Senior forward Keith Bauer attmepts to break through Union’s defense on his way to the basket during Saturday afternoon’s game./Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

by Catherine Rogers
Multimedia Editor

Saturday afternoon marked the regular-season finale game for the Bryan College men’s basketball team, during which they hosted and defeated the Union College (Barbourville, Ky.) Bulldogs, 77-69.

“Union has one of the best players in the league, [sophomore guard Turrell Morris], and they won two decisive games coming in, so we knew they we’re going to be a tough team,” said Head Coach Don Rekoske. “I thought we had to play at a very high level to beat them, so that’s a tribute to how well our guys played.”

In the first half, Bryan took the game’s first lead and despite a five-minute back-and-forth swap, held the lead for the majority of the first 20 minutes of play. Going into the locker rooms, the Bulldogs trailed the Lions 37-33.

The second period saw the Lions pull out an 11-point lead in the half’s first three minutes and top the high level of play from Union, managing an 8-point win. Bryan outrebounded Union, 36-27, and committed only eight turnovers to Union’s eleven.

“We had control most of the game, but they stayed just close enough to keep the heat on us the entire night,” said Rekoske. “Every time we got ahead by ten or twelve, they cut it down to five or six. We never trailed, but we never had that room that you like to have to ensure a win.”

The Lions were led by senior forward Scott Newton, who scored a game-high 25 points.

Other key players included junior guard Lavonte Henderson, who managed 15 points and 5 rebounds off the bench, and senior forward Keith Bauer, who was terrific defensively and a beast on the glass, according to Rekoske, with nine points and eight rebounds.

Senior forward Astral Guerrier finished the night with a double-double, scoring 13 points and a game high 10 rebounds.

“Astral got rebounds that only he can get,” said Rekoske. “I don’t know where he was coming from, but I was wowed by some of the efforts he made on the glass.”

The Lion’s finished their regular-season with 21 wins and 8 losses, ranking second in their league.

Last night, they hosted Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, Tenn.) in the first round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament (see www.bryanlions.com for game results), setting their sights on winning three games in a row to send them to the national tournament in Branson, Mo.

[Gallery photos by Catherine Rogers]

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Senior point guard Demond Craig attempts a move around Virginia Intermont players / Triangle Photo by Catherine Rogers

The Bryan College men’s basketball team hosted the Virginia Intermont College (Bristol, Va.) Cobras last Wednesday in a conference game expected to continue the Lion’s winning streak. The Cobras took the win, 65-61.

Both teams took turns leading during the first half, but the halftime buzzer left the Lions trailing the Cobras, 37-29.

The rest of the game was led by the Cobras until just over five minutes remained on the clock. The two teams fought for the lead for several minutes until the Cobras took a one point lead in the final minute of the game. With 22 seconds left, the Cobras moved to a three point lead. Twelve seconds remained and a Virginia Intermont player hit a free throw putting their lead at four points.

In the final six seconds, the Lions scored a layup, but immediately fouled giving Virginia Intermont two free throws. They scored both shots and won the game.

The Lions top scorer of the night, senior guard Xavierian McCall, scored 16 points. Other key players included senior guard Dominique Clements with 10 points, senior guard Derek Batt with eight points and senior forward Keith Bauer who managed nine points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Astral Guerrier added eight points and 17 rebounds.

The Lions traveled to Milligan College (Elizabethton, Tenn.) Saturday night and lost, 62-47, to the Buffalo’s who are now number one in the NAIA Division II Conference.

The next game for the Lions will be against Reinhardt University (Waleska, Ga.) at home this Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.

[Gallery photos by Catherine Rogers]

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The Bryan College Men’s Basketball Team hosted Maryville (Tenn.) College Monday night, winning their last nonconference game of the season, 79-73, and putting their winning streak total at ten in the last 11 games.

“Maryville was a big game, but every game is big now,” said senior guard Derek Batt. “Maryville is extremely talented and beat us at our last meeting, but we are on a mission this season.”

Senior forward Astral Guerrier reaches for the ball in Monday's game against Maryville College / Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

Speaking about the Lions’ mission, senior point guard Demond Craig said that this game was no different than any other game.

“We must win every time we step on the court,” he said.

In the first half, the Lions and Scots fought incessantly for the lead, but by halftime the Lions had claimed their place, going into the locker rooms with a leading score of 34-29.

The second half saw Maryville challenge the Lions, tying the score and then taking turns with the lead until just over nine minutes were left on the clock. The Lions held the lead until the final buzzer.

