Men's Basketball News - 2011-12

Box score | Tournament bracket

After romping through the regular season and conference tournament, #15 St. Ambrose cleaned up when the Midwest Collegiate Conference announced its 2011-12 men's basketball awards today.

The 25-8 Bees, who are headed to the NAIA Division II National Championship next week, earned the league's Player of the Year (Mike Kennedy), Newcomer of the Year (Nicholas Frazier) and Coach of the Year (Ray Shovlain) awards, and Chris Donnelly joined Kennedy and Frazier on the 10-man all-conference team.

Kennedy (right), the MCC's first two-time Player of the Year since Grand View's Peyton Leslie won the award in 1998 and 1999, has had another tremendous season on the heels of his First Team All-American campaign a year ago.

The 6-6 senior forward from Evergreen Park, Ill., leads the MCC in scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg), and is also among the conference's best in steals (sixth at 1.5 spg), field goal percentage (13th at .513), free throw percentage (14th at .700) and assists (15th at 2.2 apg).

"Mike is truly an outstanding player," Shovlain said. "The reason he is so great is his versatility and how he plays on both ends of the floor. He’s an excellent team player and can do it all – shoot, pass, rebound and play defense."

Since SAU joined the conference in 1990-91, Kennedy is the fifth Bee to win the MCC Player of the Year honor, along with Jim Hornacek (1991), Jeff Stowasser (1994), Matt Fitzpatrick (2004) and Andrew Bryant (2006).

Kennedy also joins Josh Miller (1997-00) as the only four-time all-MCC selection in St. Ambrose history. Ironically, with 2,246 career points, Kennedy is chasing Miller (2,286 points) for second place on the school's all-time scoring list.

He is also currently second among all active players at four-year colleges in career scoring, trailing only IUPUI's Alex Young, who has 2.276 points in his career.

Kennedy's play was bolstered by the emergence of Frazier (right). The 6-2 freshman guard from Bellwood, Ill., stepped in right away, scoring 17 points in his collegiate debut, and never looked back.

One of the top shooters in the country, Frazier has knocked down 47.7 percent of his 3-point attempts to lead the conference and place fifth nationally. He is shooting 47.7 percent overall and is averaging 16.7 points per game.

"Nick is one-of-a-kind as far as being a freshman student-athlete making such an impact right away," Shovlain said. "He is a great player and a great young man."

Frazier is the first freshman named to the all-conference team since Kennedy accomplished the task in 2008-09 and is the third Bee to be recognized as the Newcomer of the Year, joining Bryant (2006) and Justin Tiner (2010).

Donnelly gave the Bees three first-team all-conference picks since Fitzpatrick, Ryan Johnson and Karl Petersen were named to the 2003-04 team. The 6-5 senior forward from Peoria, Ill., has done a little bit of everything for SAU again this season, ranking among the conference leaders in scoring (11.3 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg) and assists (2.6 apg).

But his biggest impact may come on the defensive end of the floor. Donnelly (left) leads the MCC and is fourth nationally by averaging 2.2 blocks per game. With 193 blocks in his career, Donnelly has the most in program history with records going back to the 1999-00 campaign. His 1.5 steals per contest also place him fifth in the conference.

Donnelly also earned all-conference honors last year and received honorable mention following his 2009-10 sophomore season.

Now a five-time recipient of the MCC Coach of the Year award (1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2012), Shovlain (right) has won 557 games in his 29th year coaching at St. Ambrose. SAU won the MCC regular season championship by four games and swept through the conference tournament this year. Shovlain's Bees will take a 15-game winning streak to the National Tournament next week.

The NAIA Division II National Championship field and pairings will be announced Wednesday.

St. Ambrose MCC Players of the Year
1990-91 - Jim Hornacek
1993-94 - Jeff Stowasser
2003-04 - Matt Fitzpatrick
2005-06 - Andrew Bryant
2010-11 - Mike Kennedy
2011-12 - Mike Kennedy

St. Ambrose MCC Newcomers of the Year
2005-06 - Andrew Bryant
2009-10 - Justin Tiner
2011-12 - Nicholas Frazier

Bees add tournament title to regular season crown

Feb. 26, 2012

Box score | Tournament bracket | Video Highlights

After winning the regular season title by four games, it was only fitting that St. Ambrose close out the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament with a dominating performance.

And the Bees did just that, dismantling #7 seed Grand View 84-55 in Sunday night's championship game at Lee Lohman Arena.

SAU (25-8), now winner of 15 straight games, had already earned an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II National Championship by virtue of the regular season conference crown. By also claiming the league tournament title, St. Ambrose allows tournament #2 seed William Penn (17-14) to grab the MCC's second automatic bid.

The championship game against Grand View (17-13) was decided over a nearly 12-minute stretch to close the first half.

In front of an energetic crowd, the Vikings, who had already upset William Penn and #6 seed Mount Mercy on the road to reach the finals, fought back from an early 17-10 deficit to tie the game at 17-17 on an Allen Clark basket with 11:49 left.

That would be Grand View's final hoop of the half.

St. Ambrose proceeded to score the game's next 23 points to build a 40-17 advantage. And the Bees did it by threes. Nicholas Frazier started the run with a pair of 3-pointers. That was followed by four straight three-point plays, two from Chris Donnelly (cutting down the net, right) and one each from Justin Blondell and Mike Kennedy. After an Andy Supergan score upped the lead to 20 points, Marquez Davis capped the run with another three-point play.

Kody Ingle stopped the 11+ minute Viking drought with a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left in the half. But by then, the game was all but over with the Bees taking a 43-19 lead into the halftime break.

The Vikings missed 16 consecutive shots, including their final 13 attempts of the first half. Grand View went 14 minutes, 32 seconds without a field goal before Clark's layup nearly three minutes into the second half. GVU never got closer than 25 points in that second half.

St. Ambrose got another balanced effort, placing four players in double figures. Donnelly led the way with 20 points. Frazier scored 18; Kennedy put together a 15-point, 13-rebound double-double; and Blondell dropped in 11. Davis, the only starter who didn't hit double digits, had five points to go along with five rebounds and six assists.

For the third straight game, and for the fifth time in the last six, SAU shot better than 50 percent of the floor. The Bees hit 30-of-56, good for 53.6 percent.

Amin Ekalino came up with 14 points and seven boards in a losing effort.

St. Ambrose has now won 10 MCC regular season and five MCC Tournament championships since joining the league prior to the 1990-91 campaign. The current 15-game winning streak ties head coach Ray Shovlain's longest winning streak with the Bees, matching a run the 1988-89 team put together. The Bees are only two wins shy of matching the longest in school history, a 17-game stretch in the 1953-54 season under head coach Bob Duax.

Now St. Ambrose will look to keep its run going at the NAIA National Championship, March 7-13, in Point Lookout, Mo.

SAU looking for White Out at championship game vs. Grand View

Feb. 25, 2012

St. Ambrose hosts Grand View in the championship game of the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Sunday night and the Bees are looking for a White Out.

SAU is asking everyone to wear white to the 6 p.m. game at Lee Lohman Arena. The first 250 St. Ambrose students with a student ID will receive a voucher for a conference championship t-shirt, commemorating the Bees regular season title.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

Bees win 14th straight to reach championship game

Feb. 24, 2012

The wins just keep coming and they're coming at a great time for #15 St. Ambrose. The Bees knocked off Waldorf 84-66 in a Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament semifinal Friday night to win their 14th straight and will now host Grand View for the tournament championship Sunday at 6 p.m.

The winning streak is SAU's longest since a 15-game stretch during the 1988-89 campaign, and it's given the Bees the opportunity to play for a conference tournament championship to match their regular season crown.

To do that, St. Ambrose (24-8) will have to defeat #7 seed Grand View (17-12), who handed the Bees one of their two conference losses, a 62-53 setback in Des Moines, Iowa, back on Jan. 7. The Vikings have already picked up two road wins in the conference tournament, defeating #2 seed William Penn 93-88 in the quarterfinals and taking down #6 seed Mount Mercy 77-62 in the semis Friday night.

To reach the title game, the Bees placed all five starters in double figures to get past Waldorf (14-13) in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.

St. Ambrose hit its first seven shots from the floor in taking an early 18-9 lead and stayed hot for the majority of the night. The Bees shot 63.6 percent in the first half yet led only 39-38 after 13 first-half turnovers.

The Warriors actually took a 41-39 lead in the opening two minutes of the second half and trailed only 67-61 with 7:22 to play. From there, SAU scored six straight points as part of a larger 17-5 run to close the game.

The Bees shot 56.7 percent in the second half to finish at 59.6 percent for the game. They also locked down on the Warriors in the second half, forcing them into just 28.1 percent shooting over the game's final 20 minutes.

Mike Kennedy (left) finished with a game-high 23 points and added eight rebounds. Nicholas Frazier (right) hit for 22 points, Marquez Davis scored 15, Justin Blondell finished with 12 and Chris Donnelly added 10 as the Bee starters combined for 82 of the team's 84 points. All five starters shot better than 50 percent and collectively finished 30-of-46 (65.2 percent) from the floor.

