KWC looks to bounce back - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Game Notes

Todd Lee's worst fears came to fruition when Kentucky Wesleyan lost an eight-point decision to visiting Lewis on Thursday night.

Lee is hoping the No. 7 Panthers will show that they learned a lesson from the loss when Wisconson-Parkside comes calling today in another Great Lakes Valley Conference battle at the Sportscenter.

“Lewis is a good team with five seniors,” Lee said. “We just didn't put forth the effort and didn't follow the scouting report against them, and we paid the price for it. Our mindset wasn't where it should have been, and that's what's most disappointing of all.

“We had a week to prepare for that game and we talked about how tough Lewis would be, but we just didn't get the job done.

“We've got to approach (Parkside) different than we did Lewis on Thursday, or we could get beat again.”

Wisconsin-Parkside (8-14, 1-13 GLVC) has struggled mightily this season, and was clubbed 77-50 by Southern Indiana on Thursday night in Evansville.

The Rangers, who shot only 31 percent at USI, got 19 points from 6-foot-6, 195-pound junior forward Jeremy Saffold, but he was the team's only double-digit scorer.

Expected to start along with Saffold (13 ppg) are 6-1 senior point guard Leneal Harris (13 ppg, 3 apg), 6-6, 230-pound junior forward Conrad Crutwig (8 ppg, 6 rpg), 6-2, 185-pound sophomore guard Colt Grandstaff (6 ppg), and 6-8, 215-pound freshman forward Ziggy Riauka (8 ppg).

“Saffold is a wing player with a lot of experience, and he's going to be a handful,” Lee said. “Harris is a tough, strong quality guard who also has a lot of experience and ability.

“We need to do a good job of containing those two, in particular.”

Wesleyan (18-4, 10-4), which played well defensively in a three-game road winning streak against Northern Kentucky, Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's, took a step back against Lewis -- allowing the Flyers to shoot 52 percent overall and 55 percent from 3-point range (11-of-20).

“We were playing much better defensively going into the Lewis game,” Lee said. “but we just didn't defend or rebound (Lewis won the board battle, 33-28) like we're capable.”

The absence of senior guard Cardell McFarland (20.6 ppg) -- sidelined with a foot injury -- came back to haunt the Panthers against the Flyers.

“With Cardell out, there's just 12 to 14 points we're not going to get,” Lee said. “That means we have a much smaller margin for error, and it magnifies itself if we're trailing at the end of games because Cardell has such great ability to make a big play when you need one.

“We were in a situation against Lewis where it was a one or two possession game and guys were out there wondering who was going to take the shot.”

Senior guard Brandon Johnson came up big against Lewis, tossing in a team-high 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting, but All-American candidate Anthony Young (20.8 ppg) was limited to 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting and four rebounds in 35 minutes.

In addition to Johnson and Young, KWC will likely start Marseilles Stewart, Cornbread Walker and Kreig Oxley.

KWC struggled at Wisconson-Parkside on Dec. 1, needing overtime to beat the Rangers 81-78.

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