PARK HILLS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team is working to right the ship before going on the road for its next game Feb. 7 at Moberly Area Community College in Moberly.
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the No. 21 Grizzlies dropped their second consecutive road game against a Region 16 opponent when they fell to the Mineral Area College Cardinals 84-68 in Park Hills. Their overall record now stands at 20-5, and their region record is 2-2.
“We just simply struggled to put the ball in the basket,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp said of the loss. “That’s the first time all year we’ve struggled offensively.”
The Grizzlies’ 68 points, he pointed out, is 16 points less than the team’s previous low in scoring output for a game this season.
Despite a less-than-stellar performance in the first half, the Grizzlies went into the break with a 38-34 lead. “I honestly felt good going into the half because we hadn’t played well and we were up 4,” Popp said. “The struggles weren’t just about shooting. Uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced turnovers cost us.”
BRIGHT SPOTS
One Grizzly who didn’t struggle offensively was redshirt freshman guard Radshad Davis, who netted 22 points. “Radshad really gave us a lift. When things weren’t going well, he kept trying to pick us up,” Popp said.
“Ricky (Torres) took a hit and had to sit for a while, and Radshad moved over to the point and really handled everything well for us,” the coach added. “Radshad has been his best since Christmas, and he continues to get better.”
Although the Grizzlies struggled on the offensive end, defensively, they played much better than they have all season. “We spent a solid week on defensive work, and it showed throughout the game,” the coach said. “The first half may have been our best half of defense all year.
“Honestly, in all but the last two minutes, when we were gambling and they were doing all of their scoring, we played very well on the defensive end. As disappointed as I was by the loss, that part encourages me moving forward,” Popp added.
A big part of that defensive boost came from freshman forward Burone Edwards. “Having Burone back was huge. He made some big defensive plays,” the coach said.
Only two other Grizzlies scored in double figures. Freshman guard Jodhe Campbell netted 14 points, and freshman forward Dontell Brown added 11.
UPCOMING GAMES
Popp expects another tough test for the Grizzlies Feb. 7 against the No. 12 Greyhounds in Moberly. “They press the majority of the game, and they throw a bunch of things at you defensively,” the coach said. “They’re tough and play very hard.
“Road wins are hard to come by. We’re going to have to put it together and be good on both sides of the ball,” he added.
The Grizzlies’ next home game will be Feb. 14 when they face the State Fair Community College Roadrunners from Sedalia at 7 p.m. in Joe Paul Evans Arena at the West Plains Civic Center.
“We only have two home games left. The environment has been great the past few games. We’re hoping for more of that,” Popp said.
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 or call 417-255-7991.
Stay up to date with Grizzly Athletics and Grizzly Booster Club news by signing up for text alerts at http://remind.com/join/wpgrizz or text “@WPGrizz to 81010.