Date: November 17, 2008
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993

    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team added a win and a loss to its record this season after competing in the Iowa Western Community College Classic tournament this past weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
    Friday afternoon, Nov. 14, the Grizzlies (4-4) overcame a 10-point deficit to beat Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Neb., 75-74.  Saturday evening, Nov. 15, however, the Grizzlies fell to the hosting Reivers 86-67.
    “We were down 10 at the half and were in a bit of a hole, but I never felt like we were out of the game,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said of Friday’s contest against Northeast.  He said the Grizzlies struggled with their shots in the first half but came back in the second and increased their shooting percentage.
    Sophomore guard Devon Peltier led the Grizzlies on the scoreboard with 23 points, canning six of 10 shots from the three-point line.  He was followed by sophomore point guard Anthony Allison with 14.  Sophomore center Chris Williams and sophomore guard Logan Nutt each had 8, freshmen Terrell Bruce and Xavier Jones each scored 7, freshman Rae-Vonn Banks had 4, Taylor Jones 3 and Youri Anissovets 1.
    Williams led the Grizzlies on the glass with seven grabs, and Allison dished out a team high five assists in the game.
    Against Iowa Western, Walker said, “we looked like our feet were in cement.”  Peltier was once again the leading scorer for the Grizzlies, snaring 23 points and hitting five of nine from three point range.  Allison followed with 12, Xavier Jones 11, Nutt 5, Bruce and Williams 4 each, and Anissovets, Ivan Gombovic, Banks and Devon Atkinson each with 2.
    Williams was again the top rebounder with eight grabs, and Nutt led in assists with five.
    The Grizzlies shot well from the charity stripe both nights, connecting on 13 of 16 shots Friday afternoon for 81 percent and 12 of 14 on Saturday for 86 percent.  They also did well from long range, hitting 12 of 22 three-point attempts Friday for 54.5 percent and nine of 21 Saturday for 42.9 percent.  Overall, they were 25 of 56 from the field for 44.6 percent Friday afternoon and 23 of 60 from the field Saturday night for 38 percent. 
    Saturday’s game ended a three-game road trip for the Grizzlies that began on Nov. 12 in Poteau, Okla., against Carl Albert State College.  The teams will gather for a rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the West Plains Civic Center for the Grizzlies next contest.  Considering that the Grizzlies defeated Carl Albert 82-73 in their first match-up, Walker expects “the revenge factor” to play a role in Saturday’s game.
    For more information about the Grizzly Basketball team or for complete game statistics, visit the Grizzly Basketball Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb.htm.