St. Ambrose, with an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship thanks to the MCC regular season title, will face a Grand View team looking to secure the league's other automatic bid by winning the tournament championship. An SAU win would give William Penn, the tournament's #2 seed, the conference's other berth.

The championship game will be available on SAUtv.

SAU hangs on to defeat Iowa Wesleyan in MCC quarterfinals

Feb. 22, 2012

Box score | Tournament bracket | Video Highlights

After struggling from the line all night, #15 St. Ambrose came through down the stretch to hold off Iowa Wesleyan 86-79 in a Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game Wednesday night at Lee Lohman Arena.

The Bees hit 11 of their final 12 from the line over the last 1:36 after making only 7-of-15 to that point to foil any Tiger upset hopes.

St. Ambrose (23-8), now winners of 13 straight, a streak last matched by the 2003-04 SAU team, will face Waldorf in a semifinal Friday at 7 p.m. at Lee Lohman Arena.

Waldorf (14-12) earned a 76-70 win at Clarke on a crazy first day of the MCC Tournament. Top-seed SAU was the only higher seed to win in the quarters as #2 William Penn (lost 93-88 to Grand View), #3 Ashford (lost 77-74 to Mount Mercy) and #3 Clarke all lost at home.

The Bees did enough at the end to avoid joining the list of upsets. With St. Ambrose nursing a 75-70 lead, Marquez Davis (left) grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and hit two from the line. His pair started a string of 10 straight makes from the line, with Davis hitting eight in the run. Justin Blondell (right) knocked down 1-of-2 with 13 seconds to play to end the scoring.

Other than the free throw struggles, the Bees shot well, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc.

St. Ambrose led by as many as 13 points in a first half that saw the Bees knock down eight 3-pointers on their way to a 38-33 halftime advantage.

Both offenses got rolling in the second half. Iowa Wesleyan (12-14) shot 51.5 percent and SAU shot at a 58-3-percent clip after halftime. The Tigers still trailed by 10 with 3:20 to play before making one final charge. With St. Ambrose missing three straight free throws, including the front end of a 1-and-1, IWC got to within five points with just under two minutes left. The Tigers appeared poised to get closer after Donnelly missed two free throws but Davis corralled the rebound and was fouled leading to SAU's big run from the line.

Five Bees finished in double figures, led by Blondell's 16 points. Mike Kennedy and Nicholas Frazier each scored 15 and Davis and Andy Supergan each added 13.

The Bees will now turn their attention to a Waldorf team they defeated twice during the regular season - 80-72 at home on Jan. 14 and 101-83 in Forest City, Iowa, on Feb. 11.

The winner of Friday's semifinal will advance to Sunday's championship game to play the winner of the Grand View-Mount Mercy game.

Bees continue climb in NAIA Division II rankings

Feb. 20, 2012

St. Ambrose continued its steady climb up the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, moving up another spot to #15 in the latest poll released today.

The Bees extended their winning streak to 12 games by picking up wins over Viterbo and Iowa Wesleyan last week. SAU finished the regular season 22-8 overall and won the Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season championship by four games with a 16-2 league mark.

Northwood (Fla.) grabbed 12 of the 14 first-place votes to regain the top spot in the poll. Dordt (Iowa) picked up the other two first-place tallies to take second place. Oregon Tech, Davenport (Mich.) and McPherson (Kan.) round out the top five.

St. Ambrose remains the only MCC team in the top 25, but Ashford and William Penn continue to receive votes.

The Bees will next open the MCC Tournament Wednesday night at 7 p.m. by hosting Iowa Wesleyan in a quarterfinal contest.

Kennedy earns MCC Player of the Week honor for fifth time

Feb. 20, 2012

Box score | MCC Tournament bracket

Another huge week and another Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Week honor for Mike Kennedy (right). The senior forward won the MCC weekly award for the fifth time this season today as he helped St. Ambrose stretch its winning streak to 12 games last week.

Kennedy averaged 25.5 points on 51.5 percent shooting from the field and 17.5 rebounds over the two wins last week.

He started the week with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in a 79-69 win over Viterbo Wednesday night. He hit 8-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the line.

But Kennedy had perhaps his best all-around performance of the year in Saturday's 70-61 win at Iowa Wesleyan. He shot 9-of-18 from the floor and 11-of-15 from the line to finish with 29 points. He pulled down a career-best 24 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, and added three steals, two assists and a blocked shot. Kennedy had a double-double in each half.

Only seven players in St. Ambrose history have grabbed more than Kennedy's 24 boards in a single game, and it's only been surpassed once since 1957, when Mark Kedzior had 26 rebounds against Wis.-Platteville in 1972.

This season, Kennedy is averaging 19.0 points and 8.6 rebounds. The Bees open the MCC Tournament Wednesday night at 7 p.m. by hosting Iowa Wesleyan in a quarterfinal contest.

Donnelly named to Academic All-America First Team

Feb. 20, 2012

CoSIDA release

Chris Donnelly (right) was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Men's Basketball First Team today. He advanced to the national ballot after earning all-district honors earlier this month.

The teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions and are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) based on the students' work on the court and in the classroom.

Donnelly, from Peoria, Ill., is majoring in Industrial Engineering at St. Ambrose and is a key contributor to the nationally-ranked Fighting Bee basketball team.

The 6-5 senior forward leads the team, and is fourth in the country, by averaging 2.1 blocked shots per game. He also leads the team in steals (1.5 steals/game), is second in both rebounds (6.0 rebounds/game) and assists (2.6 assists/game), and is third in scoring (11.2 points/game).

Donnelly and the Bees are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak and have already clinched a berth in the 2012 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament, starting March 7 in Point Lookout, Mo. SAU will open Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament play Wednesday night by hosting Iowa Wesleyan.

Donnelly was joined on the first team by Casey Coons of Taylor, Kevin Dawson of Saint Francis (Ind.), Coleson Rakestraw of John Brown and Andy Schweitzer of Nebraska Wesleyan.

Kennedy's 29 points, 24 rebounds leads SAU to 12th straight win

Feb. 18, 2012

In the final regular season game of his career, St. Ambrose senior Mike Kennedy (right) came up with 29 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Bees to their 12th straight win, a 70-61 decision over Iowa Wesleyan Saturday afternoon.

The win, which moved #16 St. Ambrose to 22-8 overall, will setup a rematch between the two teams in the quarterfinals of the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. The Bees, who won the MCC regular season championship with a 16-2 league mark, will host the eighth-seeded Tigers Wednesday at 7 p.m.

But Saturday, Kennedy had his way with Iowa Wesleyan (12-13, 7-11 MCC). He recorded a double-double in each half, recording 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half before adding 16 points and 14 boards in the second.

And the Bees needed every one of his points and rebounds. Kennedy's 9-of-18 performance from the field stood out as neither team shot 40 percent from the floor.

SAU's top three scorers - Kennedy, Nicholas Frazier (19 points) and Marquez Davis (10) - combined to shoot 19-of-37 (51.4 percent), while the other seven Bees finished just 1-of-14 (7.1 percent).

Along with Kennedy's standout performance, the game was decided at the line. St. Ambrose hit 26-of-36 while Iowa Wesleyan was just 5-of-14. The Bees pulled away late thanks to a 7-0 run, fueled by five free throws, that turned a 60-58 lead with 3:16 to play into a 67-58 advantage with just 29 seconds remaining. SAU hit 8-of-12 from the line over the final two minutes.

Already in the SAU record books as the program's third leading scorer all-time, Kennedy now added his name among the school's rebounding leaders. Only seven players in St. Ambrose history have grabbed more than Kennedy's 24 boards in a single game, and it's only been surpassed once since 1957 (Mark Kedzior had 26 rebounds against Wis.-Platteville in 1972).

Now the Bees will look to defeat the Tigers for the third time this season when the conference tournament tips off Wednesday. SAU also picked up an 87-67 home win on Jan. 21. The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the tournament semifinals Friday. The MCC Championship game will be played Sunday.

Bees hold on to defeat Viterbo to move to 21-8

Feb. 15, 2012

With the Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season title and one of the league's two automatic bids to the NAIA Division II National Tournament already locked up, #16 St. Ambrose hardly acted like a team with nothing to play for.

The Bees shot a blistering 64 percent in the opening half in building a 42-30 lead and hung on in the second half to defeat Viterbo 79-69 in Lee Lohman Arena Wednesday night.

With the win, SAU improves to 21-8 overall and 15-2 in the MCC.

Four Bees finished in double figures, led by Mike Kennedy's 22. Nicholas Frazier scored 18, Justin Blondell (left) dropped in 15 and Marquez Davis (right) added 10 in the win.

The hot start saw St. Ambrose connect on 16-of-25 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 3-point attempts. Chris Donnelly's three in the final seconds of the half gave the Bees their largest lead at that point at 42-30.

Viterbo (11-18, 6-11 MCC) stayed within striking distance the entire second half. The V-Hawks closed to within four points at 48-44 with 14:27 to play. But a three-point play from Frazier and two free throws from Blondell upped the SAU advantage to 53-44.

