Missouri Valley Conference Notebook
by Neal Heston
Bluejays still fly high
Creighton was in danger of falling to 2-4 in MVC play for the first time in Head Coach Dana Altman’s stint there, but two rallies against Northern Iowa stopped that. The Bluejays trailed 28-17 in the first half, but rallied to tie it at 32 by halftime. After falling behind again in the second 20 minutes, the Birds rallied in the losing moments for the win.
A 7-0 start received national recognition, with the Bluejays receiving votes for the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches top 25. It has all been a downhill path since then though, with losses to Kent State, Wyoming, Evansville, San Diego, Southern Illinois, and the latest to Indiana State, who was previously winless in conference play. Going into Northern Iowa, Creighton was in seventh place with a 10-6 overall record and 2-3 MVC mark.
For 39 minutes, Altman and the Bluejays were blown back by a loud crowd of almost 6,800 and a student section that wouldn’t stop taunting them. But when Nate Funk-s 19-foot jumper sailed in, Altman’s cheers could be heard by the Panther fan sitting in the worst seat. He joined his team as they jumped in the middle of the court – sticking it to everyone in the conference who left them for dead.
The Bluejays have momentum and confidence on their side now, and there is a chance to gain even more with two home games this week – going up just at the right time.
Not in my house
As if the game wasn’t heated enough. Neither Southwest Missouri State’s Trevor Fisher nor Southern Illinois’ Jamal Tatum would give up their grip on the ball, even after possession had been granted to SMS with just more than a minute to play. The two players exchanged contact, and several other players came off the SMS bench as well. Fisher and Tatum were ejected for the misconduct, and SMS’ Tyler Chaney, Blake Ahearn and Jeremy Nicholson were all ejected for leaving the bench. Think that might have affected the outcome at all?
Because the situation didn’t qualify as a fight, none of the five players were suspended for any additional games by the league.
MVC Game of the Week
Saturday, Jan. 22: Southern Illinois at Wichita State, 7:05 p.m.
Picked 1-2 by most in preseason polls, the Salukis and Shockers finally meet. Defending champion SIU will head into the contest unbeaten in league play if it is able to hold off Bradley on Wednesday. If Bradley is able to hand the Salukis their first conference home loss since 2001, then the winner of this game grabs sole possession of first place in the MVC.
Southern Illinois has won 23 of its last 25 MVC contests, while Wichita State is 6-1 at home this season. Something has to give. SIU took both contests last season, 73-64 and 84-79, and has won the last five meetings overall. With Darren Brooks, Jamaal Tatum and Stetson Hairston facing off against Jamar Howard, Paul Miller, Randy Burns and Kyle Wilson, expect a close ending.
Other games to keep an eye on: Wednesday, Jan. 19: Bradley at Southern Illinois, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22: Southwest Missouri State at Drake, 7:05 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 24: Wichita State at Northern Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
Hoopville’s MVC Player of the Week: Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley
The junior forward averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds for Bradley last week. During that period, he’s quietly tied Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson for the MVC scoring lead at 18.3 points per game. The Braves may have gone 1-1 last week, but Sommerville’s play was too good to not recognize.
Hoopville’s Newcomer of the Week: Chris Bryant, Drake
Drake missed a chance to reach the .500 mark Saturday, but its freshman guard stayed hot. After putting up a 21-point effort in a loss to Illinois State – the only Bulldog to hit double figures, Bryant is Hoopville’s MVC Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive time.
Southern Illinois Salukis (14-3, 5-0)
Last week: defeated Evansville 69-57, defeated Southwest Missouri State 61-60
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 vs. Bradley, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 at Wichita State, 7:05 p.m.
The Salukis had two huge accomplishments last week: kept Evansville to (what was) a season-low point total in a 12-point win and avenged an MVC Tournament loss to Southwest Missouri State with a last-second 3-pointer. Combined, that now has SIU alone at the top of the MVC standings.
