We played host to Dakota County Technical College for the Region 13 title. In a game that Dakota County led most the way, and that saw a furious Jack's comeback come up just short the Blue Knights of DCTC won 104-98.
The first half saw the Knights jump out and never look back as they would lead all but about twenty seconds. The lead would slowly grow until it was halftime and it was 48-35. In the first half, DCTC shot 49%, and hit 8-13 from the line. They also grabbed seven offensive rebounds. DCB shot 42%, and hit 7-8 from the line.
The second half was eerily like our last two games, where our opponent led by double figures and would score the first 5-6 points to expand the lead. This time we were down thirteen at half and saw DCTC score six of the first eight to push the lead to 54-37 with around 16:00 to go. This was the point where we started to turn it around. Turnovers in the full court and some key baskets propelled us. Eventually the lead was cut to around six with about 5:00 to go.
A Brian Egejuru three gave us what we thought was a 98-98 tie but I had misread the scoreboard and it actually cut a 100-95 lead to 100-98 with just 1:02 left. Two free throws by DCTC in the last minute would seal the game and would close out our season. In the second half we shot 49% overall, 7-16 from three, and 14-16 from the line. DCTC hit 46% and hit 18-23 from the line.
For the game we were outscored 26-21 from the line, but held a 27-18 advantage from three. JJ Morris led the way with 25 point, including 5-10 from three. Louis Williams added 23 off the benc, with Egejuru adding 17, and Kenric Twine adding 10. We finished 22-11 on the year, which from what I have been told is the 2nd most wins in program history in a season.
This group of sophomores will be greatly missed. Wesley Harrison, Joe Baker, JJ Morris, Brian Egejuru, Kenric Twine, and Louis Williams have given alot over this past year or two. I wish them nothing but the best from here on out.
Stats
Morris 25 pts, 5 reb
Williams 23 pts, 7 reb, 6 asst, 3 steals, 3 blocks
Egejuru 17 pts, 4 reb, 8 asst.
Twine 10 pts, 3 reb
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Good, the Bad, The Ugly, and On We Move
We played host to United Tribes on Wednesday evening. It was a game for the ages here, as exactly 300 points were scored in our 156-154 win in two overtimes. It had everything, lead changes, ties, controversial calls, and ending a game with less than five guys on one side.
UTTC had five guys at the start of the game, this is the same as when they visited earlier in the year. Again they gave us a great battle, as anyone knows when they play the Thunderbirds they are going to come at you with everything they have. The problem with five comes when guys start to foul out, as the game ended 5 on 2.
In the first half it was another slow start for us as from the tip we trailed and never did gain any footing. Tribes would gain the lead on the tip and would continue to grow it, leading 11-4 very early. We would fight back a number of times to close the gap to 2-3 points, however we would go into the half down 12, 60-48. In the first half 57% of shots were hit by UTTC, again a worry was our defensive intensity to begin the game.
In the second half, we again started slow as we could not get going or get any big stops. The Thunderbirds would continue to expand the lead, until they eventually lead by 21, 80-59 with around 12:00 to go. However, my kids did not fold as they fought back and started to chip away. I told them in the huddle our goal was four points or less when 4:00 hit, it was at 5 points with 3:55. We were able to tie the game in the last minute, and avoided the upset when a lob in the middle was just off the mark for UTTC.
In the first OT, Tribes again scored first, but it was a more back and forth effort with neither team gaining any kind of advantage. A three quarter court heave by Brian Egejuru as time expired was just off the mark sending us to a second overtime, the second OT started five on three. Again UTTC jumped out leading by as much as five with about 2:30 to go. We battled back again and they lost another player. This proved to be to much as we would get the winning basket with 18.6 seconds left and would get a steal to seal it.
I have to give alot of credit to UTTC as they showed more heart and fight than any team I have played or coached against.
We now move on to the Region XIII Championship, it will be on Sunday at 1 pm in the Woodshed. We are playing for our third straight.
Stats
JJ Morris - 51 pts, 16-33 shooting, 11-21 from three, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Brian Egejuru - 28 pts, 16 assists, 9 rebounds, 5 steals
Malik Jones - 19 pts, 7 reb, 8 asst, 6 steals
Louis Williams - 19 pts, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
Wesley Harrison - 11 pts, 14 rebounds
Kenric Twine - 11 pts, 8 rebounds
UTTC had five guys at the start of the game, this is the same as when they visited earlier in the year. Again they gave us a great battle, as anyone knows when they play the Thunderbirds they are going to come at you with everything they have. The problem with five comes when guys start to foul out, as the game ended 5 on 2.
In the first half it was another slow start for us as from the tip we trailed and never did gain any footing. Tribes would gain the lead on the tip and would continue to grow it, leading 11-4 very early. We would fight back a number of times to close the gap to 2-3 points, however we would go into the half down 12, 60-48. In the first half 57% of shots were hit by UTTC, again a worry was our defensive intensity to begin the game.
