2005-06 KVCC Men's Basketball Results
(Scroll down to see results of earlier games)

NJCAA District 8 Tournament held at Mott Community College

Lake Michigan 110, Kalamazoo Valley 91     3/4/06     (19-12)     (6-8)     Semi-final game at Mott     [Box Score]     [Final 31 Game Stats]

The Cougars' run at a national tournament berth came to a sudden halt this afternoon, as the red-hot Indians, behind a torrid 16-33 (.485) three point assault pulled away to post the most points scored this year against the Cougar defense.  Lanny McCalvin scorched the nets for 32 points on 8-12 (.750) shooting from behind the arc and 11-19 (.571) overall.  He also dished out 7 assists and committed no turnovers.  Courtney Blackmore added 26 and Dannie Parker 22 in the LMC onslaught.  For KVCC, Jon-Lamar Hamilton scored 16, Dirail Flenorl 15, Paul Griffith 12, and Kyle Laker 11.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Indians 41-40 as Hamilton grabbed a game-high 9.  Blackmore and Louis Rome had 8 boards apiece for LMC.  KVCC finished at 32-73 (.438) from the floor; LMC was 40-77 (.519).  the Cougars were 9-24 (.375) from long range and 18-22 (.818) from the FT line.  To go along with their phenomenal long range attack, the Indians were 14-18 (.778) from the line.  Shawn Earl also had 7 assists for KVCC.

Coach's Comments:  "Lake Michigan left no doubt tonight as to who was the better team.  They passed crisply (28 assists), setting up numerous open shots, and they took excellent care of the basketball (only 9 turnovers).  We were able to stay close at the half, and we even closed to within two early in the second half, but McCalvin's and Blackmore's perimeter shooting, and Parker's inside work exploited our ineffective defense time and time again.  All of us were bitterly disappointed, especially after the two big wins over equally talented teams earlier in the week, but as we have all seen before, this game of basketball can cause frustration as well as elation.  From the coaching standpoint, I was most disappointed in our defensive effort.  It seemed as if we just didn't have the energy or the focus to close out effectively or to defend effectively.  We did not provide resistance to the inside play of Parker, and we simply did not do a good job of challenging their perimeter shooters.  McCalvin was awesome today, Blackmore had his usual impressive offensive performance, and Parker and Rome were just too much inside for us to handle.  They responded to every defensive tactic we tried, and they deserved to win.  The loss completes a roller-coaster season for a team that faced adversity and overcame it often, but a team that, in spite of a good 19-12 record, was not able to sustain consistently solid defense and offense.  Much growth took place, however, and I will remember this team not only for several big wins over Grand Rapids, Lake Michigan, Muskegon, Kellogg, and Mott to name a few, but also, and more importantly for their 3.38 overall team GPA in the first semester.  We had 7 Dean's List students and 12 of the 18 players on our team achieved a 3.0 or better GPA.  The LOWEST first-semester GPA was 2.69, just below a B average.  This team grade represents the very best semester Team GPA I have had in my 27 years of coaching at KVCC.  I have enjoyed coaching this group of players; they have etched their names firmly into the proud Cougar tradition.  I am proud of each of their many achievements on and off the court, and I wish them well in their future endeavors.  I am confident that they will take the experiences we shared together and the lessons we learned and build upon them to become men 'Built for Others.' "

Kalamazoo Valley 86, Mott 73     3/3/06     (19-11)     (6-8)     Quarterfinal game at Mott     [Box Score]     [30 Game Cumulative Stats]

Darre Johnson and Shawn Earl popped in triples tonight to put KVCC up 6-1 at the 17:12 mark, but the 5th ranked Mott Bears turned up the heat and spurted out on a 23-8 run to take a 24-14 lead at the 9:56 mark.  The never-say-die Cougars, however, tightened the defensive clamps and battled hard to stay within striking distance, trailing 34-42 at the intermission.  With both teams displaying solid defense making field goals hard to come by, Mott gradually pulled away in the first 5 minutes of the final half.  A slicing basket by Marcus Skinner with 15:25 left gave Mott their biggest lead of the game, 47-36, but after two missed FT's by Terrence Watson, the Cougars closed to 49-50 on a blue collar 3 point play by Jon-Lamar Hamilton.  A putback by Skinner and a steal and thunderous dunk by Jeremy Winters ignited the crowd and put Mott back ahead 54-49.  But Dirail Flenorl answered with a two handed "dunk-tip"and Shawn Earl's steal and triple capped the 18-7 Cougar rally, tying the game at 54-54 with 10:30 remaining.  Flenorl followed with another triple with 9:46 left, giving KVCC a 57-54 lead and forcing a Mott timeout.  The Cougars were sharp down the stretch, handling the Mott pressure without turnovers, and nailing crucial free throws to pull away for the upset win.  Flenorl led all scorers with 29 (10-11 from the field, 3-4 from the arc, and 6-6 from the FT line), 19 coming in the second half.  Earl chipped in 14 points and added 5 assists; Hamilton had 13 and Johnson 12 to round out the balanced KVCC attack.  Kevin Tiggs and Marcus Skinner led the Bears with 13 apiece; Winters added 12 and Jesse Bunkley 10.  Mott out-rebounded KVCC 41-38, with Skinner grabbing a game-high 12 and Winters 10.  John Neal led KVCC with 5 boards.  KVCC shot 28-57 (.491) from the floor; Mott shot 25-64 (.391).  The Cougars were 8-17 (.471) from behind the arc and 22-27 (.815) from the charity stripe.  Mott was 7-26 (.269) from long range and 16-28 (.571) from the free throw line.

Coach's Comments:  "Tonight's win is without a doubt the highlight of our season.  This Mott team won the Eastern Conference and the MCCAA State Tournament and in addition to being ranked 5th nationally owns two wins over perennial power Schoolcraft College.  To beat them on their own court in a game of this magnitude required the best basketball we have played this season.  Dirail's performance was nothing short of spectacular not only because he scored a career-high 29 points, but also because of his exceptional proficiency on offense.  We only committed 4 turnovers in the second half, and considering their quickness and the pressure they applied, this was quite an achievement.  Shawn told me after the game that he thought the defense they played was the best he has ever played against, and I'm sure that he was right.  Mott has been ranked in the top ten teams nationally in points-per-game defense all year, giving up slightly over 58 points per game.  Dontae Burnett again gave us a critical boost from the bench, supplying quickness and energy when we needed it most.  We resisted the temptation to celebrate too much too early, but we all felt a great sense of accomplishment in this win tonight.  We realize that it will take two more wins to capture the Regional title, but we all, nevertheless, were proud of the togetherness and teamwork that propelled us to this important victory.  Lake Michigan is playing very well, and now we must set our sights on coming back in fewer than 24 hours to take them on for the 3rd time this season.  It will be an uphill struggle again, but at least we are 1 of 4 teams still standing in one of the toughest regions in the country."

Kalamazoo Valley 68, Kellogg 58     3/1/06     (18-11)     (6-8)     NJCAA Region XII, District 8 First Round Game played at Mott CC     [Box Score]      [29 Game Cumulative Stats]

Overcoming a 17-34 rebounding deficit at halftime, the Cougars were able to accomplish a feat they had been unable to accomplish in two previous games this season against the Kellogg Bruins. Rallying behind 17 second half points by sophomore Darre Johnson and 5-6 shooting from the field by reserve Kevin Ludwig, the Cougars withstood the Bruin rally to emerge victorious and to advance to the quarterfinals of the District 8, Region XII Men’s Basketball Tournament at Mott Community College. Free throws by Shawn Earl, Dirail Flenorl, II, Johnson, and Alan Robinson kept Kellogg from overtaking them this time around. Johnson led KVCC in scoring with 17; Flenorl had 12 and Ludwig 11 for the Cougars. League MVP Cory Broyles finished with 17 as did center Jordan Cunningham. Jerome Douglas chipped in 10. Toriano Adams grabbed a game high 17 rebounds while Douglas and Cunningham each had 10 to lead the 52-38 rebound margin for the Bruins. Flenorl and John Neal each grabbed 6 boards for KVCC. Shawn Earl dished out a game high 10 assists for KVCC. The Cougars shot 24-60 (.400) from the floor while holding KCC to 25-70 (.357) despite the Bruins’ 22 offensive rebounds. Valley was 15-27 (.556) from the FT line; Kellogg was 5-10 (.500) from the charity stripe.

Coach’s Comments: “This was just a great win for our program tonight. We mixed up our defenses a bit tonight in an effort to stop some of their penetration to the basket. Fortunately they did not shoot well from the perimeter. We forced 23 turnovers, several of which we scored on in transition (21 points off turnovers). Our biggest problem was keeping them off the boards, but even when we played them man-to-man in our two losses to them, we did not succeed in this area. Adams had a great rebounding game and Cunningham and Broyles each had 17 points, but perhaps the biggest statistic of the night was their 3-20 (.150) shooting from behind the arc. When we play Mott CC at 7:30 PM Friday night, the tournament will be down to 5 teams. It is another great challenge and opportunity to play a quality team, the team that won the MCCAA State Championship last weekend over Lansing, and the team currently ranked 5th in the nation with their 24-6 record. It will take a tremendous game from each of our players to pull off an upset, but we are excited to get the chance.”