Senior forward Scott Newton had a “monster performance,” according to Craig, finishing the game with a season high 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Other key players of the night included senior guard Dominique Clements, who scored 13 points, and senior forward Astral Guerrier, who had a double-double and added 14 points and 12 rebounds

“The team is doing great and I am proud to be a member of it,” said Craig. “This year feels like a special year for Bryan College basketball.”

This week the Lions moved up to rank number 23 in the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. They host their next game against Virginia Intermont College (Bristol, Va.) tonight at 7:30pm.

[Gallery photos by Catherine Rogers]

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Senior forward Derek Batt taks a shot on the basket during last Wednesday's game against Tennessee Wesleyan College / Triangle photo by Daniel Jackson

After defeating the Tennessee (Athens) Wesleyan Bulldogs, 71-57, in a home game last Wednesday, the men’s varsity basketball team travelled to Bluefield (Va.) College on Saturday and gained their second win of the week with a score of 67-54.

“It’s our first win [at Bluefield] in the seven years I’ve been at Bryan,” said Head Coach Don Rekoske. “And when you’ve never won up there and you’re playing a team that’s only a game behind you in the conference you’re worried, but I thought we were extremely responsible defensively.”

In the first half, the Lions’ defense kept Bluefield shooting only 24 percent overall and built their lead to 12 points. The score at halftime was 28-16.

“We executed our game plan pretty well,” said senior forward Astral Guerrier. “We shut them down on the defensive end, we out rebounded them and we eliminated fast break points.”

The Lions advanced their lead to 19 points in the second half until the Rams cut it down to nine points just 26 seconds before the final buzzer.

“What really helped us, not only in this game but throughout the year, was bench play,” said Senior guard Xavierian McCall. “[Several players] came in and really gave us a lift.”

Senior guard Dominique Clements came off the bench to score 17 points and four assists throughout the night as well as being a key player defensively, according to McCall.

Senior forward Scott Newton averaged 23 points a game this week, making six three-pointers on Wednesday and grabbing 10 rebounds and 20 points Saturday.

McCall also contributed 16 points to the Lion’s score on Saturday and Guerrier managed 14 rebounds.

“I think earlier on [in the season] we were still searching to play our best basketball,” said Rekoske. “But we’ve won seven of our last eight games, so I think we’re just finally hitting our stride.”

The Lions are now ranked 24^th in the nation by the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

“The team is on the right track now,” said Clements. “We are ranked in the top 25 nationally, number one in the conference and if we continue to play the way we are now, we can receive an automatic bid to the national tournament in March.”

With eight conference games left in the season, the Lions goal is to not get complacent with their achievements so far, according to Rekoske.

“We just have to stay the course,” he said.

The Lions play again this Saturday at Montreat (N.C.) College and are scheduled for a home game on Monday against Maryville (Tenn.) College at 7:30pm.

[Gallery photos by Daniel Jackson]

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This week, I interviewed Don Rekoske, head coach of the men’s varsity basketball team about his goals for the season.

So coach, how has your season been going so far?

So far it’s going real well, we’re 7-3. We’re ranked just outside the top 25 at number 27 in the country.

[There are a] lot of seniors on this year’s team, a group of guys that I’ve really enjoyed coaching. A lot of these guys have played for me for four years. A couple of them are transfers that have played for me as juniors and seniors. We have a good group of guys, good chemistry. It’s been a real pleasure to work with this group.

Editors Note: As of Dec. 6, the Lions are ranked number 25 in the country.

Who are the team’s top players?

We have three all-conference players returning. We are a very balanced team first of all, but we still have our go-to guys. Senior forward center Scott Newton is the league’s runner-up MVP. Junior forward center Astral Guerrier and Senior forward Keith Bauer are second team all-conference players that are returning. Senior guard Dominique Clements has come in this year as a redshirt giving us a nice sixth man off the bench averaging about 11 points a game. Beyond that, Senior point guard Demond [Craig] has had a really good year so far as [point guard]. He’s been a four-year starter for us. That’s always a real luxury to have a kid play [point guard] that’s been a four-year starter. He’s been very productive. Senior guard Xavierian McCall really gets it done on both ends of the floor.

What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?

Well, we have weaknesses; we’re still a work in progress. We’ve been trying to address those weaknesses over these past 10 days.

Junior Josh Decker dunks the ball/Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

At their first home game of the season this past Saturday, the men’s varsity basketball team hosted Johnson Bible College (Knoxville, Tenn.) in what was “a good warm-up game,” according to Head Coach Don Rekoske.

The Lions had little expectations for their game against the Preachers, but used it as an opportunity to give all 15 players playing time. Fourteen of the players scored during the game.

