Game notes
The Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team will look to bounce back from its Wednesday home-opening loss when the Panthers travel to face Lake Superior State at noon on Saturday.
After giving up 67-percent shooting to Northwood and losing on a free throw in the final second, KWC (2-1) will have its sights set on improved defense as it faces a Lake Superior State squad that hasn't played a game in nearly a week.
"We've got to guard better, we've got to get more deflections, we have to rebound better," Osborne said. "And the simple thing of being communicators -- be extroverts, talk, be good teammates. Toughness is a skill, and talking is toughness, and we're not where we should be."
The Lakers (1-1) last played in a 54-52 victory over Maryville on Nov. 15 in Nashville after falling 82-65 to Truman the day before. LSSU is led in scoring by 6-foot-6 senior guard Alex Williams' 13 points per game, while 5-10 senior guard Tony Harris averages 11 points per contest on 56-percent shooting. Junior forward Devin Daly adds 10.5 points and a team-high eight rebounds per outing off the bench.
"They're a very good team, very well-coached," Osborne said. "We've got to go up there, and we've got to find a way. We've got to get back to playing defense."
The Panthers will look to avenge last season's 104-90 loss to LSSU in Owensboro with a road victory of their own, but Osborne knows it won't be easy.
"We've got to get on a bus, and we've got to drive 13 hours to play a team that won 27 games (last year)," he said. "We can point fingers or we can pull together as a family and roll our sleeves up and go find a way to win this. I'd rather we roll our sleeves up and go to work. These are my kids. I love them, and I believe in them."
KWC surrendered just 62.5 points per game on 42-percent shooting from the floor and 31 percent from 3-point range in its first two games — victories over Tiffin and Wayne State — before giving up 73 points on 67-percent shooting to Northwood.
"We've got to bounce back," Osborne said. "I thought they played harder than we did, that's on me and the staff. Let's get on a bus, let's get our butts to Michigan. Bring the snow shoes, let's go up there and find a way to do what we have to do."
Offensively, the Panthers average 76 points per contest on 46-percent shooting, led by Ken-Jah Bosley's 16 points per game. Other big contributors for KWC include Marcus Fillyaw (10.6 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.3 spg), Devin Langford (10.3 ppg, 2.6 spg), C.J. Blackwell (10 ppg) and Tre Boutilier (9.3 ppg).
KWC will face an LSSU squad that scored just 59.5 points per game on 41-percent shooting in their two matchups. The Lakers also gave up an average of 67 points on 46-percent shooting.
Regardless of the statistics, Osborne said, the Panthers can't afford to slip up if they hope to reach the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season, especially since the G-MAC tournament winner doesn't yet get an automatic qualifying bid.
"We have two choices," Osborne said. "We can be together and go to 3-1, or you can swell up and pout like a big, toady frog and be 2-2. It looks to me like we don't have a choice.
"We needed a little adversity. We've got our adversity, now what have we got? We're about to find out."
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