In the second half, we again started slow as we could not get going or get any big stops. The Thunderbirds would continue to expand the lead, until they eventually lead by 21, 80-59 with around 12:00 to go. However, my kids did not fold as they fought back and started to chip away. I told them in the huddle our goal was four points or less when 4:00 hit, it was at 5 points with 3:55. We were able to tie the game in the last minute, and avoided the upset when a lob in the middle was just off the mark for UTTC.
In the first OT, Tribes again scored first, but it was a more back and forth effort with neither team gaining any kind of advantage. A three quarter court heave by Brian Egejuru as time expired was just off the mark sending us to a second overtime, the second OT started five on three. Again UTTC jumped out leading by as much as five with about 2:30 to go. We battled back again and they lost another player. This proved to be to much as we would get the winning basket with 18.6 seconds left and would get a steal to seal it.
I have to give alot of credit to UTTC as they showed more heart and fight than any team I have played or coached against.
We now move on to the Region XIII Championship, it will be on Sunday at 1 pm in the Woodshed. We are playing for our third straight.
Stats
JJ Morris - 51 pts, 16-33 shooting, 11-21 from three, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Brian Egejuru - 28 pts, 16 assists, 9 rebounds, 5 steals
Malik Jones - 19 pts, 7 reb, 8 asst, 6 steals
Louis Williams - 19 pts, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
Wesley Harrison - 11 pts, 14 rebounds
Kenric Twine - 11 pts, 8 rebounds
Thursday, February 18, 2016
No Turning it on and off at Will
The
Lumberjack men’s basketball team traveled 108 miles to the east to faceoff with
Division I rival, Lake Region State on Wednesday evening. It was their sophomore
day. We had hoped to show them the same thing that we were shown on our
sophomore day when NDSCS visited however it was not to be. Another slow start,
especially defensively plagued the Jacks in the 103-94 loss.
"We have to find a way to come out from the tip and have the defensive intensity that got us here, we have to learn you can't just turn it on and off during a game."
Once
again we did not come out with our defensive intensity, as we fell behind by as
much as 12 early on in the first half.
We would find ways to cut the lead to single digits a few times, however
the Royals would always respond seeing the lead swell to 15 by the halftime
buzzer. In the first half LRSC shot a sizzling 55% from the field, and 5-10
from three. On the flip side we struggled hitting only 34% and 2-9 from three.
We were also only 10-18 (56%) from the line.
The
second half started much like the first half as Lake Region saw the lead jump
to 19 in the first two minutes with two scores while we could not finish on two
excellent looks. However this is where things started to pick up. Our half-court
defense looked energized and we started to get turnovers. This was something
that was great to see. We would proceed to go on a 16-4 run over about four
minutes to cut the lead to seven.
Again
the Royals would respond pushing the lead to 16 about as fast as we had cut it.
From this point we would go back and forth seeing the lead stay around the 10
point mark for most the second half. In the end we just didn’t have enough time
to come back. In the second half both teams shot well, we hit 56% while they
hit 58%, we also had more attempts at a 45-24 clip.
Leading
us was Brian Egejuru with 40 points on 15-23 shooting, while Philip Lee and
Wesley Harrison added 19 and 12 to round out the double-digit scorers.
With
the loss we finished 21-10 and 6-6 in Mon-Dak play. We now turn towards what I
call season number two, the playoffs. These start on Wednesday, February 24
when we host United Tribes at 7 pm. The winner will move on to play Sunday the
28th at 1 pm vs the winner of Gogebic (MI) vs Dakota County (MN).
Friday, February 12, 2016
Jacks Improve to 6-4 in Mon-Dak Play
We traveled to Glendive, MT on Wednesday evening to face off with Mon-Dak 2nd place team, the Bucs of Dawson Community College. Before our game they had not lost at home in conference play. That streak ended on Wednesday evening as we came home with a 104-92 win and a tie for 3rd place (with Williston's loss at NDSCS).
The first half was a back and forth effort, that in alot of ways mirrored the game here earlier in the year. We scored first and did get an eight point lead in the first half. However the Buc's fought back as they often do and were able to not only tie it up but also take a lead. Neither team shot the ball well in the first half, with DCC hitting on only 39% while we hit only 44%. There were 38 free-throws shot, with the teams combining for only 58% rate. The teams also combined to go 5-25 from three. However, with all this the Jacks did lead 51-46 at the break.
In the second half it was again like the first game as we came out strong and were able to push the lead to double digits by the midway point of the second half and were able to push it to as much as 18 at 81-63. However, there was still fight left as Dawson clawed back to within single digits with under five minutes to go. There would be no getting closer than six however as we were able to come away with the 12 point win on the back of free-throws over the last minute.
For the game we shot 42% overall, 6-24 from three, and hit thirty two free-throws on a season high 49 attempts. It was also the first time all year we had less assists than turnovers. Leading us in scoring was Malik Jones with 23 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Brian Egejuru added 22 points, including 10-10 from the line. JJ Morris scored 14, all in the second half. Leading us in rebounds was Neal Hodges with nine.
