Alford's Bears Tabbed Second in the League F Conference Prognosticators Are Cor Conference Title
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bear Talk The newsletter for athletics at Southwest Missouri State University Volume 17, Number 1 December 1998 Lady Bears ranked at the top oach Cheryl Burnett's Lady Bears McDowell and guards Melody Campbell are picked to win the 1998-99 and Starr Ryan. CMissouri Valley Conference basket The talented freshman class includes ball crown. In this year's preseason poll, 6'5" Dzenata Kadic, the tallest Lady Bear they edged Drake for the top spot. ever; 6'3" Ann Cavey, who holds the Iowa Burnett labeled the lofty ranking a state high school rebounding record; 6' 1" "tremendous compliment to ow- upperclass Katie Handley; and 5' 11 " Brandi Robinson. men and ow- recruiting class. As the Lady Bears approached the "We' ll smile, accept the compliment, Preseason Women's National Invitation and realize that the only poll that matters is Tournament Nov. 13, Burnett said, "We're at the end of the year," Burnett says. just trying to get as good as we can." This year's Lady Bear quint promises to She didn' t have to add, "In as short a be a blend of veterans and newcomers, time as possible," although with the with nine returnees and five additions. WNIT's mid-November opening and the Jackie Stiles, 5' 8", led the Missouri flurry of games that followed, it was evi Valley in scoring, along with the nation's dent the team had a long way to go in a [Teshrnen, with a 20.6 average a year ago. short time, especially on defense, which Roshonda Reed, a 6-footer, averaged Burnett termed, "a cause for concern." 13 .6 points a game. She's the team's lead In addition to the NIT tourney, there is ing returning rebounder and ranks lOth on a tougher-than-usual preconference slate the school's all-time career scoring list. before the team turns its attention to the Two other starters return: senior guard Missouri Valley schedule. League play Yen Quach and junior guard Sarah Singer. starts at Wichita State Dec. 27 and also Quach, 5'2", was last year's MVC includes a game at Evansville Dec. 29. Newcomer of the Year. Singer has been a The conference home opener is against steady and consistent two-year force, starting Creighton on Jan. 2. 56 of 57 contests. "We look at the year as three differ The team's only other junior, 6' 1" ent, distinct seasons: the preconference, Rachel Johnson, was a strong preseason the conference and the postseason," force in practice, making her presence felt says Burnett. from the get-go. And like she said last year following Another sophomore, 5'8" transfer guard the loss to Notre Dame in the first round Tara Mitchem, is expected to make an of the NCAA tournament, "It's not just immediate impact. good enough to be here. We need to do In the Nov. 9 exhibition game against Myjava Club of The returning "soph pack" also fea something." BT Slovakia, sophomore guard Tara Mitchem, one of two Springfield natives on the team, scored one field goal in tures forwards Carly Deer and Kimberly three attempts, assisting the Lady Bears to a 76-66 victory. Alford's Bears tabbed second in the league f conference prognosticators are cor Conference title. Second-best in the 22, then close out 1998 with an MVC rect, the basketball Bears will be in the league, a notch below favored Creighton, contest at Northern Iowa Dec. 30. Then, on I hunt for the Missouri Valley was the pick in this year's preseason poll. Jan. 2, SMS plays the last of four games Which is fine with Coach Steve with the state of Missouri's other Division I Alford and his Bears - for now. teams, meeting Charlie Spoonhow-'s Alford and company make it plain, Billikens in St. Louis. however, their goal is winning the No one is more anxious to see what championship. November and December hoid than "Until you break through and win Alford, who is beginning his fourth year at the regular season championship, you the Bear basketball helm. haven't achieved what has to be your "Last year's team wasn't as effective primary goal," says Alford. either on offense or defense as we need Two Bears are named to the presea ed to be," says Alford. "I feel our son all-league team: senior center recruiting has largely answered these Danny Moore and junior guard Kevin problems and has given us increased Ault. The two led the Bears in scoring speed and quickness." a year ago, with Moore averaging 15.7 SMS was 16-16 a year ago, but came