Result of MCCAA State Final game played at KVCC 2/25/06

Mott 90, Lansing 79     2/25/06     [Box Score]

Results of MCCAA State Tournament Final Four Semi-final games played at KVCC 2/24/06

Lansing 105, St. Clair 86     2/24/06     [Box Score]

Mott 79, Lake Michigan 70     2/24/06     [Box Score]

Lansing 86, Kalamazoo Valley 78     2/22/06     (17-11)     (6-8)     [Box Score]     [28 Game Cumulative Stats]     [Final League Stats]

Beating a team three times in the same year does not seem to be a problem for the number 3 ranked team in the nation this week.  After a slower than usual start, the Lansing Stars overcame a 9 point deficit to take a 39-35 lead into the locker room at halftime tonight.  All American nominee, Ron Banks, scorched the nets for 27 points, off-setting a 5-6 behind the arc performance by KVCC's Shawn Earl.  With the score 76-70 Lansing, Herschel Rodgers split through two Cougars to grab an offensive rebound and put it back in at the 3:41 mark, effectively nullifying the final serious Cougar rally.  Banks finished the game with 27 points and 13 rebounds and was 11-13 from the charity stripe to lead the Stars.  Sharp-shooter Nate Duncan contributed 16 and Rodgers 11 for LCC.  Shawn Earl topped KVCC scorers with 19, but four other Cougars were in double figures as well: Darre Johnson (13), Dirail Flenorl, II, (11), Paul Griffith (11), and Alan Robinson (11).  Lansing won the rebound battle, 46-41, as Rodgers matched Banks' 13.  Kyle Laker grabbed 8 for KVCC.  Lansing shot 28-63 (.444) for the game; KVCC shot 29-76 (.382).  The Stars lead the nation in team FT Percentage (.763) and showed the way again with an impressive 21-24 (.875) performance.  The Cougars were 10-12 (.833) from the line.

Coach's Comments:  "We mixed up our defenses tonight, and for a while it seemed to keep them off guard.  But, as our shot selection deteriorated, their fast break kicked in gear.  Banks was unstoppable tonight, getting better and better as the game progressed.  They are deep and they are talented.  Alan Robinson played another courageous game for us but we were unable to generate the kind of consistency needed to defeat a quality opponent.  Our defense was a little better tonight than it was last Friday, but they still had those back-breaking momentum swings that mark a good team.  With their 23-3 record, Lansing has moved up to third in the nation this week, and I think they deserve the ranking!  Although we will not be playing in the Final Four, fans that journey out to our Cougar gym will see two great games on Friday night and a great Championship Game on Saturday at 3:00 PM.  Lake Michigan plays Mott Friday at 5:30 PM; Lansing will square off against St. Clair at 7:30 PM.  We finish with the 8th seed for the District 8 Tournament next week, pitting us against Kellogg at Mott CC next Wednesday night.  The challenge doesn't get any easier as Kellogg has also beaten us twice this year so far.  We've got lots of work to do to get ready for this new challenge/opportunity!"

Kalamazoo Valley 74, Muskegon 68     2/20/06     (17-10)     (6-8)    [Box Score]     [27 Game Cumulative Stats]     [Final League Stats]

Victory number 600 did not come easy for KVCC's Coach Dick Shilts tonight.  Shooting only 14-59 (.359) from the field in the opening stanza, the Cougars were looking at a 34-39 halftime deficit to the visiting Jayhawks.  The remarkable chain of events in the second half was that the Cougar offense was even more stagnant as they fell to an even colder 14-43 (.326) field goal performance, but somehow were able to reign in the Jayhawks after falling behind 43-54 on a Jacarri Neal basket at the 13:04 mark.  A put-back by Kyle Laker with 11:51 left made it 47-54 Muskegon, but another jumper by Derek Griffin put the Jayhawks up by nine again, 56-47, with 11:42 remaining in the game.  The Cougar defense stiffened, however, as Muskegon was held scoreless for 7:13 and KVCC spurted to a 60-56 lead on an 13-0 run from which MCC would not recover.  An aggressive steal and look-a-way pass by Shawn Earl to Dontae Burnett led to an old-fashioned three point play to put KVCC ahead 60-56 with 5:11 left.  A third triple by sophomore Dirail Flenorl, II, stretched the fragile lead to 63-57 at the 3:52 mark.  Two FT's by Michael Giddings closed the lead again to 63-59, but Flenorl responded again with a nifty 17' jumper to stretch the lead once more to 65-59.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton's rebound basket with :59 remaining put the Cougars up 69-64, and four consecutive FT's, two by Earl and two by Flenorl sealed the win.  In a game where defenses ruled, Muskegon shot only 28-67 (.388) to KVCC's 28-82 (.341).  Free throw shooting was better as MCC went 9-13 (.692) and KVCC, 10-14 (.714).  MCC was 7-21 (.333) from behind the arc; KVCC was 8-28 (.286).  KVCC won the rebounding battle, 56-44, with point guard Shawn Earl leading the way with 9; Darre Johnson had 8 and Kyle Laker 7 for the Cougars.  Derek Griffin was the top board man for MCC with 10.  Flenorl led KVCC in scoring with 22; Laker chipped in 13 and Earl and Alan Robinson each had 10.  Griffin led MCC with 21 and was the lone double-figure scorer for the Jayhawks.

Coach's Comments:  "Our play in the opening half tonight was less than impressive, but we showed some real character from the 13 minute mark in the second half to the end of the game.  Dontae Burnett and Alan Robinson sparked us off the bench and Kyle Laker continued his steady improvement in his starting role.  And John Neal, although he did not score, did the little things that make an offense go but are not reflected in individual statistics.  John also had one assist, no turnovers, and three steals in his support role.  A quiet statistic that helped us win tonight is the fact that we only made 3 turnovers in the second half.  Dirail stepped up his game with 15 second half points, including several key baskets, and Shawn played all 40 minutes, just missing a double-double as he grabbed 9 boards to go with his 10 points and 4 assists.  Any games that a team can win this late in the year are good wins, as each game becomes tougher and tougher.  Muskegon is well-coached and they have a good team (15-10) and we had already beaten them twice in closely contested games.  Six hundred is just a number, but the win gets the "monkey off my back" so we can focus on each remaining game without distractions.  We have a formidable task at Lansing Wednesday night, but we're excited to go there and give them our best shot.  I'm proud of the way our players hung together tonight and found a way to win even though we missed shot after shot.  Our defense on George Sharp (4 points) and Jacarri Neal (4 points) was also a key to the win.  Both of them can be explosive offensive machines."     

Lansing 87, Kalamazoo Valley 77     2/17/06     (16-10)     (6-8)     [Box Score]     [26 Game Cumulative Stats]     [14 Game League Stats]

The Lansing Stars tonight showed why they are Western Conference Champions as they held off a determined Cougar squad to post their 22nd win of the season.  They finish the league 13-1 and are currently ranked 5th in the nation.  The Stars jumped out to a 15-6 lead, but the Cougars, with 10 players in the scoring column, battled back to tie the game at 37 at the intermission.  The see-saw struggle was tied 16 times and had 10 lead changes, but in the final analysis, it was Ryan Woods that penetrated the Cougar defense for 19 second half points, keeping the Cougars at bay.  Lansing shot 32-64 (.500) for the game; KVCC shot 33-72 (.458).  LCC connected on 7-15 (.467) threes, while KVCC could only manage 5-20 (.250).  The Cougars did manage to out-rebound the Stars, 42-35, but the home team also committed 19 turnovers to Lansing's 15.  Woods led all scorers with 23, Muhammed El-Amin had 19 and Ron Banks 11 for Lansing.  Darre Johnson scored 14, Jon-Lamar Hamilton and Kyle Laker 12 each, and Alan Robinson 10 for the Cougars.  Six-foot-nine Milan Susnjar pulled down a game high 10 rebounds for LCC; Ron Banks added 9 more.  Hamilton was KVCC's top rebounder with 7.  Shawn Earl had 6 assists for KVCC; Ryan Woods 5 for LCC.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a very physical game, and despite our efforts to upset them, Lansing came ready to play and executed down the stretch like the championship team they are.  We battled hard tonight; the effort and togetherness of our team was good.  When it was all said and done, however, it came once again down to the ability to stop the other team.  We contained Banks pretty well, but tonight Ryan Woods and Mohammed El-Amin continually broke us down with dribble penetration.  We rebounded a bit better, and we actually played pretty well offensively, but we simply could not stop their penetration.  Both Woods and El-Amin have that ability to hang in the air and finish their driving shots with accuracy.  They are talented basketball players.  But we did not give up; we are playing better offensively, and we are looking forward to the State and Regional Tournaments.  Muskegon lost to Grand Rapids tonight by one, and Lake Michigan beat Kellogg by one, so we finish tied for 4th in the league, but we have earned a home court game Monday night by virtue of beating Muskegon twice.  Muskegon also beat Lake Michigan twice, setting up our home game.  Muskegon will be here and will be a great challenge for us.  We have defeated them 87-82 at home and 71-70 in Muskegon.  Game time is 7:00 PM in the Cougar gym."

Glen Oaks 70, Kalamazoo Valley 68        2/15/06     (16-9)     (6-7)     [Box Score]     [25 Game Cumulative Stats]     [13 Game League Stats]

The Cougars came up short on the road tonight, as the Vikings avenged an earlier 82-97 loss at KVCC.  The game was back and forth with 13 lead changes, but it was Glen Oaks that spurted at the end of each half to pull out the win.  Sporting a modest 37-36 halftime lead, Glen Oaks fell behind 46-57 on a Dirail Flenorl lay-up with 8:35 remaining.  But a 24-11 run sparked by Jeremy Lewis' 3 long range bombs in the final 8:07, enabled the Vikings to secure the win.  A Jon-Lamar Hamilton tip-in put the Cougars ahead 68-66 with 1:24 remaining, but Greg Garrett split the KVCC defense for a lay-up to tie it 25 seconds later.  A KVCC turnover led to Cordale Boyd's 2 FT's with :26 remaining and the Cougars called time-out.  After GOCC's defense held with :05 remaining, the Cougars again called timeout with only :02 remaining.  A nifty lob pass from Flenorl to Hamilton led to a lay-up attempt at the buzzer, but the "overtime" shot was off the mark.  Glen Oaks shot 26-62 (.435) from the field to KVCC's 25-52 (.481).  The Vikings were 8-19 (.421) from behind the arc--Lewis was 4-5; KVCC was only 6-20 (.300)  KVCC made 12 of 17 FT's (.706); GOCC made 8-13 (.615).  The Vikings won the rebound battle, 35-34 with Kyle Greene and Greg Garrett grabbing 10 each.  Hamilton and Darre Johnson each had 5 for KVCC.  Perhaps the most telling statistic was that Glen Oaks scored 26 points on KVCC turnovers while KVCC only scored 4 points on GOCC's turnovers.

