Date: February 25, 2009
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Defense once again played a key role in the latest victory by the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team.

The Grizzlies defeated Arkansas Tech University’s junior varsity squad from Russellville 61-51 Monday night, Feb. 23, at the West Plains Civic Center arena, giving the Grizzlies a positive ending to their home season.  Missouri State-West Plains is now 14-15 on the season.

“It was good to get a win on Sophomore Night,” Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said.  “We didn’t shoot exceptionally well from the field, but our defensive effort was good.  That is what sustained us.”

The Grizzlies only hit 20 of 55 shots from the field for 36 percent, eight of 29 attempts from the three-point line for 27 percent and 13 of 22 shots from the charity stripe for 59 percent.  But their defense held Arkansas Tech to 22 of 68 from the field for 32 percent, four of 29 from three-point range for 13 percent and three of six from the free throw line for 50 percent.

The Grizzly defense also held Arkansas Tech’s top junior varsity player, Blake Torres, to just three points for the evening.  Two other Arkansas Tech players, however, did score in double figures.  Brennan Goree and Josh Danner posted 21 and 10 points, respectively.

Leading scorer for the Grizzlies was sophomore Devon Peltier with 18 points.  Freshman Rae-Vonn Banks followed with 10.  Freshman Taylor Jones scored 9, sophomore Anthony Allison netted 8, sophomores Youri Anissovets and Logan Nutt and freshman Ivan Gombovic each had 4, and freshmen Xavier Jones and Terrell Bruce each had 2.

The Grizzlies also out-rebounded Arkansas Tech 40 to 37.  Banks grabbed 11 of them, earning a double-double for the night.  “Rae-Vonn really stepped up for us,” Walker said.  “We are lucky he played as well as he did.”

The Grizzlies will close out their regular season Saturday, Feb. 28, when they travel to Moberly, Mo., to face Region 16 rival Moberly Area Community College in a 7 p.m. contest.  Currently, Missouri State-West Plains and Moberly are both 1-6 in the region.

For more information about the Grizzly Basketball team, visit the Grizzly Basketball Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb.htm.