Basketball Teams Look to Keep Improving

With the 2011-2012 basketball season well underway, both the men's and the women's basketball teams look to keep improving with goals of making it to the postseason tournaments. 

The men improve to 8-10 overall and 4-9 in the GPAC after Saturday's stellar 95-84 win against #5 Dordt.

The Prairie Wolves were led by sophomore Eric Jackson who had a career-high 29 points going 7-8 from the three point line, 8-13 from the floor and 6-6 at the free throw line. Fellow sophomores Trent Scheitel and Tim Schweitzer added 11 and 10 points respectively, while Trevor Johnson led the team with six assists. Senior Andy Schweitzer led the Prairie Wolves in steals with four, and Nick Dinan added 16 points along with four assists and three steals.

With upcoming GPAC contests, the men look to put themselves in position for the GPAC tournament and play their best basketball at the end of the season. 

"We want to keep getting better and go out and do the best we can," comments Scheitel.

"We take the same approach to every game," adds senior forward Bryce Arp, "and prepare the same way. We don't play up one game because of the opponent, we want to play consistent."

The women are currently 5-13 overall and 2-11 in the GPAC after Saturday's 49-78 loss to Dordt.

"We didn't come out as strong as we could have," states junior guard Janelle Baal. "I think it kind of depends what team is going to show up. But I think the biggest problem was we were struggling with our teamwork and team chemistry. And then at the end he [Coach Jensen] put in some of our players that were able to make the right pass for the right shots."

The Prairie Wolves were led by juniors Mallory Shanahan, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals, and Melissa Bennett who scored 10 points with seven rebounds, an assist and two steals. Fellow junior Carolina Alves added six points along with a steal and an assist, while freshman Queen Ohamara added six rebounds.

As for this season's goals, the women look to make it into the national tournament, play together as a team, and play better defense.

"We need to focus on defensive intensity," comments senior guard Hannah Marshall. "We can obviously score points if we can stop them, and get the defensive rebound and head to the other end. But without that intensity and without helping each other out, that is not going to happen."

Both the men and the women head to Midland on Jan. 25 and Mount Marty on Jan. 28 before returning home on Feb. 1 to play Concordia at Synder Arena, with the women's game at 6 p.m. followed by the men at 8.