PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA - On Thursday afternoon, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference 2013-14 Men’s Basketball Championships will open up with the quarterfinal round. The weekend tournament will be hosted by the regular-season champion and top overall seed, Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia.
Kicking off the action will be as #6 Salem International takes on #3 Central State at 12:00 p.m. During the regular season, the Marauders won both meetings against Salem, including the most recent contest a week ago at home, 92-73. The game will feature the top two highest scoring teams in the conference as Salem scores a league high 92.2 points per game, and Central State is scoring 87.2 a game.
#7 Trevecca Nazarene will take on #2 Kentucky Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m. in the second game of the afternoon session. The Panthers won both meetings against TNU by an average 24 points. KWC is third in the conference in scoring at 84.0 points per game, while the Trojans score a G-MAC low 74.2 points per game.
In the evening session, host and top overall seed Alderson Broaddus will kick things off as they take on #8 Ohio Valley. The Battlers won both regular-season meetings against the Fighting Scots, winning by 14 and 19 points. ABU features the league’s best defense, allowing a conference-low 65.2 points.
In the final quarterfinal matchup, #5 Davis & Elkins will face #4 Cedarville. This is the only first round meeting between teams that split the regular season. In the first meeting at Cedarville, the Yellow Jackets claimed a five-point win, while D&E took home a slim two-point victory in Elkins.
TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEW
#1 Alderson Broaddus University (@ABBattlers)
The Battlers got off to a slower start than expected, holding a 2-4 record, losing twice by one point and twice by nine - though they actually held the lead late in the second half in both games. Following the 2-4 start, AB rattled off 12-straight wins, including a 7-0 start to the conference season.
ABU’s first and only conference loss came at the hands of Central State on the Battlers home court. Once again, AB held a late lead, 78-72 with 2:14 remaining, but allowed their opponent to rally and steal a win, 80-78. Coming off the loss, the Battlers turned their focus to securing the top seed. They secured hosting rights to the tournament by winning their last seven games of the regular-season - six coming in conference.
Alderson Broaddus is led by the duo of Adam Kline, who was recently named G-MAC Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection, and Malcolm Tatum, who joined Kline on the All-Conference First Team. Tatum led the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and 15.6 points per conference game, while Kline was just behind Tatum at 14.4 points per game, and 15.4 in conference. Kline led the G-MAC and was ranked nationally with 10.9 rebounds per game - the only player in the G-MAC to average a double-double.
#2 Kentucky Wesleyan (@KWCPanthers)
Kentucky Wesleyan, similar to regular-season champion Alderson Broaddus, got off to a slow start at 1-5, but rallied to win its next six to get above .500. The team finished the regular-season winning 10 of its last 11 games. The Panthers had just two losses in conference, both coming at the hands of ABU.
KWC was the third highest scoring team in the conference at 84.0 points per game, and posted the second best defense, allowing only 74.1 points per game. The 9.9 point difference was the second biggest advantage in the conference.
The Panthers were led by Lonnie Hayes, a G-MAC All-Conference second team selection, and G-MAC Freshman of the Year Ken-Jah Bosley, who was also named to the All-Conference first team. Hayes led the team and was fifth in the conference with 18.2 points per game, while Bosley led all freshman in scoring with 16.7 points per game.
Hayes, an aggressive player on offense, ranked tenth in the nation in free throws made, helping KWC earn the top overall ranking in Division II in both free throws made and second in those attempted, behind G-MAC opponent Central State. He holds the conference record, scoring 51 points against Lake Erie earlier this season.
#3 Central State University (@MarauderSports)
Central State University, who finished the regular-season 18-10, utilized a four-game win streak and a seven-game win streak during the season, claiming the third seed in the tournament with its 9-5 record. CSU’s season was highlighted by the road win against Alderson Broaddus, the Battlers only conference loss and only loss in a span of 20 games.
The Marauders are the conferences second highest scoring team at 87.2 points per game, while their defense has allowed 81.4 points per game. In conference competition, LeDonte Body is second in the league at 20.7 points per game, up from his sixth overall ranking in the regular-season at 17.9 points per game. Body led the team in scoring 14 times and in rebounds seven times, supporting his selection to the All-Conference first team. Body also led the league with 14 games scoring 20-points or more.
Anthony Adams-Rule and Masceo Harmon, both All-Conference honorable mentions, averaged in double-figures at 12.0 points per game and 10.9 respectively. In fact, Central State’s balanced attack featured eight players averaging 10 or more points per game.
