Date: December 1, 2008
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993

    FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly basketball team added a win and a loss to their season totals after competing in the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Thanksgiving Classic Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28-29, at Fort Smith, Ark.
    The Grizzlies (6-5) defeated Ranger College, Ranger, Texas, 73-63 Friday afternoon but fell to Trinity Valley Community College, Athens, Texas, 77-67 Saturday afternoon.
    “The credit goes to (Trinity) for winning,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said.  “We squandered our chances.”
    The Grizzlies and Trinity Valley Cardinals played to a 29-29 tie at the end of the first half, but an inability to score, especially from the three-point line, hampered the Grizzlies’ effort to win.  The Grizzlies hit 20 of 53 attempts from the field for 37.7 percent and only two of 16 treys for 12.5 percent.  At the charity stripe, the Grizzlies hit 25 of 33 free throws for 76 percent.
    “We had our chances, and we did not take advantage of them to take control of the game,” Walker explained.  “Even with two minutes to go, I still felt like we could win.  The big difference was the fact that we were two of 16 from the three.  As a team, we went into (the game) shooting 50 percent from the three.  If we shoot even a little below average, we win.  Our shots just weren’t falling for us.”
    Sophomore guard Anthony Allison was the team’s top scorer against Trinity with 19 points.  Sophomore guard Devon Peltier followed with 16.  Other Grizzlies scoring were Xavier Jones 8, Terrell Bruce and Chris Williams both with 6, Youri Anissovets 5, Rae-Vonn Banks 3, Ivan Gombovic and Logan Nutt each with 2.
    Peltier led the team in rebounding with six, and Allison dished out four assists and grabbed four steals.
    It took a little while, but the Grizzlies handled Ranger fairly easily Friday afternoon.  The Grizzlies held 36-28 advantage at halftime then outscored the Rangers 37-35 in the second half.
    “They are a passing team, and we pressed the whole time and played pretty hard,” Walker said.  “The first six minutes we looked like we’d just gotten off the bus, then we took control.  I thought all 11 guys contributed, and overall, it was a good team win.”
    Unlike Saturday’s game against Trinity, the Grizzlies’ long shots were falling.  The team connected on 10 of 16 three pointers for 62.5 percent and 26 of 52 shots from the field for 50 percent.  The Grizzlies weren’t quite as effective from the free throw line, however, hitting only 11 of 22 shots for 50 percent.
    Peltier led the way on the scoreboard for the Grizzlies with 22 points, including five three-pointers.  He was followed by Allison with 17, Gombovic 12, Nutt 7, Devon Atkinson, Bruce and Williams each with 3, and Taylor Jones, Xavier Jones and Banks each with 2.  Willimas led on the boards with nine rebounds, and Nutt topped the assists column with three.  Peltier recorded a team-leading two steals.
    Next up for the Grizzlies is a 4 p.m. contest Friday, Dec. 5, against Central Baptist College’s junior varsity squad in Conway, Ark.  At 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, the Grizzlies will face Ouachita Baptist University’s JV squad in Arkadelphia, Ark.
    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.