2007-08 KVCC Men's Basketball Results
(Scroll down to see results of earlier games)

District 8 Region XII Tournament

Championship Game
Mott CC 88, Lansing CC 54     [Box Score]

All Tournament Team

MVP
Jeremie Simmons, Mott

Thomas Kennedy, Mott
Torrian Harris, Lansing
Muhammad El-Amin, Lansing
Ethan McNary, Ancilla
Nick Neal, Kalamazoo Valley

Game 11
Lansing CC 70, Kalamazoo Valley 60     3-7-08     21-9, 11-5     [Box Score]     [30 Game Cumulative Stats]     [Final 16 Game League Stats]

In a game that featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes, the Lansing Stars tonight took control of the end game, outscoring the Cougars 14-4 in the last 6:29.  A power lay-up by Mark Casterman at the 6:44 mark in the second half gave the Cougars their final lead of the game, 56-54.  Fifteen seconds later two FT's by Andy Clark knotted the game once more, and Muhammad El-Amin took over from there, scoring 6 of his game high 16 down the stretch.  Lansing held KVCC scoreless from 6:44 to to 2:58 when Shawn Carter dropped in 2 charity tosses.  El-Amin was assisted in scoring by Torrian Harris (12), Andy Clark (10), and league MVP Quentin Patin (10).  Shawn Carter led KVCC with 19 while Nick Neal contributed 16.  Carter grabbed 9 rebounds as did Harris for LCC as the Stars out-rebounded the Cougars 42-41.  Lansing shot 27-65 (.415) from the floor to KVCC's 22-62 (.355).  Lansing also had the edge in FT's going 13-15 (.867) to KVCC's 12-19 (.632).  The win advances Lansing to the Region Championship Game tomorrow against Mott at 2:00 PM.

Coach's Comments:  "We hung around tonight with a chance to win.  Mark's lay-up gave us the lead with just over 6 minutes left, but we did not make the plays we needed after that.  El-Amin has been a thorn in our side every time we have played Lansing; tonight was no exception.  Beyond the disappointment in the loss, however, I see many good things for each of our players to ponder.  Only three teams in the state won 20 or more games this year, and we were one of those.  The harsh reality is that the two best teams in our District will battle it out for the championship tomorrow.  We truly believed that we had a chance tonight and staying close was encouraging to me.  But when 'the rubber met the road' Lansing was up to the task once again.  We managed to 'hold' them to 3-20 from three point range--no small feat--but we simply could not contain El-Amin inside and we could not make the offensive plays we needed down the stretch.  It is my heart's desire that our players will see this season as a learning process that will enable them to find success in other areas of their lives.  If that happens, if they are able to improve the quality of their lives by becoming better citizens, better husbands, better fathers, better friends and colleagues, and better people in general, then all of the hours we spent sweating and struggling together like we did tonight will have been worth it.  It is my hope and prayer that tonight, with all of its understandable disappointment, will be the beginning not the end of something valuable.  What each player does in the classroom starting Monday will have a greater impact upon where they are and what they are doing five years from now than the final score of this game will have.  I am confident that many good things happened and will continue to happen to the young men I was blessed to supervise and coach this year.  I love each one of them, and I will good for each of them in the days and years ahead.  Thank you to each of them for their part in this wonderful experience we had learning to work as a family toward common goals this season."

Game 10
Mott CC 81, Macomb CC 34     [Box Score]

Game 9
Kalamazoo Valley 74, St. Clair 66     3-6-08     21-8, 11-5     [Box Score]     [29 Game Cumulative Stats]     [Final 16 Game League Stats] 

A triple by Nick Neal at the 11:25 mark sparked a 14-0 Cougar run tonight to push the KVCC contingent into still another Final Four berth, this one in the NJCAA District 8, Region XII tournament.  After spraining his ankle near the end of last week's tense 64-63 win over Lake Michigan in the MCCAA Tournament, sitting out the MCCAA Semi-final contest at Mott, and practicing for only a short time one day since, Neal's grit and determination ignited the crowd as the Cougars turned a nip-and-tuck game that saw 6 ties and 9 lead changes into a "hold 'em off" struggle down the stretch.  Neal finished as the game's top scorer with 24, 19 coming in the decisive second half.  Jovon Mosley contributed 11 and Shawn Carter 10 in the quarterfinal victory.  Erving McFadden tossed in 16 and James Scott 12 for the Skippers.  KVCC, led by Michael Tilmon, Jr.'s 8, won the rebound battle by a slender 40-36 margin; Damien Perkins grabbed a game-high 10 for SCCCC.  After shooting a cold 9-30 (.300) in the opening stanza, the Cougars scorched the nets with 13-21 (.619) in the final half, finishing 22-51 (.431) from the floor.  The Skippers were 27-62 (.435) for the game.  Brendan Birchmeier chipped in a game-high 7 assists for KVCC.  The win avenged a 50-42 defeat St. Clair put on KVCC back in the East/West Classic on November 16, 2007.

