Margaret BauerThe men’s basketball team has shown potential with a winning record, while the women’s team has gone a perfect 7-0 to start the season.
The men’s team improved their record to 4-3 overall following their latest win on Saturday afternoon. On Friday, the Bears squandered a 20-point first half lead to Benedictine College en route to a 100-95 loss in the opening round of the Bill Merris Tip-Off Classic in Jacksonville, Ill. A school record 16 three pointers were made in that game. The Bears rebounded with an 86-70 win over Principia College in the consolation game of the tournament to put them back above a .500 winning percentage for the season.
The Bears began the season with an impressive showing at the 21st Annual Lopata Classic, held in the Washington University Field House, with wins over Tufts University and an impressive win in the championship round against 10th ranked Wittenberg University, a game in which the school record for blocked shots was broken by junior center Mike Grunst with 10. In between the Lopata Classic and the two most recent games, the team lost to second ranked Illinois Wesleyan and Albion College and won over Wisconsin Lutheran.
“We’re still growing right now,” said Grunst. “We haven’t reached near our potential. We’re just starting to come together and realizing how to play together. In upcoming games we’ll show other teams what we can really do. We’re trying to pick up our rebounding and build cohesiveness as a team.”
The strengths of the Bears during this up and down season have been a turnover margin of minus two over opponents and an impressive 5.7 blocks per game, an average of four more than opponents. Rob Keller is leading the team with 14.5 points per game, while Scott Stone has provided strong playmaking and shooting with 5.3 assists per game and 11 three-pointers made on the season. Also providing marksmanship from long range is Brandon York, chipping in with 10 three pointers.
Senior Anthony Hollins has led the Bears with his rugged inside play, shooting .531 from the field and scoring 11 points per game. His team high of 5.7 rebounds per game average and his ability to draw contact for fouls has resulted in just under 5 free throw attempts per game.
Grunst has bolstered a strong frontcourt with 5.4 rebounds per game and an astounding 3.4 blocks per game average, accounting for more than half of the team’s rejections.
In women’s play, the Bears are coming off an impressive showing this past weekend as they captured the Colorado College Classic in dominating fashion. They opened the tournament with a win over Colorado College and then defeated Pomona-Pitzer College. Over the course of the tournament, the Bears shot a blistering 48 percent from three-point range.
The women’s team opened their season with three wins on the road before returning home to host the McWilliams Classic, which they also won.
The Bears are led in scoring by senior Kelly Manning who averages 12.7 points per game. Second on the team in that regard is junior Danielle Beehler with an average of 12.4 points per game. Sophomore Rebecca Parker leads the Bears in rebounds per game with 6.7. The Bears have truly made their mark with their marksmanship; the team has shot a sizzling 47.6 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from three-point range. Senior Leslie Berger has led the team in three-point accuracy; she has connected on 18 of 30 three-point attempts for a 60 percent average.
Both the women’s and men’s teams will continue play this Wednesday away against Webster College.