2004-05 KVCC Men's Basketball Results
(Scroll down to see results of earlier games)

Mott 79, Kalamazoo Valley 58     3-4-05     [19-10]     [6-8]     [Box Score]     [Final 29 Game Accumulative Statistics]     [Final 14 Game League Statistics]

The Cougars stormed out to a 13-7 lead and held on to lead most of the half tonight against the nation's No. 2 rated team. After the 40-40 tie at the intermission, however, Mott showed why they are 29-2.  Jerel Allen's trey with 17:00 left gave Mott a lead, 45-44, they would not lose.  Sparkling defense by the Bears held the Cougar offense to 18 second half points, offsetting a 13-34 (.354) 2nd half shooting performance by Mott.  Allen led all scorers with 23 while Andre Britton and Robert McRae tossed in 15 apiece, and Curtis Gilmore finished with 10.  Britton was the game's top rebounder with 11, as the Bears dominated the glass, 43-29.  Of those 43, Mott had 22 offensive rebounds to KVCC's 9.  Adam Kerfoot's 19 points led KVCC.  Mike Zuiderveen and Darre Johnson each grabbed 6 boards for the Cougars.  KVCC finished the game 21-50 (.420) from the floor; Mott was a modest 27-69 (.391).  However, the Cougars only managed 3-20 (.150) from behind the arc while the Bears were 11-28 (.393).  Both teams shot well from the FT line with KVCC going 13-15 (.867) and Mott, 14-17 (.824).  Mott's pressure forced 17 Cougar turnovers while the Bears only had 8.

Coach's Comments:  "While this is not the way we wanted the season to end, I will say that our Cougars got Mott's attention early tonight.  Despite the fact that Mott hit 9 first half triples, we still had them tied at the intermission.  We were only down 48-54 with 14:09 remaining, but their superior quickness, depth, and rebounding enabled them to gradually wear us down.  We committed 5 turnovers in our last 7 possessions resulting in our worst beating of the season.  It has been an interesting semester, to say the least.  We had some surprising highs, including two wins over Grand Rapids, and victories over all of the teams that finished above us in the league, and some lows, including double losses to the teams that finished in the last two places in our conference.  We just could not generate the depth that can lead to the kind of consistency needed to be a top league team.  Nevertheless, we did see many high spots, one of which, certainly, was the rapid development of Mike Zuiderveen.  From posting a double-double in the first collegiate OR high school game he had ever started, to averaging 8.6 points, shooting .580 from the field, and grabbing a team high 8.2 rebounds per game in league play, Mike proved that he could become a solid college player.  And Adam Kerfoot's 14.1 average, with .791 from the FT line, 6.1 assists per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game in league play helped enable us to win 7 more games after our 12-0 first semester start.  Dirail Flenorl's play became more and more consistent as he averaged 11.9 points per game in league play, and Quincy Bell and Darre Johnson continued their steady play from the first semester, resulting in our 'upset' wins over some top teams.  It has, indeed, been an 'up and down' season, but finishing 19-10 under the conditions we faced is something all of us can take some pride in."

Kalamazoo Valley 78, St. Clair 69     3-3-05     [19-9]     [6-8]     [Box Score]     [28 Game Accumulative Statistics]     [Final 14 Game League Statistics]

The Cougars jumped out to an early lead in this one, holding the Skippers to 10-37 (.270) shooting from the floor in the opening half.  A 15 foot jumper by Bryan Davis in the waning seconds of the half gave the Cougars a 40-26 halftime margin.  The Skippers were far from giving up, however, as they managed to battle back to within 6 at 66-72 on a George Boines lay-up with :46 left in the game.  After Quincy Bell drained two FT's Boines popped in a triple to close the margin to 69-74 with :30 left.  Adam Kerfoot closed the door on the ST. Clair rally by netting 4 consecutive FT's to seal the Cougar victory.  Kerfoot led all scorers with 20.and managed to hold off a determined Skipper charge late in the game for the win.  Adam Kerfoot led KVCC with 20; Mike Zuiderveen had 12, and Dirail Flenorl, II, dropped in 10.  Zuiderveen grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds as the Cougars edged the Skippers in this department, 48-46.    Flenorl grabbed 7.  Quincy Bell chipped in 6 assists, Kerfoot 4 for KVCC.  The Cougars shot 27-62 (.435) from the field; St. Clair shot 27-78 (.346) for the game.  Neither team shot well from behind the arc: KVCC was 5-21 (.238), while S4C was 4-25 (.160).  KVCC was 19-25 (.760) from the FT line; St. Clair was 11-19 (.579) from the charity stripe.  Darren Jones scored 16, Josh Wagar 12, and and Antwann Cosey 10 for St. Clair.  Bruce Mosely contributed to the Skipper cause with 6 assists.

Coach's Comments:  "After five straight losses, this game was a welcome relief!  I had not felt that we had played well for a full 40 minutes since our February 4 win at Lake Michigan.  We had displayed stretches of consistent, solid basketball, but we had not been able to sustain those stretches long enough to win the game.  Tonight we kept our defensive intensity up, and we made many good decisions down the stretch.  We mixed up a 2-3 zone with our traditional man-to-man defense, and the strategy seemed to prove fairly effective.  We were able to neutralize their inside size, and kept them from getting hot from the perimeter.  It was a good win."

Grand Rapids 71, Kalamazoo Valley 67     2-21-05     [18-9]     [6-8]     [Box Score]     [27 Game Accumulative Stats]     [Final 14 Game League Stats]

After losing two tense games to KVCC, the third time was a charm for the Raiders as they held off a Cougar charge to post a first round MCCAA Tournament win tonight at spacious Ford Fieldhouse in Grand Rapids.  The Cougars did not die easily, however, as they stayed close throughout this one.  A jumper by Darre Johnson with :48 left tied the game at 67, but Tyler Rader nailed a triple with :13 remaining to seal the win.  The Cougars, after closing to 64-67 had three straight stops, but turned the ball over haplessly each time to thwart their own comeback.  KVCC committed 21 turnovers to GRCC's 9.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Raiders 45-43, but GRCC was able to pound the offensive glass for 21 offensive rebounds to KVCC's 9, enabling the host school to once again take 23 more shots from the field than the visitors.  GRCC finished the game 26-78 (.333); KVCC was an impressive 28-55 (.509) from the floor.  GRCC shot 7-33 (.212) from behind the arc; KVCC was 5-14 (.357).  Neither team shot well from the charity stripe, but GRCC's 12-20 (.600) was better by enough to win the game as KVCC shot only 6-12 (.500).  Curtis Ludtke hit for 16 and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Stuart Mayes had 13 and 5, and Michael Menchaca 11 and 4.  For the Cougars, Mike Zuiderveen registered another double-double with 12 points and 13 boards.  Dirail Flenorl hit for 14, Darre Johnson 13, all of them in the 2nd half, and Quincy Bell 10.  Adam Kerfoot scored 7 and dished out  a game high 7 assists.

Coach's Comments:  "We tried some different defenses tonight, and for the most part they were successful.  We held them to 33% shooting from the field, but we gave them 2nd and 3rd shots numerous times.  Our biggest downfall, however, was our inability to take care of the ball at crunch time.  In the final 2:39, we only got one shot, a triple, and we made it.  In each of the other 5 possessions, we coughed the ball up before we could get a shot!  We have had three tight games with GRCC this year, coming out on top 2 of the 3 times.  But this one was theirs, although we made them work for it.  Dirail and Mike both played well tonight, but we just made costly errors at the worst of times, errors that were serious enough to cost us the win.  Now we have a little time off, before we prepare for our final test of the year, the Region XII tournament hosted by Mott Community College.  We will be playing sometime late next week in Flint."

Kellogg 92, Kalamazoo Valley 86     2-18-05     [18-8]     [6-8]     [Box Score]     [26 Game Accumulative Stats]     [Final 14 Game League Stats]

The Bruins from Battle Creek held on tonight to extend KVCC's home court woes, 92-86.  The loss is the Cougars' fourth straight loss, including three league contests on their home court.  The win ends Kellogg's season 4-10 in the league and 14-13 overall.  The Bruins did not qualify for the state tournament and will not be participating in the Region XII tournament at Mott CC in two weeks.  The loss establishes a season record of 18-8 for the Cougars, and sends KVCC reeling into a fifth place conference finish with a 6-8 league record as Grand Rapids defeated Lake Michigan 85-81 to break the tie for fourth by finishing 7-7 in league play.  In the process the Cougars lost home court advantage and will play in the first round of the MCCAA State Tournament Monday at 7:30 PM at Grand Rapids CC's Ford Fieldhouse.  Cory Broyles was again the game's high scorer, dropping in17 of his 26 in the final half.  He was ably supported by Dereck McGlothan with 16, Thomas Barnett 13, Rodney Lee  and Derrick Sayers 11 apiece, and Michael Bowers 8.  Broyles also led KCC in rebounding with 12; Rodney Lee grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 8 assists for Kellogg.  Sayers also had 7 assists.  KVCC was led in scoring by Darre Johnson's 21, Mike Zuiderveen chipped in 19, Dirail Flenorl 16, and Adam Kerfoot 10.    Zuiderveen had a game high 15 rebounds, while Johnson and 5'9" Byran Davis each pulled down 10 rebounds.  The Cougars held a 59-49 rebounding edge in the contest.  Both teams were cold from the field.  KVCC shot a dismal 25-71 (.352), and KCC was not much better at 30-80 (.375).  The Valley squad was 31-46 (.674) from the charity stripe; the Bruins were 25-37 (.676) in the physical battle  that produced 81 total free throw opportunities.  KCC shot 7-23 (.304) from behind the arc; KVCC was 5-21 (.238).

