played extremely hard this weekend and have transitioned nicely into a full court "40 Minutes of Hell" type of team. It should be a fun team to watch the rest of the way.
The Jacks are in action next on November 10th when they host Turtle Mountain at 8 pm. In the first matchup the Jacks came away with the 105-88 win.
The second half was a bit closer by a 53-42 margin, but in the end it was a 129-67 win for the Lumberjacks. It was a half court defensive game in the second half as we tried to work on shoring up some of our half court defense issues. We did cool a bit in the second half, only shooting 52%, and 5-13 from three. One negative was that we only got to the line 16 times and of those hit just nine.
Overall, Brian Egejuru led the way with 25 points and 11 assists. Kenric Twine added a double double of his own with a career high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Neal Hodges, playing his first game added 18 points on 4-5 from three as well as six rebounds. Eric Elliott and Philip Lee both also seeing their first action added 11 each.
On Sunday it was a stiffer matchup versus #23 preseason Division I foe Iowa Western. The Reivers jumped out early taking advantage of cold shooting and turnovers to jump to a 32-13 lead with just under 8:00 to go. However, the Jacks turned up the pressure again, going on a 13-5 run and outscoring IWCC 21-13 the last part of the half to go into the lockeroom down 11, 45-34. In the first half the Jacks shot 40% while the Reivers hit 58%. IWCC also held a 13-4 advantage at the line.
In the second half it would be back and forth most the half, as the smallest lead would be 8 with around 12:00 to go. The Jacks would have two chances to cut the lead to six or less, but would end with two turnovers. Eventually Iowa Western gained control and finished up the game 114-85. Two big bright spots were the fact that IWCC was forced into 32 turnovers, the third straight game that an opponent has had 30+, and the other bright spot was DCB outrebounded the Reivers on the offensive boards 16-6, despite a huge size and length advantage.
We played extremely hard this weekend and have transitioned nicely into a full court "40 Minutes of Hell" type of team. It should be a fun team to watch the rest of the way.
The Jacks are in action next on November 10th when they host Turtle Mountain at 8 pm. In the first matchup the Jacks came away with the 105-88 win.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Defense Keys Win at TMCC
The Lumberjacks traveled to Belcourt on Wednesday evening to face off versus rivals, Turtle Mountain Community College. The Jacks forced 40 turnovers en route to a 105-88 victory over the Mighty Mikinocks.
It was a slow start for the Jacks in the first half, as TMCC raced out to a 10-2 lead in the first 5:00. A quick six points over about 30 seconds would cut the lead to 10-8 on a Brian Egejuru elbow jumper. TMCC would see their last lead of the half at 27-26 with 6:26 to go before the DCB pressure started to wear on the Mikinocks. A 18-6 spurt over about 3:58 span would give the Jack's their biggest first half lead at 45-32 with 2:32 to go. Halftime would have DCB up 49-41, as the Jacks shot 48% from the field, holding TMCC to 39% and forcing 22 first half turnovers.
The second half started much like the first with Turtle Mountain cutting the lead on a three that capped a quick 7-0 start to the second half leaving DCB with a 49-48 lead at 18:40. Over the next five minutes Dakota College would outscore their opponents 20-12, upping the lead to 69-60 with 12:50 remaining. The lead would never get to less than six the rest of the way, as the Jacks pulled away in the waning minutes.
DCB shot 50% for the game, including 52% in the second half. Along with the 40 turnovers, DCB earned 28 assists on 44 baskets. TMCC did win the rebounding battle big, 54-35 including 19-12 on the offensive glass. It is a definite worrisome spot for the Lumberjacks.
Leading the team in scoring was Egejuru with 30 points along with eight assists, and six steals. JJ Morris scored 20 points along with 6 steals, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Wesley Harrison had a solid game with 18 points on 9-14 shooting, and secured eight rebounds. Off the bench, Malik Jones scored 14 with five rebounds and three assists, while Kenric Twine was the final double digit scorer with 11 points. Leading the Mikinocks was Chris Gillis Jr with 15.
The Jacks improved to 3-0 on the year, and will now head to Devils Lake for the Lake Region Classic. They will face Jamestown JV on Saturday at 3:00 pm, and will have a showdown with NJCAA Division I power, Iowa Western on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Iowa Western comes into the game as the #20 team in the NJCAA Division I Polls.