Coach's Comments:  "No win comes easy in quarterfinal tournament play.  We're ecstatic to get away with a victory tonight over a very good opponent.  I have always regarded St. Clair, under Dale Vos' tutelage, one of the finest, most motivated and best coached teams in the region.  We knew this would be a very tough game and it was!  I thought there were two keys to the win.  The first was the stretch where our defense tightened and we forced them to shoot from the outside and they missed, and the second was the same stretch where we scored 18 points in 10 possessions.  When the defense and offense come together at the same time, it's a beautiful thing to watch in basketball.  We only seemed to be able to do that for around 5 minutes tonight, but it was enough to make them the 'hunters' and us the 'hunted' down the stretch.  I believe 37 free throws are the most we have shot in one game this season and taking the lead during that stretch was a big reason for that.  We shot at least eighteen of those free throws in the last 6:25 of the game.  We found a way to 'stay alive' to get another chance against Lansing tomorrow evening.  I am proud of our players and their efforts tonight."   

Game 8
Lansing CC 94, Ancilla CC 83     [Box Score]

Game 7
Macomb CC 50, Wayne CC 49     [Box Score]

Game 6
Mott CC 79, Grand Rapids CC 66     [Box Score]

Game 5
Ancilla 89, Kellogg 77     [Box Score]

Game 4
St. Clair CC 65, Henry Ford 53     [Box Score]

Game 3
Wayne County 102, Muskegon CC 71     [Box Score]

Game 2
Macomb CC 79, Kirtland CC 70     [Box Score]

Game 1
Grand Rapids 75, Lake Michigan 66     [Box Score]

MCCAA State Semifinals

Mott CC 80, Kalamazoo Valley 66     2-29-08     20-8, 11-5     [Box Score]     [28 Game Cumulative Stats]     [Final 16 Game League Stats]

The Mott Bears showed the Cougars why they have won 25 straight games and are currently ranked 2nd in the nation as they held off their stubborn and determined visitors at their house tonight.  All-American candidate Jeremie Simmons put on a spectacular shooting performance as he meshed 10-17 from the floor, 6-9 from behind the arc, and 3-3 from the FT line while dishing out 4 assists in 27 minutes of action.  His back-to-back treys with the Cougars "hanging around" at the 5:05 mark, trailing only 62-67, put the dagger into the Cougars' hopes of playing in the MCCAA State Championship game tomorrow.  Simmons finished with a sparkling 29 points.  Thomas Kennedy on 6-8 shooting from the field chipped in 13, and DeAndre Nealy, Alvin Pegues, and Darius Brents all had 9 points for Mott.  Shawn Carter (8 of 10 from the floor) led KVCC with 18; Nick Watts had 14 with 4 assists, and Jovon Mosley netted 11.  Brendan Birchmeier led all players with 9 assists.  Mott won the rebound battle 40-37 with Nealy's 8 a game high; Mosley led KVCC with 7.  The Bears shot 28-62 (.452) from the floor to the Cougars' 26-62 (.419)  Mott was 10-20 (.500) from behind the arc; KVCC was 6-20 (.300).  From the charity stripe, Mott also had the advantage 14-20 (.700) to 8-13 (.615).  Mott advances to the MCCAA State Championship Game Saturday afternoon and will play Lansing CC, 85-67 winners over Wayne County in the other semi-final game played earlier.

Coach's Comments: "Tonight was one of those nights where a coach has to sit back and assess his team.  Our goal was to give it everything we had and to play as one team regardless of the score or any other distraction.  Losing is always disappointing but we all walked out of Ballenger Fieldhouse tonight with our heads high.  Although we fell short of reaching the title game, we made Mott bring their 'A' game.  Playing without one of our tri-captains, Nick Neal, and playing with another tri-captain (Shawn Carter) still limping from a recent ankle sprain, our team stepped up to the plate to battle tonight.  They each reached down inside to try to 'reach the unreachable star', and I want it to be public knowledge that I noticed it and I appreciated it.  Better shot selection, better communication on defense, and better ball handling, yes, we needed all three before we could expect to win the game, but better effort?  I honestly could not expect a much better team effort out of our players tonight.  I am proud of each one of them.  They played hard and they stayed together and with the score 67-62 and only 5:04 left, we still believed that we had a chance.  Simmons put out our hopes with his back-to-back triples at that point, but I was proud, nevertheless, of our team's overall attitude and performance.  Now we've got to get rested and ready for our last big tournament.  We have earned the Michigan 3 seed, meaning that we will have a first round bye in the District 8 Tournament we are hosting next week.  At 7:30 PM on Thursday, we will play the winner of Wednesday's game between St. Clair and Henry Ford.  There will be 5 games Wednesday, starting at noon.  You can follow the action at http://www.mccaa.org/dist8mbktballtourn.htm."