Coach's Comments:  "Just enough went wrong tonight to keep us from winning the game.  We shot poorly from everywhere, even from the FT line, we mishandled the ball at key times, making 19 turnovers to only 12 assists, and our defense again let us down despite the fact that they did not shoot over .400 from the floor.  When the game was close again down the stretch, we made critical turnovers, missed key shots, and simply did not stop them defensively.  This may have been the most discouraging game we've played yet, simply because we could not seem to play with confidence and intensity at the same time.  Our offense seemed to be in panic mode, and we still seemed unable to grasp how much effort and determination and teamwork are needed to be a good defensive team.  In spite of all of this, however, when we can score 86 points and have two players register double-doubles (Johnson and Zuiderveen), it is sad indeed that our defense was not good enough to win the game.  We lost home court advantage for Monday night, but with the way we have played at home in our last three times, maybe that is a blessing in disguise.  Grand Rapids is playing well, but if we can regain some confidence, tighten our defense, and play close to the best we are capable, I believe we can advance in the State Tournament.  It will be my job to convince our players that we can, as well."

Ancilla 96, Kalamazoo Valley 80     2-16-05     [18-7]     [6-7]     [Box Score]     [25 Game Accumulative Stats]     [13 Game League Stats]

Brian Foster tore the Cougar defense to shreds tonight, scorching the nets for 47 points, his career high, and the highest individual single game total scored against the Cougars in 26 years.  The Ancilla Chargers jumped out in front 10-5, but the Cougars fought back to tie the game at 25 on Jaime Brandon's triple with 6:50 remaining in the opening stanza.  Ancilla, behind Foster's 17 first half points spurted again to hold a 40-33 margin at the half.  KVCC could stay close for much of the final half, but the torrid scoring pace (almost 2 points per minute) of Foster in the final 10:40 of the game was just too much to overcome.  Ancilla finished 33-68 (.485) for the game while KVCC could only muster 29-68 (.420) from the field.  The Chargers hit 9-20 (.450) from behind the arc; the Cougars were 6-21 (.333).  Both teams shot 29 FT's but Ancilla made 21 (.724) and KVCC only 16 (.552).  Rebounding honors went to KVCC 48-40, as Mike Zuiderveen and Darre Johnson each grabbed 12.  Eddie Fields had 11 and Kurt Savely 10 for Ancilla.  Point guard Mike Shouse dished out 8 assists and grabbed 4 steals.  Adam Kerfoot led KVCC with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Zuiderveen had 12 points, Johnson 10 for the Cougars.

Coach's Comments:  "We had no answer for Brian Foster tonight.  He was nothing short of spectacular as he poured in 47 points, 23 of them coming in the final 10:40 of the game.  His remarkable performance kept us from taking the lead several times. Five different players tried to guard him, but he was not to be stopped tonight!  Brian was 10-16 on 2-pointers, 6-16 on treys, and 9-10 from the FT line en-route to his career high, and the Western Conference high in the 2004-05 campaign.  This is the third game in a row in which we have given up more than 90 points, a dubious first time record in all of my 26 years at the helm here.  We will regroup and try to find a way to slow down another prolific scorer, Cory Broyles, from Kellogg, when the Bruins visit our gym on Friday night.  Cory exploded for 42 points and 19 rebounds in our game at Kellogg.  On the bright side tonight, we had stretches where we got the ball inside better than we had been; and we shot 29 FT's tonight, a much higher number than in our recent preceding games.  Justin Matthews had a solid offensive game as he scored 7 points and chipped in with 4 assists.  We had 19 turnovers to their 8."

Glen Oaks 97, Kalamazoo Valley 87     2-11-05     [18-6]     [6-6]     [Box Score]     [24 Game Accumulative Stats]     [12 Game League Stats]

The league-leading Glen Oaks Vikings were too much for the battling Cougars tonight.  Glen Oaks clinched at least a share of the Western Conference title by running their league record to 10-2.  They are 21-3 overall.  Tyrone Anderson scored Glen Oaks' first point of the game at 19:07 and their last points on a breakaway jam with :21 remaining in the game.  In between, he added 23 more points, many of them coming on twisting power moves as he drove to the hole.  Anderson's 26 was complemented by an equally impressive 27 from diminutive point guard, Darren Jones.  Jones took charge late in the game, scoring 14 points in the final 3:18 of the game to seal the win.  The Cougars managed to take the lead 72-71 on a Quincy Bell jumper with 7:24 remaining, but the defenses picked up for both teams until Mark Galbraith scored the games' next 8 points, putting the Vikings ahead for good at the 4:12 mark, 79-72.  Galbraith scored 18 and rugged Brian Carter pitched in 12 to round out the double-figure scoring for Glen Oaks.  KVCC was led in scoring by Quincy Bell's 19; Dirail Flenorl hit for 17, and Mike Zuiderveen scored a career best 16.  Glen Oaks won the rebounding war, 45-31, with Anderson's 10 leading the way, and Galbraith's 9 close behind.  KVCC was led by Darre Johnson with 5.  GOCC finished 35-64 (.547) from the floor; KVCC was 33-73 (.452).  The Vikings were 19-26 (.731) from the charity stripe; the Cougars were 13-19 (.684). 

Coach's Comments:  "Still another team in our league scores 97 points against our defense! We are just not talented enough to offset that kind of offensive fire-power.  Galbraith, Jones, and Anderson took the Vikings on their shoulders tonight, especially at the 7:24 mark and with GOCC trailing 71-72.  Galbraith scored 8 straight and Anderson and Jones scored the rest!  Their inside presence was just too much for us to control.  On the bright side, we had a good assist-turnover ratio, 24-9, and we received solid performances off the bench from Daniel Ward, Bryan Davis, Ryan Curtis, and Justin Matthews.  Matthews sparked us with 6 quick first half points, and Davis helped us pick up our defensive intensity to come from behind to within 1 at the half, 41-42.  Bryan had 7 assists and no turnovers for the night.  Daniel threw some nifty passes to Mike tonight, finishing with 5 assists and no turnovers himself.  We will have to bolster our defense in order for us to have a chance to win any of our remaining games, including in the tournaments.  We are trying, but the small things are so big when there is not much margin for error.  We will not give up; next week we play two teams that have beaten us already, Ancilla and Kellogg.  The game Wednesday night is at the Culver Military Academy at 7:00 PM Indiana time.  We will do our best to be prepared to play the best we are capable of playing in each of these games."

Muskegon 97, Kalamazoo Valley 83     2-9-05     [18-5]     [6-5]     [Box Score]     [23 Game Accumulative Stats]     [11 Game League Stats]

Whatever frustrations the Jayhawks have had on their way to a 3-7 league record were put behind them tonight as they scorched the nets in Cougar Arena with a .554 FG Percentage performance!  A three pointer by Adam Kerfoot with 6:34 left in the opening half put the Cougars up 33-27, but Muskegon was just warming up.  Four consecutive triples by Derek Griffin sparked a massive 26-4 run to put the Jayhawks up 53-37 at the intermission.  The Cougars came out of the locker room, however, determined to claw back into this important league contest.  A 17' jumper by Daniel Ward at the 14:54 mark pulled the Cougars to within 8 at 53-61, but the hole that had been dug was just too deep.  Tony Terrell stepped up to score 11 of his 20 in the second half; assisting Terrell in the balanced Jayhawk attack was Griffin with 18, Eric Kravako with 16, and Jacarri Neal with 10.  Darre Johnson led KVCC with 21 hard-earned points; Quincy Bell chipped in with 11, Kerfoot had 10, and Justin Matthews and Dirail Flenorl each scored 9 points for the Cougars.    Bell was the top assist-getter for the game with 9; Kerfoot had 7.  Aaron Gowell also had 7 for MCC.  The rebounding war was close with MCC grabbing 38; KVCC 37.  The rebounds were scattered among six players, three on each team who had 6, while the game's top rebounder was Johnson with 7.  MCC was 31-56 (.554) from the floor and 23-35 (.657) from the charity stripe.  The Jayhawks also shot an impressive 12-21 (.571) from long range.  KVCC was 36-78 (.462) from the floor, but only 5-9 (.555) from the foul line, and 6-18 (.333) from long range.  KVCC committed 11 turnovers; MCC 16.

Coach's Comments:  "I'm not sure if we had played our best game of the year tonight, that we could have beaten this team from Muskegon on this given night.  Credit them with solid defense and nothing short of spectacular offense!  They were 17-28 (.607) from the field in the opening stanza, and after their spurt just before halftime, they never looked back.  Their cuts were sharp and their long range shooting even sharper.  We did not give up, pressing them relentlessly in the final 6 minutes of the game, forcing 10 second half turnovers.  But every charge we made was matched by their offensive steadiness.  Any loss is disappointing and this one is no exception, but I'm proud that we did not give up; in fact, we kept battling back, trying to get even to make a game of it.  But we ran out of time, and they made the free throws they needed to make to keep us at arm's length.  With our 18-5 record, we have not had many games this year where we have fallen so far behind.  We dug in and actually made a couple of runs at them with some key steals late, but it seemed as if our shooting failed us when we needed to convert off the turnovers.  We don't have much time to fret over this loss with the league-leading Glen Oaks' Vikings coming to town Friday, fresh over an 85-82 win over Lansing, leaving them a full two games ahead of the field at 9-2 with only 3 league games left.  We'll work on patching up some defensive holes in our practice tomorrow and see if we can bounce back strong Friday."

