2008 Woodie Awards
Men's basketball breaks school record with losing streak
By Adam Brewer
Rocket Sports Editor
Issue date: 2/3/06 Section: Sports
It was another loss and a new mark set Wednesday night.
The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team dropped its school-record 21st straight game with an 82-71 loss at Edinboro.
The Rock (1-22 overall, 0-8 PSAC West) lost the game despite four players scoring in double-figures.
The Rock never trailed in the first half. Its biggest lead of the frame was 11 (34-23), with nine minutes remaining. Edinboro (15-7, 6-1) trimmed the deficit to four, 39-35, heading into intermission.
Edinboro came out shooting and pressing the ball more in the second half, scoring the first seven points. The Fighting Scots erased the Rock's lead two minutes into the final half. The Rock never fully recovered.
Sophomore guard Brandon Thompson led the Rock with 20 points. Freshman guards Matt Hale and Jamar Scales chipped in with 18 points and 11 points, respectively. Senior center Dejan Jancic came off the bench, earning a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Only five Edinboro players scored in the game. Senior guard Torry Mitchell led the team with 26 points.
"They had a couple of big playmakers on their team and in order to be successful we had to defend them better," Rock coach John Marhefka said. "I think the toughest team on our schedule right now is us. With seven true freshmen on the roster, we are losing the mental game."
The Rock shot the ball 46 percent from the field, 33 percent from beyond the arc and 65 percent from the foul line. Edinboro countered, shooting 48 percent from the floor, 36 percent from downtown and 63 percent from the charity stripe.
On Monday, the Rock lost a blowout game to PSAC West opponent California of Pennsylvania (15-6, 5-2) by the score of 80-56.
Leading the Rock was Scales with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. Thompson chipped in with 12 points, while Hale added 11 points and freshman forward Joseph Vines scored nine points in the losing effort.
Cal scored the first seven points of the game and never led by less than four points the rest of the way en route to a 26-point victory.
At halftime, the Rock trailed Cal 39-26. The team rallied early in the second half to trim Cal's lead by four, 43-39, with 15:45 left in the game. Unfortunately for the Rock, Cal answered back with an 8-0 run and held a commanding double digit lead the remaining 13 minutes.
"Transition defense and just defensive effort was not there for us that night," Marhefka said. "We are not showing aggressiveness and effort to win in the PSAC West the past couple of games."
With three of its last four games of the season being at home, the Rock will try to pull off a win as it hosts the Lock Haven Bald Eagles, Saturday. The Rock dropped an 88-82 decision at Lock Haven on January 21. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
On Wednesday, the Rock will host Clarion at Morrow Field House. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team dropped its school-record 21st straight game with an 82-71 loss at Edinboro.
The Rock (1-22 overall, 0-8 PSAC West) lost the game despite four players scoring in double-figures.
The Rock never trailed in the first half. Its biggest lead of the frame was 11 (34-23), with nine minutes remaining. Edinboro (15-7, 6-1) trimmed the deficit to four, 39-35, heading into intermission.
Edinboro came out shooting and pressing the ball more in the second half, scoring the first seven points. The Fighting Scots erased the Rock's lead two minutes into the final half. The Rock never fully recovered.
Sophomore guard Brandon Thompson led the Rock with 20 points. Freshman guards Matt Hale and Jamar Scales chipped in with 18 points and 11 points, respectively. Senior center Dejan Jancic came off the bench, earning a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Only five Edinboro players scored in the game. Senior guard Torry Mitchell led the team with 26 points.
"They had a couple of big playmakers on their team and in order to be successful we had to defend them better," Rock coach John Marhefka said. "I think the toughest team on our schedule right now is us. With seven true freshmen on the roster, we are losing the mental game."
The Rock shot the ball 46 percent from the field, 33 percent from beyond the arc and 65 percent from the foul line. Edinboro countered, shooting 48 percent from the floor, 36 percent from downtown and 63 percent from the charity stripe.
On Monday, the Rock lost a blowout game to PSAC West opponent California of Pennsylvania (15-6, 5-2) by the score of 80-56.
Leading the Rock was Scales with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. Thompson chipped in with 12 points, while Hale added 11 points and freshman forward Joseph Vines scored nine points in the losing effort.
Cal scored the first seven points of the game and never led by less than four points the rest of the way en route to a 26-point victory.
At halftime, the Rock trailed Cal 39-26. The team rallied early in the second half to trim Cal's lead by four, 43-39, with 15:45 left in the game. Unfortunately for the Rock, Cal answered back with an 8-0 run and held a commanding double digit lead the remaining 13 minutes.
"Transition defense and just defensive effort was not there for us that night," Marhefka said. "We are not showing aggressiveness and effort to win in the PSAC West the past couple of games."
With three of its last four games of the season being at home, the Rock will try to pull off a win as it hosts the Lock Haven Bald Eagles, Saturday. The Rock dropped an 88-82 decision at Lock Haven on January 21. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
On Wednesday, the Rock will host Clarion at Morrow Field House. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