MCCAA State Quarterfinals

Kalamazoo Valley 64, Lake Michigan 63     2-27-08     20-7, 11-5     [Box Score]     [27 Game Cumulative Stats]

Kevin Gant's desperation attempt from mid-court bounced harmlessly off the rim at the buzzer, and the KVCC Cougars advanced to the MCCAA Final Four at Mott CC on Friday.  In the tightly contested rematch tonight, the Indians and the Cougars went toe-to-toe and possession-to-possession in the battle to stay alive in the MCCAA State Tournament.  Ryan Sisson sliced underneath for a lay-up to end the first half, capping a 15-27 (.571) field goal percentage performance for KVCC.  The Indian defense rose to the challenge, however, holding the Cougars to a dismal 8-24 (.333) in the final stanza.  LMC shot 26-53 (.491) for the game.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Indians 35-26 with Shawn Carter leading the way with 7.  Justin Williams and LaJuan Barlow each had 7 for the visitors.  The Cougars were 7-16 (.438) from behind the arc; the Indians were 5-17 (.294).  Perhaps the telling statistic for the night was Lake Michigan's 6-14 (.429) showing from the FT line to KVCC's 11-15 (.733).  Jay McCree led all scorers with 19; Barlow finished with 13 and Williams with 12 for LMC.  Shawn Carter led KVCC with 13; Jovon Mosley had 12, Mark Casterman 10, and Nick Neal 9.  Brendan Birchmeier had 7 of KVCC's 18 assists; Barlow had 6 of LMC's 15.

Coach's Comments:  "We were able to do a better job defending their weave offense tonight, but they kept battling and battling, making it a one possession game over and over.  I was proud of the way our team stayed together, especially with the health issues Shawn and Brendan have, and the ankle sprain Nick encountered.  Our bench came through tonight, as Mark was 4-5, Ryan Sisson 2-3 and Brendan 2-4 with 7 assists.  Lake Michigan is well-coached, and they are playing their best basketball of the season right now.  I thought their defense was as good as any played against us since our game at Lansing.  And when a team plays with passion and plays together, good things happen.  Nick Watts' 4 consecutive FT's in the last :30 were also BIG factors in the win.  Now it's on to Flint and the Final Four in the MCCAA.  We play at 7:30 PM on Friday night against Mott CC, who won the Eastern Conference with a perfect 18-0 conference mark.  They are currently ranked 2nd in the nation in the NJCAA Division II poll.  The game, obviously, represents our greatest challenge of the year.  We all look forward to trying to live out Robert Browning's famous words, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, else what's a heaven for?"

Kalamazoo Valley 82, Glen Oaks 74     2-22-08     19-7, 11-5     [Box Score]     [26 Game Cumulative Stats]     [16 Game League Stats--Final]

Nick Watts drained 3 consecutive triples at the start of tonight's game at Glen Oaks, helping the Cougars spurt out to a commanding 28-10 lead.  Glen Oaks slowly battled back, however, to cut the margin to nine, 30-39, by halftime.  Then behind a barrage of triples themselves, two by Corey Neeley, Glen Oaks took their first lead of the game, 71-70, with 3:44 remaining .   Jovon Mosley responded with a bucket, Michael Tilmon made a nifty power lay-up, and Nick Neal sliced inside for a crucial lay-up to cap a 6-0 run as the Cougar defense stiffened to the challenge.   KVCC shot a blistering 17-27 (.630) in the second half to finish 29-57 (.509) from the floor.  Glen Oaks was 22-55 (.400) from the field.  Going 24-31 (.774) from the FT line helped Glen Oaks engineer their comeback.  KVCC was a meager 17-27 (.630) from the charity stripe.  Valley was 7-19 (.368) from behind the arc; Glen Oaks was 6-20 (.300).  Mosley led KVCC to a 43-29 rebound margin, grabbing a game high 11; Mark Casterman garnered 8.  Nick Watts led all scorers with 22 points on 6-9 from the field, 3-4 from the arc, and 7-9 from the FT line.  Nick Neal had 14, Tilmon 13, and Mosley 11 to round out the double-figure scorers for the visitors.  Larry Bell led GOCC with 19 on 6-9 shooting from the floor and 7-8 from the line.  Playing his last game at Glen Oaks, Kendall Harvey finished with 18; Neeley had 15 and Bradley Schaffer 14 for the Vikings.  KVCC had 19 assists and 14 turnovers; Glen Oaks had 6 assists and 7 turnovers.