We are now 21-8 on the season and from what I have gathered here the 21 wins is now the 2nd most in school history. It trails only the 25 wins earned two years ago. We are next in action on Monday when we face off with our East rivals, the Wildcats of NDSCS. The game is slated for an 8 pm tip.
The first half was a back and forth effort, that in alot of ways mirrored the game here earlier in the year. We scored first and did get an eight point lead in the first half. However the Buc's fought back as they often do and were able to not only tie it up but also take a lead. Neither team shot the ball well in the first half, with DCC hitting on only 39% while we hit only 44%. There were 38 free-throws shot, with the teams combining for only 58% rate. The teams also combined to go 5-25 from three. However, with all this the Jacks did lead 51-46 at the break.
In the second half it was again like the first game as we came out strong and were able to push the lead to double digits by the midway point of the second half and were able to push it to as much as 18 at 81-63. However, there was still fight left as Dawson clawed back to within single digits with under five minutes to go. There would be no getting closer than six however as we were able to come away with the 12 point win on the back of free-throws over the last minute.
For the game we shot 42% overall, 6-24 from three, and hit thirty two free-throws on a season high 49 attempts. It was also the first time all year we had less assists than turnovers. Leading us in scoring was Malik Jones with 23 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Brian Egejuru added 22 points, including 10-10 from the line. JJ Morris scored 14, all in the second half. Leading us in rebounds was Neal Hodges with nine.
We are now 21-8 on the season and from what I have gathered here the 21 wins is now the 2nd most in school history. It trails only the 25 wins earned two years ago. We are next in action on Monday when we face off with our East rivals, the Wildcats of NDSCS. The game is slated for an 8 pm tip.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Jack's Fall to Williston
On Monday evening we hosted the Tetons of Williston State College. We showed alot of fight throughout the game, and the ability to make sustained runs but fell 106-93.
Dakota College gained their only lead of the game on the first possession, opening the scoring for a 2-0 lead. Williston would hit a three the next time down to lead 3-2 and would not relinquish the lead. They would use a mini run of 7-2, leading 9-4 to take a 16-6 lead with about fifteen minutes to go. However, the Jacks would fight back closing to within four points numerous times. A late 12-3 run would trim a 48-34 deficit late in the half to just five, 51-46 at the half. The Jacks used 20 Teton turnovers to get back into the game, their high pressure defense and half court trapping style proving to be difficult for Williston at times.
The second half started with a 8-0 WSC run that pushed the lead to 59-46 over the first three minutes. The Jacks would eventually score and would attempt to get going. However, the Tetons were able to push the lead to as much as 16 early in the half. Again DCB would fight back cutting it to eight with about 12 minutes to go. Another Williston run would push the lead to a game high of 19, 79-60. From this point the game would not get any closer than 10, this would happen a few times. A couple free-throws the last minute would push the score to the final 13 point win.
For the Jacks, Brian Egejuru scored 27 points with five assists. Eric Elliott was solid off the bench with 16 points and five rebounds, Louis Williams added 15 points, while JJ Morris and Kenric Twine rounded out the double digit scoring with 11 and 10 respectively. Malik Jones had a solid game at the point spot with 11 assists.
With the loss we dropped to 20-8 and 5-4 in Mon-Dak play. We are currently in fourth place, and will play at Dawson on Wednesday. If we win we will be no worse than third,possibly tied for second.
Dakota College gained their only lead of the game on the first possession, opening the scoring for a 2-0 lead. Williston would hit a three the next time down to lead 3-2 and would not relinquish the lead. They would use a mini run of 7-2, leading 9-4 to take a 16-6 lead with about fifteen minutes to go. However, the Jacks would fight back closing to within four points numerous times. A late 12-3 run would trim a 48-34 deficit late in the half to just five, 51-46 at the half. The Jacks used 20 Teton turnovers to get back into the game, their high pressure defense and half court trapping style proving to be difficult for Williston at times.
The second half started with a 8-0 WSC run that pushed the lead to 59-46 over the first three minutes. The Jacks would eventually score and would attempt to get going. However, the Tetons were able to push the lead to as much as 16 early in the half. Again DCB would fight back cutting it to eight with about 12 minutes to go. Another Williston run would push the lead to a game high of 19, 79-60. From this point the game would not get any closer than 10, this would happen a few times. A couple free-throws the last minute would push the score to the final 13 point win.
For the Jacks, Brian Egejuru scored 27 points with five assists. Eric Elliott was solid off the bench with 16 points and five rebounds, Louis Williams added 15 points, while JJ Morris and Kenric Twine rounded out the double digit scoring with 11 and 10 respectively. Malik Jones had a solid game at the point spot with 11 assists.
With the loss we dropped to 20-8 and 5-4 in Mon-Dak play. We are currently in fourth place, and will play at Dawson on Wednesday. If we win we will be no worse than third,possibly tied for second.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Lumberjacks get 20th Win
On Thursday night we traveled to Bismarck to face off with Division II rival, United Tribes Technical College. In a game that saw us have a quick start, then a bit of a lull, then another run to finally pull away we came out on top, 126-90.