Darren Brooks took charge in the team’s easy victory at Evansville. After falling behind 7-0, Brooks led SIU to a 24-3 run for a large lead, and the Salukis never looked back. Brooks dropped 18 points and just missed a double-double with nine boards. Jamal Tatum and Lamar Owen also scored in double figures.
SMS came to town on Saturday and nearly handed SIU its first conference home loss since February of 2001. The Bears led 34-26 at the half and kept the lead much of the game until the Salukis rallied. A 58-58 game was broken up when SMS’ Deke Thompson converted two charity shots for a 60-58 lead, but Josh Warren stormed down the court and nailed a buzzer-beating trey thereafter to extend SIU’s conference home-winning streak to 30 games. The trey accounted for three of Warren’s 13 points on the day, but it was Mike Dale who led the team in scoring with 15 points.
This week won’t be easy – to say the least. Bradley heads into Carbondale Wednesday, and then the Salukis travel to second-place Wichita State on Saturday. Bradley nearly knocked off the Salukis in Carbondale last season, and Wichita State is 6-1 at home. If SIU comes out of this week 7-0 in the MVC, chances are pretty good for another regular season conference title.
Wichita State Shockers (12-2, 5-1)
Last week: defeated Bradley 88-73, lost to Indiana State 64-60, defeated Evansville 81-65
This week: Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Southern Illinois, 7:05 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 24 at Northern Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
Wichita State salvaged a winning week after demolishing Evansville on Monday, but there isn’t time to celebrate. After a date with Southern Illinois, the Shockers have to turn right around and head to Cedar Falls to face Northern Iowa. Combined record of the two teams as of Tuesday: 26-7 and 8-2 in the MVC. WSU has plenty of work to take care of.
Bradley came into Kansas last Wednesday, hoping for an upset, but the Shockers wouldn’t have it. Paul Miller and Randy Burns led WSU with 14 points apiece – two of four Shockers to hit double figures, and Bradley never posed a real threat for a road win. Indiana State, however, managed to catch the Shockers off guard in their visit to Terre Haute. Wichita State led by six at the half and by at least seven most of the way, but the Sycamores hit 60 percent of their shots in the second half and rallied for the 64-60 win. Kyle Wilson gave a strong effort with 23 points and six rebounds.
Monday’s contest at Evansville sends Wichita into its next two games on a high note. The Shockers won the game from the tip, jumping out to a 40-10 lead and never letting the Purple Aces get any closer than the final 16-point margin.
Northern Iowa Panthers (12-4, 3-2)
Last week: defeated Southwest Missouri State 68-63, lost to Creighton 67-66, defeated Southwest Missouri State 62-53
This week: Saturday, Jan. 22 at Bradley, 7:05 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 24 vs. Wichita State, 7:05 p.m.
One phrase to describe Northern Iowa this season is “It’s never over.” Whether the Panthers trail by 15 or lead by 15, you can put money down that the final score will be decided by the last shot. Unfortunately for UNI, teams rallied against them. One bullet was dodged, but Creighton’s Nate Funk made sure the other was a bullseye. Funk grabbed a loose ball in the final seconds and hit a 19-foot buzzer-beating jumper to send the Bluejays past UNI. Creighton trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and was behind by at least seven for much of the second half. In the 68-63 win over SMS, a 48-33 lead in the second half vanished by the game’s final minute. Ben Jacobson and Erik Crawford propelled the Panthers with late free throws though. Both of the junior guards enjoyed two strong efforts, averaging 18.5 points apiece.
On Tuesday, UNI turned the tables and was the team to rally. Trailing 31-19 at the half at SMS, and 41-29 with 15 minutes left in the second half, the Panthers nailed 73 percent of their shots in the second 20 minutes to storm back for the win and sweep the regular season series with SMS. Grant Stout enjoyed a strong game with 21 points, four blocks and four steals.
Next up for UNI is a trip to Carver Arena Wednesday to face Bradley. The Panthers are 1-13 all-time in Peoria, and even worse, the Braves are 9-0 at home this season. The contest also provides a clash between the league’s top two scorers: UNI’s Ben Jacobson and Bradley’s Marcellus Sommerville, both who sit at 18.3 points per contest.