points a game and Ault 14.8. within an eyelash of the MVC tourney title. Meanwhile, the Bears have a lot of Although this year's Bears are shorter knitting to tend to before league play than last year's squad, Alford notes, "We heats up in earnest in January. With have the potential to have a better shooting the Chase National Invitation team. A lot of our guys can shoot the ball. In Tournament (the preseason NIT) fact, we have nine who can shoot the three." already under their belt, they face a In the opening weeks of practice, extra road game at Butler, an imposing emphasis was placed on defense. "Since December home slate, and two all we have so many guys who can shoot the important MVC tests (both on the ball, playing time will probably be dis road). After opening their regular persed by who will go out and guard on season home schedule against the other end," says Alford. Missouri-Kansas City on Nov. 23, Visitors in the Pizza Hut Classic are In the Nov. 7 exhibition game against Athletes in Action, the Bears host the annual Pizza Hut Texas Southern, the Bears' Friday night junior guard Kevin Ault, who is the SMS career leader in Classic Dec. 4-5, host Long Beach foe, Texas-Pan American and Louisiana free-throw percentage (. 881 ), scored four field goals on Dec. 9 and Southeast Missouri Dec. Tech. BT nine attempts, two of which were three-pointers. 1 Passing yardage key in three-win streak Homecoming win first in five years ere's a memo to Bear grid fans There was more good everywhere: Put a big checkmark news the following week: a Hbeside the score of the 1998 28-13 Gateway Conference Homecoming football game played at victory over Southern Plaster Field Oct. 24: SMS 45, Southeast Illinois, also at Plaster Field. Missouri 10. The Bears' second-half Not only did the Bears click on all play was almost a carbon cyclinders, especially in the second half, copy of the previous week, but they also decisively brought to an end especially on defense. a four-game Homecoming losing streak. "For our defense to shut "Obviously, it was a big win for us," . down an offense like Southern says Coach Del Miller. "We had a lot of big Illinois has, and to limit it to plays on both sides of the ball and some only three second-half points, clutch efforts when we had to have them." is tremendous. The Salukis The Bears led 17-10 at halftime before came into the game with the breaking it open. The third quarter hero league's leading rusher and ics included two touchdown passes - a one of the Gateway's top 64-yard pass play from quarterback quarterback-receiver combina Derek Jensen to wide receiver Robert tions," says Miller. Rose on the fourth play of the quar- ter and an 18-yarder to Sean Adams. Minutes later, running back Corey McGriff made it into the end zone on an 8-yard run, and he capped the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 5-yard scamper. For the game, the Bears rolled up 445 yards, including 320 through In the Nov. 7 win against Illinois State, sophomore wide the air. Yet it was the running game receiver Robert Rose caught two passes for 11 yards. that gave the Bears a big boost. Rose has an average of 44.3 yards per game through Maurice Daniels scored on a 45- nine games this season. yard run in the Bears' first series The 49-42 conference victory Nov. 7 and had 97 yards for the game. again st Illinois State came late in the Southeast, which entered the game _ game. Less than a minute before half averaging 150 yards on the ground, time, the score was 14-34, with the was limited to 75 yards rushing. Bears down by 20. "We wanted to get the ball in In the fifth quarter Homecoming action on Oct. 24, ''I'm sure a lot of radios got turned off Daniels's bands more," says Miller, Chubby Checke1; left, was joined by sophomore lineback at that point," says Miller. "The great "but their defensive alignment ers Mike Lindsley, cente1; and Corky Martin, right, in the famous "Twist." thing was, when I looked out at our play opened up the pass." As for Daniels's ers, I saw that we didn't have a group big run early, Miller notes, "He has that was quitting out there." the knack for finding the opening." And for the second week in a row, Then the momentum started to change. It was a great day passing for Jensen, Jensen and Daniels formed a potent one The Bears completely shut ISU out of the who completed 18 of 25 passes for 271 two offensive punch. Jensen completed end zone in the third quarter, only allow yards.