Game Notes
Kentucky Wesleyan College will continue to develop its bench and get playing time for a lot of players when Salem International comes to the Sportscenter tonight.
That will be the second game of the men-women doubleheader. KWC's women face McKendree at 5:15 p.m. KWC's men meet Salem at 7:30.
The No. 4 Panthers will want to generate as much momentum as possible, since they won't have another game for 15 days when they take off for Christmas break.
“I like where we're at,” KWC coach Todd Lee said. “It's just that we can improve a whole lot, we can get a lot better. I told the guys we have to improve our work ethic in practice, and our attention to detail. I do feel like we have won some games in different ways, which is good.”
KWC has been able to get seldom-used guys more playing time in its last couple of games.
That has helped build some camaraderie among the starters and reserves.
The KWC bench erupted in cheers when
Travis Johnston made a 3-pointer late in KWC's 101-62 blowout win over Union on Monday.
By that time, the starters had long been out of the contest.
“It was great for the guys on the bench to be cheering for everybody else and having fun,” Lee said.
KWC had a tough time for stretches of an 83-68 win over Cedarville last Saturday, but the Panthers were able to get ample playing time for several bench players against Union.
Salem could also have a tough time posing a challenge at 1-9. Salem plays 10 regularly and will try to press and shoot 3s against the Panthers, according to Lee.
In both the wins last week,
Luke Shelley came off the bench to help provide some long-range offense with his 3-point shooting. Shelley made three 3s in each game, and he had a game-high 19 points against Union.
He is a 6-2 sophomore from Victoria, Australia who also showed he could run the floor and get other shots for himself as well. He made 3-for-7 on 3-pointers, but also was 5-for-5 from the field, including a dunk and a put-back.
Travis Johnston also got on the floor for several minutes late against Union. The redshirt freshman was making his first appearance in his KWC career, logging seven minutes and hitting one of the four 3-point attempts he took.
The former Grayson County star was expected to be a major contributor off the bench as a true freshman, but a knee injury in the preseason forced him to redshirt.
He has had tendonitis in the other knee so far this season, and has fought soreness when he has practiced for extended periods of time.
“He needs to play for us,” Lee said. “We need him healthy to be a backup point guard. He hasn't really been healthy since the (exhibition) game at Pitt, and it's been frustrating for him.
“His knee hurts, but there's nothing we can do, no structural damage he can do. He's going to go as much as he can go. It's one of those deals where he laid off it and it didn't get any better.”
Getting Johnston at full strength would give KWC even more backcourt depth, as junior college transfer
Kreig Oxley has made good contributions as a shooting guard coming off the bench.