Coach's Comments:  "This was the most painful loss of the season.  We faded down the stretch, especially with our ball handling and rebounding efforts, and consequently, let one get away.  Credit Glen Oaks with hungry play and aggressive defense, but I was disappointed that we could not hold the lead after being up by 11 with just over 8 minutes remaining.  At times our offensive execution looked sharp, but as we have seen time and time again, defense wins games.  Glen Oaks scored 16 points in their last 10 possessions while we managed to score only 11.  Boyd and Lewis had super games for them.  The battle is one of consistency, and we have had problems being more consistent than our opponents several times this season.  We must regroup quickly as lead leading Lansing, who is ranked 5th in the nation will be in the Cougar gym Friday night to finish league play.  We still have a chance to host an MCCAA State Tournament game Monday night.  A win would greatly enhance our chances of doing just that.  Muskegon is at Grand Rapids and Lake Michigan hosts Kellogg on Friday.  Those results combined with our game will determine who plays who and where as State Tournament action begins next week."

Kalamazoo Valley 81, Ancilla 67     2/10/06     (16-8)     (6-6)    [Box Score]     [24 Game Cumulative Stats]     [12 Game League Stats]

The Cougars jumped out to a 15-10 lead tonight on a jumper by Shawn Earl with 13:35 to go in the first half.  Featuring an impressive pressure defense and effective fast break offense, however, the Chargers from Ancilla were far from giving up.  With KVCC holding a 39-30 halftime lead, Ancilla stayed within striking distance throughout the second half.  Two consecutive baskets from Alan Robinson stretched the KVCC lead to 71-57 with 4:25 to go and the Cougars held on for the win.  KVCC's balanced scoring attack was led by Jon-Lamar Hamilton's 14; Kyle Laker tossed in 13 and Dirail Flenorl, II, contributed 12 for the Cougars.  KVCC shot 36-76 (.474) for the game; Ancilla shot 26-66 (.382).  The Cougars out-rebounded the Chargers 47-39, and both teams committed 23 turnovers, but KVCC had 25 assists to Ancilla's 16.   Flenorl led KVCC with 8 rebounds; Justin Hawkins and Dustin Overton each had 7 for Ancilla.  Shawn Earl had a game high 11 assists for KVCC.

Coach's Comments:  "I thought the difference tonight versus our game at Ancilla when they trounced us 95-79, was our defense.  They had 11 triples in our game at Oregon-Davis High School; tonight we held them to 2-14 (.143) from behind the arc.  We only got to the FT line 4 times tonight, but we did play better down the stretch than we have been playing.  Our 2nd half FG Pct was .528 on 19-36 shooting--a big improvement over recent 2nd half performances.  Also, this was Kyle Laker's finest overall game as a Cougar; he's getting stronger and smarter as he improves.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton had a solid offensive game as he went 7-11  from the field and dished out 5 assists.  Alan Robinson, battling his knee problems gave us quality minutes off the bench, and Dontae Burnett and Kevin Ludwig went 3-6 combined from long range.  It's good to get back to even in the league, but next week will be still another massive challenge.  Glen Oaks is playing well again, as witnessed by their win over Lake Michigan last Wednesday night, and they will be hungry for another win." 

Kellogg 78, Kalamazoo Valley 69     2/8/06     (15-8)     (5-6)     [Box Score]     [23 Game Cumulative Stats]     [11 Game League Stats]

The Bruins overcame a late first half surge by the Cougars tonight, to totally dominate the second half (42-26) on their way to their 8th conference win of the year.  KVCC led at the intermission 43-36, but the Kellogg assault on the offensive boards was just beginning.  The host Bruins out-rebounded the Cougars 59-41, and held a commanding advantage on the offensive glass, 25-15 to secure the win.  Detroit Northern product Jerome Cunningham led the charge with 15 rebounds and a game high 23 points for KCC.  Cory Broyles had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Toriano Adams was the third Bruin to score a double-double for the evening with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Paul Griffith led KVCC with 15 points, 11 of them in the opening half.  Dirail Flenorl, II, scored 12 and Jon-Lamar Hamilton 11 for the Cougars.  Hamilton was the top Cougar rebounder with 9; no other Cougar had more than 4 rebounds.  Neither team shot well as Kellogg finished 31-78 (.397) from the field; KVCC finished 25-72 (.347).  Valley was 6-22 (.273) from behind the arc; KCC was 5-18 (.278).  Both teams shot 16 FT's with KVCC making 13 (.813) and KCC 9 (.688).

Coach's Comments:  "This was the most physical game we've played this year.  The officiating allowed extensive contact, especially around the boards, and this reality did not bode well for our squad.  Cunningham, Adams, and Broyles all crash the boards hard, and we were basically helpless keeping them boxed out.  Combine that with our 0-9 shooting from long range in the second half, and it's no wonder we could not stay with them.  I am disappointed because I felt that we had come farther than this, but obviously we have not.  I felt that our effort was solid, but that our toughness around the boards was lacking.  We also did not play strong enough, offensively, inside, as we failed to convert several close range baskets against their aggressive pressure.  They had 8 blocked shots, and forced many other missed shots from close range.  My hope is that this experience will enable some of our bigger guys to become stronger and better able to compete against that kind of strength and quickness inside.  We can't look back as a team that defeated us by 16 points a few weeks ago (Ancilla College) is coming to Kalamazoo Friday."

Kalamazoo Valley 71, Muskegon 70     2/4/06     (15-7)     (5-5)     [Box Score]     [22 Game Cumulative Stats]     [10 Game League Stats]

Another nailbiter!  This game featured 11 lead changes as KVCC held the biggest lead 43-32, on a Jon-Lamar Hamilton triple early in the final half.  However, the lead was short-lived as a Derek Griffin triple capped a 19-6 Jayhawk run to put Muskegon back on top 51-49 with 11:40 remaining.  Neither team was able to crack the defensive pressure as MCC shot 27-71 (.380), and KVCC shot 27-72 (.375).  The Cougars were 6-12 (.500) from the FT line; the Jayhawks were 9-14 (.643).  KVCC was better from behind the arc with 11-24 (.458) accuracy while Muskegon was held to 7-25 (.280).  George Sharp led Muskegon with 22; Derek Griffin added 18.  Hamilton and Paul Griffith each had 16 for KVCC while Darre Johnson added 11.  Muskegon out-rebounded KVCC 53-43 with Brandon McClary grabbing 8 and George Sharp and Derrek Taylor-Cherry 7 each.  Hamilton led KVCC with 6 boards.  The Jayhawks committed 17 turnovers; the Cougars only 12.  Shawn Earl missed the front end of a 1 and 1 with :03.6 left and a 71-70 Cougar lead.  Josh Bartlett was called for an over-the- back foul on the rebound, putting Derek Taylor-Cherry at the line for 2 shots and a chance for the win.  Both shots fell harmlessly off the rim, but the Jayhawks were awarded the ball out of bounds with :0.8 remaining.  A McClary spin around jumper under heavy pressure was off the mark, and the Cougars secured the victory in this tense league battle.

Coach's Comments:  "I have often said that I don't believe in luck, but tonight's finish tested my philosophy.  Once again we did not finish the game strong, blowing a 6 point lead with 1:09 left, and giving them a chance to win the game from the FT line with :02.6 seconds left.  We were outscored 8-3 in the last 4:07, but somehow managed to escape Muskegon with an important victory.   I thought Paul Griffith's offensive explosion in the last 5:18 of the opening half was as important as anything else we did to notch the win.  He scored 12 points in that short time period, giving us a 38-30 halftime lead.  Our poor field goal shooting (.375) again made the win hard to attain.  Fortunately, we were 11-24 (.458) from behind the arc, and they were only 7-25 (.280).  In our earlier game against Muskegon in Kalamazoo, they were 13-23 (.565) from long range.  We needed solid performances again off the bench, and we got them from Griffith, Josh Bartlett, and John Neal.  Our bench outscored Muskegon's bench 27-15.  Muskegon was playing without injured Jacarri Neal, and we were playing without starter Daniel Gay.  Both players played key roles in the first match-up.  To win, we will have to play better next Wednesday at Kellogg, but I'd have to credit our defense more than our offense for this win tonight.  It's been a struggle to get back to .500 in the league, but to the credit of every one of our players, we have done it.  However, with only 4 games left, we're still two games behind Kellogg (7-3) in the battle for third."  

Kalamazoo Valley 76, Lake Michigan 75     2/1/06     (14-7)     (4-5)     [Box Score]     [21 Game Cumulative Stats]     [9 Game League Stats]

This one started slowly with both teams struggling to get their offenses in gear.  At the 10:07 mark, it was 21-18 Lake Michigan, but the Cougars, on a Jon-Lamar Hamilton triple, spurted to finish the half with their biggest lead of the game, 43-35.  Two FT's by Kyle Laker put KVCC up 74-70 with 4:04 remaining, and two more charity tosses by Paul Griffith stretched the lead to 76-70, KVCC.  But the final 3:38 belonged to LMC, as Lanny McCalvin scored 4 more points to push his half total to 21, and his game high total to 31.  Danny Parker scored with :50 left to move the Indians within a point, but the last two possessions resulted in the Indians coming up dry.  Their final 5-0 run proved to fall one point short, as the Cougars held on for their second straight league win.  Assisting McCalvin in scoring was Farrid Coleman with 11 and Dannie Parker with 10, all of them in the second half.  KVCC was led by Shawn Earl's 14; Jon-Lamar Hamilton had 13, Paul Griffith 12, and Dirail Flenorl 10.  Flenorl fouled out with 6:37 remaining forcing the Cougars to go to their bench for backup once again.  Earl also had a game high 6 steals!  LMC was 25-53 (.472) from the floor; KVCC shot 25-61 (.410).  The Cougars out-rebounded the Indians 39-32 with Hamilton's 10 the game's high.  Josh Bartlett contributed 7 boards off the bench for KVCC.  McCalvin led LMC with 6 rebounds.  Parker also contributed 6 assists for LMC; Earl and Darre Johnson each had 5 assists for KVCC.  LMC was hot behind the arc, shooting 50% on 11-22, while KVCC could only muster 7-25 (28%).  The Cougars were 19-25 (.760) from the FT line to the Indians' 14-20 (.700).

