WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team opened the 2017-18 campaign in convincing style, picking up impressive wins in the Grizzly Tip-Off Classic this past weekend at the West Plains Civic Center.
The Grizzlies (2-0) defeated Southeastern Illinois College (SIC) from Harrisburg 107-70 Friday night, then turned around and downed Pratt Community College of Pratt, Kansas, 108-88 Saturday night.
“It wasn’t just a case of over-powering someone, we really played well,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp said. “The guys who are the biggest keys for us had really solid weekends, and it allowed other players to shine, as well.”
SETTING THE TONE
Sophomore point guard Ricky Torres set the tone for the Grizzlies, with his 11 points and 10 assists against SIC and 31 points against Pratt. “What was great about his 31-point game in the second game was that it didn’t feel like he was dominating shots. He wasn’t forcing play. He was just very, very efficient.”
Sophomore forward Yannis Mendy also had a solid weekend with 20 points and 10 rebounds against SIC and 12 points and eight rebounds against Pratt. “He played well in both games. I still think he is only scratching the surface of how good he can be,” the coach added.
And redshirt freshman guard Radshad Davis, who missed most of last season to injury, “looked like his old self,” Popp said, pointing out his 16 points against Pratt. “Radshad simply lets the game come to him. Because of that, there are days he doesn’t stand out, statistically, but he is a cornerstone of everything we do,” the coach said. “I asked him to be more aggressive in the second game this weekend, and he came back with 16.”
FRESHMAN CONTRIBUTIONS
Several freshmen also showed off their talents. Guard Niekie Thomas, who helped lead the Springfield Kickapoo Chiefs to a state title a couple of seasons ago, had 19 points against SIC and 12 against Pratt, including a couple of explosive dunks; guard Eric Lovett contributed 10 points against SIC; and forward Burone Edwards overcame a slow start Friday night to record 13 points and 11 rebounds Saturday.
“Niekie can score in bunches. He had a very good weekend. Eric came off the bench and gave us a boost Friday,” Popp said. “Burone struggled Friday but responded with a double-double Saturday. He’s another player who lets the game come to him, which is a great trait to have. It allows teams with a lot of good players to blend and flow.”
THE GAMES
Of the Grizzlies’ two opponents over the weekend, Pratt proved to be the most competitive. “Pratt is a solid team. It was a game where we were never comfortable. They play fast, and they can really shoot it. Our biggest key was defending the 3-point line,” Popp said. “They mixed it up with several defenses in the second half, and it threw us off a bit. In that stretch, they cut our lead to 14 points before we settled down and took advantage of what was there.”
In the other games, Pratt defeated Faith Prep, West Memphis, Arkansas, 136-104 Friday night, and Faith Prep defeated SIC 93-88 Saturday.
Popp thanked the fans for creating a great atmosphere for the tournament. “We really appreciate the support for the weekend. Hopefully, they liked what they saw and will come back,” he said.
He also thanked The Fish Shack and The Pizza Shack for sponsoring the tournament.
GOING ON THE ROAD
The Grizzlies hit the road this week to play Neosho County Community College at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Chanute, Kansas, then travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to participate in the Holiday Inn/Hampton Inn Reiver Classic Friday and Saturday hosted by Iowa Western Community College, ranked 20th in the NJCAA’s preseason poll. They will face the host team at 7 p.m. Friday and Graceland University’s junior varsity squad from Lamoni, Iowa, at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“Neosho is a big, long, athletic team. They’re going to be tough,” Popp said. “Then we face a very talented Iowa Western team at their place. We lost a tough one up there last year, so it gives us a chance to see just how far along we are with some things.”
Popp pointed out Iowa Western will be the Grizzlies’ opponent for their annual Toy Toss Game Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. at the civic center. Fans are encouraged to bring a new or slightly used stuffed toy to toss onto the court after the Grizzlies score their first points of the game. Toys will then be collected and provided to the local U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program.
For complete statistics of the Grizzlies’ games this season, visit http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2017-18/div1/teams/missouristateuniversitywestplains. For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit the team’s website, http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb/, or call 417-255-7991.
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