The first half was a quick start, going up 11-0 before the Thunderbirds scored, and gaining an advantage as high as 17 at 20-3 in the first five minutes of the half. From this point UTTC would go on a run of their own, cutting the lead to as little as three before the half hit. However, one last run would push the lead to double digits, 60-46 at halftime. In the first half DCB shot 44% overall, including 8-15 from three.
In the second half the Jacks scored the first basket of the half then went scoreless over the next two to three minutes, however United Tribes was unable to score so no space was made up. Eventually the defensive intensity was turned up and the offense got going. The lead would continue to expand slowly as the half went on, until a high of 39 points was reached at 126-87 with just under a minute to go. In the second half the Jacks shot 57%, hitting 6-13 from three.
Wesley Harrison was huge going for a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds. He hit 12-18 from the field. Brian Egejuru lead the way in scoring with 35 points, including 14-23 from the field and 7-10 from three. He also added seven assists and six rebounds. Malik Jones added 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while JJ Morris , Philip Lee, and Kenric Twine rounded out the double digit scoring with 12, 11, and 10 points respectively. The Jacks won the boards by a 64-57 margin.
We are now 20-7 on the year and stand tied for third in the Mon-Dak with a 5-3 record. Our next game is on Super Bowl Sunday when we welcome the Tetons of Williston State to town for a 2 pm tip off. The women's game will proceed u at noon.
The first half was a quick start, going up 11-0 before the Thunderbirds scored, and gaining an advantage as high as 17 at 20-3 in the first five minutes of the half. From this point UTTC would go on a run of their own, cutting the lead to as little as three before the half hit. However, one last run would push the lead to double digits, 60-46 at halftime. In the first half DCB shot 44% overall, including 8-15 from three.
In the second half the Jacks scored the first basket of the half then went scoreless over the next two to three minutes, however United Tribes was unable to score so no space was made up. Eventually the defensive intensity was turned up and the offense got going. The lead would continue to expand slowly as the half went on, until a high of 39 points was reached at 126-87 with just under a minute to go. In the second half the Jacks shot 57%, hitting 6-13 from three.
Wesley Harrison was huge going for a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds. He hit 12-18 from the field. Brian Egejuru lead the way in scoring with 35 points, including 14-23 from the field and 7-10 from three. He also added seven assists and six rebounds. Malik Jones added 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while JJ Morris , Philip Lee, and Kenric Twine rounded out the double digit scoring with 12, 11, and 10 points respectively. The Jacks won the boards by a 64-57 margin.
We are now 20-7 on the year and stand tied for third in the Mon-Dak with a 5-3 record. Our next game is on Super Bowl Sunday when we welcome the Tetons of Williston State to town for a 2 pm tip off. The women's game will proceed u at noon.
Current
Standings
Team Mon-Dak (Overall)
NDSCS 7-1
(18-6)
Dawson 6-3
(11-14)
Williston 5-3 (20-6)
DCB
5-3 (20-7)
Lake Region 3-5 (18-8)
Bismarck St. 2-6 (8-14)
United Tribes 0-7 (8-15)
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Jacks Get 4th Mon-Dak Win
Monday evening we hosted the Mystics of Bismarck State College. In a game that would see 12 lead changes and six ties, the Jack's came out on top 86-83. Despite being a bit down in numbers from the first to second semester the Mystics battled all night and seemingly had an answer for every run we made.
In the first half, the Jack's would lead by 3-4 points for a lot of the half until a 16-3 Bismarck State run would put them up by as much as nine at 24-15. From this point DCB would chip away, outscoring their opponents 27-16 the last eight minutes of the half to take a 42-40 lead at the break. In the first half we shot 44% from the field and 6-15 from three. BSC shot 46% from the field and 6-14 from three. Both teams hit four of six from the line.
In the second half neither team got anything more than a four point lead as it seemed every time there was a lead up to four someone would hit a three. For us it was JJ Morris and Phil Lee, for the Mystics it was Scott Nagel. The last minute the lead would get to five, however as always in conference season it was far from over as another Nagel three this time a leaner would cut it to two with under 45 seconds to go. However, we would hit our free-throws down the stretch and would hold on for the win.
Louis Williams led the way with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Morris added 21 points, going 6-11 from three, adding eight assists, and four steals. Lee added 16, while Eric Elliott added 15 points, with six rebounds, four assists, and eight steals. Nagel led BSC with 23 points.
"It was a great team win, as everyone from 1-12 contributed in some way. We need to keep up this momentum in order to make a run at our first goal, a Mon-Dak title."
We are next in action on Thursday when we travel to Bismarck to face division two rivals, United Tribes Technical College.
