Coming into the season, Bears junior guard Barry Bryant knew that it was his turn to be one of his team’s impact players. Stuck on the bench behind five senior starters last year, Bryant saw limited action as a substitute.
But now that all five seniors are gone, Bryant now finds himself thrust into the spotlight. And based on his performance this past weekend at the Wittenberg Kiwanis Tip Off Tournament, he’s ready for it.
After his team fell behind 12-0 in their first game against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Bryant took the game over, scoring seven consecutive points. Back in the game but trailing for much of the first half, the Bears finally inched ahead 37-36 right before halftime on a Bryant jump shot.
At that point, the Bears never looked back en route to an impressive 83-78 victory. Bryant turned in the most impressive line, shooting 8 of 11 from the field and 9 of 12 from the free throw line, good enough for a career-high 26 points. In addition to his scoring, Bryant recorded five steals, four rebounds and three assists.
Also turning in double-digit scoring performances were junior shooting guard Rob Keller (18 points) and sophomore guard Scott Stone (11 points).
With the win against Platteville, the Bears advanced to the championship game of the Kiwanis Tip Off against 22nd-ranked Wittenberg. Facing a Wittenberg team that moved into the polls this season after finishing the 2002-03 season unranked, the Bears knew they were in for a challenge. Sure enough, they found themselves in a hotly-contested game.
After an even first half that contained six lead changes, the two teams found themselves tied at 35 going in halftime. In the second half the lead swung another three times before Wittenberg finally pulled away, taking home a 74-69 victory.
Senior forward Ryan DeBoer led the Bears in the scoring department, pouring in 14 points. Also in double figures were Keller (13 points) and sophomore Mike Grunst (11 points).
Although the game was fairly even throughout, Wittenberg dominated the Bears inside, outscoring the team 32-18 in the paint, including 22 in the second half. Getting to the free throw line also proved to be a daunting task for the Bears, who only made three free throws to Wittenberg’s 13.
Now with a record of 1-1, the Bears return to action tomorrow night at home against Webster University. With only two days off between games, the Bears will have little time to make adjustments from the Wittenberg game. But if their performance last season suggests anything, the Bears will be able to bounce back.