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Posted by
Eric Streller
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Thu, Mar 18, 2010
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Men's Basketball
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(KANSAS CITY, Mo.)---The Crimson Storm men's basketball team entered the 2010 NAIA National Tournament as the 7th-seeded favorite over the Tougaloo Bulldogs. SNU and Tougaloo tipped off on Thursday evening at 8:00 in Municipal Auditorium. The first half was back and fourth, but a dominant presence from Jeremy Lightfoot in the paint resulted in a three-point lead for SNU at the break. In the second half, Lightfoot continued to be a key factor in the Storm's success, and SNU picked up an 86-73 victory in the first round of the National Tournament. With the win, the Storm improved to 26-6 on the season.
The Storm got off to a solid start, taking a 3-0 lead early in the contest when AJ Thomas drained a step back three-pointer on the offensive end after Jeremy Lightfoot came up with a huge block on the defensive end. SNU extended the lead a few possessions later with a pair of free throws from Vladimir Bulut, but the Bulldogs finally got things going offensively shortly after. Tougaloo, who is known as one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation, used second chance opportunities to go on a 9-0 run and take a 9-5 lead with 17:05 to play in the first half.
Daniel White checked into the game for the Storm and threw home a big dunk for SNU in the open court, keeping the game within a possession. A few possessions later, White knocked down a pair of free throws to knot the game at nine with 15:09 remaining. Tougaloo continued to pressure, and the fast paced game didn’t cease to keep players and fans alike on their toes, but the Bulldogs regained the lead with just under 14 minutes remaining, going ahead by three.
Answering for SNU on the other end was Bulut, draining a dagger from behind the arc to tie the game up once again, this time at 15. Tougaloo and SNU exchanged buckets on the next few possessions, with Shane Callaghan dominating inside, scoring four straight points for the Storm. The Bulldogs went on another run, however, taking a seven-point lead with 10:35 remaining.
Trailing 16-23, SNU looked to go on a run of their own, moving the ball around the perimeter and attempting to set screens and give one another room to work. Unfortunately, an illegal screen was called on Kyle Boen and the Bulldogs had an opportunity to widen the gap even more. Solid defense from the Storm resulted in a poor shot from Tougaloo, and Jeremy Lightfoot got on the board for the first time, going up strong in the paint on the other end and drawing the foul. Lightfoot converted on the three-point play, making the score 23-19 with 9:25 remaining.
A deep trey ball from the Bulldogs put the Storm back a few possessions once again, but SNU refused to let up. With 8:06 remaining, the gap was narrowed to four when Lightfoot picked up a bucket in transition. Hooking up with Clement N'Gom on the next play, Lightfoot padded his stats with a nice assist, and SNU trailed by just a possession with 7:02 remaining, 25-27. Once again, the Bulldogs knocked down a shot from deep, jumping ahead by five. Another three-pointer put Tougaloo ahead 33-25 with 5:46 to play before the half, and SNU coach, Adam Bohac, called a time out to regroup his team.
Following the break, the Storm was able to get back on their feet and cut the Bulldogs lead to four with less than a minute ticked off the clock. Vladimir Bulut found his shot, knocking down a trey ball from the top of the key as he had done so many times the season. The three from Bulut cut the Bulldogs lead to just a point, and SNU eliminated the deficit with four minutes remaining when Daniel White knocked down the front end of two shots from the charity stripe after being fouled on a fast break. A few possessions later, Thomas gave the Storm a lead, pulling down an offensive rebound and finishing the put back as the clock ticked below three minutes.
SNU continued to dominate the paint, with Lightfoot knocking down another jumper from the block to give the Storm a 37-32 lead with about two minutes to play. The Bulldogs finally got on the board again after going without scoring for three minutes, but SNU responded when Bulut drained another dagger from behind the arc.
With 1:32 remaining, the Storm led 40-36, but Lightfoot extended the advantage with another pair of free throws. Tougaloo picked up two makes from the charity stripe as well, but SNU refused to let the Bulldogs chip away any more at the lead, getting the ball inside the Lightfoot a few possessions later to take a 44-38 lead with :31 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs were able to get off one more shot before the buzzer, draining another three-pointer to cut the SNU lead to three before the break, 44-41.
Tougaloo came out hungry for a lead in the second half, scoring the first two points before Bulut gave the Storm another lift with his fourth three-pointer of the evening. The next SNU player to get involved offensively was Jon West, who knocked down two shots from the free throw line to extend the lead 49-43 with 17:34 remaining. The Bulldogs answered quickly with an easy bucket on the other end, but Jeremy Lightfoot reminded everyone in the gym who controlled the paint a few possessions later, throwing down a huge dunk to keep the lead in favor of SNU.
