Kaymarie Jones
The Paw Print
Though the Grizzlies played three NCAA Division 1 institutions this past weekend, the games were just an exhibition of what the Adams State University Basketball Team has to offer for the 2013-2014 season, which kicks off on Saturday with the annual Bankers Classics at 7pm in Plachy Hall.
On Friday, November 1st, the Grizzlies entered the battle zone with the mighty Utah State Aggies for their first game of the season. The game ended with the Grizzlies falling to the Aggies at 86-55. Senior Charles Cole Jr., (Ann Arbor, Michigan) led the Grizzlies with 14 points to the basket. A team effort of 8 points from junior Kenny Morgan (Rialto, Calif), 7 points from junior Lee Lark (Los Angeles, Calif), 6 points from senior Julian Scott (Sacramento, Calif), 4 points each from sophomore Okechukwu Arnold (Abuja, Nigeria) and Mike Hemsley (Washington, D.C.), three points from DeQuan Jones (Brooklyn, NY), and two points from Jaree Crawford (Gary, IN.)
On Saturday, the team traveled to Weber State for another exhibition, but lost 85-77 to the Wildcats. The leading score came from Jones, with Cole tallying 15, Scott 11, Lark 9, Hemsley 8, Mikey Hope (Tacoma, Washington) 6, 5 points each from Bruno Machado (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Morgan, and 2 from Arnold. There were 42 total rebounds with 14 coming from offense and 28 from defense. Hemsley, Jones, and Machado topped the rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Scott was the highlight of Tuesday night’s final exhibition against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV.) Scoring an impressive 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, Scott’s performance showed what the Grizzlies have to offer this season.
“There were certainly great improvements from the first game against Utah State to Tuesday night’s game. Our team got a better feel of the coaches’ offensive style which created better opportunities for more guys to get involved. Improvements came from the defensive players as well, but not to a satisfaction that will win games. We played in hostile environments and never backed down. I believe we have what it takes to win the national title, we just have to take it day by day, improving with each game.”
Cole and Lark added 11 and 6 points each, while Hemsley chipped 5 points, Jones 4, and Anderson and Machado tallied 2 each. In the first eight to ten minutes, the Grizzlies juggled roughly twelve players on the court, throwing their best players at the Rebels. The largest lead came from the Grizzlies in the first half. ASU led the Rebels with four valuable points but the Rebels took charge in the second half, having a long ten-point lead. Unable to handle the pressure from the number four ranked Grizzlies, the Rebels were tossed up and down the court and had to bounce a team effort to pull through with a win.
The top scorer over the three games came from Cole, the Michigan native who averaged 14 points for the Grizzlies. Cole averaged 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists over two seasons at South Mountain Community College and came to Adams State with hopes to average 20 points each game.
“I haven’t had a peak performance over the three games, but collectively, this was a good experience and well needed for the Grizzly family. We had a successful trip in terms of learning the system and we took big strides in stepping into our roles. We’re ready to get back to the lab to work on approaching the RMAC with champion confidence,” says Cole.
The Grizzlies are scheduled to open league play this Saturday, November 9th for the Bankers’ Classic. ASU will face Portland Bible College from the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) at 7pm in Plachy Hall.
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