Mon-Dak Standings - Record (Overall)
In the first half, the Jack's would lead by 3-4 points for a lot of the half until a 16-3 Bismarck State run would put them up by as much as nine at 24-15. From this point DCB would chip away, outscoring their opponents 27-16 the last eight minutes of the half to take a 42-40 lead at the break. In the first half we shot 44% from the field and 6-15 from three. BSC shot 46% from the field and 6-14 from three. Both teams hit four of six from the line.
In the second half neither team got anything more than a four point lead as it seemed every time there was a lead up to four someone would hit a three. For us it was JJ Morris and Phil Lee, for the Mystics it was Scott Nagel. The last minute the lead would get to five, however as always in conference season it was far from over as another Nagel three this time a leaner would cut it to two with under 45 seconds to go. However, we would hit our free-throws down the stretch and would hold on for the win.
Louis Williams led the way with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Morris added 21 points, going 6-11 from three, adding eight assists, and four steals. Lee added 16, while Eric Elliott added 15 points, with six rebounds, four assists, and eight steals. Nagel led BSC with 23 points.
"It was a great team win, as everyone from 1-12 contributed in some way. We need to keep up this momentum in order to make a run at our first goal, a Mon-Dak title."
We are next in action on Thursday when we travel to Bismarck to face division two rivals, United Tribes Technical College.
Mon-Dak Standings - Record (Overall)
NDSCS 6-1
(17-6)
Dawson 5-3
(11-13)
Williston 5-3 (20-6)
DCB
4-3 (19-7)
Lake Region 3-4 (18-7)
Bismarck St. 2-6 (8-14)
United Tribes 0-6 (8-14)
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Heartbreaking Loss
Basketball is a game of runs and swings. Last night was a prime example. We hosted the Royals of Lake Region State College in a game that expected to be high scoring. The two teams did not disappoint, as the Royals went home with an 101-99 overtime win after a furious Lumberjack comeback fell just short.
The first half was the ultimate game of runs with the biggest being a 9-1 DCB run that gave the Jacks a 25-19 lead that would prove to be the biggest of the half. For most the rest of the half we would lead by 3-5 points, that was until a 6-0 Royals run turned a 48-43 Jack lead into a 49-48 deficit at halftime. In the first half both teams shot well, LRSC hit 52% from the field and DCB 49%. The difference was at the line as the Royals held a 12-7 advantage. For the Jacks all nine who saw action scored at least two points.
The second half was back and forth early, around the midway point Lake Region went on a 11-3 run to turn their two point lead into a ten point lead at 69-59. The lead would be between seven and 10 for a few minutes, until the Jacks went with four guard and turned up the heat. The turnovers mounted and the lead melted. Eventually it would be all tied at 99, staying in our press JJ Morris secured a steal at half court went for the layup, missed, an Eric Elliott rebound was missed, then Malik Jones got hold of one and was fouled on the attempt. He would go to the line with 0.4 left on the clock and a chance to seal the game, it was not to be as both free throws came off the front of the rim forcing overtime.
In the OT, the teams traded baskets to start, eventually a Morris three would leave Lake Region up 100-99, a foul and free-throw later it was 101-99 with 5.4 seconds to go. The Jacks in bounded the ball under the Royals hoop when Morris drove the to the right wing and shot up a prayer that did not fall ending the game with the Royals getting the two point win.
For the game, LRSC shot 47% overall, while the Jacks hit 45%. Neither team shot the three well combining to hit 11-36 overall. The Royals dominated the boards by a 59-36 mark including 22-13 on the offensive boards, which lead to 10 second chance points. Morris lead the way for the Jacks with 25 points and five steals, five other DCB players scored in double figures as well.
The first half was the ultimate game of runs with the biggest being a 9-1 DCB run that gave the Jacks a 25-19 lead that would prove to be the biggest of the half. For most the rest of the half we would lead by 3-5 points, that was until a 6-0 Royals run turned a 48-43 Jack lead into a 49-48 deficit at halftime. In the first half both teams shot well, LRSC hit 52% from the field and DCB 49%. The difference was at the line as the Royals held a 12-7 advantage. For the Jacks all nine who saw action scored at least two points.
The second half was back and forth early, around the midway point Lake Region went on a 11-3 run to turn their two point lead into a ten point lead at 69-59. The lead would be between seven and 10 for a few minutes, until the Jacks went with four guard and turned up the heat. The turnovers mounted and the lead melted. Eventually it would be all tied at 99, staying in our press JJ Morris secured a steal at half court went for the layup, missed, an Eric Elliott rebound was missed, then Malik Jones got hold of one and was fouled on the attempt. He would go to the line with 0.4 left on the clock and a chance to seal the game, it was not to be as both free throws came off the front of the rim forcing overtime.
In the OT, the teams traded baskets to start, eventually a Morris three would leave Lake Region up 100-99, a foul and free-throw later it was 101-99 with 5.4 seconds to go. The Jacks in bounded the ball under the Royals hoop when Morris drove the to the right wing and shot up a prayer that did not fall ending the game with the Royals getting the two point win.