Both teams went silent offensively for the next few minutes, and the Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity to tack on two easy points with a pair of free throws. The score remained 51-46 in favor of SNU with 14:50 to play. After a timeout, both teams got things going offensively once again. SNU extended the lead a little, but Tougaloo responded. Exchanging a few buckets, the Storm remained on top 56-50 with 12:04 remaining.
SNU continued to use quick ball movement to get to Bulldogs out of position, opening up the paint for Lightfoot to go to work. Adrian Hunter, who was leading the way for the Storm with seven rebounds and five assists, picked up his first two points of the game from the free throw line, giving SNU a 60-51 lead with 11:07 remaining. Solid free throw shooting continued to be a difference maker, and SNU's Lightfoot remained perfect from the line, knocking down two more from the charity stripe. With 9:03 to play, SNU took a 64-51 lead with another bucket in the paint from the big man.
Leading 66-51, the Storm seemed to have the game under control with less than eight minutes to play. SNU tacked on two more points before the Bulldogs went on a run, narrowing the gap to 10 with 6:33 remaining.
Following a timeout, the Storm broke the Bulldogs trap and moved the ball up the floor quickly. AJ Thomas laid in an easy shot for SNU, giving the Storm a 70-58 lead. On the next two possessions, Thomas knocked down shots for the Storm, widening the gap to 14 with five minutes remaining. Jeremy Lightfoot scored his 27th point of the game to give SNU a 76-60 lead with 4:28 on the clock. Time continued to tick away and the Bulldogs adopted a new strategy, fouling on the next few possessions to send SNU to the line.
Solid free throw shooting continued to give the Storm momentum, as Hunter drained a pair from the line to give his team an 18-point advantage with 3:54 to play. Lightfoot continued to rack up the points, knocking down two more from the charity stripe shortly after, giving the Storm an 80-60 lead with 3:24 remaining.
Just as it seemed that SNU would ice the game away, the Bulldogs scored five quick points and stole a little of the momentum away from the Storm. Tougaloo's pressure defense continued to rattle SNU, and with 1:22 remaining, the Bulldogs trailed by just 12, 80-68. SNU was able to ice the game away, though the Bulldogs refused to give up until the final buzzer.
Picking up the 86-73 win, the Storm advanced to the second round to face the winner of Union, Tennessee and Montana Western. The game is set to tip off at 9:45 p.m. on Friday.
Leading the way for SNU was Jeremy Lightfoot who finished the game with 29 points, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and 11-of-15 from the free throw line. Vladimir Bulut and AJ Thomas finished in double figures for the Storm as well, scoring 16 and 15 points respectively. Bulut also added 10 rebounds, recording a double-double. Another player who stepped up and played a vital role in the win was Adrian Hunter who finished the night with five assists and eight rebounds.
SNU had an outstanding night shooting, finishing 50% from the field (25-of-50), 33% from behind the arc (5-of-15), and 82% from the free throw line (31-of-38). The Bulldogs shot 39% from the field (27-of-70), 36% from three-point range (9-of-25), and 40% from the charity stripe (10-of-25).
Daniel White checked into the game for the Storm and threw home a big dunk for SNU in the open court, keeping the game within a possession. A few possessions later, White knocked down a pair of free throws to knot the game at nine with 15:09 remaining. Tougaloo continued to pressure, and the fast paced game didn’t cease to keep players and fans alike on their toes, but the Bulldogs regained the lead with just under 14 minutes remaining, going ahead by three.
Answering for SNU on the other end was Bulut, draining a dagger from behind the arc to tie the game up once again, this time at 15. Tougaloo and SNU exchanged buckets on the next few possessions, with Shane Callaghan dominating inside, scoring four straight points for the Storm. The Bulldogs went on another run, however, taking a seven-point lead with 10:35 remaining.
Trailing 16-23, SNU looked to go on a run of their own, moving the ball around the perimeter and attempting to set screens and give one another room to work. Unfortunately, an illegal screen was called on Kyle Boen and the Bulldogs had an opportunity to widen the gap even more. Solid defense from the Storm resulted in a poor shot from Tougaloo, and Jeremy Lightfoot got on the board for the first time, going up strong in the paint on the other end and drawing the foul. Lightfoot converted on the three-point play, making the score 23-19 with 9:25 remaining.
A deep trey ball from the Bulldogs put the Storm back a few possessions once again, but SNU refused to let up. With 8:06 remaining, the gap was narrowed to four when Lightfoot picked up a bucket in transition. Hooking up with Clement N'Gom on the next play, Lightfoot padded his stats with a nice assist, and SNU trailed by just a possession with 7:02 remaining, 25-27. Once again, the Bulldogs knocked down a shot from deep, jumping ahead by five. Another three-pointer put Tougaloo ahead 33-25 with 5:46 to play before the half, and SNU coach, Adam Bohac, called a time out to regroup his team.
