WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team started the 2016-17 campaign on a positive note Tuesday evening, Nov. 1, with an 88-84 win over Southeastern Illinois College (SIC), Harrisburg, at Joe Paul Evans Arena in the West Plains Civic Center.
“It always feels good to get a win,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp said. “The way we got it, coming back from behind, not playing well in stretches and responding when challenged, that told me a lot about our guys. That’s a great way to start.”
Down as many as 10 points in the first half, the young, scrappy Grizzly squad battled back in the second half to take a 67-66 lead midway through the period. The teams battled back and forth until the final minute when the Grizzlies were able to pull ahead for good thanks to a strong showing at the charity stripe.
“A number of guys stepped up,” Popp said. “Stefan Lakic had a huge second half after sitting on the bench most of the first in foul trouble. He led us in both scoring and rebounds with 18 and 6, respectively. Rashad Davis was just as big finishing with 16, even though he exited the game for 10 minutes with a cut over his eye. That kid is a warrior. He was a big part of us getting the stops we needed.
“Quinton Gray had a couple of big baskets late, Darnell Butler made two crucial free throws, and Ricky Torres had two huge steals for us in the final two possessions. It was definitely a group effort,” the coach added.
Others scoring for the Grizzlies included Gray with 14 points; Butler with 9; Yannis Mendy 8; Torres 6; Lane Duncan, D’Shawnn Coleman and Austin Garner with 4 points each; Isaiah Brown 3; and Marcus Blackwell 2.
The game also revealed a key area the Grizzlies need to improve – rebounding. “My biggest concern with this group is rebounding. We’ve got to rebound the ball better. Cletrell Pope killed us on the offensive glass. He got most of his points off of offensive rebounds,” Popp said.
The Grizzlies also had a hard time stopping SIC’s Richard Gaines, who scored 30 points. “Gaines was hard to keep in front,” Popp said. “We’ve got to do a better job of, when someone gets it going, making someone else beat us.”
Popp commended the atmosphere of the civic center for the team’s first game of the season. “The crowd was good, especially late. It was a close game, and the crowd was into it. We had a great student section,” he said.
The Grizzlies will travel to State Fair Community College in Sedalia Friday and Saturday to play in the State Fair Classic. They will face Murray State College from Tishomingo, Oklahoma, at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, and College of Faith Prep from West Memphis, Arkansas at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.
They will return home Wednesday, Nov. 9, to face Neosho County Community College from Chanute, Kansas, in a 7 p.m. contest. The Panthers, who are coming off a national tournament appearance last season, is ranked 13th in the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball preseason poll.
“We’ve got two games this weekend, then a big challenge with Neosho next week. They’re very big, so it’s going to be a challenge for us on the glass again,” Popp said.
For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit the team’s website, or call 417-255-7991.