For the game, LRSC shot 47% overall, while the Jacks hit 45%. Neither team shot the three well combining to hit 11-36 overall. The Royals dominated the boards by a 59-36 mark including 22-13 on the offensive boards, which lead to 10 second chance points. Morris lead the way for the Jacks with 25 points and five steals, five other DCB players scored in double figures as well.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Trials and Tribulations
Another road game another learning experience. I am hoping as a team we can figure out how to come out better on the road as for the second game we started out slow and got down big early. This time it was at NDSCS, starting out down 12-0, and going 0-10 from the field. We did finally hit a shot but by six minutes in only had 8 points, and for a team averaging over 100 that is alarming. By halftime we were down 54-25, in what looked like a game that could be even uglier in the second half.
In the second half however we came out quick and cut seven points off within the first 3:30. At this point things took a turn for the worse, starting with a Technical foul on my part. I felt that we weren't getting the same calls that our opponents were and voiced this earning the T. This would start a run for the Wildcats that we would not recover from. They would expand the lead to as much as 44 before the final 39 point tally was done at 115-76.
It was a learning experience for us as we learned that if you come out cold shooting you have to work even harder on defense to make it up. This is something from this point on I am confident we will fix. We also learned that on the road things are even harder to come by and you have to be even more ready for adversity. I do think this is still a team that could not only when a wild Mon-Dak Conference but could perhaps gain the biggest prize a birth in the national tournament. The reason for these thoughts, this team has grown up a ton over the last month.
Leading the Jacks was Brian Egejuru with 19 points and four assists, the only other double digit scorer was Kenric Twine with 12 points.
We are now 17-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play. We will host Lake Region State on Monday night.
Current Standings
NDSCS: 4-1
Williston: 3-2
DCB: 3-2
Dawson: 3-2
Lake Region: 2-2
Bismarck State: 1-3
United Tribes: 0-4
In the second half however we came out quick and cut seven points off within the first 3:30. At this point things took a turn for the worse, starting with a Technical foul on my part. I felt that we weren't getting the same calls that our opponents were and voiced this earning the T. This would start a run for the Wildcats that we would not recover from. They would expand the lead to as much as 44 before the final 39 point tally was done at 115-76.
It was a learning experience for us as we learned that if you come out cold shooting you have to work even harder on defense to make it up. This is something from this point on I am confident we will fix. We also learned that on the road things are even harder to come by and you have to be even more ready for adversity. I do think this is still a team that could not only when a wild Mon-Dak Conference but could perhaps gain the biggest prize a birth in the national tournament. The reason for these thoughts, this team has grown up a ton over the last month.
Leading the Jacks was Brian Egejuru with 19 points and four assists, the only other double digit scorer was Kenric Twine with 12 points.
We are now 17-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play. We will host Lake Region State on Monday night.
Current Standings
NDSCS: 4-1
Williston: 3-2
DCB: 3-2
Dawson: 3-2
Lake Region: 2-2
Bismarck State: 1-3
United Tribes: 0-4
Friday, January 15, 2016
Lessons Learned
We had another one of those lesson learned type games last night. We traveled to Williston State to face the Tetons in a key Mon-Dak battle. We battled for a good portion but we were also a bit tentative in a 102-82 loss.
In the first half, WSC came out hot hitting their first eight shots, building a double digit lead early. We would get down by as much as 17, at 39-22 before our motors got going full blast and we cut the lead to five at half, 43-38. We were able to do this holding the Teton's without a field goal the last 5:20 of the half. The bench was huge, with Eric Elliott and Louis Williams each getting nine points and Kenric Twine getting six, combining for 24 of our 38.
The second half started well for us as we were able to cut the lead numerous times to two with chances to tie. The guys fought their backsides off to get back in the game. Despite our defense tightening and our offense starting to click we were not able to get the tie or lead which was a credit to the Tetons. Eventually they would make a couple mini runs of 6-2 or 8-2 to get the lead to double digits and a high of 22. We did make one last attempt at coming back with just over 5:00, cutting the lead back to 14 on six quick points.
For the game, the Tetons shot a blazing 66% from the field, including 6-13 from three. They also won the boards by a 39-35 count, and only grabbed seven rebounds. The Jacks shot 42% from the field, and 8-20 from three. We did have 22 steals, and forced 24 turnovers. Leading the way for us was Eric Elliott with a career high 19 points, with Malik Jones adding 16 and Louis Williams adding 15. A fun fact all three were teammates at Johnson High School in St. Paul, MN.
I really feel this team has a chance to be special and the guys know it, if we can get consistent we will make some noise in the Mon-Dak.
Current Standings
Dawson 2-1
Williston 2-1
DCB 2-1
NDSCS 2-1
Lake Region 1-2
BSC 0-2
UTTC 0-2
In the first half, WSC came out hot hitting their first eight shots, building a double digit lead early. We would get down by as much as 17, at 39-22 before our motors got going full blast and we cut the lead to five at half, 43-38. We were able to do this holding the Teton's without a field goal the last 5:20 of the half. The bench was huge, with Eric Elliott and Louis Williams each getting nine points and Kenric Twine getting six, combining for 24 of our 38.
