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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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.

Senior forward Keith Bauer chases down a Lee player/Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

Last Monday night, the men’s varsity basketball team faced the team that Head Coach Don Rekoske deemed as the most athletic on their schedule, the NAIA Division 1 Flames of Lee University (Cleveland, Tenn.).

The game was a showdown, intense down to the last second, keeping fans on the edge of their seat as both teams fought for the win. The Lions kept the game close throughout the night but finally succumbed to the Flames 77-68.

Going into the game, the Lions were confident, according to Rekoske.

“We knew we could compete,” he said. “But I knew if we didn’t play well, they could beat us pretty good. So, we had to play well to stay in the game and make it a good game.”

The Lions started strong, taking a 14-8 lead, but by the end of the first half the Flames had taken their place, leading by 15 points.

The second half saw the Lions fight their way back into the lead, only to lose it for good with a little over seven minutes left in the game.

Rekoske said that losing the game came down to two things: not making enough plays in the last three minutes of the game and not shooting the ball with as much accuracy as Lee.

“We took care of the ball—we had seven turnovers to their 16, and that’s a major statistic. We had 10 offensive rebounds to their eight, and we took 13 more shots than they shot. The weakness was that they just shot the ball better than we did—that was the big difference,” he said.

Lions senior guard Dominique Clements was the top scorer of the night with 27 points, hitting six 3-pointers. Lions senior forward Scott Newton was also a lead scorer with 20 points and seven rebounds.

“It was a high level game—two very good teams going at it,” said Rekoske. “We feel like we could have won the game, so it’s a bitter pill to swallow the day after, but it’s all part of getting better.”

The Lions aim to win their conference this season and go to the national tournament. Their next home game is Nov. 10 against Oakwood College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

[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.”

In their final game of the season, the Lions basketball team defeated the University of Virginia College at Wise 85 – 69 Saturday night. This victory places the team in a four- way tie for first place in the AAC. This is the first time the men’s varsity basketball team has achieved this status since 2000.

Photo by Billy Findley

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Junior point guard Demond Craig drives toward the basket. Craig tied his career high of eight assists Saturday night.

UVA-Wise was one game ahead of Bryan going into the game, but, after what Head Coach Don Rekoske said was one of the best team efforts he’s seen in his six years of coaching at Bryan, the Lions closed the season not only in a tie for first place but with the best overall record in the conference.

“This win justifies a season full of hard work,” said junior forward Keith Bauer.

The gym was filled to capacity, and the noise of the fans, both from Bryan and UVA-Wise, vibrated the rafters.

What junior guard Xavierian McCall described as a combination of nerves and apprehensiveness caused the Lions to falter somewhat in the first half. The Lions left the half, trailing 32 – 31.

“We knew we could give a better performance,” McCall said.

With junior forward Keith Bauer fighting through a substantial shoulder injury (he was injected with pain medicine shortly before the game started) and UVA-Wise desperate to defend their first-place ranking, a breakthrough on the Lions part hardly seemed probable, according to Rekoske.

“I honestly thought the game was going to go down to the wire,” Rekoske said.

However, upon returning from the locker room, it seemed a shock of adrenaline had pervaded the Lions. After quickly scoring the first three baskets of the second half, the team caught a wave of momentum that was unstoppable.

With just over two minutes left in the game, the Lions extended their lead to 21 points and went on to finish with an 85 – 69 victory.

Junior forward Scott Newton finished the game with a career high 32 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard/forward Derek Batt finished with a career high 21 points, and junior point guard Demond Craig tied his career high of eight assists.

“We set our goals at the beginning of the season, and, one game at a time, we achieved those goals,” said McCall.

Bryan’s post-season tournament begins this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. here at Bryan. Their first opponent will be Reinhardt College (Waleska, Va.), which is ranked sixth in the conference and finished this season with a 9 – 7 record in the AAC. The team’s top scorer is #17 Will Lewis, who averages just under 15 points a game.

Junior forward Scott Newton launches a hook shot over defenders. Newton had a career high 32 points against UVA-Wise Saturday night.

While the competition will be fierce, both Rekoske and the rest of the team have high expectations.

“Anything other than first place is going to be a disappointment,” Bauer said.

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.

Walking into the gym, students can sense a noticeable difference. The volleyball net has disappeared, and the piercing squeak of basketball shoes against the lacquered floor can be heard as the Bryan College basketball team practices for its upcoming game.

The Lions are ranked fifth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference preseason polls, which do not count for much at this point in the season, according to Head Coach Don Rokoske.

“No one truly knows how good any team is,” Reskoske said.

Bluefield (Va.) College is predicted to be the top team, but has lost some of its starters this year. The AAC title is “up for grabs” because each team has lost some key players, according to Rekoske.

One of the Lions’ key players on the court is junior forward Scott Newton, who has average 19 points per game this preseason. Rekoske said that he thinks Newton is one of the top players in the AAC. Other key players are junior guard Xavierian McCall and transfers junior forward Keith Bauer and sophomore point forward Astral Guerrier.