Coach's Comments:  "This was not a pretty game.  We started off well as evidenced by the 28-10 start.  However, as we cleared our bench to keep fresher players on the floor, our lead gradually slipped away.  Credit Glen Oaks with a 'never-give-up' attitude as they battled back to take the lead at the 3:44 mark.  Mosley's bucket at 3:29, our three straight stops, and Tilmon's low post basket move with 2:44 left, gave us the 5 point lead we milked down the stretch.  The league win gives us a bye in Monday's MCCAA State Tournament, and a home game against the Lake Michigan/Grand Rapids winner (played at GRCC on Monday). This will, hopefully, give Shawn Carter's ankle time to heal.  With him on crutches today after his ankle sprain at Thursday's practice, and with Brendan Birchmeier being injured as well, we were a bit short-handed tonight.  Chambers, Glascodine, Casterman, and Sisson all picked up the slack at different times, and we were able to pull off the important league win."

Kalamazoo Valley 76, Muskegon CC 68     2-20-08     18-7, 10-5     [Box Score] [25 Game Cumulative Stats]     [15 Game League Stats]

The host Cougars sprinted out to a 13-2 lead tonight but saw that lead slowly evaporate at 31-27 at the break.  Behind a barrage of three pointers by Tommie Carter and Nick Neal, KVCC opened up a 68-50 lead as Jovon Mosley dropped in 2 of his 6-6 FT's with 4:28 remaining.  But the Jayhawks were not done as point guard Andre Evans fired in 4 treys in the last 3:46 of the game.  Evans' last triple closed the margin to 67-72 with :37 remaining but two more FT's by Neal and a dunk by Nick Watts sealed the win for the Cougars.  KVCC was led by Neal's 21; Michael Tilmon, Jr., had 11, Shawn Carter and Jovon Mosley each had 10, and Watts and Tommie Carter chipped in 9 apiece.  The Cougars were 24-57 (.421) from the field to 25-59 (.424) for Muskegon.  Valley hit 8-19 (.421) from behind the arc; MCC was 7-18 (.389).    Muskegon won the rebound battle 39-35 with Crump leading the way with 8.  Tilmon was the game's top rebounder with 12.  The Cougars committed 12 turnovers and had 16 assists; the Jayhawks had 16 turnovers and 6 assists.  Mosley led all players with 5 assists.

Coach's Comments:  "We enjoyed Spirit Night tonight with several students, faculty, and staff witnessing the game and enjoying the pizza.  Although we struggled to be consistent throughout the game, we did have a few spurts that enabled us to open up enough of a lead to hold them off when they charged back.  No coach would be happy with letting a 68-50 lead succumb to a 72-67 score (a 17-4 Muskegon run) with under 5 minutes remaining, but sometimes you just win ugly.  That's what we did tonight.  We played without Brendan Birchmeier but several reserve players stepped up just enough.  Tommie Carter played his best game since coming to KVCC; Jovon Mosley sparked us with 8 second half points; and Nick Neal was 5-9 from behind the arc.  Also, tonight we reached one of our goals that we have not reached much this year; that is, we made more FT's (20-29) than our opponent shot (11-14).  Bottom line is that it was an important league victory, keeping us tied with Grand Rapids for second in our league.  If we can win at Glen Oaks Friday to finish 11-5 in the league and remain tied with Grand Rapids, we would get the number two seed by virtue of our two league wins over the Raiders.  That would give us a first round bye on Monday and a home court game on Wednesday, so we still have lots to play for before the Region Tournament."