Kalamazoo Valley 91, Lake Michigan 81     2-4-05     [18-4]     [6-4]     [Box Score]     [22 Game Accumulative Stats]     [10 Game League Stats]

Lake Michigan's Isley West tipped in the game's first basket (at 19:28) but shortly after (at 19:10), KVCC's Darre Johnson nailed a trey from the top of the key to give the Cougars a lead they would not relinquish.  However, the final score did not indicate the closeness of the game.  Sporting a 36-31 halftime margin, KVCC sneaked out to their biggest margin of the game, 62-48, when Quincy Bell drove the lane for 2 of his game high 26 points with 10:46 remaining in the game.  But the 18-3 Indians were far from finished as they roared out to a 22-11 run to move to within three, 70-73, on the strength of three consecutive triples, the final one coming by Farrid Coleman with 3:52 left.  KVCC took a time out, and proceeded to score the game's next 8 points to spurt back out to an 81-72 lead.  Adam Kerfoot scored 11 straight points for the Cougars, 9 of them from the FT line, from the 2:44 mark until :29 was left in the game.  Darre Johnson scored 24 and Kerfoot 18 to go with Bell's 26  for the Cougars.  Sharpshooting guard Desmond Favors led LMC with 20, but he had lots of help from Louis Rome (13), Anton Duncan (12), and Courtney Blackmore (10).  Valley won the battle of the boards, 46-44, with Johnson grabbing 10, Mike Zuiderveen 9, Dirail Flenorl, II, 8, and Bell 7.  Duncan led all rebounders with 14.  The Cougars had 17 assists and committed 13 turnovers; the Indians had 16 assists and committed 12 turnovers.  KVCC shot 28-64 (.438) from the floor, 7-13 (.538) from behind the arc, and 28-37 (.757) from the charity stripe.  LMC finished the game 32-79 (.405) from the field, 8-25 (.320) from beyond the arc, and 9-14 (.643) from the FT line.

Coach's Comments:  "I think we are slowly improving as a team.  We were more consistent tonight from start to finish.  Although we had some stretches where we mishandled the basketball and gave up some easy fast break baskets, I thought that, for the most part, our lapses were short-lived.  We still gave up 16 offensive rebounds to LMC and only managed 12 ourselves, but 16 is much better than the 28 we gave GRCC last Wednesday night!  Mike Zuiderveen is slowly gaining confidence; he played more minutes effectively tonight; Quincy Bell had what may have been his best overall performance as a Cougar; and I thought Adam Kerfoot played an outstanding floor game against LMC.  Add crisp shooting from Darre Johnson and steady play by Dirail, and we had the formula for a victory.  Lake Michigan is a very good team, and our win only pulled us even with them in the league at 6-4 each.  Both teams are now 18-4 on the season.  Now it's time to prepare for our second game with Muskegon, another rapidly improving team that just beat LMC last Wednesday night by 14!  Glen Oaks has defeated Muskegon, leaving the Vikings at 8-2 and in sole possession of first place in our conference.  There are no easy games in this league."

Kalamazoo Valley 73, Grand Rapids 71     2-2-05     [17-4]     [5-4]     [Box Score]     [21 Game Accumulative Stats]     [9 Game League Stats]

Behind perhaps their finest defensive half of the season, the Cougars crept out to an impressive 35-19 halftime lead, holding the Raiders to 8-38 (.211) first half shooting.  The lead was tenuous, however, as the Raiders tightened the defensive screws down and forced 14 second half turnovers by the Cougars.  The lead reached 14, 51-37, as Dirail Flenorl put in a nifty lay-up with 12:35 left, but the Raiders were not done.  Behind relentless rebounding and steady inside play, Grand Rapids chipped away at the Cougar lead until All League performer, Stuart Mayes, dropped the second of two consecutive treys with 1:05 left to make it 70-68 KVCC.  A determined Adam Kerfoot powered his way to the basket with :49 left to put the Cougars up 72-68, but Demarcus Billups was not done as he muscled in his 20th and 21st point of the half to put GRCC back to within two with :33 left.  A Cougar turnover left KVCC at the mercy of Abraham Anyijony's 2 FT's with :22 remaining.  Anyijony made the second to put GRCC within one at 71-72, but Darre Johnson countered with 1 of 2 FT's with :13 left to make it 73-71.  The deciding play of the game saw Johnson challenge Stuart Mayes' game deciding triple, getting a piece of the ball.  Justin Matthews batted the ball away and Adam Kerfoot came up with the biggest rebound of the game as the Cougars prevailed 73-71.  The Raiders won the battle of the boards 42-36, and grabbed a whopping 28 offensive caroms.  The Cougars managed only 11 offensive rebounds.  GRCC shot 25-76 (.329) from the field; KVCC shot 23-45 (.511).  The Raiders were 5-26 (.192) from three point land; KVCC was 7-14 (.500).  KVCC was 20-30 (.667) from the FT line while GRCC shot 16-22 (.727).  Both teams had 13 assists, but KVCC committed 21 turnovers to only 12 for the Raiders.  The Raiders were led by Billips' 24; Mayes chipped in 23 and Curtis Ludtke 14.  Billips also led all rebounders with 13; Ludtke had 9.  For the Cougars it was Flenorl's season high 23 that led the way; Johnson scored 18 and Quincy Bell added 13.  Flenorl also led KVCC in rebounding with 11.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a great win!  We almost ran out of gas, but our guys dug down deep to come up with the energy to hang on for the win tonight.  Adam played all 40 minutes, a rarity for any KVCC player.  Quincy played 37 minutes, and Dirail and Darre played 34 minutes each.  They are tired, tired people tonight!  Justin Matthews came off the bench to give us a spark, and Mike Zuiderveen battled hard in 27 minutes before fouling out.  We also got solid relief performances, be they short, from Jaime Brandon, Ryan Curtis, and Alan Robinson.  This game was played with great intensity, and we were pushed to the limit to pull it out.  Their trapping and changing defenses posed problems for us all evening.  And they simply pounded us inside.  But we challenged first shots better, and we played a solid first half offensively, shooting 13-25 (.520) from the floor.  We only took 3 triples in the second half, and made all three!  In spite of our rebounding flaws, and our random turnovers, we otherwise played, effort wise, a courageous game.  Dirail played his best game since becoming a Cougar tonight.  We're 'only' 5-4 in the league, and we'll have to earn ANY more victories, but for tonight, it's a good feeling to have beaten a good team on a night that I thought they played with tremendous energy as well."

Kalamazoo Valley 71, Lansing 70     1-29-05     [16-4]     [4-4]     [Box Score]     [20 Game Stats]     [8 Game League Stats]

Quincy Bell nailed a 15' jumper from the baseline this afternoon with :06 left to cap an exciting league contest at Lansing Community College.  Although trailing for over 75% of the game, the Cougars kept coming back, pulling even at 51 on Bell's trey with 10:38 remaining.  The game was actually tied six different times in the second half.  A Zuiderveen sky hook tied the game at 65 with 4:03 left, and another put-back by James Petty tied it again at 67 with 2:58 remaining.  KVCC refused to give up a final time when they fell victim to a Paul Stoll triple that left the Stars up 70-69 with :48 left.  Lansing's defense held and the Stars were awarded the ball out of bounds, but a wild scramble resulting in a steal by Daniel Ward left the Cougars on the attack once more, setting the stage for Bell's dramatic baseline drive.  Lansing brought the inbounds to mid-court and called two time outs to set up a final play with :02.9 ticks left on the clock.  James Petty passed the ball in and drove frantically toward the goal where he was challenged by Ward.  The Petty lay-up rolled off the rim and was put back in by Shawn Goins a fraction of a second after the horn had sounded.  The loss was Lansing's second in the league, giving the three teams at the top the league, Glen Oaks, Lansing, and Lake Michigan, two losses apiece.   Lake Michigan plays at Lansing in a Monday night make-up game so there will be only two at the top with 2 losses each going into Wednesday night's games.  KVCC raised its record to 16-4 overall and 4-4 in league play.  KVCC's defense held Lansing to a cool 26-71 (.366) for the game while the Cougars could not do much better at 29-73 (.397).  LCC was 7-23 (.304) from three-point land; KVCC shot 6-18 (.333) from behind the arc.  Not many fouls were called in the physical contest, 13 on the Cougars, 12 on the Stars.  Lansing won the rebounding battle, gathering 41 to KVCC's 36.  Goins led all rebounders with 14, Darrell Clark had 9, and James Petty 8 for the Stars.  KVCC's top rebounder was Dirail Flenorl with 6; Adam Kerfoot, Daniel Ward, and Mike Zuiderveen all chipped in with 5.  Lansing's Petty led all scorers with 26; Nate Duncan had 11 for LCC.  KVCC's scoring was more balanced with both Kerfoot and Bell getting 16, Darre Johnson 14, and Flenorl 13.  Lansing committed 16 turnovers to KVCC's 12.

Coach's Comments:  "Basketball games are often decided by inches and split seconds, and today's game was a classic demonstration of this fact.  Even though we trailed most of the game, I thought we played a little better defense today than we have been playing in recent games.  Our clock management today also improved dramatically over what it has been in recent games.  Daniel made a huge steal and Quincy hit the biggest jumper of his career to cap a determined team effort today.  It's not often that a college team wins while shooting under .400 from the floor, but today our defense was just barely good enough to pull that feat off.  We've got much work to do to remain competitive in our league, but this big road win should help us gain a little confidence toward that goal.  We must learn to rely on each other to be able to reach our full potential.  We didn't play great today, but we took a step in the right direction today.  Now it's time to prepare for Grand Rapids CC, a team we are tied with in the league at 4-4, and a team we squeaked by in double overtime at their place.  There are no easy games in this league!"

