Game Notes
Kentucky Wesleyan College will have to get more defensive as it embarks on the first men's basketball road trip of the season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The No. 9 Panthers will be at Wisconsin-Parkside tonight for a 7:30 tipoff.
KWC's women take on No. 18 Wisconsin-Parkside at 5:15 p.m.
“The second half against Bloomfield we were good, and we have the ability to be a good defensive team, we've just shown it in spots,” KWC men's coach Todd Lee said.
“The problem is when you go on the road you have to win some games on the defensive end of the floor. It's going to come down to possessions on the defensive end. We've got to have more and better possessions.”
Bloomfield scored 48 points and had a five-point lead at halftime in its matchup with KWC on Saturday in the second game of the John Worth Insurance/Hampton Inn Owensboro Classic. The Panthers had a major offensive surge in the second half and won 99-85.
They got 28 points and 13 rebounds from
Anthony Young, who was 14-of-19 from the free-throw line.
They shot 32 percent in the second half, which was a much more acceptable defensive effort, according to Lee.
“We relied a little too much on the offense in the game,” Lee said. “We can't let offense win games for us. We need to defend and rebound.”
Parkside is 4-1 and has three perimeter players who could give KWC problems.
Jeremy Saffold is a 6-foot-6 wing player who scores 12.6 points a game and is an all-conference level athlete. Jordan Mach is a 6-2 guard who scores 14.6 points a game. The third threat is Leneal Harris, a physical 6-1, 205-pound guard who scores 14 points a game.
“They've got as good a backcourt as we'll see in the league,” Lee said.
Three Parkside players will rotate in the post, trying to handle Young (29 points a game) and
Dominique Dawson, KWC's 6-8 sophomore who is shooting 76 percent from the floor.
“He can rebound, block shots and his approach and energy are the same every day,” Lee said of Dawson.
The Panthers are still awaiting the return of
Marseilles Stewart and
Travis Johnston from injuries. Stewart has a broken hand that will require this week in a cast. Johnston has tendonitis in his knee, which is sore and causing the redshirt freshman from Grayson County trouble.
Stewart, at 6-3, 233 pounds, is one of KWC's more physical players.
“Going on the road, we miss Marsielles' defense, rebounding and overall toughness,” Lee said.
Johnston would be a natural backup at point guard for
Cardell McFarland, who is averaging 22.5 points a game. That role now is being filled by
Kreig Oxley, who is more of a shooting guard.