Lake Michigan 70, Kalamazoo Valley 50     2-15-08     17-7, 9-5     [Box Score]     [24 Game Cumulative Stats]     [14 Game League Stats]

A Shawn Carter jumper with 15:08 in the first stanza tonight gave KVCC a 14-10 lead, but the Indians, behind diminutive guard Kevin Gant's 5-5 shooting, spurted out on a 32-14 run and never looked back.  This was the final game Coach Schaffer would coach at home as he has announced that he would step down as men's basketball coach at the conclusion of the season, but would remain as Athletic Director at Lake Michigan College.  His players dug down deep to make sure he would not end the season with a loss at home.  The emotional victory featured four LMC players in double figures.  Jay McCree led with 17; LaJuan Barlow scored 16, Wes Booth 15, and Gant 10.  LMC shot 27-60 (.450) from the floor, cooling off a bit after a 16-30 (.533) start in the first half.  KVCC shot 20-46 (.417) for the game.  LMC out-rebounded KVCC 36-31 with Barlow and McCree each grabbing 8.  Shawn Carter was the only Cougar in double-figures with 11; he also led in rebounding with 8.  The hosts committed only 10 turnovers; KVCC had 16.

Coach's Comments:  "For the third consecutive game our defense was not up to the task.  Lake Michigan played with passion and intelligence tonight, maximizing their possessions and holding on to the lead with solid, fundamental play.  Their ball control resulted in only 29 possessions in the second half, the lowest of the season for either team in a half.  We got to the foul line only 14 times, making a dismal 6.  Lake Michigan gained the lead by continually breaking down our perimeter defense, gaining penetration for pitch out threes (they were 7-22) and offensive rebounds (they had 13, we had 9).  We have not found a way to neutralize opponents when they come at us with their best.  We seem to have lost our defensive focus, but the unanswered question is why?  Our road play (1-4) in our last five games has been for the most part, anemic.  I hope we have been shocked into reality, leading us to a better understanding of how tough it is to win in this league.  We will go back to practice Monday with a renewed determination to get back to playing the type of defense that helped us garner 17 victories in our first 20 games.  With two important league games left and a home court advantage in the MCCAA State Tournament at stake, there is much left to be gained by playing well.  The challenge is formidable, and I am hoping that these recent setbacks will make us a tougher team."

Lansing CC 101, Kalamazoo Valley 90     2-13-08     17-6, 9-4     [Box Score]     [23 Game Cumulative Stats]     [13 Game League Stats]

Lansing took charge of a see-saw first half by nailing 7 triples in the last 8:49 of the stanza to enter halftime with an impressive 54-42 lead.  The Stars shot 9-16 (.563) from long range to establish their lead before the half.  The Cougars would not go away, however, as they battled back from long range in the second half on 8-14 (.571) shooting of their own.  Lansing cooled off a bit from behind the arc to end the game 12-32 (.375) to Valley's 12-23 (.522).  Lansing shot 38-74 (.514) from the floor in breaking the century mark against the Cougar defense for the first time this season.  KVCC ended 32-69 (.464) from the floor.  Both teams shot respectably from the charity stripe with LCC going 13-17 (.765) and KVCC 14-16 (.875).  Valley had 20 assists; Lansing 16.  Andy Clark led Lansing to a 43-34 rebound margin with 10.  Ron Ferguson scored 19 and Torrain Harris (on 7-7 from the field) chipped in 18.  Ty Motley scored 14; Muhammed El-Amin 13 and Quentin Patin 11 to round out LCC's balanced scoring attack.  Nick Neal led KVCC with 20; Shawn Carter had another double-double with 17 points and a game high 11 rebounds.  Jovon Mosley chipped in 15 on 5-8 shooting, and Nick Watts scored 10.   Lansing opened a 64-44 lead on a Torrian Harris basket with 16:39 remaining.  However, the Cougars came back to answer basket-for-basket over the entire second half, outscoring LCC 48-47, but the 12 point deficit at the half proved to much to overcome.

Coach's Comments:  "This game was very physical and I thought they got the better of that in the early going.  When we adjusted a bit, we were able to stay even, but the damage had already been done.  There were two bright spots for us statistically tonight.  First we committed only 10 turnovers, and secondly we shot free throws well (14-16) for the first time in three games.  Lansing has so many scoring threats, and tonight they played better defense than we did.  I was pleased, however, that we did not quit.  We played hard and we looked for the open man, both good things.  We have to remember that a basketball season is more like a marathon than it is a sprint.  We have three league games left with the first one at Lake Michigan.  They are fresh off a win over Kellogg on Monday and a tough 58-59 loss to Grand Rapids tonight.  It will be another tough league challenge!"