Coach's Comments:  "Another close league game!  This one, literally, could have gone either way.  Numerous ball handling errors by both teams made it look as if no one wanted to win the game.  Lake Michigan had 25 turnovers and we had 20, with several coming in the final 4 minutes when our offense went south.  I credit this win with balanced contributions from all 11 of our guys that played.  Bartlett had a career high 7 rebounds, 6 in the opening half, and Griffith provided some offensive punch off the bench, scoring 12 points.  We were able to do better boxing them off the boards tonight, limiting them to only 7 offensive rebounds, while we were able to grab 14.  This statistic reverses what happened in our last three games.  We had trouble containing McCalvin, but our defense on Parker, especially in the opening stanza was pretty effective.  My biggest disappointment was not being able to generate any offense down the stretch.  When a team does not score in the final 3:38 of a close game, they usually do not win.  But tonight turnovers abounded as LMC committed 25 and gave us those chances back several times.  Bottom line is that we did not shoot well, and we committed 20 turnovers, but we found a way to win the game.  We plan to build on the lessons learned in this one!  On a positive note, I am pleased with the way Bartlett, Laker, Griffith, and Burnett have been stepping up to fill the gap in light of our numerous injuries.  We learned today that Daniel Gay has a slipped disc and is out for the season.  Justin Thorp's chronic back problems have forced him to the sideline also, and Alan Robinson's knee injury is keeping him out indefinitely.  John Neal's ankle is better and he was able to play 14:13 tonight.  All of the injuries have forced us to play people at different positions, and they have forced others into more action.  How we are able to build a 'new' chemistry, and how effective our ever-changing defensive unit can become will perhaps be the keys for success in our upcoming games." 

Kalamazoo Valley 85, Grand Rapids 81     1/27/06     (13-7)     (3-5)     [Box Score]     [20 Game Cumulative Stats]     [8 Game League Stats]

The first league rematch proved to be a real "donneybrook" as the Cougars held off 6-1 Grand Rapids this time around.  KVCC's defense went from good in the first half (15-37 for .405) to better in the closing stanza (11-34 for .324), but errant FT shooting tonight (24-39 for .615) almost did them in again.  A sparkling Dontae Burnett lay-up with 9:53 remaining in the game gave the Cougars their largest lead 65-49, but the Raiders charged back behind their vaunted three-quarter court press and a 20-24 second half FT shooting exhibition.  The final score would be the closest they would get, however, despite the game-ending 32-20 run.  Alan Robinson scored 7 first half points but injured his knee late in the half and would not return.  He left the gym on crutches with his status "doubtful" for next week.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton led the balanced Cougar attack with 18; Dirail Flenorl chipped in 16; Darre Johnson had 14, and Kyle Laker ably filled in for Robinson with a career high 12 on 5-5 from the floor.  Rachminn Dillard led GRCC with 15; Steve Banks had 13, Covier Carter 11, and Marcus Lancaster and Chris Thomas 10 each.  The rebounding war went to GRCC, 44-42, with 6'9" Sheldon Lewis grabbing a game-high 9.  KVCC had three players, Johnson, John Rach, and Flenorl with 7 apiece.  Shawn Earl had a game-high 8 assists.  KVCC had 16 assists and 12 turnovers; GRCC had 9 assists and only 10 turnovers. 

Coach's Comments:  "What a great win this was tonight!  Justin Thorp re-injured his back on Monday and we learned that he was out for the year with the chronic back problem that had plagued him all first semester.  John Neal has not been cleared to practice or play yet with his bad ankle.  Daniel Gay's back spasms returned and he was not able to dress tonight.  And Alan Robinson injured his 'good' knee before halftime.  This team is getting more than its share of adversity!  But the good news is that somehow, we managed to hold on for a big league victory.  This game looked like 'deja vu' as we struggled to hold them off at the end.  With under a minute to go, our lead was 6 points, exactly where it was with :48.7 left in our earlier game at Grand Rapids.  This time, however, after missing 7 of 11 FT's in the final stanza, Darre relaxed and overcame fatigue to make his final three and seal the victory.  To their credit, they exploited his problems at the line and made him step up to shoot again and again, 14 total, as time ran out.  He is an 81% FT shooter on the season, so I was not surprised that he reached down inside to finish the game strong.   Once again we were not able to box them out very well, as they out-scored us 36-28 in the paint, (many of them on put-backs), but we did take care of the ball and we managed to grab 14 offensive rebounds ourselves to help offset their 18.  There was no better time for Kyle to step up to play his finest game as a Cougar.  And, even though he did not score much (6), Shawn Earl gets the game ball for his outstanding work against the press.  He played all but :45 seconds in the game and made only one turnover against their consistent pressure.  While we certainly did not play a stellar game, with all the injuries we have had and all the adjustments we had to make, this really was a tremendous achievement over a quality team.  Perhaps what I'm most thankful for is that I was able to coach this one; the day we played our league opener at Grand Rapids was the day I had back surgery and lay helpless and heavily sedated  in Bronson Hospital.  In spite of all of our setbacks, I believe that the best is yet to come with this team."        

Lansing 92, Kalamazoo Valley 86     1/25/06     (12-7)     (2-5)     [Box Score]     [19 Game Cumulative Stats]     [7 Game League Stats]

The Cougars put a scare in the nation's 3rd ranked team tonight, but in the end Lansing's bench strength proved too much to overcome.  A turnaround jumper by John Rach at the 11:12 mark in the opening stanza tied the game 21-21, but the relentless inside work of Ron Banks, who scored 12 of his 19 in the first half, enabled the Stars to lead at the break, 42-36.  In the first 20 minutes, Lansing shot .500 from the floor on 16-32 marksmanship, while holding the Cougars to a paltry 13-38 for .342.  The never-say-die Cougars, however, behind Dirail Flenorl's 14 points continued to push the Stars by going 20-35 (.571) from the field in the final stanza.  Star super-subs Herschel Rodgers popped in 15 of his 19 and diminutive guard Ryan Woods scored all 11 of his points in the second half, however, to keep the Stars ahead at the end, despite 6 lead changes.  A bucket by Rodgers with 3:00 left gave the Stars their largest lead of the game, 85-73, but KVCC battled again to close with a 13-7 run to keep the game interesting.  KVCC finished 33-73 (.452); LCC was 33-62 (.532).  Valley was 11-28 (.393) from behind the arc; Lansing was 7-14 (.500).  Ultimately, the game was decided from the FT line as LCC went 19-25 (.760) to the Cougars' 9-13 (.692).  Both teams had balanced attacks with Rodgers' 19 paving the way for Lansing.  Banks had 17, Luke Charter 12 on 4-6 from long range, Woods had 11, and Vamar Allen 10.  For KVCC, Flenorl had 16, Darre Johnson 13, Jon-Lamar Hamilton 12, Daniel Gay 11, and Shawn Earl 10.  Hamilton was the game's top rebounder with 11 as Milan Susnjar's 8 led the Stars to a slender 37-36 margin on the glass.  KVCC had 19 assists and 17 turnovers; Lansing had 16 assists and 18 turnovers.  Rodgers and Woods each had 5 assists for Lansing.  KVCC's record falls to 12-7, 2-5 and Lansing goes to 16-2, 7-0 as the first round of league action comes to an end.

Coach's Comments:  "Our guys are learning to battle harder and harder.  Only Kellogg had given Lansing a close game (80-82) in our league, but we managed to hang tough tonight, battling back again and again to stay close.  In the end, however, I thought Lansing's inside power and the clutch shooting of Luke Charter and Hershel Rodgers off the bench proved our undoing.  Shawn had another outstanding floor game, Jon-Lamar was strong on the boards, and Dirail was tough again off the bench, popping in 17 on 7-10 shooting in only 21:07 of action.  They outscored us by 12 (38-26) in the paint, and by 22 (54-32) off the bench, proving why they deserve their number 3 national ranking.  However, even without John Neal again, we showed that we are growing as a team as we refused to fold time and time again.  Now it's on to the second round of league action with Grand Rapids Friday night.  We're looking forward to seeing if we can improve on our 2-5 league showing so far."

Kalamazoo Valley 97, Glen Oaks 82     1/20/06     (12-6)     (2-4)     [Box Score]    [18 Game Cumulative Stats]     [6 Game League Stats]  

Behind solid defensive play and keen offensive execution, the KVCC Cougars bolted out to a 10-2 lead tonight, and, avoiding the "soft minutes" that have plagued them in recent games, held off a determined Glen Oaks squad, to hang on to a 43-36 halftime lead.  The second half saw Glen Oaks, behind the explosive offensive talents of Kyle Greene and Cordale Boyd, mount numerous challenges including pulling even once, but never being able to grab the lead from the Cougars.  With starter John Neal out with a sprained ankle and Dirail Flenorl, II, hampered by back spasms, other Cougars stepped up to thwart each Viking challenge.  Greg Garrett chipped in 18 points to assist Greene and Boyd for Glen Oaks.  Darre Johnson led all scorers with 26 while sophomore Alan Robinson, in his first start as a Cougar, tossed in a career-high 17, and Flenorl, in just over 16 minutes of action, scored 14 points.  No Cougar was able to grab more than 6 rebounds, a feat accomplished by guard Daniel Gay and Robinson; the Cougars were, nonetheless, able to win the rebounding battle, 41-36.  Greene topped all rebounders with 7.  Both teams shot well from the floor--Glen Oaks 32-65 (.492) and KVCC 34-66 (.515)--but perhaps the tell-tale statistic was the Vikings 1-12 (.083) performance from behind the arc compared to KVCC's 10-23 (.435) accuracy.  The physical game resulted in 52 FT's being evenly divided by the teams, Glen Oaks making 17 for .654 and the Cougars 19 for .731.