Following the break, the Storm was able to get back on their feet and cut the Bulldogs lead to four with less than a minute ticked off the clock. Vladimir Bulut found his shot, knocking down a trey ball from the top of the key as he had done so many times the season. The three from Bulut cut the Bulldogs lead to just a point, and SNU eliminated the deficit with four minutes remaining when Daniel White knocked down the front end of two shots from the charity stripe after being fouled on a fast break. A few possessions later, Thomas gave the Storm a lead, pulling down an offensive rebound and finishing the put back as the clock ticked below three minutes.
SNU continued to dominate the paint, with Lightfoot knocking down another jumper from the block to give the Storm a 37-32 lead with about two minutes to play. The Bulldogs finally got on the board again after going without scoring for three minutes, but SNU responded when Bulut drained another dagger from behind the arc.
With 1:32 remaining, the Storm led 40-36, but Lightfoot extended the advantage with another pair of free throws. Tougaloo picked up two makes from the charity stripe as well, but SNU refused to let the Bulldogs chip away any more at the lead, getting the ball inside the Lightfoot a few possessions later to take a 44-38 lead with :31 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs were able to get off one more shot before the buzzer, draining another three-pointer to cut the SNU lead to three before the break, 44-41.
Tougaloo came out hungry for a lead in the second half, scoring the first two points before Bulut gave the Storm another lift with his fourth three-pointer of the evening. The next SNU player to get involved offensively was Jon West, who knocked down two shots from the free throw line to extend the lead 49-43 with 17:34 remaining. The Bulldogs answered quickly with an easy bucket on the other end, but Jeremy Lightfoot reminded everyone in the gym who controlled the paint a few possessions later, throwing down a huge dunk to keep the lead in favor of SNU.
Both teams went silent offensively for the next few minutes, and the Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity to tack on two easy points with a pair of free throws. The score remained 51-46 in favor of SNU with 14:50 to play. After a timeout, both teams got things going offensively once again. SNU extended the lead a little, but Tougaloo responded. Exchanging a few buckets, the Storm remained on top 56-50 with 12:04 remaining.
SNU continued to use quick ball movement to get to Bulldogs out of position, opening up the paint for Lightfoot to go to work. Adrian Hunter, who was leading the way for the Storm with seven rebounds and five assists, picked up his first two points of the game from the free throw line, giving SNU a 60-51 lead with 11:07 remaining. Solid free throw shooting continued to be a difference maker, and SNU's Lightfoot remained perfect from the line, knocking down two more from the charity stripe. With 9:03 to play, SNU took a 64-51 lead with another bucket in the paint from the big man.
Leading 66-51, the Storm seemed to have the game under control with less than eight minutes to play. SNU tacked on two more points before the Bulldogs went on a run, narrowing the gap to 10 with 6:33 remaining.
Following a timeout, the Storm broke the Bulldogs trap and moved the ball up the floor quickly. AJ Thomas laid in an easy shot for SNU, giving the Storm a 70-58 lead. On the next two possessions, Thomas knocked down shots for the Storm, widening the gap to 14 with five minutes remaining. Jeremy Lightfoot scored his 27th point of the game to give SNU a 76-60 lead with 4:28 on the clock. Time continued to tick away and the Bulldogs adopted a new strategy, fouling on the next few possessions to send SNU to the line.
Solid free throw shooting continued to give the Storm momentum, as Hunter drained a pair from the line to give his team an 18-point advantage with 3:54 to play. Lightfoot continued to rack up the points, knocking down two more from the charity stripe shortly after, giving the Storm an 80-60 lead with 3:24 remaining.
Just as it seemed that SNU would ice the game away, the Bulldogs scored five quick points and stole a little of the momentum away from the Storm. Tougaloo's pressure defense continued to rattle SNU, and with 1:22 remaining, the Bulldogs trailed by just 12, 80-68. SNU was able to ice the game away, though the Bulldogs refused to give up until the final buzzer.
Picking up the 86-73 win, the Storm advanced to the second round to face the winner of Union, Tennessee and Montana Western. The game is set to tip off at 9:45 p.m. on Friday.
Leading the way for SNU was Jeremy Lightfoot who finished the game with 29 points, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and 11-of-15 from the free throw line. Vladimir Bulut and AJ Thomas finished in double figures for the Storm as well, scoring 16 and 15 points respectively. Bulut also added 10 rebounds, recording a double-double. Another player who stepped up and played a vital role in the win was Adrian Hunter who finished the night with five assists and eight rebounds.
SNU had an outstanding night shooting, finishing 50% from the field (25-of-50), 33% from behind the arc (5-of-15), and 82% from the free throw line (31-of-38). The Bulldogs shot 39% from the field (27-of-70), 36% from three-point range (9-of-25), and 40% from the charity stripe (10-of-25).