November 3, 2009

Cowley uses big second half to beat Tabor JV 95-52 in opener

Leading the Tabor College junior varsity by only eight points (46-38) four minutes into the second half of its season-opening game played Monday at W.S. Scott Auditorium, the Cowley College men’s basketball team looked as if it may have to grind out a win. However, playing with 12 freshmen, the young Tigers took over down the stretch as they pulled away for a convincing 95-52 win.

After the Tabor JV got within eight points (46-38) of the Tigers, Cowley used an 18-2 run, which was capped by a basket from freshman Marcus Damas, to lead 64-40 with 10:10 remaining.

Cowley would pressure the Bluejays into 37 turnovers, and outscored Tabor 21-2 over the final five and a half minutes as they went on to the easy 43-point win.

“We had 12 players playing their first collegiate game and you could tell,” Cowley head coach Tommy DeSalme said. “But, I thought we got better in the second half. The last 10 minutes we were better at getting to where we needed to be team defense wise.”

Damas, from Long Island, NY, had an impressive debut as he led Cowley with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five steals. Fellow freshman, Tyrus McGee (pictured), scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, while sophomore Lance Russell scored 13 of his 15 points in the opening half of play.

DeSalme played all 14 of his players on the roster, 13 of which scored in the game. Will Pellett led the Tabor JV with nine points, while David Loewen added eight points and four rebounds.

After shooting 52.2 percent in the first half, Cowley held the Bluejays to just 33 percent shooting over the game’s final 20 minutes of play. For the game, the Tigers out-shot the Tabor JV 56.2 percent to 42 percent from the floor.

Cowley will now prepare for its first road game as they will play at Seminole State College Thursday at 8 p.m.

“It’s going to be a step up in class, so we have got to get a lot better by Thursday,” DeSalme said.

Box score:
Tabor JV (52): Gavin Serene 1-3 0-0 3, Rob Moore 2-3 0-0 4, Jason Hett 3-10 0-0 7, Michael Janzen 3-6 0-2 7, David Loewen 3-3 2-2 8, Jose Reyna 0-0 0-0 0, Ryan Haffner 0-1 0-0 0, Kendal Rueb 0-1 0-0 0, Nick Hampton 0-3 2-4 2, Curtis Dick 1-2 1-2 3, Clay Shewey 1-5 0-0 3, Will Pellett 4-8 1-1 9, Garrett Hamm 3-5 0-0 6. Totals: 21-50 6-11 52.

Cowley (95): Canon Fields 3-7 0-0 6, Marcus Damas 9-15 1-2 19, Lance Russell 5-9 2-6 15, Tyrus McGee 9-14 0-0 19, Dominick Cornelius 1-4 0-0 2, Caprest Rhone 3-5 1-1 7, Kalub Long 0-0 2-2 2, AJ Barber 1-1 0-0 2, Brent Schuck 1-4 0-0 2, Julio Rosario 4-5 0-0 8, Joseph Wakefield 0-0 0-0 0, Kelton Marshall 4-5 0-0 9, Michael Copeland 0-2 2-4 2, Jordan Lankster 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 41-73 8-15 95.

Three-pointers: Tabor JV 4-11 (Gavin 1-2, Hett 1-1, Janzen 1-3, Haffner 0-1, Shewey 1-3, Pellett 0-1), Cowley 5-16 (Fields 0-2, Russell 3-5, McGee 1-4, Cornelius 0-2, Schuck 0-1, Marshall 1-2). Rebounds: Tabor JV 28 (Hett 5), Cowley 34 (Damas 8). Assists: Tabor JV 14 (Moore, Hampton 3), Cowley 20 (McGee 5). Turnovers: Tabor JV 37, Cowley 14. Total fouls: Tabor JV 14, Cowley 13. Technicals: none.