GREENWOOD, Ind. – Fall championships are officially wrapped up for men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball, around the Great Midwest Athletic Conference while basketball season continues to bloom and become the focal point around the league.
With the Kentucky Wesleyan men and Trevecca women coined hoops preseason league favorites from the coaches, both have lived up to their billing so far in non-conference play.
The G-MAC saw Cedarville claim repeat conference team titles in men’s and women’s cross country and volleyball. The Yellow Jackets’ men’s soccer team also completed an unblemished run in the regular season and postseason while Ursuline women’s soccer also protected its home field and the No. 1 seed to hold up a G-MAC trophy of its own.
There was a changing of the guard for individual awards as emerging student-athletes stepped up to the forefront to help their teams become competitive on a different level.
Some programs continued beyond the postseason with ECAC, NCCAA-affiliated championship events, including Salem International men’s soccer and Cedarville women’s soccer, for extended action on the pitch.
An impressive wave of underclassmen (Alyx Henry – Ohio Valley; Logan Rodgers – Trevecca; Caroline Hampton – Trevecca) earned respective G-MAC Player of the Year/Runner of the Year accolades.
The conference would like to extend a thank you to Cedarville, Kentucky Wesleyan, Ursuline and their respective sport staffs for serving as hosts for this year’s championship season.
The G-MAC would also like to thank the fans for providing a great environment and the viewers at home tuning into the live streaming feeds.
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
Kentucky Wesleyan has started the year with two wins, four schools have at least one win and three remain in search of their first victory.
The Panthers had convincing performances against GLIAC opponents Tiffin and Wayne State, the same opponents for Central State as part of the conference crossover.
Central State was led by G-MAC Athlete of the Week Masceo Harmon, who averaged 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, in a pair of one-point decisions against Wayne State and Tiffin.
The Marauders came back and assembled a 9-0 to close out WSU before being edged out in the final moments against the Dragons. He shot over 54 percent from the field made all nine shots at the charity stripe.
Harmon’s leadership running the point in first-year head coach Joseph Price’s offense is something to monitor throughout the year as the Memphis native carries confidence and high expectations for his senior season.
KWC received 20 points and eight boards from C.J. Blackwell in the opener and had three players balance out the scoring lead with a dozen points apiece vs. Tiffin.
Defending G-MAC tournament champion Alderson Broaddus bounced back from a season-opening setback against Ashland and posted a double-digit win vs. Ohio Dominican. Central State will get a crack against Ashland, a program that also beat Cedarville last week, on Friday.
The Yellow Jackets tangled with No. 8 Findlay last night and found the going got tough against the Oilers despite 21 of a game-high 26 points from Austin Pickett coming from long range.
Another strong Midwest region team, Southern Indiana, handed Davis & Elkins a tough defeat to open the year and the Senators will be looking to get back on track at home this evening.
Salem International’s frenetic, high-flying offense is back to the tune of 104 points in its season opener against NAIA affiliate Asbury last night and Jamal Robinson erupted for 30 points, including 13 made free throws on as many attempts.
Trevecca continues to get tuned up against quality Division I opponents against the likes of Vanderbilt and Belmont. The Trojans have been on the move with a lot of travel and will take on the Bruins this evening for an exhibition contest.
Ohio Valley nailed 13 three-point buckets against Glenville State to begin the year and received 18 points and 12 rebounds from Darryl Walker. The Fighting Scots were on the short end of an 88-83 final.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A pair of wins vs. Ashland and Ohio Dominican lifted Cedarville to a quick 2-0 start while guard Raegan Ryan (23 ppg) was named the G-MAC Athlete of the Week to begin the year.
The Lady Jackets join Davis & Elkins and Trevecca, among G-MAC teams in the win column as everyone continues to find their early-season stride.
D&E’s Sharmaine Baker has been a force on the inside while leading the league in scoring at 26 points per game so far. She has also grabbed 15 rebounds in two games and started the year with a 36-point showcase vs. Bluefield State in the season opener.
Over half of Baker’s points have come at the free-throw line (21 FT made vs. Bluefield State) and is shooting 60 percent from the field so far.
Baker’s single-game scoring outburst is the most in the league since Ryan of Cedarville netted 34 in the postseason last year. Demetria Nash holds the G-MAC single-game scoring high of 45 points from last year.
Trevecca was guided by a 20-point, 10-rebound outing from Kaci Britt Bell as the Trojans looked strong in a 22-point dismantling of Gulf South opponent Alabama-Huntsville to begin the year.
Kentucky Wesleyan, Central State, Alderson Broaddus, Ursuline, Ohio Valley and Salem International, have played a combined 14 games with tough-luck results so far.
Two of the league’s top-five scorers (Inkera Patterson – Salem International; Iniquia Snell – Central State) are averaging over 15 points per game while trying to get their teams on track.
KWC suffered a two-point defeat against Asbury to start the year and a strong Southern Indiana team prevailed on the Panthers’ home floor.
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