The last Viterbo surge closed the gap to 70-65 with 2:42 to go, but Davis got free inside for a basket, Kennedy added a free throw and Frazier sealed the win with two more from the line with less than a minute remaining to push the lead to 75-65.

St. Ambrose cooled drastically in the second half yet still finished at 50 percent shooting for the game. SAU also hit 25-of-31 from the line while Viterbo hit just 7-of-11 free throws.

The Bees will finish the regular season at Iowa Wesleyan Saturday afternoon. With home-court advantage throughout the conference tournament, SAU will host a quarterfinal game next Wednesday night.

St. Ambrose up two more spots to #16 in NAIA poll

Feb. 13, 2012

Two more wins, two more spots up in the national rankings. St. Ambrose won two more games last week, extending its winning streak to 10 games, and jumped to #16 in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll released today by the national office.

The Bees, ranked #18 last week, picked up road wins at Mount Mercy and Waldorf last week to clinch the outright Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season title and an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament.

Oregon Tech took over the top spot in the poll after receiving 10 of the 14 first-place votes. Former #1 Northwood (Fla.) slipped a spot to #2. Davenport (Mich.), Dordt (Iowa) and McPherson (Kan.) round out the top five.

SAU remains the only MCC school in the top 25, although both Ashford and Clarke received votes in the latest poll.

The Bees will put their #16 ranking on the line Wednesday night by hosting Viterbo at 7:30 p.m.

Kennedy named MCC Player of the Week

Feb. 13, 2012

Mike Kennedy (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week today after helping St. Ambrose (20-8, 14-2 MCC) wrap up the MCC regular season title and an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

This is the fourth time this season the 6-6 senior forward from Evergreen Park, Ill., has won the weekly conference honor. He also earned it on Nov. 7, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19.

Last week, Kennedy averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in a pair of road wins for the #18 Bees.

He started the week with a relatively quiet 11-point, six-rebound effort in a 70-54 win at Mount Mercy Wednesday night. Saturday, he came back with 25 points, on 11-of-15 shooting, and grabbed eight boards and handed out six assists in a 101-83 win at Waldorf.

Kennedy is second in the MCC in scoring at 18.5 points per game and is third in the league in rebounding at 8.0 boards per contest. He is shooting 51 percent from the field this season.

Kennedy and the Bees play their final regular season home game Wednesday night against Viterbo. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Bees reach 20 wins after huge second half at at Waldorf

Feb. 11, 2012

Three Bees topped 20 points, five reached double figures and St. Ambrose shot a remarkable 80 percent from the floor in the second half in picking up its 20th win of the year with a 101-83 win at Waldorf Saturday afternoon. The 20-8 Bees also wrapped up an outright MCC regular season championship with a 14-2 league mark.

Mike Kennedy (left) scored 25 points, Nicholas Frazier (middle) had 23 and Andy Supergan (right) came off the bench to net 21 in the shootout with Waldorf (12-11, 8-8 MCC). The three combined to hit 24-of-34 from the floor (70.6 percent) and 7-of-8 from beyond the arc (87.5 percent).

The rest of the Bees weren't far behind. Justin Blondell scored 15 and Chris Donnelly dropped in 13 as SAU shot 58.9 percent from the floor, 55.6 percent on 3-point attempts and 92.6 percent from the line.

Most of the damage, 62-points worth, was done in that second half. Trailing 43-39 at the half, St. Ambrose turned it on in the second half. The Bees put the ball in the air 44 times in the decisive half and the ball went in 37 of those times. SAU was 20-of-25 from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 17-of-19 from the line.

Despite this, the Warriors maintained a one-point lead midway through the second half. But any upset hopes were crushed over a four-minute stretch when the Bees scored 16 unanswered points to take a 79-62 lead with 6:44 to play, and they led comfortably the rest of the way.

Over the final 9:24, the Bees missed only one shot, finishing the game by hitting 10 of their last 11 from the floor and all 12 free throw attempts.

SAU will play its final regular season home game Wednesday night by hosting Viterbo at 7:30 p.m.

SAU clinches share of MCC title and bid to National Tournament

Feb. 8, 2012

A ninth straight win gave #18 St. Ambrose its 10th MCC regular-season men's basketball championship and a spot in the 2012 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.

The Bees picked up a 70-54 win at Mount Mercy Wednesday night to improve to 19-8 overall and 13-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

With a three-game lead and just three games remaining, SAU has clinched at least a share of the conference title. But more importantly, after already sweeping the season-series from both second-place Ashford and William Penn, the Bees have locked up one of the MCC's two automatic bids to the National Tournament.

St. Ambrose accomplished all this while avenging an 82-69 home loss to Mount Mercy back on Jan. 11, the last time SAU has been defeated. Since then, the Bees have rolled to nine straight wins.

SAU started slowly, falling behind 9-2 in the game's first five minutes, before taking control. The Bees pieced together a 23-7 run over the next nine minutes on their way to a 37-25 halftime lead. Mount Mercy (16-10, 7-8 MCC) got no closer than 10 points in the second half.

The Bees shot 43.1 percent from the floor and enjoyed a 44-34 edge on the boards. The team also forced the Mustangs into just 35.7 percent shooting and a dismal 4-of-26 from beyond the arc.

Marquez Davis (left) came off the bench to lead St. Ambrose with 25 points while grabbing six rebounds. Justin Blondell (right) scored 13 and Mike Kennedy and Chris Donnelly each scored 11. Donnelly also pulled down 11 boards.

Since the MCC was started back in 1988-89, St. Ambrose has claimed 10 regular-season conference titles, but this is the first since the 2004-05 campaign.

SAU still has three regular season games and the MCC Tournament remaining but the team can start looking ahead to the 2012 NAIA Division II Championships March 7-13 in Point Lookout, Mo. This will be the 13th appearance in the National Tournament for the Bees and the ninth in the Division II tournament. SAU's best finish was a Final Four appearance in 2004.

The Bees will next visit Waldorf Saturday at 3 p.m.

SAU climbs another spot to #18 in NAIA Division II poll

Feb. 6, 2012

St. Ambrose continued its steady climb up the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, moving up a spot to #18 in the recent rankings released today. It is SAU's highest ranking since checking in at #13 in the preseason poll.

The Bees have ripped off eight straight wins to improve to 18-8 overall, and have a three-game lead in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a 12-2 league mark. There are just four games remaining in the regular season.

Northwood (Fla.) received all 14 first-place votes to remain the top-ranked team in the country. Oregon Tech, Davenport (Mich.), Dordt (Iowa) and Grace (Ind.) round out the top five.

St. Ambrose is the lone MCC school in the poll, although Ashford is receiving votes.

The Bees will look to clinch at least a share of the MCC regular-season championship Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. game at Mount Mercy.

Bees strengthen MCC lead with win over Grand View

Feb. 4, 2012

Box score | MCC standings

On a day St. Ambrose recognized its seniors, it was the team's newest senior who helped lift the Bees to a 65-60 win over Grand View Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena.

Marquez Davis (right), a senior in his first year at SAU, came off the bench to drop in a team-best 17 points on Senior Day to push the Bees to 18-8 overall and 12-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference. With Ashford and William Penn both losing Saturday, SAU now has a three-game lead in the conference race with four regular-season games remaining.

Davis came up with several big shots in the second half to help fight off any Viking comeback hopes. After Grand View (12-10, 6-8 MCC) used a 9-0 run to pull within three points at 49-46 with just under eight minutes remaining, Davis knocked down his third 3-pointer of the afternoon, to push the lead back to six.

WIth the lead at just five points with four minutes to go, Davis pulled down an offensive rebound off his own miss and scored to get the lead back up to seven. A minute later, he hit two from the line to extend the lead to 61-53.

Despite some shaky free throw shooting down the stretch that allowed Grand View to close to within a point in the final minute, the Bees were able to prevail. Chris Donnell hit two free throws to get the lead to three points, before Mike Kennedy knocked down a free throw after a defensive stop for a 64-60 lead with 19 seconds left. Donnelly added a final free throw with 11 seconds remaining to account for the final score.

Davis, Donnelly and Kennedy, all seniors, scored SAU's final 11 points. The three, along with fellow seniors Nate Thomas (left), Sean O'Reilly and P.J. Murphy (right), and student assistant coach Matt Welding, were recognized before the game for the contributions to the Bee basketball program.

Kennedy scored 14 points and Donnelly added 11, and they both shared team-high rebounding efforts with Davis with seven each. Nicholas Frazier, giving way to the seniors, came off the bench to also score nine. In large part thanks to the work of Davis and Frazier, the SAU bench outscored the Grand View reserves 36-8.

The Bees shot 45.7 percent and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc while holding the Vikings to just 41.1 percent shooting.

St. Ambrose will look to clinch at least a share of the MCC crown Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. game at Mount Mercy.