Ancilla 91, Kalamazoo Valley 82     2-9-08     17-5, 9-3     [Box Score]     [22 Game Cumulative Stats]     [12 Game League Stats]

The host Chargers, fresh off a 73-64 win over Lake Michigan, rained in 14 triples this afternoon to deal the Cougars' league championship hopes a serious blow.  Behind 5 consecutive long range bombs, Ancilla spurted out to a 21-10 lead and never looked back.  Holding a 43-32 halftime lead, the barrage continued as the Cougars never could get closer than 5 points (80-85 with :31 remaining) as 7 different players netted threes, resulting in Ancilla's sparkling 14-26 (.538) behind the arc performance.  Sophomores Dejan Nedelkovski and Ethan McNary led AC with 17 points each; freshmen Byron Faustich and Hampton Sallee each scored 14 and newcomers Brice Mices (11) and Justin Perkins (9) rounded out the blistering scoring as Ancilla torched the KVCC defense for a season high 91 points.  The Chargers shot 32-68 (.471) from the field to KVCC's 34-66 (.515).  Ancilla also was 13-16 (.813) from the FT line to KVCC's 10-17 (.588).  Shawn Carter led KVCC in scoring with 18; Nick Neal had 16; Jovon Mosley 15; Mark Casterman 12 and Michael Tilmon, Jr., 11.  Brendan Birchmeier was the game's top assist man with 6.  KVCC won the rebound battle 39-38 with Tilmon's 10 the game high.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a very disappointing game for us, but there was no doubt who deserved to win today.  Ancilla moved the ball effectively, getting open repeatedly for good looks at threes and making them!  When a team goes 14-26 from behind the arc, defeat is almost certain for their opponent.  We did manage to battle back offensively, going 21-37 (.568) in the second half, but we simply were not sharp enough defensively to hold them down.  Ironically, our 34-66 (.515) shooting for the game is among the best of the season for us, but as we have emphasized so many times, DEFENSE is the foundation of any good team.  Our defense was solid enough last night at Grand Rapids to offset a poor second half offensive show (11-29 for .379), but today even a second half .568 percentage from the field was not good enough because of our defensive lapses.  With less than 24 hours of rest, we knew this was going to be a tough game, but nevertheless we were continually falling a step behind or challenging shots a split-second late.  Our inability to play intense defense under these conditions did us in.  The credit, however, goes to an improving Ancilla club, and we go back  (having learned a lesson, hopefully) to work Monday to battle for 2nd or 3rd in our conference.

Kalamazoo Valley 73, Grand Rapids CC 70     2-8-08     17-4, 9-2     [Box Score]     [21 Game Cumulative Stats]     [11 Game Cumulative Stats]

After trailing most of the first half, the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to take a 38-32 lead at the break tonight.  Shawn Carter scored 14 of his 18 points and Brendan Birchmeier 10 of his 17 in the opening stanza.  The Cougars pushed the lead to 55-41 on a Nick Watts' jumper at the 13:04 mark, and then held on to stave off a furious Raider charge down the stretch.  Nick Neal dropped in two FT's with :17 left, but GRCC responded with another triple by Taylor Trobaugh with 10 ticks left, closing to 67-69.  A Michael Tilmon FT with :06.3 remaining stretched the lead to 71-67 but another triple, this one by Bradley Whitby caused more excitement with :01.3 remaining.  KVCC called timeout, then inbounded the ball to Birchmeier who sealed the game with two FT's at the :00.4 mark.  Carter led all scorers with 18 and all rebounders with 14.  Birchmeier had a season high 17 and chipped in 8 assists as well.  Neal rounded out the double-figure scoring for the visitors with 13.  Santonio Martin, Bradley Whitby, and Bylynn Hatcher chipped in 13 apiece; Trobaugh finished with 12 and Keithan Jackson scored 10 and had 11 boards.  KVCC shot 26-56 (.464) from the floor for the night; GRCC was 27-75 (.360).  The FT stats show KVCC 15-20 (.750) and GRCC 8-11 (.727).  Rebound honors went to the victors 43-41, with GRCC grabbing 19 offensive boards to keep the game close.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a great road win for us!  Our defense held us in the game as we struggled offensively in the second half.  Brendan's (17 points, 8 assists) and Mark Casterman's play (6 rebounds, 2 assists) off the bench were early keys and Shawn's accuracy (6-8 from the field in the 1st half) steadied us.  We had 20 assists and 13 turnovers tonight, a ratio better than in most games this year.  This win keeps us in a contender's role in our league.  We know we have a tough game at Ancilla tomorrow afternoon, but it's good to see our players respond to this big challenge tonight.  In less than 24 hours we will know if we are still serious challengers for a league title."