Kellogg 83, Kalamazoo Valley 67     1-26-05     [15-4]     [3-4]     [Box Score]     [19 Game Stats]     [7 Game League Stats]

A determined Bruin squad, behind two triples by Derrick Sayers and 19 first half points from Cory Broyles raced out to a 44-38 halftime lead over the Cougars.  But Broyles was just warming up, as he exploded for another 23 points in the final stanza, putting on one of the finest displays of offensive basketball ever witnessed in the MCCAA.  Cory finished with 42 points on 15-33 shooting from the floor.  He was 11-12 from the FT line, grabbed a whopping 19 rebounds, 10 of them OFFENSIVE, and pilfered a game-high 6 steals in his amazing performance.  The Cougars managed to regain the lead only once, 61-60, on a Quincy Bell three with 10:06 left in the game.  The lead was short-lived, however as the Bruins quickly responded with a 12-0 run, capped by another Broyles basket at the 5:36 mark, to establish end-game control, 72-61.  Kellogg was 29-85 (.341) from the field for the game, 3-18 (.167) from the arc, but an impressive 22-24 (.917) from the charity stripe.  Dereck McGlothan also contributed a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.  Sayers chipped in 12 points and 5 assists to the Bruin cause.  KVCC shot 25-71 (.352) from the field, 13-20 (.650) from the line, and 4-19 (.211) from behind the arc.  Mike Zuiderveen led the Cougars in rebounding with 13; Darre Johnson grabbed 10 and Dirail Flenorl 9, as the Cougars and Bruins each finished with 53 rebounds.  Johnson led the Cougars in scoring with 13; Flenorl had 12, and Michael Reith and Adam Kerfoot each contributed 11 points in the contest.

Coach's Comments:  "Cory Broyles was a man on a mission tonight.  His performance was remarkable; in fact, had I not been coaching the team he was performing against, I could have sat back and admired what he did more objectively.  It was one of the finest offensive shows I've seen, and I've seen many of them, in my 26 years as coach at KVCC.  We simply did not have a defensive answer for him.  He beat us to rebounds, he penetrated around us repeatedly, and he stole the ball from us, in addition to scoring 42 points on us!  Also, we could not seem to get into any consistent offensive rhythm tonight.  Actually, our OVERALL defensive effort was not bad, especially considering that Kellogg's whole team only shot .341 from the floor.  But when they commit only 9 turnovers to our 19, and they grab 23 offensive rebounds to our 21, and when they go 22-24 from the line to our 13-20, it's not hard to see how they were able to pull away in the last 6 minutes of play.  Many of their baskets came in transition, as Cory raced down the floor, dribbling faster than we could sprint!  And they were 0-5 in the league!  I have never seen this league stronger from top to bottom than it is now.  We will have to make some dramatic improvements in order to win in this league again.  We start that quest in practice Thursday as we prepare to start the second half of league play at Lansing this Saturday afternoon."

Ancilla 86, Kalamazoo Valley 81 (OT)     1-21-05     [15-3]     [3-3]     [Box Score]     [18 Game Stats]     [6 Game League Stats]

A floater by Keandre Fulks with 4:30 left in the first half gave Ancilla a 31-23 lead.    By this time in the half, sharp-shooting Kevin Jones had already ripped the Cougar defense apart with 15 points.  However, Michael Reith, Dirail Flenorl, and Adam Kerfoot led a Cougar surge, helping the host Cougars to a 15-3 run that enabled them to enter the locker room with a 38-34 lead.  The second half resulted in the two teams playing almost even, with the Cougars gradually edging ahead 66-56 on Quincy Bell's triple with 6:22 remaining in the game.  But the end game belonged to the Chargers tonight as they tightened the defense on KVCC and ripped inside to go on a 14-4 run and tie the game on a Brian Foster jumper with :07 remaining.  Darre Johnson gave the Cougars their only lead in the OT as he dropped one of two FT's to make it 71-70 KVCC with 4:13 left.  A FT by Eddie Fields at the 3:33 mark gave Ancilla a 73-71 lead that they would not relinquish.  Ancilla was 10-12 from the foul line in the OT.  Kevin Jones lead all scorers with 23, Eddie Fields finished with 22, and Chris Williams chipped in 17 for Ancilla, all of them coming in the second half.  Adam Kerfoot's 19 led the Cougars, Dirail Flenorl chipped in 14, and Quincy Bell 10.  Ancilla shot 35-74 (.473) from the field and 4-22 (.182) from behind the arc.  KVCC was 31-79 (.392) from the floor and 6-23 (.261) from behind the arc.  Both teams were cool from the line with Ancilla's 12-20 (.600) beating KVCC's 12-23 (.591) by a nose.  Eddie Smith grabbed 12 rebounds for Ancilla; Darre Johnson had 12 for KVCC.  The Cougars won the battle on the boards, 54-38.  Kerfoot also added a game high 8 assists to the Cougar cause.

Coach's Comments:  "This was by far our toughest loss of the season.  Ancilla has to be given credit because they came hungry and, as the game progressed, got hungrier.  Their ball movement was excellent and gave us fits all evening.  They took care of the ball, committing only 10 turnovers for the game.  Plus, we had no defense in the opening half for Kevin Jones, and when we tightened the clamps on him after the break, Eddie Fields responded with 18 points and Chris Williams broke lose for 17!  We did rebound better tonight, and our bench responded with a super comeback in the closing minutes of the first half.  But our play was not consistent, especially our defensive play.  I am more disappointed with this loss than with either the Lansing or Lake Michigan loss, because I felt that our mental preparation and our mental toughness were not as good tonight as they were in those previous league losses.  The big question is, 'Did we learn from this experience?'  The answer will not be known for some time.  We will go back to work Monday to get ready for a good Kellogg team, a team that also plays with lots of energy and scores lots of points.  Our goal will be to improve our defensive toughness and our offensive execution as a team."

Kalamazoo Valley 72, Glen Oaks 64     1-19-05     [15-2]     [3-2]     [Box Score]     [17 Game Stats]     [5 Game League Stats]

Despite being pounded on the glass, the Cougars found a way to emerge victorious in this hard-fought battle.  Playing without the services of two of their top players, Tyrone Anderson and Aaron Vaught, because of injuries, the Vikings, nevertheless, owned the boards tonight, out-rebounding KVCC by a whopping 56-34 margin!  Even more noteworthy was the fact that Glen Oaks grabbed 29 offensive rebounds to the Cougars' 6!  A lay-up by Mike Zuiderveen with 16:36 left in the opening half gave KVCC a 6-5 lead they would never relinquish. Glen Oaks would stay close and even close to within two (52-54) with 7:34 left in the game, but the Cougars answered each challenge with a big basket.  Daniel Ward scored all 11 of his points in the second half; Quincy Bell had 11 of his 13 in the final stanza; and Adam Kerfoot scored 7 of his 11 after the halftime intermission.  The Vikings were led by Darren Jones' 24; Keith Pyle and Jeremy Lewis chipped in 9 each.  Lewis also had 5 assists.  The Cougars were led by Darre Johnson's 19; Quincy Bell had 13, and Adam Kerfoot and Daniel Ward each added 11.  Kerfoot had a game-high 8 assists.  Glen Oaks' Lewis and Brian Carter led the rebounding onslaught with 13 and 10 respectively.  Mike Zuiderveen had 10 rebounds for KVCC.  Glen Oaks shot a coolish 28-86 (.326) from the floor while managing only 7-34 (.204) from behind the arc.  Although taking 29 fewer shots, the Cougars shot 26-57 (.456) from the field and 5-13 (.385) from three-point land.  Glen Oaks was 1-4 (.250) from the charity stripe; KVCC was 15-20 (.750).  The Vikings had 11 turnovers to the Cougars' 9 for the game.

Coach's Comments:  "Basketball is a strange game.  Not many times is a team going to win when its opponent gets 29 offensive rebounds and they get only 6.  But, tonight, even that extreme statistic was balanced by several other factors.  First, we only made 9 turnovers, a season best.  Second, we shot .456 for the game but even better (14-26), .538, in the final half.  Third, we got to the line 20 times, making 15, while we did not foul them often, only giving up 4 free throws, 3 of which they missed.  Each of those factors, in itself, is unique.  When combined, they allowed us to escape with a narrow win in a big league game.  Daniel Ward reached inside to push himself, in spite of an ailing ankle, to play his best half of basketball as a Cougar.  Darre continued to select his shots better, resulting in 7-11 accuracy, 3-3 from trifecta-land, and Mike Zuiderveen worked hard to grab 10 rebounds.  Quincy and Adam stayed pretty solid throughout the game, and Michael Reith played his second straight game without a turnover.  All of these factors, when combined with 15-20 (.750) shooting from the FT line, enabled us to squeak out a win over a very good team.  Now, it's preparation time for a team that is the best team they have had since they came into our league, Ancilla College, our opponent at KVCC Friday night."

Kalamazoo Valley 90, Muskegon 72     1-15-05     [14-2]     [2-2]     [Box Score]     [16 Game Stats]     [4 Game League Stats]

Two consecutive treys by Darre Johnson, the second one coming at the 14:53 mark, put the Cougars in front 14-5.  KVCC was able to gradually stretch the lead to 41-25 on a Dirail Flenorl lay-up with 4:09 left in the half, but the Jayhawks regrouped after a timeout and applied an aggressive full-court press, forcing numerous Cougar miscues as they closed the margin to 41-36.  A Quincy Bell jumper with :03 left gave KVCC a 43-36 halftime lead, but the fireworks were just beginning.  Two FT's by Derek Griffin put Muskegon on top 55-53 with 13:35 remaining, but some solid relief work by Alan Robinson (2 baskets), a lay-up by Mike Zuiderveen, sandwiched by an Adam Kerfoot driving basket, helped the Cougars to get the lead back, 61-57 with 10:21 left in the game.  A John Terrell jumper brought the Jayhawks to within 2, 72-74, with 4:01 left, but the Cougar defense stiffened and they finally found a way to crack Muskegon's press, ending the game by holding MCC scoreless the final 4:01, and spurting out to a 16-0 run.  Muskegon was 27-71 (.380) for the game; KVCC shot a sizzling 34-56 (.607).  The Cougars won the battle on the boards 36-31 with Daniel Ward's 7 high; Johnson and Zuiderveen each chipped in 6.  Johnson led a well-balanced attack with 19 points; Kerfoot had 14 and 3 steals; Bell scored 13 and also had 3 steals; Robinson scored 11, Zuiderveen 10, Ward 9, and Flenorl 8.  Bell's 5 assists were a Cougar high as well.  Muskegon was led by John Terrell's 20 and 10 rebounds, Derek Griffin had 16 points, and Jacarri Neal 12.  Aaron Gowell scored 8 and had a game high 10 assists. Both teams shot well from the charity stripe as KVCC netted 15-18 (.833) and MCC 8-10 (.800).