#4 Cedarville University (@CUJackets)
Cedarville, who graduated a majority of its team from 2012-13, was able to battle through the season and earn the fourth seed at 7-7 in the conference. The Yellow Jackets, who played a difficult out of conference schedule early, started the season 1-11, which included its opening G-MAC contest. They ended a long losing streak and won three in a row behind two conference wins.
As the season was closing, Cedarville found themselves at 4-7 and looking at a lower seed and difficult first round opponent. However, they rattled off four-straight wins, including three against G-MAC opponents to capture the fourth seed and a .500 record in conference.
The Yellow Jackets are led by Marcus Reineke’s 19.1 points per game. Reineke, who was an All-Conference second team selection, was joined by Brian Grant and Jason Cuffee in double-figures, scoring 10.9 and 10.7 per game. Grant led his team in rebounds, ranking eighth in conference at 6.6 boards a game. Cuffee guided the offense with his 3.4 assists a game, ranking him fourth in the G-MAC.
#5 Davis & Elkins College (@SenatorNation)
Davis and Elkins got off to one of the best starts in the conference going 5-1 in non-conference play and early in conference play they were 2-2. However, a slow second half, which featured the team going 1-7 overall and 1-5 in conference, dropped the Senators into the fifth seed. However, their first round matchup against Cedarville is one they have proven they can win. D&E defeated Cedarville on February 6 at home, 60-58.
The team is guided by Devin Miller, an All-Conference first team selection. Miller led the team in scoring in 21 of the teams 28 games. He also led the team in rebounding nine times. His 19.4 points per game are second in the conference, 0.2 points per game behind conference leader Sequan Lawrence of Ohio Valley. He also ranked sixth in the conference with 6.9 rebounds per game.
#6 Salem International University (@SIUtigers)
Salem International, the conferences highest scoring team in the league at 92.2 points per game, started the season rolling, winning its first five games and held an early 8-2 record. In those games, they scored over 100 points six times, including 127 against Ohio State - Newark. Following the hot start, SIU dropped eight of their next nine games, including their first five conference games.
In a season of streaks, SIU rallied to win its next four games - all in conference - to climb to 4-5 and in position to climb the standings. However, they dropped their final three games and earned the sixth seed through tiebreakers, as their 4-10 record tied them in the standings with Davis and Elkins and Trevecca Nazarene.
Salem is paced by Walter Brock, an All-Conference second team selection, who ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 18.4 points per game. Brock is also in the top ten in rebounding with 6.4 boards a game. Brock also led the conference with four games scoring 30 points or more in a game, including a 41 points performance against Kentucky Wesleyan.
As a team, Salem ranks ninth nationally with 5.4 blocked shots a game, third nationally in scoring with 92.2 points per game, and leads all of NCAA DII in steals with 12.4 per game. In fact, the 12.4 steals per game leads all of the NCAA, Division I and III included.
#7 Trevecca Nazarene University (@TNUsports)
Trevecca Nazarene, who finished in a three-way tie with #5 Davis and Elkins and #6 Salem International, earned the #7 seed as they lost both meetings with Davis and Elkins, giving them a 1-3 combined head-to-head record against the other teams. The Trojans enter the tournament on a four-game losing streak in conference. Their last win was an impressive overtime win against the third seeded Central State, 82-79. TNU trailed by as many as 12 late in the first half, but chipped away to force overtime and brought home the win.
TNU is led by David Woodward, an All-Conference honorable mention, who has led the team in scoring in 13 contests this season. His 15.2 points per game ranks eighth in the conference. Byron Sanford is the team’s second leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and leads the team with 5.3 rebounds a game.
#8 Ohio Valley University (@OVU_athletics)
Ohio Valley finished the season 4-22 overall, with three of the wins coming in conference. After a long mid-season losing streak of nine-straight, the Fighting Scots earned a win against Davis and Elkins in overtime, 85-84. With one second remaining, Robert Smelser put in the game-winner on an assist from Sequan Lawrence.
Lawrence, an All-Conference second team selection, led the entire conference in scoring at 19.6 points per game. He was also third in rebounding at 7.6 boards a game. He led the team in scoring 15 times, and he scored 20 or more points 12 times, 30 or more points three times, and one forty point game, and had seven double-doubles.