Date: January 12, 2009
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993

    WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The new year didn’t start out as the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team had hoped.
    The Grizzlies dropped both of their games this past weekend at the Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic/West Plains Ambulatory Surgery Center Grizzly Basketball Classic Tournament, putting their record at 10-8 on the year as they head into Region 16 play.
    On Friday, Jan. 9, the Grizzlies lost to Technical Career Institute (TCI) of New York 76-69 then came up short against Iowa Western Community College of Council Bluffs 75-69 on Saturday, Jan. 10.
    “I think we had too many turnovers and tried too many tough plays instead of doing what was natural,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said.  “I think our execution was below average.  The second night, there just came a point we needed a stop and we were not able to get it.”
    Against TCI, the Grizzlies struggled from three-point range, hitting only one of 11 attempts.  At halftime, the Grizzies trailed 29-32, and they were outscored 44-40 in the second half.  Against Iowa Western, the Grizzlies had 15 turnovers to the Reivers’ 11 and were less effective from the charity stripe, hitting only 73 percent of their attempts compared to Iowa Western’s 93 percent.  Missouri State-West Plains trailed 30-32 at halftime and were outscored 43-39 in the second half.
    The tournament bright spot for the Grizzlies was sophomore Anthony Allison, who was named MVP.  He led the Grizzlies in scoring against TCI with 21 points and was co-leader against Iowa Western with 13 points.
    Grizzly Xavier Jones was selected to the all-tournament team, along with TCI’s Jamel Jackson and Kevin White.  James Scott of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, the tournament’s fourth participating team, also received all-tournament team honors.
    Both Iowa Western and TCI posted 2-0 tournament records, while the Grizzlies and Arkansas Baptist were both 0-2.  Iowa Western defeated Arkansas Baptist 82-60 Friday night, and TCI beat Arkansas Baptist 86-71 Saturday evening.
    The Grizzlies will open their Region 16 schedule Saturday, Jan. 17, when they travel to Park Hills, Mo., to play Mineral Area College.  Game time is 7 p.m.
    For more information about the Grizzly Basketball team, visit the Grizzly Basketball Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb.htm.