Panthers eye strong finish to reach D-II tournament - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

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The Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team begins its final push for a berth in the NCAA Division II National Championships today.

The Panthers, ranked No. 10 in the latest Midwest Region rankings, figure to need a strong showing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament to secure a top-eight ranking, which is needed for a bid.

That quest begins when the Panthers host Missouri-St. Louis in a first-round matchup at 7:30 p.m. at the Sportscenter.

Head coach Todd Lee, however, isn't using tournament implications as a point of emphasis.

"The guys know what's at stake with the GLVC tourney, the regional, and I can't say too much about that because they know we have to win," he said. "I'm having them focus on the process, talking about that what we put into practice is what we'll get out of it."

KWC (17-8, 10-8 GLVC) has had plenty of time to do that. The Panthers haven't played since knocking off second-ranked Bellarmine 94-86 last Saturday.

"This is unusual for us, having a long week of practice," Lee said. "There's no reason for us not to be prepared defensively, knowing what they run. And we've also tried to keep them as mentally fresh as possible."

KWC claimed a 76-61 win at Missouri-St. Louis (16-10, 10-8) on Feb. 4. Lee hopes his players don't let that outcome affect their focus in the rematch.

"The toughest thing to coach against is human nature," said Lee of whether his players might take the Tritons lightly. "Our guys who have been around, the veterans, I'm not worried about. But the new guys you have to remind to stay focused.

"It's not going to matter if we beat them before, if we don't play well they can beat us."

The Panthers' primary focus will be on containing Tritons guard Gerald Fulton, a first-team All-GLVC performer. He averages 22.1 points per game.

"The reason why (Fulton's) so hard to guard is he shoots the 3, is a very good mid-range shooter, and he can go dunk it, get to the hole and get fouled," Lee said. "But that mid-range is tough because he can shoot off the drive, hit a fadeaway or a floater, and you can't foul him because he shoots (87 percent) from the foul line.

"They run some nice stuff, and everybody has to be aware of him."

KWC boasts the current conference player of the week and All-GLVC third-team performer Cardell McFarland, who scored 47 points in the Panthers' last outing. He, along with Anthony Young (19.3 ppg) -- an All-GLVC second-team member -- and Kwan Waller (13.8 ppg), will be counted on to be the offensive catalysts.

"We've got to focus on thinking about preparing to play," Lee said. "When you do that, winning takes care of itself."

The winner advances to the quarterfinals, which will be played on Friday at Maryville University in St. Louis.

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