| Show Pape 6 February 23 1995 mm Sports Men's basketball team alone in second place with a shot at the conference championship Over the past I wo weekends Ihe Golden Eagles won 3 ol 4 games despite the permanent loss of three key players front the starting lineup Coach Ronnie Stubbs was forced to showcase his bench strength after suspending liddie Washington and Alexander Morris for violation of team rules and subsequently losing Brian Christiansen in Ihe turmoil Coach Stubbs had no comment on the departure of the three players but preferred instead to comment on the outstanding play of ihe remaining team members in increasing their conference record to 4 (23-- 5 overall) first one out of only game place Because of Stubbs' frequent (Iyer miles recruiting a strong bench CEU has an outside chance to capture the league championship this weekend when they play conference leader College of Southern Idaho ( 3 in the SWAC 25-- 3 overall) who arc ranked in the top ten nationally If CIIU can upset CSI on Saturday Peh 25 Oil I would become conference cochamps and enter play as cither top seed or second seed depending on other factors However assuming a w in over Treasure Valley on Friday and even with a loss to CSI on Saturday (Ik Magics will complete their best (25-7- ) season since 1991-9- 2 and have the potential to finish with their best season ever CKU89IIVSC 97 In CPU's first home loss of the season Utah Valley Stale College outdistanced a struggling CPU team by eight points in a game that nobody expected the Magics to win Coach Stubbs said after the game "The game was secondary The adversity that transpired with some of the players before the game overshadowed the game itself The team was not focused Not sharp Whenever we made a run at them they would come back Everyone played as hard as (hey could under the circumstances UVSC is beatable” Coach Stubbs was especially pleased with the play of Roscll Ellis Kenny Pratt and Lovell Brown Additionally Salim Bendingcr and Norey all stepped up and did a nice joh he added Pratt finished with 26 points Ellis tallied 19 and Bendingcr finished with 13 Salim contributed 10 assists and 7 points CEU 108 SLCC 107 Following Ihe loss to UVSC the night before uncertainty preceded the game with Salt Lake Community College on Saturday CEU had defeated SLCC in overtime when the two teams met in Salt Lake in January But with three starters from that January game gone few knew what to expect in Price However adversity brings out the best in some athletes The Eagles told their coach before the SLCC game “We're ready to play We know we peed to focus We know we need to put some things behind us” And they did with exciting 12-- 1 3-- post-seaso- n (2-1- results! e CEU led at by 10 but the Eagles were missing easy shots in the second half and SLCC was making theirs It was necessary for half-tim- Roscll Ellis to sink two free throws at the end of regulation to put the game into overtime In overtime the game stayed dose and CEU found themselves down by I point when Ellis lohhed a pass to Pratt for the winning basket w ith 4 seconds left in the overtime period Coach Stubbs simply told the team at the start of the overtime period “We've been here before you know how to win" Kenny Pratt scored 31 Alton Bendingcr totaled 27 and Roscll Ellis added 23 CKU 81 Snow 79 The following Friday night it was the story of (he one that almost got away Although CEU led Snow by as many as 14 points late in this d somewhat game Ihe Golden Eagles couldn't score in the closing minutes of play and shot with Snow tied (he game with a three-poionly 18 seconds to play However Kenny Pratt got the call and sank (he last shot for the win “It was a motion offense” said coach Stuhhs “We gave it to Kenny If he missed we had a chance for a lip in" Pratt and Roscll Ellis both finished with 18 points Lovell Brown tallied 14 (5 for 6 field goals including 2 for 3 from range) Malik Salim added 12 Ellis led all CEU rcbounders with 8 Stubbs credited Snow with “hard play” “Our games (with Snow) have always been dose hut we have always been successful" he said CEU 103 Dixie 96 CEU did not lead in this game until the final minutes and trailed Dixie in the second half by as many as 14 points The Eagles were able to win this thriller in St George during the final two minutes of regulation after facing what seemed hopeless odds several times during the game After miraculously tying the score at 93 at the 2:18 mark Kenny Pratt was disqualified with his fifth foul This was the first time this season Pratt has fouled out Pratt had led Ihe effort with 34 team in their 13 A few rebounds seconds later points and Malik Salim also fouled out lie had directed the team from his point guard position accounted for 12 points and 10 assists with only one Sometimes a team plays inspired basketball situation when faced with a in With Dixie ranked 20th the nation playing a team with only one original starter left on the floor (Rosell Ellis: 22 points and 10 rebounds) the St George team was in excellent position to put this one away on their home court before a large and loud audience But the unexpected happened someone forgot to show the script to the unranked team from Price Some say Dixie Others say CEU just wanted it was more Alton Bendinger scored on a jumper to break the tie and CEU won going away Jamie Jeffords hit two critical free throws Lovell Brown added two more points from the charity stripe and Bendinger added another two from the line to knock Dixie out of a lie for second place in the conference one-side- nt -- come-from-bchi- turn-ov- er ncarly-impossib- le ed 15-fo- ot Garth by Photo at tha January meeting of CEU and Dixie For real excitement attend the games this Friday and Saturday The Saturday game against the CSI should be one of the best of the year Coach Stubbs says that this is the first time as a coach his team will be playing for the championship “By 10 pm Saturday night” he says “we'll know who will reign as the top team” Friday February 25 the Eagles take on Treasure Valley Community College &pay ‘Dance March 4 1995 7 Saturday 8:30 to 11:30 pm ( vV Student Center Ballroom Music by: CEU Jazz Band directed by Scott Stanton Semiformal $5 per person Students with activity card free Advance ticket purchase required Tickets available from CKU Cashier |