“We have really good team chemistry,” Rekoske said.

The team has transitioned well because it is running the same offense and defense. The Lions have returned a strong core of players from last year and added in talented transfer students, which has strengthened the team’s defense and improved its rebounding abilities, according to Rekoske.

Junior post Justin MacKay said that the team is focusing on playing “up-tempo” by trying to push the ball and create more fast breaks. The team’s goal is to win the AAC championship this year.

“The key to our winning is continuing our trend of a strong defense,” Mackay said.

The Lions opened their season at home, defeating the Tennessee Temple (Chattanooga, Tenn.) Crusaders on Oct. 29. The scoreboard buzzed sounding the end of the game, and the final score flashed 73-55.

Temple has a talented team, according to Rekoske, and the Lions were excited by the win.

“We got them to play our game,” Rekoske said.

Junior swing guard Josh Decker said that the defense played weaker the first part of the second half, letting some points go, but in the end, they tightened the defense up.

“Our biggest mindset is defense and letting the other team score as few points as possible,” Decker said.

Traveling to Johnson Bible College (Knoxville, Tenn.), the Lions crushed Johnson Bible 101-63 on Oct. 31. All 16 players had the opportunity to leave the bench, and score on the court, racking up another win, Rekoske said.

This past week the team focused on its upcoming game against Fisk University (Nashville, Tenn.). Rekoske watched film on the opposing team, and had the Lions practice how to defeat the other team’s tactics, according to Decker.

“We know what they are going to do before they do it,” Decker said. “It makes it harder on them to score and easier on us.”

Rekoske said that Fisk would be a tough game because the environment would be hostile, and the team would have to show composure and focus on playing its game style. The game was held at Fisk on Nov. 7, and the Lions won 77-53 without the support of their fans.

The fans help the basketball team play with better intensity, according to MacKay and Decker. Rekoske said that the Lions appreciate the support, and he would love to see Bryan have a cheering student section.

“We want our fans to be proud of what they see on the floor,” Rekoske said. “And we are excited to get the ball rolling.”

The Bryan College men’s basketball team is gearing up for the season with new recruits and returning players led by Head Coach Don Rekoske and New Assistant Coach Kyle Terry.

Terry graduated from Bryan last year and played under Rekoske. He has been named Rekoske’s assistant coach for the 2009-2010 season. In his senior year Terry shot 39.6 percent from behind the arc and hit a career high of seven three-pointers in one game. Along with being named Academic-All Conference for three years, Terry was also Academic All-American for his junior and senior years.

“He brings a good understanding of the program and already has the entire team’s respect in the locker room,” said Rekoske.

Last year the team finished 14-15 overall and 9-10 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. The team has already started its preseason and is getting ready for the regular season.

“Preseason has gone well for us, and everyone is working hard,” said Rekoske.

There are four new players joining the team this year: two transfers and two freshmen.

Keith Bauer, a junior transfer from Roane State Community College (Harriman, Tenn.), who brings toughness to the team, can guard multiple positions and averaged 12 points per game last year, according to Rekoske.

Astral Guerrier, a sophomore transfer from Volunteer State Community College (Gallatin, Tenn.), is “extremely athletic, [has] good skill, and plays hard with a big motor,” said Rekoske. Guerrier averaged 11 points per game for Volunteer State.

Freshman Tyler Clark, who is “very skilled offensively,” comes from Oak Ridge High School (El Dorado Hills, Calif.). Rekoske expects him to help the team this year at both the two guard and the point positions.

Also, freshman Carrin Nash’s “length at the three will really help him. He can play both inside and out for us this year,” Rekoske said.

The five returning players for this year are sophomore Xavarien McCall, juniors Scott Newton, Demond Craig and Derek Batt and senior Andrew Slikker.

Team captain Newton, second-team All Conference, averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game last year for the Lions.

“He put on 15 pounds of muscle and should be even better this year,” Rekoske said about Newton.

McCall averaged 12 points per game and four assists at the end of last year.

“[McCall] had a good off-season even though he had patella knee surgery,” said Rekoske.

Craig is a “good defender” and averaged seven points per game.

Batt “plays with energy and could be an excellent defender this year. He has improved his offensive skills and had a knee injury last year that affected him,” said Rekoske.

Another team captain, Slikker “should provide leadership and is an extremely hard worker,” said Rekoske. “This should be his best year for us.”

“Our impact player is, obviously, Scott Newton since he is probably one of the top two or three returners in the league this year,” said Rekoske. “We are also looking to Xavarien to have a big year along with our two transfers Keith Bowers and Astral Guerrier.”

The first home game will be on Oct. 29 against Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at 7:30 p.m.

“The conference should be wide open and very balanced this year, and we are looking forward to getting started with practice,” said Rekoske. “We should be improved this year since we have more talent as long as we mesh together well.”