Donnelly and Yeargle named Capital One Academic All-District

Feb. 2, 2012

CoSIDA release

Chris Donnelly (right) and Mollie Yeargle were named to the 2011-12 Capital One Academic All-District Basketball teams today. The two represent District 5 in the College Division, which includes NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The honor, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the floor and in the classroom. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

Donnelly and Yeargle will now advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

This is the second straight year Donnelly, a senior from Peoria, Ill., majoring in Industrial Engineering, has earned academic all-district honors. The do-it-all forward is among the Midwest Collegiate Conference leaders in blocked shots (first), steals (fourth), assists (11th), rebounding (12th) and scoring (22nd). He is averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game for the Bees, who at 17-8 overall and 11-2 in the conference are ranked #19 in the country.

Donnelly has scored in double figures 15 times this season and has had 14 games of at least two blocks. Earlier this season, he joined SAU's 1,000-point club, and he currently ranks 23rd on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,243 points in a Bee uniform.

Yeargle, a senior guard from Moline, Ill., is majoring in Exercise Science at St. Ambrose. She has started all 22 games for the Queen Bees this season and is averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. Yeargle leads SAU in steals, is second in assists and fourth in scoring. She is also 10th in the MCC in 3-point percentage, knocking down 33.0 percent of her attempts.

Primarily responsible for guarding the opponents' top perimeter scorers, Yeargle routinely holds them under their scoring averages, and is a major reason why St. Ambrose currently ranks 18th in the country in field goal percentage defense (36.0 percent).

Frazier and Davis spark Bees to win over Clarke

Feb. 1, 2012

Nicholas Frazier (left) scored 25 points and Marquez Davis (right) added 19 off the bench to lead St. Ambrose to a 79-64 win over Clarke Wednesday night. The opportunistic Bees also turned 19 Clarke turnovers into 30 points in getting their seventh straight win. SAU is now 17-8 overall and 11-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Davis was instrumental in a big run in each half.

With the game tied at 10-10, Davis scored five straight points to start a 15-2 run to give the Bees a 25-12 lead. The lead was 36-29 at the half.

After Clarke (14-9, 6-7 MCC) scored the first four points of the second half to get within three points, Nate Thomas drilled a 3-pointer and Mike Kennedy and Frazier followed with jumpers of their own to push the lead back to 10.

St. Ambrose put the game away with a big run over a three-minute stretch midway through the second half. Davis hit a pair of threes as part of his 10 points during the big 16-0 run that turned a seven-point lead into a 61-38 advantage. The Crusaders never got closer than the final margin the rest of the way.

Despite both teams finishing with similar field goal percentages, free throws made and attempted, and rebounds, SAU was able to pull away thanks to turnovers and 3-pointers.

The Bees forced the 19 Crusader miscues while only turning the ball over 11 times themselves. St. Ambrose also hit 10-of-25 from beyond the arc, including three each from Frazier and Davis, while Clarke was just 2-of-10 on threes.

SAU will look to extend its winning streak to eight games Saturday when the Bees host Grand View at 3 p.m.

SAU climbs to #19 in national poll

Jan. 30, 2012

St. Ambrose moved up three spots to #19 in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll released today. With its jump from #22 last week, SAU made the biggest move up in the poll. The Bees are 16-8 overall and have a two-game lead in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a 10-2 league mark.

Northwood (Fla.) received all 14 first-place votes to grab the top spot. Oregon Tech is #2, and Davenport (Mich.), McPherson (Kan.) and Dordt (Iowa) round out the top five.

SAU is the only MCC team in the top 25 but Ashford and William Penn are both receiving votes in the poll.

Bees overcome sluggish start to defeat AIB 81-65

Jan. 28, 2012

Box score | Watch Kennedy's buzzer beater

Four players finished in double figures and St. Ambrose cranked up the defense in the second half to help overcome a slow start in an 81-65 win at AIB Saturday afternoon. The win moves the first-place Bees to 16-8 overall and 10-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Mike Kennedy and Chris Donnelly each scored 20 points, and Nicholas Frazier (left) and Andy Supergan (right) finished with 17 and 10, respectively, to lead the Bees.

But it was the SAU defense that limited AIB to just 26 second-half points that helped the Bees pull out the win.

It didn't appear early SAU would need a dominating second half as the Bees lead by as many as 10 points in the first half. But AIB (2-22, 1-11 MCC) closed the half on a 8-0 run to lead 39-35 at the break.

It took just over two minutes of the second half for St. Ambrose to regain the lead. A 7-0 run out of the gate, put SAU in front 42-39 and the Bees would never trail again. SAU took control with a 9-0 spurt midway through the second half that turned an eight-point lead into a 17-point advantage with five minutes left.

St. Ambrose outscored AIB 46-26 in the decisive second half. The Eagles were held to just 8-of-19 shooting from the floor over the game's final 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Bees scored at will, hitting 16-of-28 from the floor and adding 13 free throws to pull away late. SAU finished at 46-8 percent shooting for the game. The four Bees in double figures combined to connect on 24-of-43 shots, a sizzling 55.8 percent.

The Bees also matched a season-low with six turnovers, and committed just one after halftime.

SAU will next host Clarke Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Kennedy's jumper buries William Penn 80-78

Jan. 26, 2012

In a battle of the top two teams in the conference, Mike Kennedy's tough turn-around jumper with 0.9 seconds left (video) lifted #22 St. Ambrose to an 80-78 win over William Penn Thursday night at Lee Lohman Arena.

The Bees, now 15-8 overall, grab a two-game lead in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a 9-2 league mark. William Penn (12-11, 7-4 MCC) fall into a three-way tie for second place with #25 Mount Mercy and Ashford.

Kennedy's shot capped a hectic finish. Nicholas Frazier got free for a layup to put the Bees up 77-75 with 54 seconds left. WPU's Blake Walker and Frazier each hit 1-of-2 from the line to keep SAU lead at two. Walker was fouled on William Penn's ensuing possession and hit a pair from the line to knot the score at 78-78 with 15 seconds remaining.

The Bees brought the ball down the court and found Kennedy, who drilled the game winner with a hand in his face. The Statesmen did not get a shot off at the buzzer.

SAU trailed 12-4 early before rallying behind some strong 3-point shooting. Justin Blondell hit 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first half and Lorenzo Fiol ended the half with a triple from the corner to give the Bees a 50-37 lead at the break.

St. Ambrose maintained a double-digit lead in the early stages of the second half and maintained an eight-point lead at 69-61 with less than eight minutes to play.

But Taylor Stoutner hit four of his six 3-pointers in the second half, on his way to a game-high 25 points, to bring William Penn back, setting up the late finish.

Kennedy (right) led the Bees with 20 points. Frazier and Blondell each scored 17 and Chris Donnelly had 12 points and nine rebounds.

SAU limited WPU to 39.4 percent shooting and forced Alan Douglas, the conference's leading scorer averaging better than 20 points coming into the game, into a 5-of-15 shooting performance and 11 points.

The Bees will next visit AIB Saturday at 3 p.m.

Bees defeat Ashford to retain sole possession of first place in MCC

Jan. 23, 2012

Chris Donnelly (right) scored 15 points and hit a big 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds to help St. Ambrose pick up an important 58-56 win at Ashford Monday night.

Trailing 53-52, Donnelly knocked down his 3-pointer with 28 seconds on the clock to put the Bees in front for good. Justin Blondell, Nicholas Frazier and Marquez Davis each split a pair of free throws and SAU intercepted a long pass with a second left to secure the win.

With the win, the Bees move to 14-8 overall and retain sole possession of first place in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with an 8-2 league mark. Ashford (14-8, 6-4 MCC) falls two games back in the conference race, along with Mount Mercy (15-6, 6-4 MCC), a 64-61 loser to Grand View Monday night. The Bees also pick up the tie-breaker with the Saints after sweeping the season series.

The win sets up another showdown Thursday when St. Ambrose returns home to host William Penn (12-10, 7-3 MCC) in a battle of the top two teams in the conference.

For a stretch in the second half Monday, it appeared the Bees might have to be satisfied with just a share of the conference lead.

St. Ambrose opened the second half with a 7-0 run to take a 35-27 lead just two minutes into the second half. But from there, Ashford twice built a six-point lead, the last time coming at 49-43 with 6:36 to go.

The Bees briefly built a 52-51 lead on a pair of Donnelly free throws before the Saints regained the lead on a short jumper leading to the final 30 seconds.

Frazier (right) finished with 14 points and Mike Kennedy added 12 points, to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, to give the Bees three players in double figures.

SAU shot only 39.6 percent from the floor as a team but outscored Ashford 18-8 from the line.

Bees up to #22 in NAIA Division II poll

Jan. 23, 2012

With sole possession of first place in the Midwest Collegiate Conference at the halfway point of the league slate, St. Ambrose is back in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Bees are #22 in the rankings released today by the national office.

SAU (13-8 overall, 7-2 MCC) is joined in the top 25 poll by conference foe #25 Mount Mercy (15-5, 6-3). The Mustangs are in a three-way tie for second in the MCC with Ashford (14-7, 6-3) and William Penn (11-10, 6-3), who both received votes in the poll.

The Bees face a showdown at Ashford Monday night at 7:30 p.m.

Oregon Tech is the top-ranked team in the country. Northwood (Fla.), Davenport (Mich.), Grace (Ind.) and McPherson (Kan.) round out the top five.

