Grizzlies' Record Now 11-9
Date: January 20, 2009
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993
The Grizzlies fell to MAC 89-78 on Saturday, Jan. 17, in their Region 16 opener, but bounced back to defeat Arkansas Tech JV 84-63 Monday, Jan. 19.
“It was a great win for us going into our homecoming game this Saturday against fellow Region 16 opponent Three Rivers (Community College of Poplar Bluff, Mo.),” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said of Monday’s win. “Hopefully, it was the boost we needed to make a little run in the region.”
Walker said calling Arkansas Tech’s team a junior varsity team “is deceiving. They brought in some of their varsity players, and they have really good shooters. It was huge how good they really were. They tried to switch defenses and keep us off balance. The win came at the right time.”
The Grizzlies shot the ball well in the contest, the coach said. Leading the way was sophomore Devon Peltier, who had 21 points. He was followed fellow sophomores Chris Williams with 17 and Anthony Allison with 12, as well as freshmen Taylor Jones with 11, Xavier Jones 10, Rae-Vonn Banks 7, and sophomore Logan Nutt 6.
Walker attributed Saturday’s loss against MAC to Grizzly errors. “We continue to beat ourselves. We fight to stay in the game but continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. This was one game in the region, and there is plenty of time to make up. We just have to keep plugging away,” he said following the game.
The Grizzlies will next take the court at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, when they host Region 16 arch rival Three Rivers Community College of Poplar Bluff, Mo., for the 2008-09 homecoming game at the West Plains Civic Center arena. The homecoming king and queen will be crowned at halftime. The game is being sponsored by CenturyTel.
For more information about the Grizzly Basketball team, visit the Grizzly Basketball Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb.htm.