It was a slow start for the Jacks in the first half, as TMCC raced out to a 10-2 lead in the first 5:00. A quick six points over about 30 seconds would cut the lead to 10-8 on a Brian Egejuru elbow jumper. TMCC would see their last lead of the half at 27-26 with 6:26 to go before the DCB pressure started to wear on the Mikinocks. A 18-6 spurt over about 3:58 span would give the Jack's their biggest first half lead at 45-32 with 2:32 to go. Halftime would have DCB up 49-41, as the Jacks shot 48% from the field, holding TMCC to 39% and forcing 22 first half turnovers.
The second half started much like the first with Turtle Mountain cutting the lead on a three that capped a quick 7-0 start to the second half leaving DCB with a 49-48 lead at 18:40. Over the next five minutes Dakota College would outscore their opponents 20-12, upping the lead to 69-60 with 12:50 remaining. The lead would never get to less than six the rest of the way, as the Jacks pulled away in the waning minutes.
DCB shot 50% for the game, including 52% in the second half. Along with the 40 turnovers, DCB earned 28 assists on 44 baskets. TMCC did win the rebounding battle big, 54-35 including 19-12 on the offensive glass. It is a definite worrisome spot for the Lumberjacks.
Leading the team in scoring was Egejuru with 30 points along with eight assists, and six steals. JJ Morris scored 20 points along with 6 steals, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Wesley Harrison had a solid game with 18 points on 9-14 shooting, and secured eight rebounds. Off the bench, Malik Jones scored 14 with five rebounds and three assists, while Kenric Twine was the final double digit scorer with 11 points. Leading the Mikinocks was Chris Gillis Jr with 15.
The Jacks improved to 3-0 on the year, and will now head to Devils Lake for the Lake Region Classic. They will face Jamestown JV on Saturday at 3:00 pm, and will have a showdown with NJCAA Division I power, Iowa Western on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Iowa Western comes into the game as the #20 team in the NJCAA Division I Polls.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Jacks Start Season 2-0
The Dakota College men's basketball team started the season 2-0, knocking off opponents, Canadian Mennonite on Saturday evening and a team comprised of former DCB players on Sunday.
On Saturday, JJ Morris scored 23 leading a foursome of double figure scorers for the Jacks en route to a 86-61 win over CMU. Joining him in double figures was Louis Williams with 18 off the bench, as well as Brian Egejuru with 16, and Wesley Harrison with 11. Harrison led the team in rebounds with 10, while Joe Baker added eight, and Williams and Kenric Twine added seven each. Egejuru lead the team with six assists, while Morris lead with seven steals. As a team they shot 43% and forced CMU into 26 turnovers, while holding the Blazers to 40% shooting.
In game number two, they faced off with the DCB United, a team comprised of former Lumberjack players. The Jacks used a quick 13-0 run midway thru the first half to blow a close game open, turning a 20-16 lead into 33-16 on the way to a 51-33 halftime margin. The two teams played relatively even in the second half with the Jacks outscoring their opponents, 44-39 on the way to the 95-72 win.
Leading four DCB players in double figures was Egejuru with 29 points, nine assists, and four steals. Morris added 25 along with five rebounds. Twine earned a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Malik Jones added 10 points from the bench. Harrison had his second double digit rebound game with 10. The Jacks shot 48% from the field and won the boards 60-52.
Dakota College is 2-0 on the year, and will head to Belcourt on Wednesday to play Turtle Mountain in an 8 pm matchup.
On Saturday, JJ Morris scored 23 leading a foursome of double figure scorers for the Jacks en route to a 86-61 win over CMU. Joining him in double figures was Louis Williams with 18 off the bench, as well as Brian Egejuru with 16, and Wesley Harrison with 11. Harrison led the team in rebounds with 10, while Joe Baker added eight, and Williams and Kenric Twine added seven each. Egejuru lead the team with six assists, while Morris lead with seven steals. As a team they shot 43% and forced CMU into 26 turnovers, while holding the Blazers to 40% shooting.
In game number two, they faced off with the DCB United, a team comprised of former Lumberjack players. The Jacks used a quick 13-0 run midway thru the first half to blow a close game open, turning a 20-16 lead into 33-16 on the way to a 51-33 halftime margin. The two teams played relatively even in the second half with the Jacks outscoring their opponents, 44-39 on the way to the 95-72 win.
Leading four DCB players in double figures was Egejuru with 29 points, nine assists, and four steals. Morris added 25 along with five rebounds. Twine earned a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Malik Jones added 10 points from the bench. Harrison had his second double digit rebound game with 10. The Jacks shot 48% from the field and won the boards 60-52.
Dakota College is 2-0 on the year, and will head to Belcourt on Wednesday to play Turtle Mountain in an 8 pm matchup.
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