Game Notes
Kentucky Wesleyan coach Happy Osborne feels like his team is right on the verge of righting the ship.
After leading by as many as 13 early in the second half Saturday against Grand Valley State, the Panthers fell in the final minutes to lose, 61-58, on the road. It was another upward step for Osborne's team, however, which has now lost four straight games as suspensions and player departures continue to affect the often-outnumbered Panthers.
The Panthers (1-4) will have a chance to snap the losing skid on Wednesday against Lake Superior State at 2 p.m. at the Sportscenter.
"We're in a state of getting better every day," Osborne said. "Our kids are working hard. Our kids are improving. We've hung in and had a chance to win against two really good teams and that's what we've got to do again (Wednesday) — just hang in there and try to steal it at the end."
It won't be an easy task as the Lakers are 5-0 and have knocked off a slew of Great Lakes Valley Conference teams to start the season. They also lost a close exhibition game, 92-88, to Division I Central Michigan in overtime.
The Lakers' starting five boasts four players who average in double figures. The team is led by 6-foot-6 forward Cameron Metz (18 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) and 6-foot-2 guard Derek Billing (17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds per game).
Off the bench, Lake Superior State coach Steve Hettinga has the luxury of subbing in 6-foot-10 center Lucas Holt and 6-foot-8 forward Michael Smutny. Many of KWC's answers to their height are still suspended indefinitely for an undisclosed violation of institutional rules.
"They're definitely bigger and stronger," Osborne said. "They shoot it great. They're 5-0. They're a solid team."
After being outrebounded 37-22 against Southern Indiana last week, an emphasis was put on rebounding during practice. KWC responded by dominating Grand Valley State on the glass, 41-25, on Saturday. Where the Panthers hurt themselves was in the turnover department. KWC turned it over 16 times, including a costly turnover in the remaining seconds that helped seal the win for Grand Valley State.
"We've got to cut down our turnovers," Osborne said. "We've got to get more comfortable offensively. We can't give them easy baskets. We've got to push through when we've got a chance to win, and we've got to rebound."
The Panthers won't be at full strength even with a limited roster. Senior guard Lonnie Hayes, dealing with an unspecified health condition, isn't 100 percent and neither is sophomore guard Lucas Barker, who's been nursing a calf injury for a couple weeks. Both are still expected to play Wednesday.
Junior forward Patrick Neel's toe injury is getting better and freshman guard Ken-Jah Bosley will play with a mouthpiece after taking a blow to the mouth on Saturday that knocked a tooth out.
Osborne said at this point, he needs his players to play through any injuries against a good Lake Superior State team.
"I think they're a team with discipline — very well-coached," Osborne said of the Lakers. "They're perimeter-oriented. Their two post players are both very good too. They have a lot of balance."
