Men's Basketball News - 2009-10
Game recaps written by Tim McNicholas
Bees Split Two Games at Pepsi Challenge
Nov. 14, 2009
SAU’s record was blemished Friday, when they fell hard in a
52-70 loss to Missouri Valley at home in their Pepsi Challenge opener. The team
was broken down and exploited, went into the second half trailing 34-19, and
eventually failed to overcome the deficit.
Falling from perfection is an upsetting concept, but to
paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald, to confuse a single defeat with a final defeat
is foolish. On Saturday, the Fighting Bees found themselves educated from the
loss—the way a functioning team should—and unleashed a fury on an unfortunate
victim, Grace College, at home 81-67 to cap off the Pepsi Challenge.
“The bad game Friday made us realize that we needed to come
out ready to play from the beginning Saturday,” said sophomore Mike Kennedy, who
salvaged only two points in 19 minutes of playing time Friday before posting
twenty-one points in a dominant performance against Grace.
After looking restrained and helpless against Missouri
Valley, the entire roster seemed to have undergone overnight transformations
similar to Kennedy’s Saturday, controlling playing toe-to-toe with Grace College
as the game began before absolutely controlling them in the second half.
Senior Alex Burkle, who scored only two points in his seven
minutes on Friday, racked up 13 points in only 13 minutes of playing time on
Saturday, assistance his team’s declaration of supremacy above an overwhelmed
Grace College. Granted, Grace hung on tight for the first half ride, finishing
it knotted up in a 43-43 tie after watching their nine-point lead disintegrate.
SAU began to struggle slightly with 5:30 remaining in the half, but gradually
recomposed themselves, eventually topping off their comeback with an eight point
run ignited by a three-point jumper from Kennedy and finished by five
consecutive points from junior guard Justin Tiner.
Ambrose failed to let up in their exhilarating pace
throughout the second half, eventually wearing Grace College down and providing
themselves with plenty of separation and insurance. The team advanced to 2-1
with the victory, and aim to build on the victory November 20-21 in their
season’s first road trip to Indianapolis.
In the other Pepsi Challenge games, Grace defeated St.
Francis (Ill.) 65-56 on Friday and Missouri Valley beat St. Francis 69-65 on
Saturday.
SAU Opens Regular Season with Win
Nov. 8, 2009
Yesterday, the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees men’s basketball
team fell short in an exhibition game, losing 47-61 at St. Louis University,
before recomposing themselves and catapulting their regular season with a 77-65
victory over Silver Lake College at home. The win is a great stride the right
direction for SAU, and proof that they can live up to and beyond their #5 MCC
preseason ranking.
After Bryce Davis gave the Fighting Bees an
early lead with a successful jump shot, the team rolled on in success, finishing
the first half with a 40-29 lead over Silver Lake. Mike Kennedy, a 6’6 sophomore
forward who could pass as a direct descendant of Paul Bunyan, led his team’s
first half offense with eight points. “It was very important that we started off
the season with a win. Coming off a loss last night against SLU, we really
needed that,” remarked Kennedy on the opener. Sean O’Reilly, a 6’1 sophomore
guard who played high school basketball with Mike Kennedy at Brother Rice in
Chicago, Ill, was also a major offensive contributor throughout, scoring six of
the team’s forty first half points.
Playing aggressive offense, Silver Lake
began to exploit SAU’s defensive flaws in the game’s second half. After trailing
heavily, SLC miraculously tied the game at 47 with twelve minutes remaining.
Shortly thereafter, Kennedy and O’Reilly ignited a strong offensive flame,
helping SAU regain a comfortable lead. After knotting up the score, Silver Lake
was punished immediately with a six-point, SAU run composed by O’Reilly’s four
points and Kennedy’s two.
“There’s a strong connection
between us since we’ve been playing with each other for six years in a row now.
We know where each other are on the court at all times and we know each other’s
tendencies,” said Kennedy on the chemistry between him and O’Reilly. O’Reilly
eventually edged out Kennedy as the game’s leading scorer with 15 points to
Kennedy’s 14, but according to Kennedy there is no competition between the two
for supremacy. “We both put the brown thing in the round thing.”
The Fighting Bees, who aim to
carry on victoriously at home November 14-15 in the Pepsi Challenge, are a young
squad but also a team that is bursting with talent and chemistry. Their
potential is frightening, and their success and abilities, surely, will rapidly
increase as the season continues.
Bees Picked Fifth in MCC Preseason Poll
Oct. 27, 2009
After finishing 12-19 overall and 6-10 in the conference last season, the St.
Ambrose men's basketball team was tabbed to finish in the middle of the pack
when the 2009-10 Midwest Collegiate Conference men's basketball preseason poll
was released today. The Bees were picked fifth in the nine-team conference.
Defending MCC regular season champion Grand View was projected as the heavy
favorite in the conference this season. The Vikings received
eight of nine first-place votes and with 79 points overall easily
outdistanced second-place William Penn. The Statesmen finished with 62
points and the other first-place vote in the poll. The Bees received 52
points to finish just a point behind Viterbo and three points behind Mount
Mercy. MCC Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Grand View - 79 points (8 first-place votes)
2. William Penn - 62 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Mount Mercy - 55 points
4. Viterbo - 53 points
5. St. Ambrose - 52 points
6. Ashford - 40 points
7. Iowa Wesleyan - 35 points
8. Waldorf - 15 points
9. Clarke - 14 points SAU Adds Game at NCAA Division I Loyola-Chicago
Oct. 7, 2009
With an exhibition game already scheduled at St. Louis
University, St. Ambrose head men’s basketball coach Ray Shovlain added a second
NCAA Division I opponent to this year’s slate. The Bees will visit Loyola
University Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m.
Loyola, of the Horizon League, won 14 games last season,
including a 74-53 decision over Georgia in the first round of the Dick’s
Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off and a 71-67 win at No. 15 Butler.
SAU will open the campaign with an exhibition at St. Louis
on Saturday, Nov. 7, with tip-off moved to 2 p.m. The Billikens, coached by Rick
Majerus, were 18-14 last year.
"Over the past 27 years as head men’s basketball coach at
St. Ambrose University, we have always competed against the best opponents
possible,” said Shovlain, entering his 27th year at the helm.
“Competing against quality programs has always been a trademark of the SAU men’s
basketball program. The 2009-2010 schedule is no different as we have put
together one of the toughest schedules possible. With two NCAA Division I teams
in St. Louis University and Loyola University Chicago, as well as a number of
top-25 teams in both NAIA divisions and NCAA Division II, this should prepare us
to compete for an MCC Championship and a National Tournament bid.
“We would like to thank the coaching staffs at both Loyola
and St. Louis for giving our program an opportunity to compete against two
high-quality NCAA Division I teams,” Shovlain continued.
Outside of the NCAA Division I opposition, SAU will face
games against five 2008-09 National Tournament qualifiers.
St. Ambrose will host St. Francis (Ill.), Grace (Ind.) and
Missouri Valley in the Pepsi Challenge on Nov. 13-14. Grace and Midwest
Collegiate Conference foes Grand View and Iowa Wesleyan all qualified for the
NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Bees will also host McKendree, a
2008-09 NAIA Division I Elite Eight team, and visit Florida Southern, a 2008-09
NCAA Division II Sweet 16 team, as part of a challenging non-conference
schedule.
The regular season will conclude when SAU hosts Clarke on
Alumni and Senior Day on Feb. 20. The MCC Tournament will begin February 24.
The complete 2009-10 SAU men's basketball schedule is
available here.
Previous men's basketball news
| 
