Not Just Another Game

This statement has two meanings for me.  First of all, our game in Pella was not just another game that ends in a 2 point loss, but also for our game against Loras on Saturday, it is the first time that two teams with a tied record are playing each other on the last night of the year.  Steve Phelps, our SID, has told me he has went back 30 years, and this has not happened.  So let’s get ready for a lot of fun.

The game in Pella was something else.  In my last blog, I had talked about the 3 guards, and Keith Pedersen.  Those four guys went 10-28 from the field, which is 36% from the field from your best 4 players.  If those numbers showed up in 100 straight games, you would say you would win 99 of those.  Well that one time happened to us.  If not for senior night in Pella, Simeon Lang and AJ Meyer, may not have even played much.  But they started, and made a total of 11 3’s between the two of them, after making a total of 7 on the year, prior to the game.  If we are going to stop De Hoogh and Clark, then we need help from others, and we were willing to let Meyer and Lang have some open looks.  But that is the great thing about athletics.  Not only were we down 22 points in the first half, but we showed a lot of poise and class in coming all the way back to have a one point lead.  Things did not go our way in the last minute, but I am so proud of the way our guys hung in there for the whole game.  We never gave up, and I am proud to have these guys on my team.   Central played a real nice game and deserved to win, and our guys showed a lot of heart.

Tomorrow night will be a great game.  Loras is awesome, and have great players.  They are big and tough, and we will have to play one of our best games of the year.  In Dubuque, we played well enough to win, but I would say that neither team played great offensively.  I think Coach Gorton would agree.  I shouldn’t speak for him, he might disagree.  Kyle White is the reigning MVP of the league, and he and his supporting cast can all shoot, rebound, and defend.  They all weigh over 200 lbs. and that makes for a tough match up for us.  But we have our strengths in the game also.  We have a little quickness on them, and probably on paper, a little depth.  We just need to go out and play our game, and not try to change a whole lot.

It is a special night for us, as we celebrate Senior Night.  I will talk about each senior next week.  They are a special group.  Only one of these guys is a starter, but they have never complained and we could not have such a great season without them.  I will talk about each next week.  But I am proud to have these guys in our program.

Go Beavers!!
 

Coach VH