It doesn’t get any easier, as Wichita State heads into the UNI-Dome Monday. The Shockers are hot and will look to snap a two-game skid to the Panthers, which includes a semifinal loss in the MVC Tournament last March.
Bradley Braves (10-4, 3-3)
Last week: lost to Wichita State 88-73, defeated Evansville 81-76
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Southern Illinois, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Northern Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
The head of the logjam in the middle of the MVC is occupied by the Bradley Braves – a good and surprising team, but also a team with two faces (9-0 at home, 1-4 on the road). The Braves never fail to put points on the board, home or away, but for some reason, it’s almost certain a 75-spot will be put up against them away from Carver Arena. Asking an offense to score at least 75 or 80 points during every road game just to keep even is way too much.
Southern Illinois is licking its chops right now, as Bradley is scheduled to visit on Wednesday. The Salukis haven’t lost a Missouri Valley Conference game at home for almost four years and also boast a 9-0 home record this season.
Northern Iowa heads into town this weekend. The Panthers have lost 13 of their last 14 contests in Peoria, but this Panther squad is just a little different than the last 14. A couple wins this week wouldn’t only break the Braves out of the jam, but would put Bradley in the upper tier of the conference – expected by very few in November.
Illinois State Redbirds (11-5, 3-3)
Last week: defeated Drake 74-61
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Indiana State, 6:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 at Creighton, 7:05 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 25 vs. Evansville, 7:05 p.m.
Illinois State made its only game count last week after easily defeating a hot Drake team. ILS led 35-31 at the half but exploded to start the second 20 minutes with a 16-4 run. Lorenzo Gordon, who has been unstoppable lately, scored 21 and grabbed 13 rebounds. He was one of five Redbird players to reach double figures, displaying just how deep this team is. Six players have the ability to score 10 or 15 each game.
The schedule might as well spit on the Redbirds this week with trips to Indiana State and Creighton. Indiana State just finished a week at home by knocking off Creighton and Wichita State, and as for Creighton, well, few teams leave the Qwest Center with a smile. Evansville visits next Tuesday and will quite possibly be on a four-game losing streak.
Creighton Bluejays (11-6, 3-3)
Last week: lost to Indiana State 74-72, defeated Northern Iowa 67-66
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 vs. Drake, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Illinois State, 7:05 p.m.
Relief. The Bluejays started the season 7-0, faltered to 10-6 and were in danger of falling to 10-7 before rallying at Northern Iowa on Saturday. UNI led 28-17 midway through the first half and appeared to be on path to an easy victory before the Bluejays used a 15-4 run to end the half and force a tie. Creighton fell behind again in the second half and trailed by at least seven for much of the time frame, but managed to come back and take a 65-64 lead with seven seconds remaining.
Chris Foster put UNI back ahead with two free throws, and it was almost enough until Nate Funk picked up a loose ball and swished a 19-foot jumper for the win. The buzzer beater helped CU dodge its first 2-4 conference start in the Dana Altman era. Altman was just as relieved as the players and joined them in the center of the court for celebration.
The Bluejays had lost tough contest after tough contest, but managed to keep their focus after falling behind several times at UNI. It should provide good momentum as Drake and Illinois State head into the Qwest Center this week.
Evansville Purple Aces (9-7, 3-5)
Last week: lost to Southern Illinois 69-57, lost to Bradley 81-76, lost to Wichita State 81-65
This week: Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Indiana State, 5:05 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 25 at Illinois State, 7:05 p.m.
One week ago, Evansville had hopes of using home field advantage to move near the top of the MVC ladder. This week, the team is holding on for dear life. Southern Illinois won easily at Roberts Stadium, Bradley squeezed by on Saturday and Wichita State demolished the Purple Aces on Monday, jumping out to a 40-10 lead en route to an 81-65 win.