Coach's Comments:  "Our bench stepped up tonight when our ship was sinking in the second half.  Robinson, Zuiderveen, and Reith all played significant roles in helping us get settled down when they charged with about 10 minutes to go.  Daniel Ward had a solid game as a starter, and a rested Bell and Johnson came back strong to finish the end game.  We selected our shots better tonight, and we rebounded as a team better than we have in recent games.  Had we handled the press better, we would have had a really good game.  We're still in transition, trying to learn new roles, and trying to establish a solid defense.  I thought our defense was soft for much of the game, but we were able to tighten it up in the last 4 minutes, which was critical for the win.  Now, we get to go to Glen Oaks next Wednesday.  They earned first place in our league outright Saturday with a 73-72 win at Lansing.  It will be another formidable challenge for the Cougars!"

Lake Michigan 98, Kalamazoo Valley 91     1-12-05     [13-2]     [1-2]     [Box Score]     [15 Game Stats]     [3 Game League Stats]

The 13-1 Indians, behind rugged Anton Duncan, controlled play most the the first half tonight, stretching a modest lead to 33-27 on a Lanny McCalvin triple with 2:38 left.  But the Cougar defense, sparked by the spirited play of Daniel Ward and Dirail Flenorl off the bench, went on a 13-4 run to take a slender 40-37 halftime lead, despite Duncan's 12 points and 9 rebounds.  The Indians, however, tightened down the hatches in the second half and the fans from both sides were treated to another classic match-up in the Western Conference of the MCCAA.  KVCC gained a slim 57-53 lead on a Dirail Flenorl jumper with 13:47 remaining, but the lead was short-lived as the Indians tied it once again at 60 on a McCalvin breakaway basket at the 12:05 mark.  Quincy Bell's fourth triple of the night brought the Cougars to within one at 77-78 with 5:07 left, but a put-back by McCalvin and three more power baskets by the strong and talented Duncan sealed the Cougar fate.  LMC was led by Duncan's game high 29 points and 16 rebounds.  Duncan had ample help from teammates McCalvin, 18, Desmond Favors 17, Dannie Parker 14, and  Courtney Blackmore 10.  LMC out-rebounded the Cougars 54-39 as Blackmore grabbed 10 and Parker 9 to complement Duncan's 16.  The Indians shot 37-74 (.500) from the floor, 21-25 (.840) from the FT line, and 3-17 (.176) from behind the arc.  KVCC was led by Adam Kerfoot's 22; Bell tossed in 20 and Johnson 18.  Flenorl added 12.  Johnson led KVCC in rebounding, grabbing 10; Mike Zuiderveen had 7 and Flenorl 6.  Kerfoot and Flenorl led the way with 6 assists each.  The Cougars shot a meager 33-85 (.388) from the field and 13-18 (.722) from the line.  They were 12-33 (.364) from behind the arc.

Coach's Comments:  "I was proud of our team tonight.  We knew we had a tough opponent, but we did not give up.  We battled them hard with several 'new' players stepping in and stepping up.  Bottom line, though, is that we could not find a way to stop them inside, both on first shots and on offensive rebound put-backs.  They pounded the ball inside to exploit our weaknesses, and we simply did not block them out as we needed to.  We are trying to learn the importance of strong box outs, especially in view of our small stature as a team, but the lessons are so very painful!  If we don't block out better, we will have trouble beating ANY of the teams in our league.  We will focus on better developing this discipline beginning in tomorrow's practice.  Our hearts are in the right place and we are learning fast with new combinations on the floor, but the simple fact is that we will not be able to give up 98 points and expect to win many games.  We must develop more defensive toughness and more precise fundamental execution on offense in order to become a solid team in our league.  I am encouraged by the play of Daniel Ward, Justin Matthews, Alan Robinson, Michael Reith and Mike Zuiderveen as we try to blend a new unit with some depth together.  Darre, Quincy, and Adam are handling the adversity well, but they, also, will need to continue to improve their games as well as their leadership in the weeks ahead.  Now it's on to Muskegon Saturday, to try to get this ship uprighted!   There are a lot of tough games left in this league."

Lansing 85, Kalamazoo Valley 82     1-10-05     [13-1]     [1-1]     [Box Score]     [14 Game Stats]     [2 Game League Stats]

The Stars jumped out to a 14-2 lead before the Cougars could get their game together tonight.  Led by Clark Woods' 12 first half points, the Stars managed to nurse the lead to a slender 41-37 halftime margin.  Lansing stayed in their aggressive 2-3 zone most of the game, giving the Cougars fits trying to find good shots.  The Cougars could only connect on 14 of 37 (.378) shots in the opening stanza, while the Stars were slicing and dicing around the Cougar defense for a respectable 18-37 (.486) mark.  The Cougars' perimeter shooting began to heat up, however, in the second half, enabling them to overtake the Stars and stretch their lead to 62-56 on Alan Robinson's jumper with 9:40 left.  LCC quickly responded with 4 FT's and knotted the game at 73 on Milan Susnjar's only 2nd half basket with 6:14 remaining.  Darre Johnson's second of three triples gave the Cougars a 76-73 lead with 5:50 remaining, but Paul Stoll responded with his 4th triple to knot it again at 76.  Both teams went sour on offense until Darre Johnson's final trey with 2:40 remaining gave KVCC what looked like a solid lead, 82-76.LCC's defense stiffened, however, and KVCC would not score again as the Stars' Nate Duncan canned a 5-footer off the dribble made it 79-78 KVCC with 2:21 remaining.  Another errant shot by the Cougars gave the ball back to LCC as they continued their game-winning 9-0 run as last year's league MVP, Clark Woods, scored five of his game high 21 to seal the win for the Stars.  LCC shot 32-70 (.457) for the game, while KVCC could only muster a meager 29-71 (.408).  Neither team was impressive from the charity stripe; Lansing was 14-25 (.560), while KVCC shot even worse at 15-28 (.536).  Lansing won the rebounding battle, 47-44.  Woods' 21 was matched by James Petty; Paul Stoll chipped in 17.  The games high rebounder was Shawn Goins; he grabbed 16 big boards.  KVCC was led by Quincy Bell's 20; Darre Johnson chipped in 18 and Dirail Flenorl 16.  In his first appearance this season as a Cougar, Justin Matthews came off the bench to score 10 points, grab 6 rebounds, and garner 5 steals.  Adam Kerfoot had 8 assists for KVCC; Paul Stoll had 7 assists for Lansing.

Coach's Comments:  "Our pathetic start tonight did not help our cause.  We spent most of the first half trying to overcome that start.  However, I thought that the biggest frustration of the night was our inability to hold the lead when we went ahead by six with only 2:40 left.  Our end game management left something to be desired, as we took ill-advised shots early in three possessions, and then were unable to stop LCC as they charged back.  We rebounded somewhat better than we did last Friday at GRCC, but poor shooting both from the field and the foul line did us in tonight.  There were some encouraging signs, however, as 'new' players Justin Matthews and Alan Robinson gave us big lifts from the bench and Daniel Ward returned to provide some solid relief hustle.  Quincy Bell was steady tonight, overcoming a slow shooting start to finish 7-14 from the floor overall and 4-10 from behind the arc.  I thought we relied too much on the jumper tonight, and did not get the ball into the paint effectively enough throughout the contest.  Our defense is nowhere near where it was at the end of the first semester, a fact that will be the focus of our attention as we prepare for more league games.  Lake Michigan brings an identical 13-1, 1-1 mark to KVCC Wednesday night so things are going to get tougher, not easier.  We welcome the challenge to push ahead."

Kalamazoo Valley 95, Grand Rapids 91 (2OT's)     1-7-05     [13-0]     [1-0]     [Box Score]     [13 Game Accumulative Statistics]     [League Stats]

This one is hard to describe!  Coming off the worst academic disaster in 26 years, the Cougars visited spacious Ford Fieldhouse with a team that was missing seven of the players that had played or practiced during the first semester.  Gone is MVP, leading scorer and rebounder Darrahyl Brown, best defensive player Lorne Johnson, super sub Gareth Murray, tenacious Matt Quinn, 6'8" rookie Matt Deemer, point guard Bryan Davis, and aspiring Justin Matthews.  It appears that only Matthews still has a chance to regain eligibility as he works around the clock this weekend to to complete a research paper by noon Monday.  Compounding the problem was the fact that although he maintained eligibility, Daniel Ward was not able to practice and register for classes due to personal problems over the holidays.  Paw Paw's Ryan Curtis and Gull Lake's Nathan Whitaker maintained eligibility and were asked and accepted the invitation to join the Cougar squad.  They are attacking the daunting task of learning in 5 days what the rest of the league has had 10-12 weeks to learn.  Jaime Brandon, from Monterey HS in Texas, earned Dean's List honors the first semester, and has  rejoined the squad as well.  