Coach's Comments:  "I am really proud of the way we responded to adversity tonight, especially after getting shelled at Ancilla two days earlier.  Our defense was better at the start of the game, although it faded midway in the second half, and our passing and shooting were both much sharper.  We had 23 assists tonight compared to only 13 Wednesday night.  Both Darre Johnson and Alan Robinson played solid games, and Dirail's performance was nothing short of courageous.  While this win certainly does not put us back in the race for the championship, it does, however, provide some momentum at a time that we had seemingly hit bottom.  After our lackluster performance two days earlier, John Neal went down at 7:15 AM Thursday and was relegated to crutches while Dirail was still nursing a bad back and was unable to practice.  But other players, with necessary encouragement and enthusiasm, stepped into the limelight and responded like champions.  Dontae Burnett gave us a big lift for the second straight time, and Kyle Laker and John Rach were a combined 3-4 with 6 rebounds to provide a spark in limited playing time.  It's only one league win, but it's one where sacrifices had to be made and players had to reach inside to extend themselves for the benefit of the group.  Anytime that happens, a coach must be pleased, and I am.  Next Wednesday night will reveal whether or not we can build on this game as we travel to league-leading Lansing to take on an undefeated Star team that has moved up to a Region XII best, 4th in the nation with a 13-2 record."  

Ancilla 95, Kalamazoo Valley 79     1/18/06     (11-6)     (1-4)     [Box Score]     [17 Game Cumulative Stats]     [5 Game League Stats]

The Ancilla Chargers, winless in league play and hungry for a win after last Saturday's 65-124 loss to Muskegon, took advantage of a struggling Cougar squad tonight, hitting 6 threes to stake a 48-38 halftime lead.  Charger leading scorer Justin Hawkins' FT with 16:57 remaining gave the Chargers their largest lead of the game, 57-41, and they withstood a mild KVCC rally that closed it to six points (82-76) on a Dontae Burnett jumper with 4:40 left.  Hawkins (22 points) was assisted in the scoring column by 5 other Chargers: Mike Russell and Radosav Babic each contributed 14; Lamar Brown had 11, and Dustin Overton, Danny Kleckner, and Mike Shouse each chipped in 10 to spark the balanced assault.  Shawn Earl led KVCC with 14; Alan Robinson and Darre Johnson each had 13.  Ancilla shot .514 in the opening stanza and finished the game 33-67 (.493).  The Cougars shot .311 in the final stanza, finishing a paltry 27-76 (.355).  Both teams were sharp from the FT line, with KVCC leading the way on 13-16 (.813); Ancilla was 18-23 (.783).  The Cougars out-rebounded Ancilla 44-43, with Alan Robinson's 9 pacing the way.  Shouse and Babic each grabbed 9 for Ancilla.

Coach's Comments:  "This was one of those nights where a coach really struggles to see the good things his team did.  I thought our defense was almost non-existent, especially team-wise.  Ancilla was intense, worked hard, and deserved to win.  I played all 14 players tonight, believing that doing so would not only reward some of our reserves for their efforts in practice, but also would keep more energy on the floor.  Dirail's back spasm's prohibited him from making the trip at the last minute, and Darre picked up his 4th foul with 14:18 remaining, forcing him to the bench prematurely.  Our offense actually wasn't 'terrible,' but 35% and only 13 assists is not going to get it done on the road or at home in this league.  My biggest disappointment, however, was the way we failed to communicate with each other on defense, and simply did not challenge their perimeter shooters with any type of consistency.  Alan Robinson had a season high 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Shawn Earl played well on his recovering sprained ankle, but other than that, we really did not have many bright spots offensively OR defensively.  This is the time of year that a good team gets better game-by-game, but we seem to be, tentatively, I hope, headed  in the opposite direction.  Friday's game with Glen Oaks will provide a test of our will and our mental toughness.  I'm hoping for a more positive result."

Kellogg 70, Kalamazoo Valley 64     1/13/06     (11-5)     (1-3)     [Box Score]     [16 Game Cumulative Stats]     [4 Game League Stats]

Cory Broyles continued his outstanding play against the Cougars tonight as he led the visiting Bruins to a hard fought road win in the Cougar gym.  Broyles scored 68 points and grabbed 29 rebounds in KCC's two wins over KVCC last year, and he continued that excellence tonight with 24 more points and 6 rebounds as he led the 3-1 Bruins to another impressive league win.  The Cougars were able to eke out a slender 35-33 halftime lead, but the Bruins tightened down the defensive hatches in the final stanza, holding the Cougars to a mere 8-38 (.211) showing from the field.  Assisting Broyles, the nation's 4th leading scorer, was Jordan Cunningham (14), Solomon Israel (12), and Corey Goward (10).  Kellogg led KVCC in rebounding 50-44, with Cunningham snatching a game high 13.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton had 13 rebounds and Dirail Flenorl, II, 7 for KVCC.  With Broyles picking up his 4th foul midway through the final half and heading for the bench, KVCC rallied from an 8 point deficit to tie the game at 59.  Broyles returned, however, and shreaded the Cougar defense time and time again to help lead his team to the win.  Shawn Earl led KVCC with 15; Hamilton was the only other double figure scorer with 11.  The Bruins finished the game 26-65 (.400) from the floor; the Cougars were a meager 22-73 (.301).  KCC converted 17-21 (.810) free throws while KVCC was 14-17 (.824).  Kellogg won despite shooting only 1-14 (.071) from long range; KVCC was 6-27 (.222).

Coach's Comments:  "While I am disappointed about this loss, I also am proud of the way our Cougars battled tonight.  The game was played with great intensity, and the painful truth is that it's hard to win any game shooting 21% from the field.  Their defense basically shut down our offense tonight, especially in the second half.  We didn't get the lift from our bench that we needed tonight, but we also didn't give up when they slipped ahead by 8 in the second half.  Just like last year, several players tried to stop Broyles but none were successful as he drove to the hole repeatedly, and most painfully, late in the game.  Shawn Earl played another courageous floor game, sustaining a severe ankle sprain with a few minutes remaining.  We're hoping and praying that his ankle will heal quickly as he has been our steadiest, most consistent player in league contests.  I don't like the thought of playing two league games next week without our point guard!  Kellogg is a true title contender this year, owning early wins over perennial powers like Mott, Cincinnati State, and Columbus State.  On the positive side, John Rach and Alan Robinson went a combined 5-7 from the floor tonight, helping us to generate some much needed inside play, and perhaps foreshadowing good things to come.  We've been knocked around a bit in our first 4 league games, but I truly believe we are capable of becoming a much better team in our tough games that lie ahead."

Kalamazoo Valley 87, Muskegon 82     1/11/06     (11-4)    (1-2)     [Box Score]     [15 Game Cumulative Stats]     [3 Game League Stats]

The Cougars and the Jayhawks squared off tonight in a classic see-saw battle that saw the lead change hands 8 times in the first half and when the smoke cleared, the two teams were deadlocked at 40-40 at the intermission.  Sharpshooting guards George Sharp and Jacarri Neal dropped in 11 each in the opening stanza for the visitors who shot 16-33 (.485)  from the floor.  For the host Cougars Dirail Flenorl, II, led the first half scoring with 9 as KVCC went 14-37 (.378) from the field.  An Alan Robinson putback with 13:05 remaining gave KVCC a 57-49 lead with 13:05 left in the game, but the Jayhawks were just warming up from behind the arc.  Neal finished the game 5-5 from 3 point land and Derek Griffin went 6-11 as the Jayhawks tied the game once again at 75 with 4:17 remaining.  Seconds later, Jon-Lamar Hamilton responded with a nifty offensive tip-in to give the Cougars a 77-75 lead that they would not  relinquish.  Daniel Gay dropped in two pressure jumpers as the shot clock ran down, grabbed 3 crucial rebounds, and picked off 1 steal in the closing minutes of this one to keep the Jayhawks at bay.  Muskegon finished the game 30-66 (.424) from the floor, an impressive 13-23 (.565) from behind the arc, and a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe.  KVCC warmed up to finish a corresponding 32-76 (421), 18-26 (.692) from the FT line, and 5-15 (.333) from 3 point land.  Sharp and Griffin led MCC with 22 points apiece; Neal had 17 and freshman Brandon McClary netted 12.  For the Cougars, it was Flenorl leading  the balanced attack with 16; John Neal chipped in 14; Daniel Gay 12 and Shawn Earl 10.  With guards Gay (10) and Earl (7) leading the way, KVCC out-rebounded Muskegon 49-36.  McClary had 7 for MCC.  Muskegon committed 17 turnovers to the Cougars' 11.

Coach's Comments:  "I thought there were two keys to the victory tonight.  First, we only turned the ball over 11 times, a season best, and second, we were able to get to the FT line 26 times, making 19, while limiting them to 9 tries from the FT line.  Daniel Gay's play down the stretch was nothing short of spectacular, and Shawn Earl dished out 8 assists to only 1 turnover, and he also grabbed 3 steals and 7 rebounds, a solid night for any point guard.  The game was tough to win simply because they nailed 13 threes out of 23 attempts.  Neal and Griffin are two of the leagues finest long-range shooters, and they gave us fits tonight.  I was very pleased with our steady play down the stretch as we countered every challenge they made in the final 4 minutes.  And I was especially happy with our ability to get the ball inside and draw some fouls tonight, something we had not been able to do very well in our two league losses last week."