St. Ambrose shoots to 87-67 win over Iowa Wesleyan

Jan. 21, 2012

St. Ambrose shot 51.7 percent from the floor and four players finished in double figures as the Bees defeated Iowa Wesleyan 87-67 Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees move to 13-8 overall and take sole possession of first place in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a 7-2 league mark after Ashford (14-7, 6-3) lost in triple overtime at William Penn Saturday.

Nicholas Frazier led the way with 22 points, Mike Kennedy and Chris Donnelly each scored 18 and Justin Blondell added 13 in the win. Marquez Davis narrowly missed double figures, finishing with eight points.

It didn't take long for the Bees to take control. With the game tied at 6-6, SAU went on a 13-0 run. Kennedy had five points and Donnelly and Davis each had four during the four-minute stretch that gave St. Ambrose a 19-6 lead.

The lead was at 39-25 before SAU closed the first half on a 9-1 spurt to take a 48-26 lead at the break. St. Ambrose shot 55.2 percent in the half and limited Iowa Wesleyan (8-8, 3-6 MCC) to 32.3 percent shooting.

The Bees lead grew to as many as 31 points and never got under 20 points in the second half.

SAU shot nearly 52 percent for the game despite making only two of its final eight shots over the last six minutes with the game already decided. The Tigers shot just 39.4 percent. The Bees also outscored the Tigers 21-9 from the free throw line.

Before the game, St. Ambrose presented Kennedy his 2010-11 First Team All-American plaque and a ball commemorating his 2,000th career point, which he scored Wednesday night in an overtime win at Viterbo. Kennedy is just the fourth Bee to score 2,000 career points for the SAU men's basketball program and is currently third on the school's all-time scoring list.

The Bees have a showdown with Ashford Monday night in Clinton, Iowa. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Photos of ball, plaque, and Kennedy family taken by Sean Jankowski. Courtesy of The Buzz and Sara Clifton, Editor-in-Chief.

Kennedy becomes fourth Bee to eclipse 2,000 career point mark

Jan. 18, 2012

Mike Kennedy (right) took any individual suspense out of the game early. Needing just six points to reach 2,000 in his St. Ambrose career entering Wednesday night's game at Viterbo, the senior forward needed just over two minutes to accomplish the task.

Kennedy scored the Bees' first six points, the final two coming on a fastbreak layup following a Chris Donnelly steal and assist just 2:02 into the game, to become just the fourth SAU men's basketball player to reach the milestone.

The game itself contained significantly more drama as the Bees were pushed to overtime after a late V-Hawk rally before escaping with a 70-69 win after Donnelly blocked a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer. The Bees improved to 12-8 overall and maintained a share of the Midwest Collegiate Conference lead with a 6-2 league mark.

Leading most of the way, St. Ambrose appeared poised to cruise to the win after a 5-0 run put the Bees in front 60-50 with less than three minutes remaining. But Viterbo's Jordan Laufenberg threw in a desperation 3-pointer at the horn to cap a comeback and force overtime at 66-66.

Both teams struggled to score in the extra session. Kennedy and Nicholas Frazier hit baskets to put the Bees in front 70-66 before the V-Hawks had one final rally. Viterbo (8-12, 3-5 MCC) got to within two on an Alex Koeller jumper and pulled to within a point when Izac Sheforgen hit 1-of-2 from the line with just over a minute on the clock.

Donnelly (right) proceeded to miss a pair from the line but made up for it with a huge defensive effort, blocking Sheforgen's jumper to end the game.

The Bees shot 52.3 percent from the floor but were hurt by committing 23 turnovers.

Kennedy scored 17 points to give him 2,011 in his career, good for third place on the school's all-time scoring list, surpassing Bob Cannady, who finished his SAU career in 1994 with 2,003 points. Jeff Stowasser (2,486 points from 1991-95) and Josh Miller (2,286 points from 1996-00) are the top two scorers in Bee history.

Frazier scored 16, Donnelly finished with 13 and Justin Blondell added 12 to give the Bees four players in double figures.

Sheforgen scored 21 in the loss.

The Bees will next host Iowa Wesleyan Saturday at 3 p.m.

Second-half run carries St. Ambrose past Waldorf

Jan. 14, 2012

Mike Kennedy (left) and Nicholas Frazier (right) led four Bees in double figures with 24 points each to lead St. Ambrose to an 80-72 win over Waldorf Saturday afternoon in Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees improve to 11-8 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference and maintain a share of the conference lead with a 5-2 league mark.

The pair helped SAU overcome a second-straight dry spell, similar to the drought that doomed the Bees in an 82-69 home loss to Mount Mercy Wednesday night.

SAU came out energized, racing to a 20-7 lead just 6:15 into the game, behind six early points from both Kennedy and Andy Supergan. The Bees still led 36-29 with 2:25 to go before Waldorf (7-7, 3-4 MCC) closed the half on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 36-36 at the break.

The Warriors kept their run going, outscoring the Bees 17-4 to open the second half, to grab a 53-40 lead. The second half start was reminiscent of Wednesday's game when SAU's early 11-point lead evaporated into a 22-point deficit. But unlike the Mount Mercy game, in which St. Ambrose never got closer than 10 points after falling behind, the Bees quickly battled back against the Warriors.

A 12-0 SAU run, with Kennedy and Chris Donnelly (right) each contributing five points, tied the game at 56-56 midway through the second half. Waldorf re-established a six-point lead before a 7-0 run, capped by a pair of Frazier free throws, pushed the Bees back in front 64-63 with less than six minutes to play.

The two free throws started a stretch where Frazier scored seven of SAU's 13 points to hand the Bees a 73-66 edge with 2:21 left. Waldorf got as close as three points, but SAU closed out the win by hitting 5-of-6 from the line.

The Bees will next visit Viterbo Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Dry spell sends Bees to loss to Mount Mercy

Jan. 11, 2012

In the game's first 11 minutes, #25 St. Ambrose put up 28 points. Over the game's next 20 minutes, the Bees could manage only 10 points. The dry spell doomed SAU as the Bees fell to Mount Mercy 82-69 Wednesday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees are 10-8 overall and maintain a share of the Midwest Collegiate Conference lead with a 4-2 league mark.

SAU came out firing, hitting 11 of its first 16 shots in building a 28-19 lead. Then nothing started falling. The Bees closed by making only 1 of their final 17 shots of the first half to settle for a 31-31 tie with the Mustangs.

The halftime break didn't help. St. Ambrose misfired on 17-of-19 shots to open the second half and watched Mount Mercy (12-5, 3-3 MCC) build a 59-38 lead with just under nine minutes to play.

The Bees did battle back to within 10 points twice, the last time coming on a Marquez Davis basket in the paint with 2:23 to play, before the Mustangs closed out the win.

SAU shot just 30.8 percent from the floor and 20.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Davis (right) came off the bench to finish with a game-high 21 points. Nicholas Frazier scored 15 and Mike Kennedy added 12.

The Bees will next host Waldorf Saturday at 3 p.m.

SAU returns to NAIA Division II top 25 poll

Jan. 9, 2012

After a 4-1 start in league play, the St. Ambrose men's basketball team is back inside the NAIA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll, announced today by the national office. The Bees are #25.

SAU started the year at #13 in the preseason poll but dropped out of the rankings after starting the year 2-4. But the Bees have responded by winning eight of their last 11.

Northwood (Fla.) received all 14 first-place votes to maintain the top spot in the poll for the second consecutive time. Dordt (Iowa), Oregon Tech, Davenport (Mich.) and Grace (Ind.) round out the top five.

The only other Midwest Collegiate Conference team to crack the top 25 is Grand View, who is #24.

SAU returns home to host Mount Mercy in an MCC matchup Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Bees suffer first conference loss at Grand View

Jan. 7, 2012

Grand View outscored St. Ambrose 15-7 over the final 2:58 to hand the Bees their first Midwest Collegiate Conference loss, a 62-53 setback in Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday afternoon. The Bees are 10-7 overall and remain in first place in the MCC with a 4-1 league mark. Four teams, including Grand View, are just a game back with 3-2 conference records.

St. Ambrose trailed 47-46 with 2:58 to play following a pair of Mike Kennedy free throws in a game that featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes. But the Bees came up empty on their next two possessions as Chris Donnelly misfired on a 3-point attempt and Justin Blondell missed the front end of a 1-and-1 as #20 Grand View (9-4, 3-2 MCC) extended to a 53-46 advantage.

Blondell (right) knocked down a triple and converted a pair from the line to cut the deficit to 54-51 with 55 seconds left. SAU could get no closer as the Vikings hit six straight from the line over the final 37 seconds to seal the win.

The Bees shot only 34 percent, including 26.1 percent in the first half, and were out-rebounded 37-25 in the loss.

Kennedy led St. Ambrose with 19 points. Blondell scored 10 and Nicholas Frazier finished with eight.