With only two sophomores now on the team, the Cougars jumped out to a 10-4 lead, surprising the talented Raider team.  Despite being out-rebounded  by six in the first half, KVCC held GRCC to 11-34 (.324) shooting, including 1-11 (.091) from behind the arc, to take a 36-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.  Behind DeMarcus Billips' game high 28 points, however, the Raiders quickly erased the slim lead and the second half became a see-saw struggle.  Pounding the ball inside relentlessly, GRCC amassed 29 offensive rebounds to KVCC's 9, and out-rebounded the smaller Cougars 59-40 for the game.  A triple by Stuart Mayes with 2:33 left in regulation helped GRCC close to 69-65 KVCC.  Billips' power layup at the 1:34 mark brought the Raiders within two, and Billips two FT's tied the game again at the :45 mark as GRCC held the Cougars scoreless the last 2:48 of regulation, resulting in a 69-69 deadlock.  Again it was Billips who drained a jumper to put the Raiders on top 77-72 with only 1:51 remaining in the first overtime.  However, the never-say-die Cougars, behind one FT by Darre Johnson with 1:36 left and two more by Adam Kerfoot at the :43 mark, and a layup off a nifty pass by Johnson, by Dirail Flenorl, II, with :30 left managed to close the margin to 77-79.   Billips missed a pair of FT's and Johnson found Kerfoot this time for the game tying layup with :07 ticks left.  Mike Menchaca drove the lane, missed a layup and Stuart Mayes' point-blank put back rolled harmlessly off the rim, giving the Cougars still another chance at the win.  All of the Cougars' baskets in the second overtime were either lay-ups or FT's as they edged ahead to pull off the upset win.  KVCC was 12-15 from the charity stripe during the overtimes, and 19-25 (.760) for the game.  Adam Kerfoot led the Cougar scoring with 26, (9-10 FT's), Darre Johnson chipped in 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Quincy Bell tossed in 13.  Kerfoot also had a game high 9 assists.  Mike Zuiderveen, in his first career start, produced 12 points and 10 rebounds to help propel the Cougar win.  Alan Robinson, recovering from knee surgery and appearing in his first game as a Cougar, was 2-2 from three point range to assist the Cougar cause, scoring 8 points in only 11 minutes of action.  Billips' 28 was complemented by Mayes' 18, Tyler Rader's 13, and Curtis Ludtke's 12.   Mayes was the game's top rebounder with 14; Rader and Billips grabbed 10 boards each.  Grand Rapids finished the game 36-94 (.383); KVCC was 35-73 (.479).  Grand Rapids was 14-27 (.519) from the line and a coolish 5-32 (.156) from beyond the arc.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a remarkable game.  We were able to piece together a team that featured three starters from the first semester with two determined freshmen, Mike Zuiderveen and Michael Reith.  None of us, really, knew what to expect, but the new unit got us off to a 10-4 start and kept us in the game as the half unfolded.  Gradually we sensed that we had a chance to win as the game progressed well into the second half, and we managed to hold on to a slim lead.  For the most part, even though we were not effective at keeping GRCC off the boards, we were able to mount a respectable offensive attack, and we took care of the ball against their aggressive 3/4 court zone pressure.  Our focus in upcoming games must be on blocking out and keeping the ball outside.  We won't win many college games when we get out-rebounded by 19 and give up 29 second chances on the boards!  But we won this one, and I'm proud of the way this new squad responded to its initial league challenge.  Lots of very tough games are ahead, but I believe that we have taken an important step, and, most importantly, we have improved as a team daily since we resumed practice with our 'decimated' squad on December 30.  Daniel Ward has rejoined the team, and we are hopeful that Justin Matthews will become eligible this week, so our 'damage control' is gradually resulting in having enough numbers to field a respectable team.  We've got a long, long  way to go, but we are committed to 'picking up the pieces' and working hard to become as good as we can become, as quickly as we can."

Kalamazoo Valley 87, Oakland 79     12-11-04     [12-0]     [Box Score]     [12 Game Accumulative Statistics]

Defense ruled early in this game as a Julius Barnett basket at the 15:39 mark brought OCC to one down at 4-5.  With the game still close, 29-28 KVCC,  with :52 remaining in the opening half, the Cougars' Gareth Murray stepped up to nail a pair of treys, the final one at the buzzer to stretch the Cougar lead to the largest of the game to that point, 37-28.  The last minute flurry proved to be decisive as the Raiders roared back to score 51 points in the second half to lose by 8!  OCC could only manage 9-34 (.265) against the Cougar defense in the first half; they finished with a coolish 28-78 (.359) for the game.  KVCC was 12-30 (.400) in the opening stanza and finished 27-63 (.429).  With Darre Johnson's two FT's at the 10:06 mark, KVCC led 66-47, but a furious 29-12 rally, capped by Walt Williams' fifth triple of the half--he finished with 6 in the second half--this one from 28' out with 1:42 left, put the Raiders to within two at 76-78.  Steady free throw shooting by Brown and Kerfoot down the stretch and a Darre Johnson rebound basket with :31 left preserved the Cougar victory.  Johnson led the scoring for KVCC with 21; Darrahyl Brown and Gareth Murray each had 15 and Adam Kerfoot went 10-11 from the FT line to score 14.  OCC's Walt Williams led all scorers with 22; Antuane McGinnis had 13.  Kendricks Clemens grabbed 13 rebounds and Derrick Rouser another 11 as KVCC, led by Darre Johnson's 14 and Brown's 13, held a slim 48-47 advantage on the boards.  Three Cougars were injured in this physical game, Dirail Flenorl, II, (knee twist/bruise), Lorne Johnson (cut inside mouth), and Bryan Davis (cut inside upper lip).  Flenorl and Davis were treated and released at the Bronson Emergency Room following the game; their injuries were not regarded as serious by the attending physicians.

Coach's Comments:  "We prevailed this afternoon, just barely, over a determined Oakland team that was bigger and more physical than we were.  Their 6'10", 6'9", 6'7" front line was formidable, but we were able to neutralize their inside power and out-rebound them by 1, a factor I regard as the key to the victory.  I thought Murray's triples to end the first half, and our FT shooting in the second half (18-19) compared to their 12-25 from the line for the game, statistically speaking, made the difference this afternoon.  We only had seven steals today and they only had 12 turnovers (we had 17), making easy baskets on fast breaks rare for us.  And Williams' six triples in one half made this one difficult to pull out!  We played all but 2 minutes of this one without Dirail also, and Lorne's injury limited his playing time to 9 minutes as well, making the win even more challenging.  I was happy to learn after the game that, after an evaluation of the x-ray taken, the doctor felt that Dirail should be ok before our next practice December 30, as should Bryan and Lorne who did not have to have stitches.  So we finish the first semester with an unblemished record, mindful of the outstanding records to this point of all of the teams in our league.  Semester-by-semester eligibility, required by all community colleges in the NJCAA, now becomes a critical factor for each team in our association.  The only Christmas gift I want this year is to be able to have all of our players succeed in the classroom and remain eligible for the second semester.  Finals end next Thursday, December 16, so we should know by 5:00 PM on December 23 whether or not I receive my gift.  I am proud of what this team has accomplished so far, and I am looking forward to the challenges our 14 league games will bring.  We open at home with Lansing on January 5 and travel to Grand Rapids January 7 for two tough contests right away.  I'm still not sure we're serious contenders in our league yet, but a good showing in the two opening games would be a step in that direction.  I know we have improved significantly since our opener against the Indiana Tech JV's on November 8.  Our entire coaching staff, Matt Dennis, Jim Horn, and myself, as well as our erstwhile Athletic Secretary, Trudy Wright, and longtime volunteer, Leonard Jordan, wish all who read this a joyous and Merry Christmas!"   

Kalamazoo Valley 94, Clark State (OH) 69     12-10-04     [11-0]     [Box Score]     [11 Game Accumulative Statistics]

The Cougars fell behind early and a basket by Richard Smith of Clark State at the 11:08 mark put CSCC ahead again 18-17.  Behind Darrahyl Brown's 16 points on 8-9 first half shooting, KVCC went on a 22-3 surge to go ahead 40-20, but a late half rally by the Eagles cut it to 42-31 KVCC.  Valley exploded at the start of the final half, however, as they nailed 5 treys in the first 10 possessions to spark another run, this one 23-2 to stretch the score to 65-33 at the 16:06 mark.  Darre Johnson led all scorers with 20, Brown had 18 (in only 14 minutes), Quincy Bell 16 and reserve Mike Zuiderveen 10.  Jason Grant led Clark State with 16, Richard Smith chipped in 13, and E. J. McCockran had 11.  Clark State was 29-72 (.403) from the floor; KVCC shot 38-87 (.437).  Grant of CSCC was the game's top rebounder, grabbing 14; Brown had 12 and Zuiderveen 11 for the Cougars.  The Eagles turned the ball over 27 times; KVCC had 21 turnovers.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a strange game, marked by two awesome stretches for us.  The first was just past midway in the opening stanza when we scored 21 points in 10 possessions.  The other was the start of the second half when everything we threw up went in as we scored 23 points in the first 10 possessions.  Overall we did not shoot well for the night (10-35--.286 on threes), but in those stretches we blistered the nets.  We did force 27 turnovers and we out-rebounded Clark State 50-46 so we'd have to conclude that it was a pretty good night for our squad.  No one played over 20 minutes tonight, and 12 players played 13 minutes or more.  It was good to see many of the guys that work hard in practice each day get some PT tonight.  I still think, however, that we can play much better, and we will have to tomorrow against Oakland.  They handily beat a GOOD and undefeated team (Grand Rapids CC) in the opener.  I regard this final test of the semester as our greatest challenge of our season so far."

Oakland CC 76, Grand Rapids 58     12-10-04     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 90, Calvin JV's 66     12-07-04     [10-0]     [Box Score]     [10 Game Accumulative Statistics]

The Cougars started slow tonight but gradually pulled away from a stubborn Knight JV team.  Quincy Bell led the well-balanced Cougar attack with 13.  Matt Quinn, Darre Johnson, and Darrahyl Brown all had 12; Adam Kerfoot chipped in 10 and Gareth Murray 9.  Kerfoot also had a game high 7 assists.  Vicksburg's Joe Pearcy led Calvin with 13, while pulling down a game high 12 rebounds.  Patrick Duff also had 13.  KVCC out-rebounded Calvin 38-36, but the most telling statistic was the 13 steals for KVCC.  Calvin shot 26-66 (.394) for the game; Kalamazoo Valley was 38-73 (.521).