Andre Burton enjoyed a strong showing against Southern Illinois with 15 points and eight rebounds, Matt Webster put up 24 in the loss to Bradley, and three players reached double figures against Wichita State.
Ending the losing skid won’t be a simple task with a hot Indiana State team visiting and a road trip scheduled to Illinois State. Illinois State is 8-1 at home – its only loss to Illinois-Chicago.
Drake Bulldogs (6-8, 2-4)
Last week: lost to Illinois State 74-61
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Creighton, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Southwest Missouri State, 7:05 p.m.
A week without a game might have hurt the Bulldogs. The team was rolling until its visit to Illinois State on Saturday. Any chance at reaching the .500 mark was destroyed when the Redbirds opened up the second half of play on a 16-4 run to blow the game open. The Bulldogs managed a mere 39 percent from the field and had only one player score in double figures – freshman Chris Bryant with 21 points.
After compiling 39 points all season, Bryant has exploded the last two games, averaging 23.5 points per contest. Every point he can sink will be appreciated against two very strong defenses this week. Creighton and Southwest Missouri State surrender a mere 63 and 65 points per game, respectively. The ‘Dogs are going to need their experienced players (Klayton Korver, Pete Eggers, Lonnie Randolph and Chaun Brooks) to step up, something that definitely didn’t happen Saturday.
Indiana State Sycamores (7-10, 2-4)
Last week: defeated Creighton 74-72, defeated Wichita State 64-60
This week: Wednesday, Jan. 19 vs. Illinois State, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 22 at Evansville, 6:05 p.m.
What would you do if you had lost eight games in a row, sat 0-4 in conference play and had two quality teams coming to your house this week? The Sycamores have the answer. Chop them down. After dropping its first four MVC games, nobody really gave the Sycamores a chance with Creighton and Wichita State visiting. Indiana State responded with back-to-back upsets and now is right back in the middle of the conference race.
The Sycamores have had problems the last several games of letting leads slip away. Against Creighton, it was Indiana State who made the comeback this time. The Bluejays controlled a 42-32 game at the half before INS rallied. Amani Daanish scored 20 and was one of five Sycamores to reach double figures, as the Sycamores shot a season-best 54.5 percent en route to the 74-72 upset.
The upset wasn’t a one-time occurrence, as the Sycamores overcame another deficit against Wichita State Saturday to upset the second-place Shockers. David Moss led the way this time with 18 points and six assists. It was nothing but net again with INS nailing 53 percent of its field goal attempts.
With another home contest scheduled for Wednesday and a game with a demoralized Evansville squad, this week gives the Sycamores the opportunity to jump high in the standings.
Southwest Missouri State Bears (7-8, 1-6)
Last week: lost to Northern Iowa 68-63, lost to Southern Illinois 61-60, lost to Northern Iowa 62-53
This week: Saturday, Jan. 22 at Drake, 7:05 p.m.
“It’s not fair.” It really isn’t. Not only have the Bears had to face Southern Illinois, Wichita State, Northern Iowa and Bradley, they have been right there at the end. Losses by one, five, two and one – this team could easily be No. 1 right now instead of being at the bottom of the pole. Think of it this way: How fair is it to be seconds away from being the first team to win at Southern Illinois in four years, only to have a buzzer-beating trey ruin it. It’s situations such as those that the Bears have had to deal with in this early MVC season.
Tuesday’s contest with Northern Iowa didn’t exactly help boost spirits. The Bears enjoyed a 31-19 lead at the half against one of the conference’s strongest offenses, only to see the Panthers hit 16 of 22 shots in the second half compared to SMS’ 7 of 21. UNI went on to take the game, 62-53, to sweep the regular season series with SMS for the first time in more than a decade.
This is a temporary position for SMS. With more home games to appear on the slate, expect to see this team rise as the weeks go by. The defense is too good; the offense is much better than last season; and this team is much too balanced to not be near the top. Eight players average at least six points per contest. The same amount average at least 17 minutes played per game. The Bears are deep, and that will show later on in the season.