Lake Michigan 92, Kalamazoo Valley 82    1/6/05    (10-4)    (0-2)     [Box Score]     [14 Game Cumulative Stats]     [2 Game League Stats]

After losing a tough game (80-82) Wednesday night at Muskegon, the 11-1 Indians from Lake Michigan provided another stiff road test for the young Cougar squad.  Lake Michigan spurted at the end of the opening stanza to take a 44-30 halftime lead into the lockerroom.  A quick basket by Dannie Parker gave the home team their biggest margin of the game, but the Cougars got their offense into gear, gradually chipping away at the lead until a tri-fecta by Shawn Earl with 1:45 left closed the margin to 77-78 LMC.  However, steady free throw shooting by the Indians down the stretch closed the door on the comeback attempt.  Courtney Blackmore burned the nets for 28 points (20 in the second half) and running mate Lenny McCalvin scored 24 to lead the Indians; Parker chipped in 12.  The Cougars featured 5 double-figure scorers: Shawn Earl (14), Jon-Lamar Hamilton (12), Darre Johnson (11), and Daniel Gay and Alan Robinson, 10 each.  KVCC prevailed on the boards 53-49, with John Rach grabbing 11 and Daniel Gay 10.  Blackmore had 13; Louis Rome 10 for LMC.  The Cougars shot 30-79 (.380) for the contest; the Indians shot 33-75 (.440).  LMC was 8-21 (.381) from three-point land; KVCC was 11-34 (.324).  The Indians were 18-31 (.581) from the FT line; the Cougars were 11-18 (.611). 

Coach's Comments:  "This was another tough road loss to another good league team.  We did not shoot well again from the field, and we did not get the ball inside enough.  They shot 31 FT's; we shot only 18.  Also, we didn't have anyone step up to defend Courtney Blackmore.  Had we been able to contain him in the second half, we would have had a good chance for victory in this one.  We are still trying to blend into a new chemistry, especially with the addition of John Rach to our roster.  John is 6'7" and grabbed 11 rebounds tonight in less than 15 minutes of action.  Our transition defense had holes in it in this game.  Our poor floor balance gave up several fast break baskets to our opponents.  And, once again, we were unable to keep our competition off the offensive glass; they had 21 offensive rebounds.  However, we had 23 offensive rebounds, and we did get to the line 16 times in the second half, so we did show improvement in some of our weaker areas.  We've put ourselves into a bit of a hole, but there are still 12 league games left.  Muskegon comes to KVCC this Wednesday with another solid team (10-2), (1-1).  We will strive to develop more consistency in our games this week."  

Grand Rapids 73, Kalamazoo Valley 71    1/4/05    (10-3)    (0-1)   [Box Score]     [13 Game Cumulative Stats]     [1 Game League Stats]

The tough Western Conference of the MCCAA kicked off tonight after a combined pre-conference overall record of 71-17.  As expected, the games were closely contested and the winners determined by inches and split seconds.  The Raiders (9-2) took advantage of missed FT's by the Cougars (10-2) to finish this nail-biter with an 8-0 run in the final 1:32 to emerge victorious.  The Cougars managed to hold a 39-34 halftime lead, but the Raiders, behind another offensive rebound bucket by Rockminn Dillard with :03.2 left, took the lead 72-71 and held on for the win.  Grand Rapids used their superior height advantage to pound the glass for 24 offensive rebounds to secure the victory.  Dillard led the GRCC scoring with 19; Tyler Leighton pitched in 11.  Darre Johnson led KVCC is scoring with 21 (5-7 from behind the arc); Daniel Gay tossed in 14, and Dirail Flenorl II rounded out the double figure scoring with 11.  Grand Rapids' 6'9" center Sheldon Lewis grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with Dillard's 10 as the Raiders controlled the boards 51-38.  Flenorl and John Neal led KVCC with 7 boards apiece.  GRCC was 18-24 (.667) from the charity stripe; KVCC was 8-16 (.500).  The Cougars were 11-24 (.458) from 3 point land; the Raiders were 3-16 (.188).

Coach's Comments:  "These remarks come after I have reviewed the video of this game, as back surgery prohibited my attendance at the game.  Lying in the hospital under sedation was not nearly as much fun as being there, but I am proud of Coach Dennis and each of the players for the effort they made in this game.  Shawn Earl's triple with 1:32 left gave us a 71-65 lead, but our offense disappeared and we made some costly turnovers to let them steal this one away.  We were even in FG's (26) with them and hit 8 more threes (11-3), but our inability to cash in at the FT line (8-16) and our tendency to foul them much too often resulted in them shooting 24 FT's and cashing in on 10 more than we did (18-24) to seal our fate.  I'm anxious to get my health back so I can rejoin this team in practices and games.  It was a tough loss, but we have proved that not much separates us from a quality, nationally-ranked team.  Lots of good things happened tonight, and we are determined to build on them."

Hope (JV) 69, Kalamazoo Valley 64     12/17/05    (10-2)    [Box Score]    [12 Game Cumulative Stats]  

Hope College's JV squad pounded the ball inside again and again against the Cougars this afternoon, resulting in the Flying Dutchmen shooting 38 free throws and scoring 24 points from the charity stripe.  By contrast, KVCC was able to get to the FT line a meager 6 times, scoring only 2 points from the same stripe.  The game saw the Cougars nurse a slim lead throughout the first half, holding Hope to 8-23 (.348) from the floor.  Unfortunately, KVCC could not pull away because of their own offensive struggles against an equally tough Dutch defense.  The Cougars were a paltry 13-37 (.351) as defense truly was the first half story.   Hudsonville's Brandon Bosch came off the bench in the second half, going 4-4 from the field, 3-3 from behind the arc, scoring all 12 of his points as he sparked Hope's comeback win.  With the score 47-37 KVCC, Bosch nailed a triple at the 12:50 mark sparking a 21-0 Hope run.  Bosch's triple with 5:31 remaining gave the host team a 58-47 lead.  During this 8:53 stretch, the Flying Dutchmen defense was superb, holding the visitors scoreless!  The Cougars were not done fighting, however, as a triple from point guard Shawn Earl, closed the gap to 62-64 with :46 ticks left on the clock.  A costly Cougar turnover on the possession that could have tied the game, led to two more Rademaker FT's--he went 10-10 from the line in the final stanza to finish with a game high 20 points, 14-15 from the FT line.  Scott Glaser rounded out Hope's double figure scoring with 11.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton tossed in 18 for KVCC and Shawn Earl and Dirail Flenorl, 12 apiece.  Hope finished the game 20-50 (.400) from the field; KVCC was 28-73 (.384).  Rebounding honors went to Rademacher and Glaser with 11 each.  John Neal and Daniel Gay each grabbed 8 to lead the Cougars to a 47-41 rebounding edge.

Coach's Comments:  "I thought our offense sputtered today as we settled time and again for the perimeter jumper.  Hope's having a 22 point advantage from the charity stripe was difficult to overcome.  We had 15 offensive rebounds to their 8, 23 more shots from the field (73-50), and 14 assists to their 11, but today they made the big plays when they had to.  This is the best JV team we have played this season.  We knew they could shoot, and we held them to 0-7 from behind the arc in the first half, but they got loose for 5 of 11 triples in the second half.  I was most disappointed that we were not able to build on the 47-37 lead we had at the 12:50 mark.  Our offense just went dead, our cuts were not sharp, and our screens not effective in this stretch.  We did not fold, however, when they went up 58-47, but we did fall one or two plays short of making a spectacular comeback ourselves.  All in all, we have had a good first semester in preparation for our league season which starts at Grand Rapids January 4.  We are hopeful that John Rach, 6'7", 250, and Justin Thorp 6'7", 245, will both be ready to give us a stronger inside presence as we enter league play.  We are going to have to play together better and play with more intensity than we have been, but I like this team, and I like the potential I see.  I believe that 'the best is yet to be' for this team.  Merry Christmas to all who read this!"

Kalamazoo Valley 94, Oakland 59     12/10/05     (10-1)     [Box Score]     [11 Game Cumulative Stats]

Behind Prince Miles-El's 14 points, the Raiders battled the Cougars hard in a closely-contested first half today, with the Cougars coming out ahead 43-33 at the intermission on 14-30 (.467) shooting from the floor and 4-8 (.500) from behind the arc.  Leading by ten (46-36) at the 18:02 mark, over the next 12:58, the Cougars went on a torrid 39-11 run to open an 85-47 lead on two Paul Griffith free throws with 5:04 remaining.  KVCC finished 34-67 (.507) from the floor while holding Oakland to 24-68 (.353).  The rebounding battle went to the Cougars also, 47-37, with John Neal grabbing a game-high 11, and Jon-Lamar Hamilton 10.  The balanced Cougar attack featured 5 scorers in double figures: Hamilton, 15, Dirail Flenorl and Paul Griffith 13 each, Neal and Daniel Gay 10 apiece.  Oakland featured Anre Partee and Miles-El with 14 each.  Oakland committed 26 turnovers; KVCC, 21.

Coach's Comments:  "We had one of those rare stretches today, one where the defense holds and the offense generates points off of the resultant fast breaks.  I was pleased with the long stretch in the second half that, when we substituted, we were able to sustain a consistent effort throughout at least 10 players.  That kind of balance and consistency is a key for us this season.  John Neal had a banner day, going 4-6 from the field, grabbing 11 boards and completing a double-double with a game-high 15 points, all while dishing out 6 assists.  Jon-Lamar, Shawn Earl, Paul Griffith, Alan Robinson, and Darre Johnson all had solid games for us as well.  Also, Kyle Laker and Josh Bartlett both gave us a lift off the bench today.  It was a good win.  Now we take two days off for finals, and practice 3 days next week in preparation for our first trip to Hope College's new DeVos Arena to play Hope's JV's next Saturday afternoon."