Coach's Comments:  "We could only muster 6 points in our first 10 possessions tonight, but as the first half wore on, we gradually picked up momentum, finishing the last 10 possessions of the half with 13 points.  Defensively speaking, we allowed Calvin 12 points in the first ten possessions of the half, but finished the half allowing them only 8 in the final ten.  Although there was nothing really spectacular about this game, I was pleased that our depth seemed to wear them down a bit.  We grabbed 13 steals to their 3, and we displayed balanced scoring with 6 players getting 9 or more points.  Our defense, also, held them to 12-33 (.364) in the final half, a number I'd like to see often for our opponents!  Matt Quinn and Daniel Ward gave us some steady minutes off the bench, and we rebounded a bit better in the second half.  To Calvin's credit, they were aggressive and determined, showing signs of steady improvement since their early loss in the Thanksgiving  Classic here against Lake Michigan, 68-87.  Like the game against Kennedy-King last Saturday, the final margin was the largest margin of the game and therefore quite misleading.  We still have our work cut out for us, especially in the rebounding area, but all-in-all it was a good win."

Kalamazoo Valley 107, Kennedy-King 84     12-04-04     [9-0]    [Box Score]     [9 Game Accumulative Statistics]

This one was tight for 32 minutes, with the talented Statesmen from Chicago holding a slender 47-46 halftime lead.  A bucket by Uriah Prince put KKCC up 75-74 but a FT by Darre Johnson knotted it again at 75 with 8:03 left.  After a KVCC timeout, the Cougars raced out on a 32-9 run to establish the final margin, making the win seem much more lopsided than it really was.  A career performance by Darre Johnson (8 3's, 29 points), solid play by Quincy Bell (5 3's 21 points), and more steady play from Darrahyl Brown (20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11-13 FT's) enabled the Cougars to pull off the upset over the Division I NJCAA power.  The Cougars shot 33-66 (.500) with 15-27 (.556) from behind the arc; they also were an impressive 26-29 (.897) from the charity stripe.  Adam Kerfoot scored 10 points while dishing out 8 assists in the win.  Tounise Jackson scored 20, Parrish Brown 19, Steve Strong 18, and Cliff Manning 11 for Kennedy-King.  Manning's 11 tied Brown for game high rebounding honors.  The battle on the boards was even at 43.

Coach's Comments:  "Our shot selection was better this afternoon as witnessed by our .514 percentage from the floor.  But even more important was our 15-27 accuracy from behind the arc and our 26-29 from the FT line.  We had 12 first half turnovers, but took much better care of the ball in the final stanza, committing only 4 turnovers in the 20 minutes.  Darre and Quincy really played solid today.  I was also pleased with our defense in the second half, as we took several charges and forced them to a 13-37 (.351) FG performance.  This KKCC team would contend for honors in our league, so it was good to have a good game, especially down the stretch, against them today.  I'm hoping we gained a lot of confidence as a team from this game."

Kalamazoo Valley 71, Macomb 68     12-03-04     (8-0)     [Box Score]     [8 Game Accumulative Statistics]

Macomb jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Cougars battled back to take the lead 10-9 on a Dirail Flenorl layup with 13:20 remaining in the opening half.  The Monarch defense held KVCC to a measly 14-37 (.378) mark from the floor in the first half, but the Cougars took care of the ball and followed Darrahyl Brown's 10 and Quincy Bell's 8 to forge into a 37-29 halftime lead.  Wynn Sarden's jumper with 4:44 left closed Macomb to 61-60, but 2 FT's by Lorne Johnson and 2 more by Quincy Bell pushed the lead back to 65-60 as the Cougar defense stiffened down the stretch.  A trey by Paul Enichner made it 69-66 KVCC with :42 left and a steal with under :30 left gave Macomb a chance to tie it up, but another Enichner triple attempt missed the mark and 2 more FT's by Adam Kerfoot with :16 remaining sealed the win.  KVCC shot 25-60 (.417) for the game; Macomb was 28-63 (.444).  The Monarchs out-rebounded the Cougars 41-31 with Sarden grabbing a game high 10.  KVCC had 16 turnovers; Macomb 22.  Brown led KVCC with 18; Bell had 15.  Brown also had 7 rebounds and Kerfoot had 6 assists for the Cougars.  Sarden was the game's high scorer with 26 while Andrew Kwietniewski chipped in 14 and Delorean White 11 for Macomb.

Coach's Comments:  "We always enjoy playing Macomb because in their coach, Henry Washington, they have quality leadership.  I thought they played with more energy than we did tonight, making us fortunate to eke out a win.  We did not foul much (10) thereby giving them only 8 FT attempts while we shot 20.  We made 17; they made 7 FT's and that differential proved to be a big factor in the game.  I was not pleased with our defensive focus and intensity tonight, and I was disappointed with the performance of our bench overall.  Gareth Murray did come in and pop two 3's and Matt Quinn hit for 5 quick points when we were struggling offensively, but for the most part, our play dropped off more than it has in previous games when we substituted. Kennedy-King will, beyond the shadow of a doubt, be the best team we have played to date.  We'll have to pick up our game dramatically to have a chance tomorrow, but I know we can do it.  It promises to be our greatest challenge yet.  Games against a Division I power like KKCC can only help us prepare for our tough league play starting in January."

Kalamazoo Valley 87, Hope JV's 78     12-01-04     [7-0]     [Box Score]     [7 Game Accumulative Stats]

The host Cougars fought off a determined group of Flying Dutchmen tonight to register their 7th straight victory, 87-78.  Shooting a sizzling 20-30 (.667) from the floor in the opening half, the Cougars carefully edged ahead to take a 46-35 halftime lead.  Hope was not finished, however, as they pounded the ball inside and continued to stay close.  Darrahyl Brown scored 8 consecutive points, many of them on fast break breakaways, to give the Cougars a 73-63 margin at the 5:32 mark.  Brown finished the game 13-15 from the floor and 5-5 from the line for a game high 31 points.  Darre Johnson added 16, 14 of them coming in the first stanza, and Lorne Johnson chipped in 12, Adam Kerfoot 10 for KVCC.  Hope's balanced scoring was led by Ryan Rademaker with 14, Brandon Teets and Kiel Sherwood 12 apiece, and Scott Glaser and Jay Creighton 11 each.  Rademaker helped Hope to a 42-28 rebound margin over the Cougars as he grabbed 7.  Brown and Lorne Johnson had 7 each for KVCC.  The Cougars finished the game 34-64 (.531) from the floor; Hope was 28-65 (.431).

Coach's Comments:  "As usual, Hope brought a tall and talented JV squad into our gym tonight.  They are sound fundamentally, and provide a stern challenge as they pound the ball inside.  Even though they soundly out-rebounded us, I thought our speed and quickness took its toll as well.  I was glad we had a halftime lead, forcing them into pressing us much of the second half.  We were able to break the press often, offsetting what I felt was a sub-par defensive effort in the final stanza.  We were able to reduce our turnovers to 13 tonight, well below last week's 35!  And, we had 20 assists.  Hope only managed 15 assists and our defense pressured them into 23 turnovers, perhaps the deciding statistic of the game.  Darre was on fire the first half and Gareth came off the bench to nail two triples.  Lorne and Gareth both found Darrahyl several times underneath to contribute to what turned into a spectacular shooting performance (13-15) for him on the night.  I think we're getting better.  We'll know soon."

Kalamazoo Valley 97, Olivet JV's 70     11-22-04     [6-0]     [Box Score]     [6 Game Accumulative Stats]

High-energy pressure defenses and resultant inefficient ball handling characterized this wild game.  Sixty-five turnovers in one game may be some kind of record!  KVCC committed 35; Olivet 30.  The Cougars were able to pull away behind a season best 39-63 (.619) shooting performance.  Darrahyl Brown led the way with 18, Darre Johnson had 16, Quincy Bell 13, and Matt Quinn 11 for KVCC.  Jeff Cooper led Olivet with 16; he was supported by Brandon Way with 12, Ryan Johnson 11, and John Zenner 10.  The game's top rebounder, Darre Johnson, led KVCC to a 44-31 advantage by gathering 8 for the Cougars.  Adam Kerfoot contributed 8 assists, Bryan Davis 6 for KVCC.  Ellington Fields had 5 assists for Olivet.  The Cougar defense held Olivet to a meager 25-70 (.357) floor performance.

Coach's Comments:  "This game was feast or famine for us on offense.  It seemed as if we either scored or turned the ball over!  Our shot selection and ball movement (29 assists) were much better than in previous games, but our sloppiness in taking care of the ball hurt us.  We played a lot of people a lot of minutes again, and I think our depth wore them down somewhat.  Daniel Ward and Matt Quinn gave us big lifts off the bench again, as did Dirail Flenorl.  Our defense gave them lots of trouble, forcing several turnovers that resulted in easy baskets.  We're off until next Monday for Thanksgiving time with family and friends.  Like most Americans, we have so much to be thankful for!"

Kalamazoo Valley 74, Alpena 49     11-20-04     [5-0]     [Box Score]     [5 Game Accumulative Statistics]

This one was tight throughout the first half, featuring several lead changes.  An offensive rebound bucket by Bryan Davis with 1:14 remaining in the half gave the Cougars a 31-30 lead they would not relinquish.  The Cougar defense stiffened as the second half started, allowing them to push the score to 49-32 on a three pointer by Quincy Bell with 9:32 remaining in the game.  A lay-up by Daniel Ward, a missed FT by Ward, and a 10 foot put-back by Dirail Flenorl sealed the game at 69-48 with 2:37 left.  Darrahyl Brown led all scorers with 23; he grabbed a game high 17 rebounds as well.  Darre Johnson scored 12, Quincy Bell 11, and Adam Kerfoot 10 for KVCC.  The Cougars shot a dismal 10-32 (.313) in the opening half but stormed back with 16-27 (.593) for the second half, giving them a 26-49 (.441) game percentage total.  Alpena was 9-25 (.360) in the first half, 10-26 (.385) in the closing half, finishing 19-51 (.373) for the game.  Neither team shot well from behind the arc.  KVCC was 2-13 (.154) while Alpena could only muster 1-9 (.111) from long range.  Robby Long was the Lumberjacks' leading scorer with 11.  KVCC won the rebounding battle 50-31.