Kellogg CC 74, Kalamazoo Valley 71     1-31-08     16-4, 8-2     [Box Score]     [20 Game Cumulative Stats]     [10 Game League Stats]

Aaron Crump swished a 15' jumper off an out-of-bounds play with :22.7 remaining tonight to give Kellogg a 72-71 lead.  KVCC stumbled by turning the ball over forcing them to foul Devonte Pryor with :05 left.  Pryor calmly sank both free throws and a Nick Watts' triple attempt at the buzzer bounded harmlessly off the rim to give the Bruins a revenge win over the Cougars.  Crump led all scorers with 24 and was followed by Pryor's 12; Joshua Jackson's 10, and Jonathon Jones' 9.  KVCC again featured balanced scoring with Nick Neal hitting 14; Jovon Mosley and Brendan Birchmeier 13 each, and Michael Tilmon, Jr. and Shawn Carter 11 apiece.  The lead changed sides six times tonight and the score was tied five times in this tightly contested re-match.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Bruins 41-39 with Carter and Mark Casterman each grabbing 6.    Jones was the game's top rebounder with 9; Jackson had 7 and Crump 6.  KVCC shot 23-51 (.451) from the floor; KCC shot 31-70 (.443).  Each team had 12 assists, but KVCC committed 23 turnovers to Kellogg's 13.  Birchmeier took assist honors with 5.

Coach's Comments:  "Any loss is hard to take and this one is no exception.  After a slow (and costly) start tonight, I thought we battled back in the latter part of the first half pretty well.  However, they attacked the basket fiercely in the final half, overcoming a 12-23 rebound deficit and grabbing a whopping total of 20 offensive rebounds!  With Shawn's playing time (23:12) limited by foul trouble, and our perimeter defense allowing Kellogg numerous opportunities to penetrate to the basket, our boxing out was, for the most part, ineffective tonight, especially late in the game.  However, my greatest area of disappointment tonight was committing 23 turnovers.  The turnovers and 20 offensive rebounds alone resulted in Kellogg getting 19 more shots at the basket than we did!  I thought they were more patient on offense than we were, and they stepped up their defense down the stretch.  It's a frustrating loss, but one I believe that we can learn a great deal from."

Kalamazoo Valley 83, Jackson CC 57     1-26-08     16-3, 8-1     [Box Score]     [19 Game Cumulative Stats]     [9 Game League Stats]

Sparked by Brendan Birchmeier's 5 assists and Jovon Mosley's 5-6 (11 points) off the bench, KVCC spurted out to a 42-23 halftime lead over the Jackson Jets this afternoon.  Valley held the visitors to 9-33 (.273) from the field in the first half and went on to finish the game with 20-62 (.323) field goal percentage defense.  The Cougars shot 31-63 (.492) from the floor and 15-19 (.789) from the charity stripe.  JCC was 12-17 (.706) from the foul line.  Jackson out-rebounded KVCC 43-37 with Adam Reese leading the way with 10; Brad Ahler had 8.  Shawn Carter finished with 11; Michael Tilmon, Jr., had 7 and Mark Casterman 6 for KVCC.  VaShawn White paced JCC in scoring with 14; De'Marlyn Brown chipped in 12 and leading scorer on the season, Andy Sierminski, had 10.  The well-balanced Cougar attack was led by Nick Neal's 18, Mosley's 15, Tilmon's 12, Carter's 11, and Nick Watts' 10.  Birchmeier's assists were complemented by 4 each for Tilmon, Neal, and Mosley.  Birchmeier and Tilmon each contributed 6 steals to the Cougar cause. 

Coach's Comments:  "This was a solid league win for us.  We knew that they had some new, second semester players and we knew that those players had improved their team from the first semester.  I was especially pleased today with two things: 1) our first half defense, and 2) our sharing of the ball.  For the most part our defense was pretty solid, as evidenced by their 26 turnovers as well as their modest field goal percentage.  And for most of the game, we selected our shots well, resulting in 24 assists and a decent offensive field goal percentage.  We needed this win to stay even with Lansing at the top of our league and to stay one game ahead of 7-2 Grand Rapids.  Next week's game at Kellogg now becomes the 'big one' for us."