The Bees host #16 Mount Mercy Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Three Bees spark 75-60 win at Clarke

Jan. 4, 2012

Mike Kennedy (left), Chris Donnelly (middle) and Justin Blondell (right) combined for 63 points to lead St. Ambrose to a 75-60 win at Clarke Wednesday night. The win moves the Bees to 10-6 overall and a perfect 4-0 in Midwest Collegiate Conference play.

The trio finished 25-of-37 from the floor (67.6 percent) while the rest of the Bees combined to connect on just 4-of-19 shots (21.1 percent).

St. Ambrose trailed 17-15 midway through the first half but the three Bees scored 10 points as part of a 12-2 run to put SAU in front 27-19. Minutes later, the Bees closed the half on a 10-0 spurt to take a 37-23 halftime advantage.

A 9-0 run to open the second half extended the lead to 46-23 and Clarke (9-5, 1-3 MCC) could get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Thanks to Kennedy, Donnelly and Blondell, St. Ambrose shot 51.8 percent from the floor. The Bees limited the Crusaders to just 39.3 percent shooting. SAU also forced 20 turnovers while committing only six. The Bees were able to win despite getting out-rebounded 38-25.

Kennedy finished with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, Donnelly scored 21 on 8-of-11 shooting and Blondell added 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Kennedy and Donnelly shared team-high honors with six rebounds each. Donnelly also added a game-best seven assists.

St. Ambrose will next visit #20 Grand View Saturday at 3 p.m.

Donnelly named MCC Player of the Week

Dec. 26, 2011

Chris Donnelly (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week today after being named to the all-tournament team at the Saint Xavier Midwest Holiday Classic last week.

The senior forward from Peoria, Ill., averaged 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game to lead St. Ambrose to a second-place finish at the three-day tournament. He shot 45.8 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the line.

Donnelly started with a modest eight-point, four-rebound performance in a 76-68 win over Aquinas. He followed that by scoring 22 points and pulling down seven boards in a 73-64 victory over Mount Marty. He scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half as SAU overcame a 32-27 halftime deficit. Donnelly hit 13-of-16 from the line and added three assists, three blocks and two steals in the win.

In the championship game, Donnelly finished with team highs of 16 points and nine rebounds. He got to the line 10 times and converted seven in a 72-62 loss to Columbia.

Through SAU's 9-6 start this season, Donnelly is averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 boards. He leads the team with 33 blocked shots and is second with 18 steals. The Bees next visit Clarke to resume MCC play Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Donnelly named to all-tournament team as Bees fall in finale

Dec. 22, 2011

St. Ambrose was unable to repeat its second-half magic for a third straight day, falling to Columbia (Mo.) 72-62 in the championship game of the Saint Xavier Midwest Holiday Classic. After suffering its first loss in seven games, SAU drops to 9-6 overall.

The Bees were able to put together big second halves in winning their first two games at the tournament and made a similar charge Thursday.

Down the entire first half and trailing 40-31 at the half, St. Ambrose fought back to take its first lead of the game at 47-46 on a Lorenzo Fiol (left) 3-pointer midway through the second half. But Columbia (11-4), receiving votes in the NAIA Division I national poll, quickly rebuilt a six-point lead.

The Bees got to within four points with just over two minutes remaining, but with SAU forced to foul, the Cougars hit 11-of-12 free throws over the final 2:04 to pull away.

Chris Donnelly (right), who was named to the all-tournament team, led St. Ambrose with 16 points and nine rebounds. Nicholas Frazier scored 13 and Fiol came off the bench to net 10.

Over the three-day tournament, Donnelly averaged 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 blocked shots and 1.3 steals. He was 22-of-28 from the line at the tournament.

SAU won't take the court again until Wednesday, Jan. 4, when the Bees visit Clarke to resume Midwest Collegiate Conference play.

Bees' winning streak hits six games with victory over Mount Marty

Dec. 21, 2011

For the second straight day, St. Ambrose overcame a second-half deficit to get a win. After coming back to defeat Aquinas (Mich.) Tuesday, the Bees knocked off Mount Marty (S.D.) 73-64 Wednesday on the second day of the Saint Xavier Midwest Holiday Classic. SAU, winner of six straight to move to 9-5 overall, will now face Columbia (Mo.) in the tournament championship Thursday at 4 p.m.

Down eight points in the second half to Aquinas, St. Ambrose found itself down 32-27 at the half to Mount Marty.

But SAU opened the second half with 10 straight points, started with a 3-pointer from Nate Thomas (right) and finished with four straight points from Mike Kennedy, as part of a larger 14-1 run to take a 41-33 lead.

The Bees wrapped up the win from the free throw line. Held without a field goal over the final 7:56, SAU knocked down 15-of-18 from the line to hold off Mount Marty (8-5), who never got closer than three points after surrendering the lead early in the second half.

After shooting just 37 percent in the first half, the Bees warmed to 54.2 percent shooting in the second half.

Chris Donnelly led the charge by scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points after halftime. He finished 13-of-16 from the line, and made 9-of-10 down the stretch. Kennedy finished with 19 points and Nicholas Frazier added 10.

SAU will now face a 10-4 Columbia team for the tournament championship. Columbia has defeated Lourdes (Ohio) 75-65 and Aquinas 66-57 in the first two days of action.

Big second half help Bees to fifth straight win

Dec. 20, 2011

St. Ambrose outscored Aquinas (Mich.) 41-25 over the last 14:10 to pick up a 76-68 win in a first-round game at the Saint Xavier Midwest Holiday Classic Tuesday afternoon. The Bees are now 8-5 after their fifth straight win.

A back-and-forth first half saw St. Ambrose grab an early eight-point lead before Aquinas rallied to take a 27-18 lead late in the half. Marquez Davis (right), playing in his first game with the Bees, scored five of his game-high 26 points late in the half to spark an 11-2 run to tie the game at 29-29 at the break.

Aquinas (5-9) opened up a 43-35 lead with 14:10 to go before the Bees reeled off 12 straight points, the last seven coming from Davis, to take a 47-43 advantage.

Nursing a 58-55 lead with under five minutes to go, Davis drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to up the lead to nine points. The lead was at least seven points the rest of the way. The Bees shot 60 percent (15-of-25) from the floor in the second half to finish at 49 percent for the game.

Davis (left) scored 21 points in the second half and finished 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 on 3-point attempts and 10-of-10 from the line in 27 minutes off the bench.

Nicholas Frazier scored 12 points and Mike Kennedy and Justin Blondell each netted 10. Chris Donnelly had eight points and Andy Supergan (right) came off the bench to drop in seven points.

SAU will next face Mount Marty Wednesday at 4 p.m. Thursday's opponent and game time will be determined after Wednesday's action.

Kennedy picks up third MCC Player of the Week honor

Dec. 19, 2011

For the third time this season, Mike Kennedy (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week. The most recent honor came today after the senior forward led St. Ambrose to a 78-55 win over Harris-Stowe State. He also claimed the conference's weekly honor on Nov. 7 and Dec. 12.

Kennedy scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to help the Bees pull away and move their record to 7-5 overall. He finished 9-of-16 from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 from the line. Kennedy also pulled down 14 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.

Through 12 games this year, Kennedy leads the Bees in scoring at 21.4 points per game and rebounding at 10.2 boards per contest. He is shooting 51 percent from the floor.

The Bees will next compete in the three-day Saint Xavier University Midwest Tournament starting next Tuesday in Chicago, Ill. SAU will face Aquinas Tuesday at 4 p.m. and Mount Marty Wednesday at 4 p.m. Thursday's opponent will be determined by the first two day's results.

Bees' threes lead to big win over Harris-Stowe State

Dec. 17, 2011

Eight different Bees knocked down at least one 3-pointer in St. Ambrose's 78-55 win over Harris-Stowe State Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena. The win moves the Bees to 7-5 overall.

Mike Kennedy, Nicholas Frazier and Justin Blondell each hit three triples as the Bees finished 15-of-30 from behind the arc. Ben Alpen (left) hit two and Nate Thomas, Chris Donnelly, Josh Hutton (right) and Phil Sexton each connected on one.

The hot shooting from deep was part of a strong overall shooting performance as SAU shot 48.3 percent overall from the field.

St. Ambrose took the lead for good on a run in the first half fueled by threes. Trailing 11-10 seven minutes in, SAU went on an 11-0 run behind two 3-pointers from Alpen and one from Hutton. The lead was 38-24 at the half as the Bees shot 8-of-13 from outside the arc and 6-of-12 from inside.

Harris-Stowe State (8-6) got to within 11 points early in the second half before St. Ambrose pulled away. Kennedy scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the second half.

Frazier also finished in double figures with 13 points. Blondell added nine points and seven assists and Andy Supergan scored eight.

Prior to the game, SAU honored Chris Donnelly, who scored his 1,000th career point earlier this season. He was presented a commemorative basketball by his grandfather, John (Jack) Donnelly (right).

Jack Donnelly graduated from St. Ambrose in 1950 as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 915 career points from 1946-1950. He scored what was at the time a single-season record 277 points as a sophomore before re-setting the school mark with 298 points as a junior. Jack was named to the Iowa Conference Southern Division All-Star Team in 1949-50 and was inducted into the St. Ambrose Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.