“Going into the game, we planned to apply good defensive pressure and win the rebound battle and we executed this to perfection,” said senior forward Keith Bauer.

Bryan scored the first four points of the game, held a lead throughout the first half and only allowed the Preachers to get within one point of their score. At halftime, the score was 56-15.

In the second half, the Lions dominated and continued to build their lead to over 60 points.

The central highlight of the game came when freshman guard T.J. Smith came off the bench and “kept hitting three-point shots over and over,” according to senior forward Astral Guerrier. Smith totaled five three pointers throughout the game.

Other highlights of the game included dunks from both Bauer and Guerrier, who both expect this season to take them to the national tournament. The final score was 101-39.

(Gallery photos by Catherine Rogers)

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Junior forward Keith Bauer goes in for a lay-up against Reinhardt College in the Lion's first game of the AAC tournament. Triangle photo by Maddie K. Doucet, Staff Photographer.

The Bryan College men’s basketball team fell to Reinhardt College (Waleska, Ga.) 68-61, ending their season. The Lions hosted the Eagles on Wednesday, Feb. 24 in the quarterfinals of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament.

Going into the tournament, the Lions were in a four-way tie for first place in the AAC with an 11-5 conference record. They tied with Bluefield College (Va.), Union College (Barbourville, Ky.) and The University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

The game plan was not much different than any other game, according to Head Coach Don Rekoske.

“Playing good defense and rebounding is where it all starts for us,” Rekoske said, “And I don’t feel like we did either of those things that well.”

Lions down in the first half

In the first half of the game, the Eagles pulled ahead 16-6 with the Lions struggling to regain ground. At half time, the Eagles still held the lead 35-29.

Junior forward Keith Bauer, who has been having shoulder trouble for the last three weeks of the season, said that the defense played irresponsibly.

“People did not always do their job,” Bauer said. “There was a lack of trust.”

Lions pull ahead in the second half until an injury timeout

The Lions played hard the first 13 minutes of the second half, according to Rekoske, and were gaining momentum. They took the lead 52-50, with junior forward Scott Newton scoring 30 points for the game.

With eight minutes left to play, freshman guard Tyler Clark collided with Reinhardt senior guard Kordel Alexander.

The players were close to each other and were moving fast when they both turned at the same time, and their heads cracked together, according to Head Athletic Trainer Scott Landis. The players received a similar cut just above the eyebrow.

“It was one of the most substantial cuts I’ve ever seen in eight years of athletic training,” Landis said.

He estimated they would each have to get seven to eight stitches.

Rekoske said the game stopped for 10 minutes for Landis to tend the injuries and clean up the blood from the head wounds.

The collision killed the Lions’ momentum, according Bauer.

When play resumed, the Eagles took back the lead.

Rekoske said that it hurt the Lions when junior forward Astral Guerrier, who scored 16 points in the game, fouled out with five minutes left.

With a minute to go, the Lions were trailing by two points.

Rekoske said that there was a scramble for a loose ball, and a foul called on the Lions, which was a “game clincher.” The Eagles padded their lead with five free throws, outscoring the Lions by five points from the free throw line for the entire game.

“That has been our Achilles’ heel all year,” Rekoske said. “We have not been good from the free throw line.”

Bauer said that overall, it has been a good season and “that the program took steps in the right direction.” The loss to Reinhardt was disappointing, but they will have the top seven players returning next year, and some good redshirts.

“We are anticipating a great year next year,” Reksoske said. “Our fans were great the last two games, and we want to thank them and tell them to be ready to see a special team on the floor next year.”

The men’s basketball team dominated the Cobras of Virginia Intermont College (Bristol, Va.) 81 – 48 Monday night in Virginia. The victory put the Lions a mere two wins away from securing first place in the AAC this season and being eligible to host the post-season tournament scheduled to begin Feb. 24. It’s been nearly 10 years since the team has finished first in the conference, according to Head Coach Don Rekoske.

The win Monday was prefaced by a substantial victory against Montreat College (N.C.) last Saturday. However, the team stayed cautious going into Monday’s game, not taking anything for granted despite Virginia Intermont’s current ranking of seventh in the AAC.

Junior power forward Astral Guerrier soars passed for a layup during Saturday's game against Montreat College. Photo by Billy Findley.

“They’re very dangerous on the road,” Rekoske said Saturday after the game against Montreat. Junior forwards Scott Newton and Derrick Batt both concurred with Rekoske’s statement Saturday, and both said the team would need to stay focused in order to accomplish their overarching goal of finishing out the season on top. After Monday night’s performance, the Lions may do just that.