Kalamazoo Valley 71, Clark State (OH) 58     12/09/05     (9-1)     [Box Score]     [10 Game Cumulative Stats]

The Cougars ran up against a fiesty Eagle squad from Springfield, Ohio, tonight as the lead changed hands 8 times in the opening stanza.  Displaying exceptional quickness and intense hustle, Clark State forced 13 Cougar turnovers and converted them into 9 points to stay close at the half, 29-35.  In the final analysis, however, the Cougar defense held and KVCC grabbed its 9th win of the season.  CSCC finished a coolish 23-65 (.354) from the floor, while KVCC was 30-71 (.423).  The rebound battle went to the Cougars 51-39 with Jon-Lamar Hamilton grabbing a game-high 13 and John Neal 12.  Daniel Gay, Jr., led KVCC with 16 including 4 triples in the first half.  Dirail Flenorl, II, had 12 and Hamilton 10.  For the Eagles, Da'von Vance scored 12; Jordan Skinner 11.  With the score 51-50 at the 6:20 mark, the Cougars went on a 20-8 run to seal the win.  Shawn Earl was the games top assist producer, dishing out 9.

Coach's Comments:  "The was a good win tonight over the type of team we will face in our league.  Their overall quickness and hustle gave us problems as they changed full and half court defenses regularly against us.  We did not shoot well from behind the arc (6-23 for .261) and we did not get to the line often (1-1 in the first half), finishing the game only 5-9 (.556).  These realities put tremendous pressure upon our defense, and, at least for tonight, that defense was enough.  I thought Darre Johnson's triple at the 3:26 mark was the big play, as it put us up 63-53.  Vance responded with a triple at the 3:15 mark, but they did not score again until :30 was left and they were down 56-69.  We took much better care of the ball in the 2nd half, reducing our turnovers from 13 to 7, while forcing them into 9 more and 19 for the game.  All-in-all it was a very good win for us.  Tomorrow afternoon we will face still another quick, athletic team in Oakland CC.  I hope our balance and our defensive understanding continue to improve.  At times we look like a good team.  Lots of hard work awaits us!"

Kalamazoo Valley 84, Calvin (JV) 69     12/07/05     (8-1)     [Box Score]     [9 Game Accumulative Stats]

Behind effective pressure defense and 10 quick points from substitute Paul Griffith, the Cougars raced out to a 32-11 advantage early in the game.  The Knights re-grouped to stay within 15 at the half, 28-43.  Another spurt in the opening minutes of the second half pushed the Cougar margin to 68-35 at the 10:56 mark, but Calvin owned the last quarter of the game, outscoring the Cougars 34-16.  Griffith led all scorers on 10-13 shooting (3-3 from 3 pt range) for 23 points.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton chipped in 15 and Shawn Earl 11 for KVCC.  Dan Lee led Calvin with 12.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Knights 40-38 with Hamilton and John Neal each grabbing 7.  Chad Meekhof led Calvin with 7 rebounds.  KVCC shot 33-71 (.465) for the game; Calvin shot 26-64 (.406).

Coach's Comments:  "We had several stretches tonight where we played with purpose and intensity.  We also had our worst 10 minute stretch of the season to end the game.  Our opponent tonight was the best JV team we have faced yet, so I am pleased that we were able to make our pressure defense work.  We didn't get to the line much, but when we did, we were efficient (11-12 for .917).  Our bench was productive again, giving us the edge several times after substitutions were made.  A key statistic in the game was our 14 turnovers to their 22.  We out-scored them 28-9 on 'points off turnovers.'"

Kalamazoo Valley 72, Macomb 47     12/03/05     (7-1)     [Box Score]     [8 Game Accumulative Stats]

Darre Johnson scored the game's first 7 points this afternoon, to spark the Cougars to a 31-24 halftime lead over the Monarchs from Warren, MI.  The remainder of the opening half was even as KVCC shot 13-30 (.433) from the field to Macomb's 9-27 (.333).  Noteworthy is the fact that KVCC did not shoot a single FT in the opening stanza.  They were 7-8 for the game.  Cougars out-rebounded Macomb 39-31 but no one in the game was able to garner more than 5 caroms.  John Neal led KVCC in the low-scoring affair with 14; Jon-Lamar Hamilton had 11 and Paul Griffith 10.  Macomb had two double-figure scorers; John Bradenburg (16) and Duane Roland (16).  The Cougars warmed up in the second half, shooting 16-29 (.552) from the floor to end the game at 29-59 (.492).  Macomb was 9-26 (.346) in the second half to finish at 18-53 (.340).  Shawn Earl had another fine floor game, dishing out 4 assists and pilfering 4 seals.  Jon-Lamar Hamilton had 5 assists for the home team; Wynn Sarden duplicated that number for the visitors.

Coach's Comments:  "The second half today was without a doubt the best we have played yet this year.  Macomb changed up their defenses consistently and we made adjustments better than at any other time this season.  Jon-Lamar and John Neal had solid floor games, both on offense and defense.  The final margin is misleading as it was our largest lead of the game, but nevertheless, I felt we played a good Eastern Conference team that was disciplined and organized, and we adjusted well.  The game today was nothing like last night's game against Kennedy King.  Macomb is committed to a half court, disciplined style, thereby putting pressure on our defense for 30 seconds or so in most possessions.  I thought our balance paid off again, and our understanding on both ends of the floor was at a season high."

Kalamazoo Valley 82, Kennedy-King 73     12/02/05     (6-1)     [Box Score]     [7 Game Accumulative Stats]

A second triple by Darre Johnson at the 15:36 mark put the Cougars off to a 13-5 start against the Division I Statesmen from Chicago.  The Cougar defense held KKCC to 7-35 (.200) shooting the first half, enabling the host school to stake a 40-24 halftime lead.  The red-hot Cougars shot 17-33 (.515) from the field in the opening stanza.  The half time talk by Coach Dildy, however, inspired the Statesmen to battle back, penetrating consistently and battling the offensive glass (15 2nd half offensive rebounds) to close back to 71-76 on a free throw by DeAndre Petty with :54 left.  Free throws by Daniel Gay, Shawn Earl, and Dirail Flenorl sealed the win for the Cougars.  Lorenzo Ecford led Kennedy-King with 18; Steven McKoy had 16, DeAndre Petty 14, and Walton 10.  For the game KKCC was 26-72 (.361) from the floor and grabbed 44 rebounds.  KVCC shot 28-63 (.444) for the game and grabbed 48 boards.  Flenorl led the Cougars with 7 boards; Jon-Lamar Hamilton and Gay had 6 each.  McKoy was the game's top rebounder with 10; Ecford had 8 and Reggie Malone had 7.  The Cougars had six players in double figures for the night with Darre Johnson's 15 leading the way.  Hamilton chipped in 13, Flenorl and Paul Griffith 11 each, and John Neal and Shawn Earl 10 apiece.

Coach's Comments:  "This was not a very pretty game.  I was not pleased with our offensive execution, nor with our defensive focus.  We gave up 21 offensive rebounds because of poor rotation and poorer blocking out fundamentals.  The second half, particularly,  was not a good half of defensive basketball for us, making the 16 point lead at halftime a critical factor in the win.  We were also much too careless with the ball, committing 20 turnovers for the game.  Perhaps the highlight of the game was settling down the last two minutes, handling the ball, and making the free throws.  Daniel, Shawn, and Dirail were most effective in that closing stretch.  Our balanced scoring was our saving grace tonight.  All-in-all, beating a Division I NJCAA club by 9 points ANYTIME is a good night for the Cougars.  I just have higher dreams and expectations for this team.  We are a work in progress, and our ability to move forward from this point on will determine whether or not we will be competitive in our league.  I remain hopeful!"

Thanksgiving Classic

Kalamazoo Valley 104, Bethel (JV) 71     11/22/05     (5-1)     [Box Score]     [6 Game Accumulative Stats]

The Cougars finally got a good start, jumping out to a 12-0 lead at the 17:08 mark.  With no one playing over 20 minutes tonight, all 14 players scored for KVCC.  Darrer Johnson led the balanced attack with 16.  Dirail Flenorl, II, dropped in 15 and Jon-Lamar Hamilton, Shawn Earl, and Daniel Gay all had 10.  John Neal dished out 6 assists, and Paul Griffith led KVCC to a 61-36 rebound advantage with 9.  Jeff Swartz scored 18; Brandon Thomas and Jared Shriner 12 each, and Kevin Brandy 10 for the Pilots.  The Cougars shot 37-80 (.463) from the floor, compared to Bethel's 27-75 (.360).  The largest lead of the game was 82-42 on a Griffith basket wtih 11:13 remaining.

Coach's Comments:  "The nice thing about tonight's game is that everyone got to play and everyone scored--that is a rare thing in college basketball today.  I thought our depth wore them down tonight.  With the score 20-17 the game did not look like it was going to end up with 33 points separating the two teams.  These were two good wins to take into the Thanksgiving holidays, but things are going to get tougher in a hurry.  Our performance against our next  two opponents, Kennedy-King CC out of Chicago, and Macomb out of suburban Detroit, will give us a better indication of where we stand and what we must improve upon to become a contender in our league this season.  We welcome the break in the action and the chance to spend time with loved ones over Thanksgiving.  We will return to classes and practice next Monday."

Lake Michigan 101, Olivet (JV) 66     11/22/05

Kalamazoo Valley 115, Olivet (JV) 60     11/21/05     (4-1)     [Box Score]     [5 Game Cumulative Stats]

After another slow start and with the score tied 12-12, the Cougars opened a 3 point barrage and went on a 30-9 run to stake a 42-23 lead with 6:20 remaining in the opening stanza.  Making 11-15 from behind the arc in the first half propelled KVCC to a 61-31 halftime margin.  In the closing stanza, Olivet battled back, but 48-72 was the closest they would get in this one.  The Cougars shot a blistering 42-73 (.575) from the floor for the game, after a 23-36 (.639) first half performance.  Olivet finished the game 21-65 (.323) from the floor.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Comets 53-30 with diminutive point guard Shawn leading the way with 10.  Paul Griffith and Jon-Lamar Hamilton each scored 21 points while Dirail Flenorl, II, scored 12 and Daniel Gay 11 for the Cougars' well-balanced attack. Ellington Fields led Olivet with 13.