The second half started well for us as we were able to cut the lead numerous times to two with chances to tie. The guys fought their backsides off to get back in the game. Despite our defense tightening and our offense starting to click we were not able to get the tie or lead which was a credit to the Tetons. Eventually they would make a couple mini runs of 6-2 or 8-2 to get the lead to double digits and a high of 22. We did make one last attempt at coming back with just over 5:00, cutting the lead back to 14 on six quick points.
For the game, the Tetons shot a blazing 66% from the field, including 6-13 from three. They also won the boards by a 39-35 count, and only grabbed seven rebounds. The Jacks shot 42% from the field, and 8-20 from three. We did have 22 steals, and forced 24 turnovers. Leading the way for us was Eric Elliott with a career high 19 points, with Malik Jones adding 16 and Louis Williams adding 15. A fun fact all three were teammates at Johnson High School in St. Paul, MN.
I really feel this team has a chance to be special and the guys know it, if we can get consistent we will make some noise in the Mon-Dak.
Current Standings
Dawson 2-1
Williston 2-1
DCB 2-1
NDSCS 2-1
Lake Region 1-2
BSC 0-2
UTTC 0-2
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
2-0 in Mon-Dak Play
We played host to the Thunderbirds of United Tribes Technical College on Monday evening. It was a game similar to the first conference game against Bismarck State that saw us jump out early, get a big lead in the 2nd half only to let them back in. In the end we did pick up the 106-96 win to improve to 16-4 and 2-0 in Mon-Dak play.
At the half it was 58-45. The first half was a game of runs, with the score 16-15 Jacks, we were able to go on a quick 7-0 run to expand it to 23-15 with 12:49 to go. It would grow to as much as nine, 26-17 with 11:13 to go before a 13-2 UTTC run over would give the T-Birds a 30-28 advantage with 8:48 to go. The teams would go back and forth with DCB getting the advantage late on the way to the 13 point halftime lead. For the half we shot 56% from the field and 5-9 from three. UTTC hit 37% overall and 7-15 from three.
In the second half, a Brian Egejuru three on our first possession after a stop upped the lead to the biggest of the game at 61-45. However UTTC would use a 9-0 run over 3:30 to cut the lead to 61-54 with 16:17 to go. They would continue to cut away until it was just a 3 point advantage at 71-68 with 13:04 remaining. A quick 7-0 spurt capped by a Kenric Twine three point play would up the advantage to 78-68. The lead would be between 10 and 14 the rest of the game. For the game the Jacks shot 52% overall and hit 8-19 (42%) from three. However we only hit six of ten from the line, and gave up 17 offensive rebounds.
Leading the way was Egejuru with 25 points and seven assists. Twine added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Malik Jones just missed his second triple double of the year with 12 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, as well as four steals.
We are next in action when we travel to Williston for a key early season matchup with the Tetons. Right now they stand 1-0 in conference play while we are 2-0. The winner of the game will have the outright lead in this early Mon-Dak season.
At the half it was 58-45. The first half was a game of runs, with the score 16-15 Jacks, we were able to go on a quick 7-0 run to expand it to 23-15 with 12:49 to go. It would grow to as much as nine, 26-17 with 11:13 to go before a 13-2 UTTC run over would give the T-Birds a 30-28 advantage with 8:48 to go. The teams would go back and forth with DCB getting the advantage late on the way to the 13 point halftime lead. For the half we shot 56% from the field and 5-9 from three. UTTC hit 37% overall and 7-15 from three.
In the second half, a Brian Egejuru three on our first possession after a stop upped the lead to the biggest of the game at 61-45. However UTTC would use a 9-0 run over 3:30 to cut the lead to 61-54 with 16:17 to go. They would continue to cut away until it was just a 3 point advantage at 71-68 with 13:04 remaining. A quick 7-0 spurt capped by a Kenric Twine three point play would up the advantage to 78-68. The lead would be between 10 and 14 the rest of the game. For the game the Jacks shot 52% overall and hit 8-19 (42%) from three. However we only hit six of ten from the line, and gave up 17 offensive rebounds.
Leading the way was Egejuru with 25 points and seven assists. Twine added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Malik Jones just missed his second triple double of the year with 12 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, as well as four steals.
We are next in action when we travel to Williston for a key early season matchup with the Tetons. Right now they stand 1-0 in conference play while we are 2-0. The winner of the game will have the outright lead in this early Mon-Dak season.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Crazy Season is Here aka Conference Play
We took to the road to open up Mon-Dak play against a depleted but talented and well coached opponent in Bismarck State. We came away with a hard fought victory, 97-91. For the year we stand at 15-4 and 1-0 in Mon-Dak play.
