Page 10
One bad call
Open your eyes: Head Coach Fred Paulsen
reacts to a referree's call during the final
minutes of the Keuka game.
Greg Geibel/TTie Collegian
Sports
Lions go 4-3 over break, play
competitive tournaments
While most of us saw family,
met up with friends, skied,
skated, slept, and waited every
day by the mailbox to intercept
those grades, the Lions of Coach
Fred Paulsen were assigned extra
work.
The team played seven games
over break, going 4-3 overall.
The one-decision-over-.500-slate
for the holidays was significant
as four of the contests came
during trips to highly
competitive tournaments.
The Lions enter this week's
lull in their schedule 9-7 after
stubbing their collective toes in
their two most recent outings; an
overtime loss at Fredonia, and a
"short end of the stick" game
with Houghton. The record had
blossomed to 9-5 prior to those
games.
The Western
Connecticut Tournament
The Lions returned to campus
just a day after many celebrated
Christmas. After two days of hard
practice cutting into slabs of
turkey and dressing nestled around
the midriffs of Paulsen's players,
the team bused out to New
England.
On opening night the team
met up with the host, Western
Connecticut. Western has a
history of post-season
tournament play, and
demonstrated why with an 86-73
win over the Lions. PSB shot
like crazy in the first half (71
percent from the floor) but trailed
46-42 at the break. Western
outscored the Lions by nine in
the second half.
Rick Clark led Behrend with
25 points. Don Plyler was the
only other Lion in double figures
with 11. He also dished off five
assists and came up with three
steals.
The loss placed PSB in to the
consolation contest with
Frostburg State University (MD).
The Lions are a familiar foe of
Frostburg, having met three of
the last four seasons.
Once again PSB prevailed
over the Bobcats, this time by a
count of 83-75. Don Plyler was
on fire all night hitting for 28
points on 9 x 10 shooting from
the flnnr and an 8 x 10 elate at
the line. Rob Hunt collected 14
points while Clark put up 13.
Houghton 61 - Lions 59
In this one the Lions led
throughout after taking the
intermission lead, 37-34. At
times in the second half the
Lions had the opportunity to
push Houghton down and out,
but could not find the final nail
to silence the Highlanders.
The Lions couldn't find
anyone to help Clark on this
night, as his 17 points were the
lone scoring numbers in double
digits.
The Lions hit for only eight
field goals in the final session,
scoring just 22 points while
shooting 36 percent, to drop a
close decision. The intense
defensive pressure by the Lions,
Greg Geibel/T/ie Collegian
Playing keep away: Junior forward Stephan
Respress looks for an open man during the
Keuka game.
who limited Houghton to 27
points in the second half, kept
the Lions close down the stretch.
The RIT Tournament
The coaching staff of the
Lions, Paulsen, Terry
Thompson, and Chris Viscuso,
have hung their hat on defense
since October 15th when practice
began. The first round match-up
with Messiah must have looked
like a masterpiece to them.
The Lions held Messiah to 38
percent shooting, 20 first half
points, on their way to a 57-52
win to move in to the title game
versus host RIT. An attractive
scoring sheet with balance
throughout spelled the difference
for PSB. Four players hit for
double figures led by Stephan
Respress with 14 points. Byron
Thorne (13 points + 10 boards),
Clark (12), and Plyler (11) all put
solid numbers up.
The championship contest
went to RIT. The host team shot
60 percent on the day to down the
Lions, 70-58. The Lions tried to
place the same defensive pressure
on RIT as they had just one day
earlier versus Messiah, and for
twenty minutes it worked. At the
half RIT led, 24-17.
After the intermission,
adjustments by RIT broke the
game open. RIT scored 47 points
in the second half to win. Plyler
led the Lions with 24 points,
hitting 6 x 12 from beyond the
thr«*.-nninf-arc
Thursday, January 23, 1992
The sophomore from
Maplewood added five steals.
Respress added 13 to his 14 from
the night before to earn AII-
Toumamenl honors. The junior
transfer grabbed eight rebounds.
Byron Thome added 11 points.
Plyler, along with Respress made
the All-Tournament team.
Lions 80 - W & J 72
It was revenge time at Erie
Hall in this one. Earlier in the
year the Presidents had won on
their home floor by a single
point, 72-71. The Lions came
out focused and prepared as they
jumped to a 37-31 lead at the
break. Both teams shot 50
percent from the floor in the first
half as the up-tempo game and
the pin-point shooting had Erie
Hall blazing.
The Lions actually improved
on their shooting ledger as they
finished at 53 percent from the
field. Ball movement, penetration
and dishes for easy jumpers, and a
well thought out game plan lifted
the Lions over the Presidents.
Rick Clark led with 22
points, Plyler added 17, Respress
15, and Thorne 12.
Lions 66 - Keuka 62
If you missed this one, or
worse yet, if you left early, you
missed out. The Lions and the
Warriors of Keuka College
battled in Erie Hall for thirty
minutes. The frantic Lions,
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