2008 Woodie Awards
'Cats tame Lions to remain atop the MIAA
Bearcats struggle with Fort Hays State after big win
Erik Johnson
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Sports
After winning a major showdown for sole possession of first place in the MIAA, the Southwest Baptist men's basketball team experienced a let down at Fort Hays State Wednesday, losing 78-54.
"I don't think we went into the game with a dogfight mentality," said Southwest Baptist Head Coach Jeff Guiot. "We didn't compete like we're capable of competing. We let Hays get a lead, and they got relaxed and got more confidence. This is only one loss, and we have to keep our head up. But we haven't played well on the road for a few games now. The bottom line is that there is still some work to be done. If we come home and win our two games there, we'll have at least a share of the conference title, which is something we've been fighting for all season."
For the game, the Bearcats only managed to shoot 35.9-percent from the field and 13.3-percent from behind the arc.
Luckily for SBU, Missouri Southern ,who currently holds second place in the conference, did not gain any ground in the standings as they lost by 14 at home to Central Missouri on Wednesday night.
To gain sole possession of first place, the Bearcats had to win a pivotal game against Missouri Southern.
In this key match-up, SBU accomplished an almost unheard of feat by having three players record double-doubles.
Senior Jim Grabowski scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while sophomore Matt Rogers had 23 and 12, and junior D'Ante Harris put up 15 and 10.
"This was a big-time atmosphere tonight," said Guiot. "We had a great crowd here with great fan support. You had the top two teams in the conference going at it. It was a great win for us. Southern played tough the whole game. I have a lot of respect for them. We just happened to get the win tonight. I didn't realize that we had three guys with double-doubles. I don't know if that has happened before in my career. We had an good overall performance from our entire team."
In contrast with Wednesday's game at Fort Hays, the 'Cats shot the ball much better by recording a percentage of 46.5-percent from the field and 25.9-percent from long range.
SBU also dominated Missouri Southern on the glass as they out-rebounded the Lions 48-32.
The win also improved the Bearcats' home record this season to 13-0.
Next up for SBU is the Courtwarming game against Pittsburg State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.
"I don't think we went into the game with a dogfight mentality," said Southwest Baptist Head Coach Jeff Guiot. "We didn't compete like we're capable of competing. We let Hays get a lead, and they got relaxed and got more confidence. This is only one loss, and we have to keep our head up. But we haven't played well on the road for a few games now. The bottom line is that there is still some work to be done. If we come home and win our two games there, we'll have at least a share of the conference title, which is something we've been fighting for all season."
For the game, the Bearcats only managed to shoot 35.9-percent from the field and 13.3-percent from behind the arc.
Luckily for SBU, Missouri Southern ,who currently holds second place in the conference, did not gain any ground in the standings as they lost by 14 at home to Central Missouri on Wednesday night.
To gain sole possession of first place, the Bearcats had to win a pivotal game against Missouri Southern.
In this key match-up, SBU accomplished an almost unheard of feat by having three players record double-doubles.
Senior Jim Grabowski scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while sophomore Matt Rogers had 23 and 12, and junior D'Ante Harris put up 15 and 10.
"This was a big-time atmosphere tonight," said Guiot. "We had a great crowd here with great fan support. You had the top two teams in the conference going at it. It was a great win for us. Southern played tough the whole game. I have a lot of respect for them. We just happened to get the win tonight. I didn't realize that we had three guys with double-doubles. I don't know if that has happened before in my career. We had an good overall performance from our entire team."
In contrast with Wednesday's game at Fort Hays, the 'Cats shot the ball much better by recording a percentage of 46.5-percent from the field and 25.9-percent from long range.
SBU also dominated Missouri Southern on the glass as they out-rebounded the Lions 48-32.
The win also improved the Bearcats' home record this season to 13-0.
Next up for SBU is the Courtwarming game against Pittsburg State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Be the first to comment on this story