Kennedy named MCC Player of the Week

Dec. 12, 2011

Mike Kennedy (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week today after scoring a career-high 41 points at William Penn Saturday.

It was the most points scored by a Bee since Al Williams scored 56 against Grand Valley State in 1975 and the first time a Bee has topped 40 points since Bob Cannady dropped in 40 against Rosary in 1993. Kennedy is just the ninth St. Ambrose men's basketball player to net 40 in a game.

And the Bees needed every one of his 41. The senior forward from Evergreen Park, Ill., did most of his damage late, scoring 15 points over the final 9:34 to help SAU rally for an 86-85 win. He finished 17-of-28 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and hit 3-of-7 from the line. Kennedy also grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds.

The 41-point outburst helped Kennedy average 26.5 points over two wins last week. He scored 12 points and pulled down eight boards in an 85-35 win over AIB earlier in the week.

Through SAU's 6-5 start this season, Kennedy is averaging 21.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. The Bees next host Harris-Stowe State Saturday at 2 p.m.

Kennedy's 41, Donnelly's late layup lift SAU past WPU

Dec. 10, 2011

Mike Kennedy (left) scored a career-high 41 points and Chris Donnelly (right) hit the game winner with seven seconds left as St. Ambrose moved to 3-0 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with an 86-85 win at William Penn (6-8, 1-2 MCC) Saturday afternoon. The Bees moved to 6-5 overall.

SAU battled back from an eight-point deficit over the final 9:34 to post its third straight win, all three coming in conference.

Kennedy did much of the work late, scoring 15 points over that final 9:34 as part of his 22-point second half. He finished 17-of-28 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and hit 3-of-7 from the line for his 41 points, tying the sixth-highest single-game scoring performance in school history. Kennedy is just the ninth Bee to score 40 points in a game and the first since Bob Cannady netted 40 against Rosary in 1993.

Despite Kennedy's heroics, it was Donnelly who came through at the end. Donnelly, who was held to just six points, slipped through for a layup with seven seconds remaining to put the Bees up a point. William Penn's shot at the buzzer was off the mark.

St. Ambrose trailed only 49-44 at the half despite shooting only 39.4 percent from the floor. The Bees warmed up to 53.3 percent shooting in the second half and put the clamps on the Statesmen, holding them to just 31.4 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes.

The Bees also survived 59.4 percent shooting from the line, making only 19-of-32 free throw attempts.

Along with his 41 points, Kennedy finished with a game-high 11 rebounds. Limited to just nine minutes in the second half due to foul problems, Nicholas Frazier (left) scored 19 points, with 16 coming in the first half. Justin Blondell (right) also reached double figures, finishing with 11. Donnelly contributed eight boards, seven assists and three steals along with the game-winning shot.

The Bees will next play their final home game of 2011 by hosting Harris-Stowe State Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m.

St. Ambrose blows out AIB 85-35

Dec. 7, 2011

St. Ambrose held AIB to just 23.2 percent shooting in an 85-35 win Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees are now 5-5 overall and 2-0 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Thirteen different Bees scored, and four hit for double figures, in the big win. Nicholas Frazier led the way with 14 points, 12 coming in the second half. Nate Thomas (right) and Mike Kennedy each scored 12 points and Chris Donnelly finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

SAU scored the game's first eight points and never looked back. The lead was 38-16 at the half and grew to 41 points at 62-21 just five minutes into the second half before the Bees coasted to the victory.

But the main story came on the defensive end as SAU completely shut down AIB (1-12), playing its first year of college basketball.

The Eagles shot only 20.7 percent in the first half and improved to a 25.9 percent clip in the second half to finish at 23.2 percent for the game. They made just 13-of-56 attempts from the field and 3-of-17 from beyond the arc. AIB also only converted 6-of-14 free throws. No Eagle scored more than six points.

The Bees shot 52.4 percent for the game and hit 15-of-32 3-point attempts. SAU was 11-of-20 on 3-pointers in the second half.

St. Ambrose will next visit William Penn Saturday at 3 p.m.

SAU defense slows Ashford in 69-56 win

Dec. 3, 2011

Four Bees scored in double figures and St. Ambrose limited Ashford to 32.8 percent shooting in a 69-56 win Saturday afternoon in Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees are 4-5 overall and 1-0 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Nicholas Frazier (left) led the way with 16 points and Mike Kennedy (right) added 15 and a game-high 13 rebounds. Justin Blondell (14) and Chris Donnelly (11) also scored in double digits.

It was a four-point play late in the first half that sparked the Bees.

Leading 28-24 with less than a minute left in the half, Nate Thomas knocked down a jumper as Donnelly was fouled while battling for position underneath. Donnelly buried his two free throws to complete the four-point play, and cap a 6-0 run, to give SAU a 32-24 halftime lead.

The Bees came out of the locker room and scored the first four points of the second half to grab a 36-24 lead. Ashford (3-5, 1-1 MCC) never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

The Saints were shooting only 29.4 percent from the field late in the game until hitting four of their final seven attempts to finish at the 32.8 percent. SAU also outscored Ashford 23-13 from the line.

St. Ambrose will next host conference newcomer AIB Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

St. Ambrose falls 83-75 to #1 Augustana

Nov. 29, 2011

Augustana's Bryant Voiles scored 29 of his game-high 38 points in the second half to help the Vikings get past St. Ambrose 83-75 Tuesday night in front of a packed house inside Lee Lohman Arena. SAU drops to 3-5 overall.

St. Ambrose battled the top-ranked NCAA Division III team in the country the entire way but struggled to slow Voiles. The senior was 7-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 11-of-14 from the line after halftime.

The Bees last led 55-53 following a three-point play from Nicholas Frazier with 10:41 to play before Voiles took over. He scored Augustana's next eight points to put the Vikings (4-0) up 61-57, and they never trailed from there.

SAU got to within two points twice inside the final five minutes but the Vikings showed they deserved the #1 national ranking bestowed on them by D3hoops.com earlier in the day and held off the Bees.

Frazier (left) poured in 19 of his team-high 26 points in the second half to keep St. Ambrose close. Chris Donnelly (right) returned after missing the last game due to injury to come off the bench and score 18 points. Mike Kennedy finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, but scored only three points in the second half.

A physical, defensive battle in the first half turned into a shootout in the second. SAU trailed 32-31 at the break as neither team shot better than 35 percent in the first half. The offenses, led by Voiles and Frazier, came alive in the second half. Augustana shot 58.6 percent while St. Ambrose shot 53.3 percent after halftime. The bigger Vikings finished with a 37-22 edge in free throw attempts and outscored the Bees 23-14 from the line.

St. Ambrose has another big game Saturday by opening Midwest Collegiate Conference play at home against Ashford at 3 p.m.

Big second half powers Bees past Harris-Stowe State

Nov. 22, 2011

St. Ambrose outscored Harris-Stowe State 50-37 in the second half to come away with a 79-66 road win Tuesday night. The win snaps a two-game losing streak and moves the Bees to 3-4 overall.

With the game tied at 29-29 at the half, SAU came out firing in the second half. The Bees hit on 61.5 percent of their shots and knocked down 16-of-19 from the line in the second half to pull away. Harris-Stowe State (3-4) was almost equal to the challenge, shooting at a 59.3 percent clip in the second half but converted only 4-of-6 from the line after halftime.

St. Ambrose shot 55.1 percent for the game and finished with a 36-25 edge on the boards.

The one-two punch of Mike Kennedy and Nicholas Frazier again led the way in the win. Kennedy (left) finished with game highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds while Frazier chipped in with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Justin Blondell (right) added eight points and seven assists.

The Bees will next return home to host cross-river rival Augustana next Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Frazier named MCC Player of the Week

Nov. 21, 2011

The great start continued for Nicholas Frazier (right) as the St. Ambrose freshman was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week today.

The 6-2 guard from Bellwood, Ill., averaged 22 points on 92.6 percent shooting from the floor as the Bees went 1-2 last week. Frazier matched a school record by hitting all six of his 3-point attempts in a win over Emmaus Bible College Tuesday night. It was part of a 9-for-9 performance from the field as he scored 24 points in just 14 minutes.

Frazier dropped in 14 points, on 6-of-7 shooting, in a loss at NAIA Division I Saint Xavier before closing the week by going for 28 points on 10-of-11 shooting against Trinity Christian.

Through the Bees' 2-4 start, Frazier is second on the team at 18.3 points per game. He leads SAu by shooting 70.2 percent from the floor and a sizzling 80 percent (12-15) from beyond the arc. He is also averaging 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Annie Smith was named the MCC Women's Basketball Player of the Week as the Bees swept the conference's weekly basketball honors.

Frazier and the men next visit Harris-Stowe State Tuesday at 7 p.m.

St. Ambrose drops second straight

Nov. 19, 2011

Trinity Christian shot 59 percent from the floor in the second half to rally past St. Ambrose 81-69 Saturday in the final day of the Saint Xavier Classic. The loss drops the Bees to 2-4 overall.