In the first half we got off to a good start with a 3-0 lead and lead all but about thirty seconds of the half. It was a good shooting half as we came out on fire and sharing the ball well. We shot 48% for the half, including 7-17 (41%) from three. However we were only 1-2 from the free-throw line, this would be an issue that would keep coming up. Bismarck State was in the double bonus before the halfway point of the half and would hit 12-22 from the line. They would only shoot 33% from the field and 1-6 from three.
In the second half we came quick hitting on the first five points of the second half on a JJ Morris three and a Wesley Harrison put back to get the biggest lead of the game, 53-35 with about 18:00 to go. BSC would fight back to get within 10 before another run would up the lead to 16 again. We would see this happen one more time before a fierce run by the Mystics would see the game tied on a Scott Nagel three with just over four minutes to go. However, we would quickly go on a 7-2 run and would get the lead up to 8 again before the final tally of 6 was reached. In the second half we shot 62% and 5-9 from three. We did hit 8-13 from the line, however BSC hit 19-23.
For the game, we shot 54% from the field, 12-26 (46%) from three and hit 9-15 from the line. The Mystics countered with 38%, 32%, and an incredible 31-45 from the line. The final count on fouls was 29-15 in favor of BSC. The boards ended tied at 44, however the opponents were able to grab 21 offensive rebounds.
Leading us in scoring was JJ Morris with an efficient 33, going 10-13 from the field and 6-8 from three. Louis Williams had 14, while Neal Hodges added eight and led with 10 rebounds. We are next in action on Monday with a key battle versus Division 2 rival, United Tribes Technical College.
In the first half we got off to a good start with a 3-0 lead and lead all but about thirty seconds of the half. It was a good shooting half as we came out on fire and sharing the ball well. We shot 48% for the half, including 7-17 (41%) from three. However we were only 1-2 from the free-throw line, this would be an issue that would keep coming up. Bismarck State was in the double bonus before the halfway point of the half and would hit 12-22 from the line. They would only shoot 33% from the field and 1-6 from three.
In the second half we came quick hitting on the first five points of the second half on a JJ Morris three and a Wesley Harrison put back to get the biggest lead of the game, 53-35 with about 18:00 to go. BSC would fight back to get within 10 before another run would up the lead to 16 again. We would see this happen one more time before a fierce run by the Mystics would see the game tied on a Scott Nagel three with just over four minutes to go. However, we would quickly go on a 7-2 run and would get the lead up to 8 again before the final tally of 6 was reached. In the second half we shot 62% and 5-9 from three. We did hit 8-13 from the line, however BSC hit 19-23.
For the game, we shot 54% from the field, 12-26 (46%) from three and hit 9-15 from the line. The Mystics countered with 38%, 32%, and an incredible 31-45 from the line. The final count on fouls was 29-15 in favor of BSC. The boards ended tied at 44, however the opponents were able to grab 21 offensive rebounds.
Leading us in scoring was JJ Morris with an efficient 33, going 10-13 from the field and 6-8 from three. Louis Williams had 14, while Neal Hodges added eight and led with 10 rebounds. We are next in action on Monday with a key battle versus Division 2 rival, United Tribes Technical College.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Not the Way We Wanted to Start
The Lumberjacks went even farther north than Bottineau to play their first game of the 2016 part of their season, travelling to Winnipeg to face Red River College.
We went up short handed with only 7 players due to issues including returning late from home for Christmas and not being able to get across the border with out proper paperwork. Our opponents added three new players, who all played a pivotal role in the win, scoring 40 points combined in a 92-77 win for the Rebels.
We fought hard but just couldn't string together any huge runs, leading by nine a couple times. We led by five after one quarter, and six at the half. The game was tied in the third, but Red River exploded for 34 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Leading us in scoring was Neal Hodges with 25 points, adding 13 rebounds. Louis Williams added 14 points, Joe Baker 13, and Wesley Harrison 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss dropped us to 14-4 on the year, we are now heading into Mon-Dak Conference play as we travel to Bismarck State College to face the Mystics who stand at 6-8 overall on the year. The game is slated for a 6 PM women's start and approximately 8 PM men's start on Thursday, January 7. It will be broadcast thru the BSC Athletics website.
We went up short handed with only 7 players due to issues including returning late from home for Christmas and not being able to get across the border with out proper paperwork. Our opponents added three new players, who all played a pivotal role in the win, scoring 40 points combined in a 92-77 win for the Rebels.
We fought hard but just couldn't string together any huge runs, leading by nine a couple times. We led by five after one quarter, and six at the half. The game was tied in the third, but Red River exploded for 34 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Leading us in scoring was Neal Hodges with 25 points, adding 13 rebounds. Louis Williams added 14 points, Joe Baker 13, and Wesley Harrison 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss dropped us to 14-4 on the year, we are now heading into Mon-Dak Conference play as we travel to Bismarck State College to face the Mystics who stand at 6-8 overall on the year. The game is slated for a 6 PM women's start and approximately 8 PM men's start on Thursday, January 7. It will be broadcast thru the BSC Athletics website.
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