GREENWOOD, Ind. – Action in several sports around the Great Midwest Athletic Conference continues to heat up as the league gears up for the spring. Men's and women's basketball is progressing towards the first half of the league schedule while indoor track and field saw one school in competition spanning the last week.
Alderson Broaddus is the frontrunner in the G-MAC standings on the men's side while conference unbeaten Cedarville continues to roll, garnering even more votes in the USA Today Coaches Division II Poll.
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
The last week represented a tumultuous changing of the guard in the G-MAC men’s basketball standings as dominoes continued to fall around the league.
While approaching the turn of the conference schedule when teams battle each other for the second time in the G-MAC calendar, Alderson Broaddus (11-5, 4-1 G-MAC) is the new hunted after Kentucky Wesleyan held that mantle for several weeks.
The league-leading Battlers were able to survey the scene with an idle week and eventually shifted to the top of the G-MAC standings without having to play a game. A key matchup looms on Saturday as AB travels to the fan base of Kentucky Wesleyan in Owensboro.
Entering the week with a 3-1 record in the conference, Kentucky Wesleyan (13-5, 3-2 G-MAC) shifted down into a three-way tie for third with Trevecca Nazarene (7-9, 3-2 G-MAC) and Ohio Valley (3-9, 3-2 G-MAC).
The Panthers ran into a minor buzzsaw in their Ohio swing, falling by razor-thin two-point margins at both Cedarville (5-12, 2-2 G-MAC) and Central State.
Free throws played a key role down the stretch in both compelling decisions. Following a pair made by Ken-Jah Bosley representing the 10th tie of the game with seven seconds left, Cedarville’s J.C. Faubion drained the game-winning layup.
Against Central State, the Marauders were able to hold onto the lead against KWC for the final four minutes of regulation, even while splitting three different trips to the charity stripe in the last minute.
Central State (11-6, 3-1 G-MAC) now finds itself in the running at second in the standings. G-MAC Athlete of the Week Masceo Harmon averaged over 20 points and 4.5 rebounds and assists, for his second weekly conference honor this year.
The diminutive senior point guard Harmon is the catalyst that makes the Marauders go, ranking in the top five in points, assists and steals, this year. He was matched up defensively against Bosley and Byron Sanford, two top-flight scorers this year in the G-MAC.
Sanford had a 34-point outburst against Cedarville on 13-of-17 shooting, dished out seven assists and recorded six steals.
CSU was the lone team to compete on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, rolling against Wilberforce at home.
Davis & Elkins (5-10, 1-4 G-MAC) is trying to slow down a four-game slide and Salem International (2-12, 0-5 G-MAC) remains on a quest for its first conference win.
Men's Basketball:
Composite Schedule |
Overall Statistics |
Standings
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Cedarville (15-2, 6-0 G-MAC) continues to receive votes in the NABC Division II Women’s Basketball poll as it won its fifth straight and 13 of the last 14. The Lady Jackets remain atop the conference standings as they handed Kentucky Wesleyan (9-6, 5-1 G-MAC) their first conference loss last Thursday.
Coming off G-MAC Athlete of the Week honors, Kayla Linkous continued her hot streak posting 34 points with 13 rebounds against KWC and 15 points with 11 rebounds versus Trevecca Nazarene (7-9, 4-2 G-MAC).
Jennifer Walker-Crawford led the Panthers to a 1-1 weekly split as she averaged 15 points and 6.5 boards.
Trevecca Nazarene moved to 4-2 in conference play after having six players scoring in double digits, and nine scorers overall against Central State (4-11, 1-5 G-MAC). The Lady Marauders redeemed themselves with their third game of the week with a win against Wilberforce on Martin Luther King Jr., Day.
CSU had five double-digit scorers, with Jasmine Cooper netting 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Kourtni Perry and Amanda Pierce contributed 16 points with 8 rebounds and 15 tallies while having nine rebounds each, respectively.
Ursuline (3-15, 2-6 G-MAC) dropped a pair of games to West Virginia schools, Davis & Elkins (8-6, 4-2 G-MAC) and Alderson Broaddus (5-10, 3-3 G-MAC). Erica Huber led the team, averaging 18.5 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in the defeats. It was D&E’s sole game of the week, and Sharmaine Baker led the charge with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Rachel Ashley of AB took home G-MAC Athlete of the Week honors as she posted 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had seven dimes. It is her first weekly honor of the season, and brought the Lady Battlers within one game of third place in the G-MAC.
Coming off a three game winning streak after dropping their first 10 games (eliminate), Ohio Valley (4-11, 3-3 G-MAC) lost to non-conference opponent Glenville State. The Fighting Scots caught fire in their next game against conference foe Salem International (0-18, 0-6 G-MAC). OVU had three double digit scorers in both games, but Ndeye Meissa Diop averaged 12 points and 5.5 rebounds leading her team to a victory to get them back on the winning path.
Salem International will continue their search for their first victory as it hosts Central State and Cedarville this weekend.
Kentucky Wesleyan will look to stay near the top of the conference standings as it plays host to D&E and Alderson Broaddus, while Cedarville will also match up against Ohio Valley.
Women's Basketball:
Composite Schedule |
Overall Statistics |
Standings
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Alderson Broaddus Battlers were the only G-MAC member in competition this past week, but the team did not disappoint with all of the attention on them at the State Farm Games in Morgantown, West Virginia.
For the second time this year (Marty Pushkin Classic), AB competed in a strong field with Division I, II and III, levels of competition.
Erin Brown, who was named G-MAC Athlete of the Week on the women’s side, finished fifth in the 500m run and broke the AB school record. Brown placed only behind Division I runners, three being from Duquesne University. She posted a time of 1:27.05.
The Lady Battlers had two teams finish in the top 10 of the 4x400 relay, with Brown also contributing to the school’s record-breaking 4x800 unit which finished fourth.
Demi DeGraef placed seventh in the 200m with a time of 28.45, while three of her teammates also finished in the top 18.
Hannah Surface contributed to her team placing 4th in the mile with a time of 5:38.68.
Over on the men’s side, Brandon Rockwell posted a time of 57.58 in the 400m dash placing him ninth, while John Mundy placed fifth in the mile run.
Brian Scott took control in the jumping competitions as he received G-MAC Athlete of the Week. Scott won the long jump and triple jump events, and broke his own conference record in the triple jump with a 12.87m total.
Jacob Goble finished third in the shot put event throwing the weight 12.94m, just behind two throwers from Waynesburg.