Horizon League Notebook
Player of the Week: Matt Howard, Butler. The freshman from Connersville, Ind., averaged 19.3 points and seven rebounds per game in leading the Bulldogs to three victories. He scored 22 points on Jan. 10 against Green Bay.
Butler Bulldogs (16-1 overall, 5-1 Horizon League)
Last week’s record: 3-0
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Loyola: W 66-55
Jan. 10 vs. UW-Green Bay: W 74-65
Jan. 12 vs. UW-Milwaukee: W 72-56
Only top-ranked North Carolina has more victories in the country this season than the Bulldogs, who are off to their best start in school history. Senior guard Mike Green has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games – the same streak as the Bulldogs’ win streak.
This week, the Bulldogs will play two games in Ohio, including a battle for first-place against Cleveland State on Jan. 17.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Cleveland State
Jan. 19 at Youngstown State
Cleveland State Vikings (12-5, 5-0)
Last week’s record: 2-0
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Detroit: W 74-64
Jan. 12 vs. Wright State: W 65-63
For years, the Vikings were looking up at the rest of the league. This year, they’re looking down as they lead the league just shy of the halfway point of the league season. The Vikings are 5-0 in league play, which is their best start since the 1992-93 season. The 12-5 mark is also their best mark in 15 seasons.
This week, eyes will be on J’Nathan Bullock, who just needs 20 points to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. This week, the Vikings will be tested when Butler comes to town in what should draw the biggest home game crowd since North Carolina came in a few seasons ago. Then, on Jan. 19, the Crusaders come to town.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Butler
Jan. 19 vs. Valparaiso
Detroit Titans (4-12, 0-6)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Cleveland State: L 74-64
Jan. 12 vs. Youngstown State: L 70-66
The Titans have lost 10 straight games, making a 4-2 start seem a distant memory. Detroit last won Nov. 28 against Eastern Michigan.
Senior Jon Goode did become the 34th player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points with a 21-point effort against Youngstown State. He now has 1,014 points. Goode also ranks second in the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game.
The 10-game slide is the longest since a 12-game losing streak in 1998-99. The Titans will head to Chicago for a pair of game in hopes of preventing the school’s longest losing streak.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Loyola
Jan. 19 at Illinois-Chicago
Illinois-Chicago Flames (9-7, 3-2)
Last week’s record: 1-0
Week recap:
Jan. 12 vs. Loyola: W 78-68 (2 OT)
In 2002, Loyola and Illinois-Chicago battled in overtime for the Horizon League tournament championship. On Jan. 12, they were at it again. Only this time it was in double overtime. The Flames won both instances. The victory on Jan. 12 snapped a three-game slide, and kicked off a three-game home stand on a positive note.
Junior guard Josh May led the Flames with a 20-point effort, and Scott VanderMeer scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Senior guard Karl White Jr. chipped in with 19 points.
This week, the Flames continue their home stand where they have been tough to outscore. The Flames are averaging 82 points per game at home, compared to 63 on the road. Wright State and Detroit come to Chicago this week.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Wright State
Jan. 19 vs. Detroit
Loyola Ramblers (5-11, 1-5)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Butler: L 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Illinois-Chicago: L 78-68 (2 OT)
The Ramblers have lost at least four consecutive games for the second time this season. Earlier this year, Loyola lost five straight, and are just 3-11 since a 2-0 start, including dropping six of their past seven games.
Junior Justin Cerasoli scored a collegiate-high 21 points in the loss to the Flames. Cerasoli has averaged 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in seven games since becoming eligible following his transfer from Mississippi.
Junior J.R. Blount scored 23 points, his highest single-game effort since a 27-point game at Cleveland State last season.
The Ramblers hope a pair of home games will reverse some misfortunes. Loyola is 1-7 away from home this season, but are 4-4 at home.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Detroit
Jan. 19 vs. Wright State
UW-Green Bay Phoenix (9-7, 3-3)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Butler: L 74-65
Jan. 12 vs. Valparaiso: L 82-73
Junior Mike Schachtner scored 34 points in the Phoenix’s loss to Valparaiso, matching the league’s highest scoring game this season. UIC’s Josh Mayo scored 34 points against Bradley on Nov. 10. Schachtner leads the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game. The Phoenix, as a team, rank sixth in the nation in free-throw percentage at 76.8 percent.
This week, the Phoenix host instate rival UW-Milwaukee.
This week’s game:
Jan. 19 vs. UW-Milwaukee
UW-Milwaukee Panthers (9-8, 4-3)
Last week’s record: 2-1
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Youngstown State: W 61-39
Jan. 10 vs. Valparaiso: W 71-69
Jan. 12 vs. Butler: L 72-56
What looked like was going to be a rough season has turned into a promising one. The Panthers have lost a number of players for various reasons, including elite scorers Avery Smith and Torre Johnson, this season. But prior to the Panthers’ loss to Butler, the Panthers strung together six straight victories, last losing to Wisconsin on Dec. 12. The nine victories have already matched last season’s total win total.
Junior guard Deion James led the Panthers against Valparaiso with 20 points off the bench. And, against Youngstown State, the Panthers were a perfect 15-for-15 from the free-throw line.
The lone game on the schedule this week is an hour-and-a-half trip north to Green Bay to play the Phoenix.
This week’s game:
Jan. 19 at UW-Green Bay
Valparaiso Crusaders (12-5, 3-2)
Last week’s record: 1-1
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. UW-Milwaukee: L 71-69
Jan. 12 vs. UW-Green Bay: W 82-73
Valparaiso’s 13-game home court win streak came to an end with a two-point setback to Milwaukee on Jan. 10.
Senior guard Jarryd Loyd came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points, marking the fourth consecutive game he led the Crusaders in scoring. Sophomore Samual Haanpaa scored 24 points to lead the Crusaders against the Phoenix. Loyd has not started a game this season, but still leads the team in scoring at 12.2 per game.
This week, the Crusaders hit the road to renew acquaintances with old Mid-Continent Conference rival Youngstown State. Then it’s off to league-leading Cleveland State.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Youngstown State
Jan. 19 at Cleveland State
Wright State Raiders (9-6, 2-4)
Last week’s record: 1-1
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Youngstown State: W 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Cleveland State: L 65-63
The defending league tournament champions split last week’s games with instate rivals Youngstown State and Cleveland State. In four of the Raiders’ six league games thus far, the final margin was decided by five points or less with the Raiders going 1-3 in those games.
Junior guard Vaughn Duggins scored 34 points with nine assists in the two games.
The injury bug has bit the Raiders also. Sophomore John David Gardner will miss four to six weeks with a broken bone in his left foot, and junior Gavin Horne will continue to miss at least another week with a sprained ankle.
The Raiders have a pair of games in Chicago this week with Illinois-Chicago and Loyola.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Illinois-Chicago
Jan. 19 at at Loyola
Youngstown State Penguins (7-9, 3-3)
Last week’s record: 1-2
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. UW-Milwaukee: L 61-39
Jan. 10 vs. Wright State: L 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Detroit: W 70-66
The Penguins salvaged a rough start to a busy week with a victory over slumping Detroit, 70-66. This year, the Penguins are 7-0 when leading at halftime, and 0-9 when trailing after 20 minutes. In the victory over Detroit, the Penguins hit 11 3-pointers, marking the 11th time in coach Jerry Slocum’s three-year tenure at YSU that the Penguins have made at least 10 3-pointers in a game.
This week, the Penguins host the Crusaders for the first time since Feb. 10, 2001. Then Butler comes to town.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Valparaiso
Jan. 19 vs. Butler