There was not a time during the game that the Lions trailed the Virtinia Intermont Cobras. Players of the game for Bryan included junior guard Xavierian McCall who finished with 14 points and junior power forward Astral Guerrier who dominated the boards with 14 points and 18 rebounds. The rest of the team followed suit, particularly three players off the bench, according to Rekoske – senior guard/forward Andrew Slikker, sophomore guard Jeremy Haley and freshman guard Tyler Clark, who, according to Rekoske, played his best game of the season Monday night.

“We really went out and took care of business,” McCall said. McCall said he really respects his teammates for not taking anything for granted against Virginia Intermont. He also expects Bluefield College (Va.) to come out strong Wednesday night.

“They’re going to be ready for us,” McCall said.

Bluefield is currently ranked third in the AAC and will be a challenge, particularly with junior starting forward Keith Bauer still injured and junior point guard Demond Craig, who is still recovering from a sprained ankle. Craig’s status is uncertain going into Wednesday’s game. However, win or lose, Rekoske said he has high hopes for the future of team.

“In all my years of coaching, this is a very special group of players,” Rekoske said. “This year has been great, and I think it’s just going to get even better.” The Lions are currently only half a game behind the first place team in the conference: the University of Virginia at Wise (Va.). If the Lions are able win Wednesday against Bluefield College as well as defeat UVA on Saturday, they will finish the season first place in the conference.

The Bryan Lions’ men’s basketball team cut short a three-game skid and won both away games last week, tying for first place in the AAC with the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs (Athens).

The highlight of the week was Saturday night’s game at Milligan (Tenn.) College  where the Lions took an early lead and held it the rest of the game for a decisive win 69-54. Head Coach Don Rekoske credits the win to many players who stepped up in the second half and made shots.

One highlight of Saturday night came early in the game when, as described by junior student assistant John Cannon, “Coach Rekoske took a gamble and put in Jeremy Haley,” who hasn’t played all season.

Rekoske said, “We put him in a key situation and he came in and knocked down a three-pointer.”

Cannon went on to say that sophomore shooting guard Haley’s “deep NBA three-pointer” lifted the team’s spirit. It seems as if that set the momentum for the rest of the game as only minutes later junior point guard Demond Craig made an assist to senior Scott Newton who “slammed a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer [putting the team] up by nine points.”

In the second half, it was sophomore power forward Astral Guerriers’ dunk that sealed the game, according to Cannon. Guerrier described the play leading up to his dunk with Craig penetrating the opposing team’s offense toward the basket and passing to Guerrier just before Milligan’s defense crashed on him.

With 15 wins overall, eight conference wins—seven with a lead of at least 15 points—and only four games to go, it’s safe to say that our men’s basketball team has had a good season.

“We’ve not only won a large number of games,” said Rekoske, “ but have done so impressively and sometimes in a dominating fashion.”

However, the season isn’t quite over yet., according to Rekoske. He hopes to continue building the “big-time momentum” created at the Milligan game and win the AAC conference. This will qualify the Lions to host the conference tournament, giving them a huge advantage.

“That’s the goal,” said Rekoske, “with only four games to go and a chance to win the conference, what else do [we] need for motivation?”

“We have great chemistry. We’re tough and we play hard,” said Rekoske, who added that the Lions are in the top five in the nation defensively and in rebounding statistics.

Rekoske said he hopes this momentum continues into this week’s games at Virginia Intermont College on Wednesday and against Montreat College on Saturday, which is a “big home game,” he said. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Triangle Photo by Tim Baldi.

The Bryan Lion’s men’s basketball team scored a hard-earned victory in overtime against the Tennessee Wesleyan (Athens) Bulldogs at the Dec. 5 home game.

The Lions lost a six point lead during the last minutes of the second half allowing the Bulldogs to tie them 74-74 and bringing the game into overtime.

“The team lacked defensive intensity,” said Head Coach Don Rekoske, “they were not taking care of the ball.”

During overtime, however, the Lions retook the lead and beat the Bulldogs 84-82.

The team showed resilience and outperformed the Bulldogs with their rebounds, according to Rekoske. Sophomore Astral Guerrier made 13 rebounds and scored 23 points throughout the game.

During the second half of regulation and again during overtime, the Lions held several strong leads but were hard-pressed by the Bulldogs’ comebacks that caused the 74-74 regulation score and the close victory for the Lions with an overtime score of 84-82.

Saturday’s victory made the difference between first and sixth place in the team’s conference standing, according to Rekoske.

The team is currently 7-3 and will play again on Dec. 11 at Southeastern Bible College (Birmingham, Ala.).