Coach's Comments:  "We were finally able to put together a solid offensive AND a solid defensive performance tonight.  And it never hurts to go 15-25 (.600) from three-point land!  We got good looks tonight and seemed more relaxed on offense.  I was pleased with the way we were able to bounce back after Saturday's loss to St. Clair.  No one played over 24 minutes tonight, a nice opportunity to see some of our substitutes get some minutes for the first time this year.  Some weak areas surfaced again, notably our execution of some of our half-court set offenses and our blocking out (Olivet grabbed 14 offensive rebounds), so we were able to learn from the win as well.  All-in-all it was a good team effort."

Lake Michigan 108,  Bethel (JV) 69     11/21/05     [Box Score]

East/West Classic

St. Clair 101, Kalamazoo Valley 83     11/19/05          (3-1)     [Box Score]     [4 Game Accumulative Stats]

St. Clair displayed tenacious full and half court defense tonight as they charged out to a 7-0 run and built it to 35-20 on a James Davis bucket with 6:22 left in the half.  Behind a pair of treys and 10 points by Jon-Lamar Hamilton, the Cougars managed to close the gap to nine at the break, 37-46.  The Cougar defense stiffened to start the final stanza, enabling them to close to 59-58 on a Dirail Flenorl layup with 13:36 left in the game.  But the hole was too deep tonight as the Skippers regrouped and gradually pulled away for the win.  St. Clair shot 42-77 (.545) for the game; KVCC was 27-56 (.482).  The Cougars did managed to get to the line 36 times but could only make a dismal 23 for .639.  St. Clair was also a paltry 9-16 (.563) from the charity stripe.  The Skippers won the battle of the boards 41-34 with Kevin Calahan leading the way with 6.  Hamilton grabbed 6 to lead KVCC.   Game scoring honors went to Thaddeus McFadden of the Skippers with 27.  James Davis hit for 16, Dominique Johnson 15, and Curtis Leavy and Antwann Cosey 13 each.  KVCC was paced in scoring by Dirail Flenorl and Jon-Lamar Hamilton, each with 18.  Kyle Laker tossed in 11 to round out the double-figure scoring in the game.

Coach's Comments:  "We got an old fashioned 'kickin' tonight by a sophomore dominated team from Port Huron.  They beat us and they beat up on us with their intensity and pressure.  We did not handle the pressure well, giving up 29 points on our turnovers! We did manage to make a comeback in the first 7 minutes of the final stanza, but we could not get out of the hole.  I thought their superior rebounding and their aggressive offense contributed to our downfall.  Our inability to contain the dribbler cost us dearly tonight, and our team defense had multiple breakdowns.  My hope is that this is a great learning experience, and that our 'new' players are more aware now of the type of play that will be required if we are to be successful within our league.  Muskegon beat St. Clair yesterday by 13 and Alpena today by 35, and we will play Muskegon twice in our league so we have lots of work to do.  I was encouraged by the play of Kyle Laker tonight as he came off the bench to go 4-4, score 11 points, and grab 4 rebounds.  Darre picked up his 3rd foul with 11:21 left in the first half.  I played him some more in that half as we fell behind by 15, but he picked up his 4th foul with 4:34 remaining in the half.  He played 12 minutes in the final stanza without fouling out but he had to play with caution.  Bottom line is that we are not yet tough enough, and we don't understand our team defensive system well enough.  We'll make those two areas something we focus hard on in the weeks ahead."

Muskegon 101, Alpena 66     11/19/05     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 98, Alpena 88    11/18/05     (3-0)     [Box Score]     [3 Game Accumulative Stats]

The Cougars met a red-hot Alpena squad in the first half as the Lumberjacks scorched the nets for .655 on 19-29 from the floor.  Add 2-3 from the line and 9-14 from the charity stripe, and the Lumberjacks score 49 points in the half!  Kevin McLaughlin tossed in 16 on 6-8 shooting.  The Cougars countered with 14 from Darre Johnson and 12 from Jon-Lamar Hamilton to hang on for a slender 52-49 halftime lead.  Alpena spurted out to their biggest lead of the half, 27-20, on a triple by Kevin McLaughlin with 10:53 remaining.  Alpena controlled the next 5 minutes but KVCC rallied back to regain the lead, 42-40, on a Johnson basket at the 4:35 mark.  A Paul Griffith jumper pushed the Cougars ahead in the final stanza, 68-61, at the 12:06 mark and despite not being able to pull away, they never trailed after that.  McLaughlin led Alpena with 19 while Kelly Potts tossed in 18, Thomas Bray 16, and Robby Long 11.  Bray led Alpena with 7 rebounds as well.  For the Cougars it was balanced scoring galore with Johnson and Griffith leading the way with 19 apiece; Hamilton had 16, and John Neal contributed 11, Kevin Ludwig 10 off the bench.  Neal and Hamilton led the Cougars to a 45-33 rebound advantage, each of them grabbing 11.  KVCC had 22 assists and 17 turnovers; Alpena had 14 assists, 17 turnovers.  The Lumberjacks finished 33-62 (.532) from the floor; KVCC was a season best 38-77 (.494).  Valley was 14-17 (.824) from the line; Alpena was 18-33 (.545).

Coach's Comments:  "It's amazing how different a game can be one week from the other.  We made significant progress with our offensive execution this week, but our defensive effectiveness diminished.  In our first two games we had held our opponents to .345 from the floor; tonight Alpena shot .532!  By contrast, in our first two games we shot .377 from the floor ourselves; tonight we were .494.  I was pleased by our balanced scoring tonight.  We got several 'lifts' off the bench when we needed them.  Neither team showed much of an inside game, but they were more successful at getting to the line than we were.  We're still learning to play defense together, and I'm hopeful that we will show improvement quickly in this area.  All-in-all, it's a good win against a long-time coaching friend and a solid community college team."

Muskegon 102, St. Clair 89     11/18/05     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 77, Delta 61     11/12/05     [2-0]     [Box Score]    [2 Game Accumulative Stats]

This one started out slow with the defenses looking sharper than the offenses.  The lead changed hands several times until a bucket by Demetrius Nugent with 7:12 left in the first half gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game, 26-21.  The rest of the half, however, belonged to the Cougars, as they spurted out on a 17-3 run including two triples by Darre Johnson to grab their biggest lead of the day at the break, 38-29.  The final stanza saw each team rally and drift, with Delta able to get no closer than nine for the remainder of the game.  Nugent led Delta with 16; Jason Brown scored 12.  The rebound battle belonged to Delta as the Pioneers grabbed 58 to KVCC's 41.  Richard Johnston led Delta with 11; Nugent and Brown each grabbed 10.  For KVCC Darre Johnson had a solid game, finishing 8-12 from the floor, 4-6 from behind the arc, and 3-4 from the FT line for a game high 23 points.  He also chipped in 3 assists to only 1 turnover.  John Neal popped in 14 and Jon-Lamar Hamilton contributed 13 for the Cougars.  Neal was KVCC's top rebounder with 8; Paul Griffith added 7.  The Cougars finished with 20 assists and 14 turnovers; Delta had only 4 assists and committed 22 turnovers. Neither team shot well with KVCC going 24-61 (.393) and Delta 22-74 (.297) from the field.

Coach's Comments:  "I'm pleased with the victory, but I'm also hopeful that we can play much better.  Delta is much like us in that they have many new players that are learning to play together.  I thought the deciding statistics in the game were their 22 turnovers and their FG percentage (.297), so I have to credit our defense with being the game deciding factor for us.   We got to the line 30 times, a big improvement over our first game, but we got pounded on the glass, 58-41, which concerns me deeply.  Playing without Dirail and Justin who are injured, left us with a couple of gaps to fill, and we struggled a bit to fill them.  Kyle Laker did not play much but he gave us a big lift when he entered the game.  John Neal had another solid performance, and Darre Johnson played by far his most consistent and efficient game as a Cougar this season.  It's back to work on our offensive rebounding and our offensive execution on Monday.  We'll have to rebound better and shoot better to be a good team in our league.  But, it's always less painful to learn this in a win than it is in a loss."

Kalamazoo Valley 88, Indiana Tech JV's 77     11/07/05     [1-0]     [Box Score]

A basket by Ryan Thompson with 9:56 left in the half tied the game at 17-17, but the new-look Cougars bolted out with a 30-7 run behind a balanced offensive attack to lead 47-24 at the break.    The Cougars boosted the lead to 57-26 on a triple by Darre Johnson with 17:12 to go in the game, but then the fun began for Indiana Tech.  Behind a three-point barrage, IT closed the gap to 68-78 with 3:31 left.  But the Cougars righted the ship to hold on down the stretch for the win.  Paul Griffith finished with 16 for KVCC; Jon-Lamar Hamilton had 15, and Darre Johnson 14.  Griffith, Hamilton, and John Neal led KVCC to a whopping 63-43 advantage on the glass with 10 apiece.  Richard Reynolds had 8 and Blayne Welling 7 for Tech.  The Cougars shot 34-93 (.366) from the floor; IT was 26-65 (.400).  Ryan Thompson chipped in with 8 assists for the visitors from Ft. Wayne; Kevin Ludwig had 6 assists for KVCC.

Coach's Comments:  "It was an up and down opener for us tonight.  We struggled at the start but spurted out before the half.  We lost Dirail to a leg injury about midway in the half, but we didn't really feel that loss until the middle of the second half.  Our defense collapsed once we got the big lead, and ironically it was the offensive rebounding that carried us to the win tonight.  We grabbed 35 offensive boards to offset our poor shooting night.  Also, the rain of threes they shot (13-33) for .394 kept us from holding the big lead.  I thought our first half defense was solid as we held them to 8-31 (.258) from the floor.  The second half was a totally different story, however, as they blistered the nets for 18-34 (.529).  We had 40 points off the bench tonight--a very good sign.  But they shot 24 free throws to 18 for us.  We need to develop a stronger inside presence; we are fading away on interior shots much too often.  All-in-all home openers are supposed to reveal strengths and weaknesses; tonight did both."