St. Ambrose led 17-4 early and built a 37-35 halftime lead thanks to 15 first-half points from Nicholas Frazier (right). But in the second half, Trinity Christian could not be stopped. The Trolls hit 13-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, in the second half. They also drilled 15-of-19 from the line.

SAU was unable to keep pace. The Bees shot only 35 percent after halftime.

Frazier finished with a game-high 28 points. He hit 10-of-11 from the floor. Mike Kennedy scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Lorenzo Fiol added seven points.

The Bees will next visit Harris Stowe Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Despite 36 from Kennedy, SAU falls at Saint Xavier

Nov. 18, 2011

Mike Kennedy (right) scored 36 points but St. Ambrose was unable to keep up with Saint Xavier in a 101-72 loss on the first day of the SXU Classic Friday night. The Bees are 2-3 overall.

Saint Xavier, the #24 team in NAIA Division I, shot 63 percent from the floor in the win. The Cougars used an 11-0 run midway through the first half to open up a 24-11 lead. Despite Kennedy's 20 first-half points, the Bees trailed 49-32 at the break.

St. Ambrose, ranked #13 in NAIA Division II, opened the second half with a 15-4 run to pull to within six points at 53-47 and got as close as five points at 57-52 on a Justin Blondell 3-pointer a minute later.

SXU quickly restored a double-digit lead and outscored SAU 15-4 over the last five minutes to pull away.

Kennedy connected on 13-of-24 from the field and 9-of-9 from the line for his game-high 36 points. Nicholas Frazier hit 6-of-7 from the floor to finish with 14 points. The rest of the Bees combined to make just 8-of-31 shots. Chris Donnelly scored just four points but grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds.

The Bees will wrap up the two-day Saint Xavier Classic by playing Trinity Christian Saturday at 1 p.m.

Balanced effort leads Bees to home-opening win

Nov. 15, 2011

Fourteen different players scored as St. Ambrose broke a two-game losing streak with a 94-43 win over Emmaus Bible College Tuesday night. SAU, playing in its first home game this season, is now 2-2 overall.

Five minutes into the game, St. Ambrose led 16-0 and the lead only grew from there. It was 56-20 at the half before the Bees coasted to the 51-point victory.

SAU did much of its damage from long distance, knocking down 17-of-27 3-point attempts. Nicholas Frazier and Sean O'Reilly led the way. Frazier was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and hit all six of his 3-pointers to finish with 24 points while O'Reilly hit all seven of his shots from the floor, including five triples, on his way to 19 points.

Frazier (left) became just the second Bee to hit at least six 3-pointers without a miss, joining Josh Miller who knocked down all six of his attempts in a 1998 game against Mount St. Clare (now Ashford University).

Stanley Waldroup (right) scored seven points and Lorenzo Fiol, Mike Kennedy and Eric Adkins each scored four. Chris Donnelly finished with five points and eight blocked shots in just 13 minutes.

SAU shot 67 percent from the floor, including 63 percent from beyond the arc, and collected assists on 29 of the team's 37 made baskets. The Bees limited Emmaus Bible College to 36 percent shooting.

St. Ambrose will next compete in the two-day Saint Xavier Classic in Chicago, Ill., Friday and Saturday. SAU will play Saint Xavier Friday at 8 p.m. before a 1 p.m. game Saturday against Trinity Christian.

Donnelly tops 1,000 career point mark

Nov. 12, 2011

Chris Donnelly (right) became just the 46th St. Ambrose men's basketball player to score 1,000 career points in program history Saturday.

The 6-5 senior forward from Peoria, Ill., entered the game against the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 999 career points and reached the milestone from the line. He knocked down a pair of free throws with 11:09 left in the first half to give him 1,001 points in a Bee uniform.

Donnelly finished with 11 points in SAU's 68-63 loss.

Bees drop second straight in South Dakota

Nov. 12, 2011

Despite a strong second half, St. Ambrose could not overcome a slow start in falling 68-63 to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the Bees to 1-2 overall.

St. Ambrose started 0-of-6 from the floor and committed eight turnovers in the opening seven minutes to fall behind 21-3 early. The deficit was 42-27 at the half.

The second half was a different story. The Bees opened the half on a 17-2 run and tied the game at 44-44 on a Mike Kennedy layup with just over 15 minutes to play. Although the Bees tied the game twice in the second half, St. Ambrose could never get over the hump.

A Lorenzo Fiol 3-pointer with 24 seconds left pulled SAU to within 66-63. After a South Dakota Tech free throw, St. Ambrose missed a jumper and a pair of free throws before the Hardrockers sealed the win with a final free throw.

Kennedy led the Bees with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Fiol (right) scored 13, Chris Donnelly netted 11 and Nicholas Frazier added 10.

St. Ambrose will play its first home game this season Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Emmaus Bible College.

St. Ambrose falls 79-73 at Dakota Wesleyan

Nov. 11, 2011

Dakota Wesleyan grabbed a crucial offensive rebound off a missed free throw and hit three of their final four from the line inside the final minute to defeat #13 St. Ambrose 79-73 in the first day of the Dakota Wesleyan Classic Friday night.

With St. Ambrose trailing by five with 1:30 left, Chris Donnelly and Mike Kennedy hit back-to-back baskets to pull the Bees to within 74-73 with 53 seconds to play. SAU got what it wanted when the Tigers missed the front end of a one-and-one but Jordan Long snared the offensive board and found Luke Bamberg for a layup to extend the lead to three points.

Kennedy and Justin Blondell each missed a game-tying 3-pointer before Dakota Wesleyan knocked down the late free throws to seal the win.

The Bees spoiled a great start. SAU raced to an 11-0 lead and twice had leads of 16 points. But late in the half, the Tigers went on a 14-0 run to grab their first lead of the game at 32-31. St. Ambrose recovered to claim a 41-36 halftime advantage.

The Bee lead grew to nine points in the first few minutes of the second half but it was quickly erased by a 12-0 DWU spurt. Neither team led by more than five points over the last 15 minutes until the final seconds.

Kennedy scored 16 of his game-high 25 points in the first half. Nicholas Frazier (right) finished with 17 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Donnelly netted 12.

SAU finished at nearly 48 percent shooting from the floor for the game after shooting at a sizzling 57 percent in the opening half. The Bees were out-rebounded 42-33 in defeat.

St. Ambrose will look to bounce back Saturday at 4 p.m. against South Dakota Tech in the final day of the Dakota Wesleyan Classic at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.

Kennedy named MCC Player of the Week

Nov. 7, 2011

Mike Kennedy (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week today after leading St. Ambrose to a season-opening win at Hannibal-LaGrange last week.

The senior forward scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds in the 83-70 win.

Battling early foul trouble, Kennedy scored six points in just seven first-half minutes. But after halftime, the all-American knocked down 6-of-8 from the floor to score 17 points to go along with eight boards in 19 second-half minutes.

Kennedy later netted 19 points in a 72-61 exhibition game loss at NCAA Division I St. Louis University.

The Bees will next play Dakota Wesleyan on Friday at 8 p.m. and South Dakota Tech Saturday at 4 p.m. as part of the two-day Dakota Wesleyan Classic.

Donnelly, Kennedy lead Bees to season-opening win

Nov. 3, 2011

Chris Donnelly (left) and Mike Kennedy (right) each scored 23 points as St. Ambrose tipped off the 2011-12 campaign with an 83-70 win at Hannibal-LaGrange Thursday night.

Despite Kennedy, a senior all-American, playing only seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, the Bees built a 10-point lead at 46-36 at the break. Donnelly poured in 15 of his 23 in the opening half.

SAU maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Hannibal-LaGrange (0-1) got to within 70-63 with just under six minutes to play, but a jumper from Kennedy sparked a 6-0 run. Lorenzo Fiol drilled a 3-pointer and Kennedy added a free throw to complete the run to push the lead to 76-63 just two minutes later.

Nicholas Frazier finished with 17 points to give SAU three players in double figures. Kennedy pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds in the win.

St. Ambrose shot 51 percent from the floor while limiting the Trojans to less than 43 percent shooting.

The Bees will next play a pair of exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents. SAU visits St. Louis Saturday for a 1 p.m. game before a game at Chicago State Monday at 7:05 p.m.

SAU ranked #13 in NAIA Division II preseason poll

Oct. 24, 2011

St. Ambrose is ranked #13 in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll announced by the national office today.

The Bees, led by returning first team all-American and Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year Mike Kennedy and fellow first team all-conference pick Chris Donnelly, received 217 points in the poll to share the 13th spot with Saint Francis (Ind.). Last week, SAU was picked as the MCC preseason favorites in a vote of league coaches.

Northwood (Fla.) earned 10 of the 14 first-place votes and 371 total points to sit atop the poll. Indiana Wesleyan received the other first-place votes and is second. Davenport (Mich.) is third while Bellevue (Neb.) and Oregon Tech tied for fourth.

St. Ambrose is just one spot ahead of conference foe Iowa Wesleyan in the national preseason poll.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The first regular-season poll will be announced on Nov. 28.

Bees preseason favorites in Midwest Collegiate Conference

Oct. 21, 2011