Coach's Comments:  "The final score in this game is very misleading; it is the biggest margin of the game.  Our offensive efficiency (OER) was a season low .925 compared to last night's .975 and .974 versus Delta a week ago.  We have a lot of work to do on offense, especially toward generating some consistency in our half court attack.  Our defense forced numerous turnovers (9 in the second half) which we were able to convert into points.  Their 10-23 (.435) FT shooting was nothing we had any control over, but we benefited from.  I thought, in the final analysis, that our depth was the difference.  While we didn't get spectacular games from anyone except maybe Darrahyl, we DID get solid games from everyone else who played.  It was a good win over a long-standing, reputable program and coach."      

Kalamazoo Valley 78, St. Clair 64     11-19-04     [4-0]     [Box Score]     [4 Game Accumulative Statistics]

In the first 6 minutes tonight, KVCC could only manage 4 field goals, all of them from 3 point range, redeeming a slow start for both teams.  Lorne Johnson's second triple at the 14:00 minute mark put KVCC ahead 12-10.  The Skipper defense kept KVCC in sight, holding them to 13-31 (.419) from the field in the opening half.  The Cougar defense responded, however, forcing S4C into 12 first half turnovers while holding them to a coolish 13-36 (.361) from the field.  With a tenuous half time lead of 35-30, the Cougars gradually inched ahead to 66-56 on a Darrahyl Brown lay-up with 5:35 remaining.  KVCC's final 12 points came from the FT line.  Skipper forward Darren Jones led all scorers with 20; Josh Wager chipped in 15 for St. Clair.  Brown and Lorne Johnson led KVCC with 16 apiece; Dirail Flenorl had 12.  KVCC won an intense battle on the boards 45-39 in spite of the fact that St. Clair blocked a whopping 12 shots, with Zach Fowler getting 5 of those blocks.  The Cougars finished the game shooting 23-55 (.418) from the floor; St. Clair was 25-69 (.362).

Coach's Comments:  "With our slow offensive start, I thought the fact that we hit 4 of our total of 5 triples for the game, in the first 6 minutes, a key factor in the game.  St. Clair's leapers inside, especially Fowler and Jones, pretty much wiped out our inside attempts as they swatted 12 shots, many of them early and from close to the basket.  Making free throws down the stretch was a key to this win, especially in light of the fact that they had 2 more field goals than we did.  We've been emphasizing getting to the line, and we were able to achieve that goal with 36 attempts tonight, making good on 27 of them (.750).  Lorne picked a good time to step up from behind the arc, making 3 key tri-fectas.  St. Clair is a fine team, well-coached, quick, and aggressive.  I'm happy with the win!" 

Kalamazoo Valley 103, Siena Heights JV's 87     11-16-04     [3-0]     [Box Score]     [3 Game Accumulative Statistics] 

The Cougars came out sharp in this one, pushing ahead 26-14 on a Daniel Ward triple at the 13:10 mark in the first half.  Behind the penetrating play of diminutive point guard, Olajuwan Pinson, however, (11 points), the Saints managed to stay within 15 at the intermission, 54-39.  Gareth Murray and Quincy Bell warmed the nets with 2 treys apiece and another Ward basket pushed the margin to 83-50 with 13:42 remaining.  The Saints refused to fold, however, outscoring KVCC 37-20 from this point on.  KVCC's balanced attack was led by Bell's 22 and Murray's 18.  Darre Johnson pitched in 15 and Darrahyl Brown 13 for the Cougars.  Pinson finished with 22, Gerome Hunter 15, and Shawn Beavers 12 for Siena Heights.  KVCC won the rebounding battle 46-29 with Brown leading the way with a game high 15.  The Cougars were 39-73 (.534) from the field; the Saints finished 35-75 (.467).  KVCC had a whopping 31 turnovers; Siena Hts. had 24. 

Coach's Comments: "This game was a game of 'the good, the bad, and the ugly'.  The good was that we had 25 assists, shot over 50% from the floor, out-rebounded someone by 17, and were 9-20 (.450) from behind the arc.  The bad was that we opened a huge lead midway in the final stanza, but could not sustain that lead.  The better our offense got, the worse our defense got.  And 'the ugly' was simply the way we mishandled the ball for 31 turnovers!  We've got a long way to go to become a good team.  I'm hoping we are learning the importance of sound fundamental play on offense, and aggressive, consistent play on defense.  If we're not, we're in for some hard lessons later.  We must learn patience, especially on offense.  On the positive side, I appreciate the unselfish play and the improved shooting of our entire squad.  We're certainly not where we want to be yet, but we're not where we were three weeks ago either.   This weekend in Alpena will be another good measure of exactly where we are and how far we have to go."

Kalamazoo Valley 75, Delta 71     11-13-04     [2-0]     [Box Score]     [Accumulative Statistics]

Behind the steady play of Quincy Bell (10), Darre Johnson (9), and Darrahyl Brown (6 pts, 6 rbs), the Cougars eked out to a slender margin midway through the opening stanza, and due to a triple by Matt Quinn and two FT's by Dirail Flenorl in the closing seconds, the Cougars pushed the lead to 40-28 at the intermission.  A Brown layup on a nifty pass from Adam Kerfoot gave the Cougars a 42-28 margin early in the second half.  But Delta stormed back behind 3 triples by Mike Murphy to go on a 22-4 run and take a 50-46 lead with just over 12 minutes left.   A jumper off the glass by Chad Tucker with 5:51 remaining in the game gave Delta their biggest lead, 65-60.  Lay-ups by Darre Johnson and Kerfoot brought the Cougars back to 64-65, but 2 free throws by Murphy gave Delta the lead at 67-64 with 4:25 left.  A deuce by Bell and another power lay-up by Kerfoot gave the Cougars the lead again, 68-67, with 2:53 to go.  Two FT's by Delta point guard Darrell Drake put the Pioneers back ahead 69-68 with 1:48 left.  Darre Johnson hit his biggest three of the year with 1:23 to go, putting the Cougars up 71-69.  Murphy returned to the charity stripe with only :22.5 remaining and tied the score at 71.  After a timeout, Bell dropped an assist to Lorne Johnson and the Cougars were ahead once more 73-71 with only :15.3 on the clock.  The Cougar defense held on Delta's final possession, and Brown rebounded the errant shot and was fouled with :01.8 to go.  His FT's iced the game at 75-71.  KVCC shot 32-71 (.451); Delta was a coolish 24-67 (.358).  However, Delta out-rebounded KVCC 49-42, and shot an impressive 8-17 (.471) from behind the arc.  Murphy led all scorers with 22 while Adam Moore tossed in 14 and Chad Tucker 12 for the Pioneers.  Darre Johnson led KVCC in scoring with 18; Brown had 14, Bell 12, and Flenorl 10.  Although Delta out-rebounded KVCC 49-42, KVCC's Darrahyl Brown was the game's high rebounder with 13; Darre Johnson had 9.  Tucker had 11, Murphy 10 caroms for the Pioneers.

Coach's Comments:  "We dodged a bullet this afternoon.  Delta came after us hard to start the 2nd half.  Behind a barrage of triples the Pioneers easily erased our 42-28 lead.  Murphy drained three straight bombs, and the Pioneers pounded the glass, finishing the game with a 49-42 margin on the boards.  After falling behind 65-60 with 5:51 left, it looked like it would be a long ride back to Kalamazoo for the Cougars.  However, reaching down deep inside, we clawed back into contention.  Our defense on the final possession was superb, forcing a desperation try that fell short and was grabbed by Darrahyl Brown with 1.8 seconds left.  His FT's made the final margin look as if it were not as close as it really was.  Our defense today gave up too many open looks, but in spite of this fact, and in spite of being out-rebounded, we managed to hang tough and pull out the win."

Kalamazoo Valley 102, Indiana Tech JV's 72     11-8-04     [1-0]     [Box Score]

Behind aggressive defense and Quincy Bell's hot shooting (27 points with 7 triples), KVCC opened the season by pulling away from the Warriors in the second half.  The opening stanza saw the Warriors fall behind 31-18 but then rally to close to within 8 at 27-35 with 4:40 left.  A Bell trey with .8 seconds left gave the Cougars a 45-33 halftime edge.  Darrahyl Brown grabbed 12 boards and was 5-7 from the field in the opening stanza.  Quincy Bell took up the scoring slack in the final half as he dropped in 5 more trifectas, the final one pushing the margin to 86-55 with 6:59 remaining.  The Cougars were led by Bell's 27, with Darre Johnson chipping in 17, Brown 15, and Dirail Flenorl, II 13.  Indiana Tech was led by Louis Leslie's 17; Keenan Jordan tossed in 14.   The Warriors out-rebounded the Cougars 48-45 with Nic Mullins 10 leading the way.  Darrahyl Brown had a game high 16 for the Cougars; Flenorl chipped in 9.  KVCC shot 41-85 (.482) from the field; while the Ft. Wayne squad managed 26-62 (.419).  Perhaps the most telling statistic of the evening was Tech's 26 turnovers, many forced by the aggressive Cougar defense.  KVCC turned the ball over 16 times.

Coach's Comments:  "I was pleased with our intensity in our opener.  We displayed good depth, and finally we dropped some threes.  Quincy himself made more threes tonight than our whole team had after two full scrimmages!  We had good ball movement tonight and found the open man often.  However, we did not generate a solid inside game, and we sent them to the line 28 times while we could only get to the line 15 times ourselves.  This fact, plus the fact that even though we won by 30 we got out-rebounded, sends us a big message about where our liabilities are.  We will work hard to address these before our game with Delta this Saturday."