Kalamazoo Valley 95 Glen Oaks CC 77     1-23-08     15-3, 7-1     [Box Score]     [18 Game Cumulative Stats]     [8 Game League Stats]

The Cougars survived a barrage of threes and a rash of turnovers tonight to post their 15th win of the season.  Glen Oaks meshed 13 threes out of 36 attempts, and forced KVCC into 23 turnovers as they went down stubbornly.  The rebounding edge favored KVCC, 48-21, with Michael Tilmon, Jr. and Shawn Carter leading the way with 9 apiece.  Mark Casterman chipped in 8 boards.  Valley was 26-30 (.867) from the charity stripe and 7-10 (.700) from long range, while finishing an impressive 31-56 (.554) from the floor.  Glen Oaks was 10-12 (.833) from the line and 27-70 (.386) overall.  Nick Neal led the balanced Cougar attack with 19; Carter pitched in 18, Nick Watts 17, and Tommie Carter 12.  Kendall Harvey led Glen Oaks with 18 (16 in the 2nd half); Larry Bell had 17 (15 in the 2nd half); and Chris VanHoose scored 16 (12 in the 1st half).  Glen Oaks' pressure defense resulted in 17 steals to KVCC's 8.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a great league win for us.  Glen Oaks always has good athletes and this team is no exception.  They came out shooting and are averaging over 84 points a game.  Even though we knew that, we still gave up 13 triples!  Our turnovers hurt us, but our ability to break the press compensated for the miscues.  Overall I was pleased that we were able to stay even with Lansing.  Now we'll get a good idea of where we really stand as we enter into the 2nd half of league play this Saturday.  Six of our final eight games are on the road.  Jackson comes in Saturday with several "new" players added at mid-season so there will be no easy games for us.  We are looking forward to the challenge."

Kalamazoo Valley 80, Muskegon CC 64     1-22-08     14-3, 6-1     [Box Score]     [17 Game Cumulative Stats]     [7 Game League Stats]

Down 24-29 with 4:51 remaining in the opening stanza tonight, the Cougars went on an 11-2 run to sneak ahead at the break.  Buckets by Shawn Carter and Nick Neal with under 2:02 on the clock enabled KVCC to take a slender 35-31 lead after a see-saw first half in which there were 5 ties and 5 lead changes.   The visitors from Kalamazoo could not pull away until the final minutes, but they never relinquished the lead after halftime.  Nick Neal led KVCC with 17; Shawn Carter had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds; Nick Watts contributed 14 and Mark Casterman 10 to round out the double-digit scorers from KVCC.  Ricky Anderson netted 13; Lionelle Schnyders 11, and Andre Evans 10 for the Jayhawks.  Valley finished a modest 27-62 (.435) from the floor; MCC finished 23-74 (.311).  The Cougars were 7-13 (.538) from behind the arc; the Jayhawks were 5-19 (.263).  Rebounding was a stalemate with each team grabbing 46.  Schnyders had 11 for MCC; Carter had 10 for KVCC.  The Cougars were 19-23 (.826) from the charity stripe to the Jayhawks' 13-21 (.619).

Coach's Comments:  "I didn't think we were very sharp offensively tonight, but our defense did what we wanted it to--keep us in the game to give us a chance to win.  They pounded the offensive glass tonight, grabbing a whopping 21 offensive rebounds to our 13.  It was good that we finally dropped some triples--one of the few times this year we have shot 50% or better from long range.  Nick Watts' defense on Ricky Anderson in the second half has to be one of the turning points in the game.  Ricky was 5-6 for 12 points at the half; he finished 5-11 with 13.  Brendan tossed out 4 assists to only 1 turnover and Nick Neal went 3-4 from long range to boost our scoring in the final stanza.  Although I truly believe that we can play much better, this was, nonetheless, a significant league win.  It keeps us in the hunt as we finish first round league action this Wednesday against Glen Oaks."

Kalamazoo Valley 68, Lake Michigan 57     1-18-08     13-3, 5-1     [Box Score]     [16 Game Cumulative Stats]     [6 Game League Stats]

Shawn Carter's 14 first half points enabled the Cougars to edge out to a 36-26 halftime margin this evening.  Although the game was tied 3 times, the Indians never managed to take the lead after the half.  Solid rebounding and patient offense by the visitors from Benton Harbor, however, made it impossible for the Cougars to pull away.  A basket by Nick Watts at the 3:12 mark gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the game, 68-50, but the Indians scored the last 7 points of the game to finish 57-68.  Shawn Carter and Nick Watts shared scoring honors with 16 apiece while Michael Tilmon, Jr., and Nick Neal each had 11, and Mark Casterman dropped in 10.  KVCC finished the game 26-53 (.491) from the floor; LMC was 24-54 (.444).  LMC out-rebounded KVCC 31-29 with point guard Kevin Gant leading the way with 5.  Nick Watts was the game's top rebounder with 6.

Coach's Comments:  "This was a big win over a worthy opponent.  Under Coach Schaffer the Indians are always disciplined and well-coached.  I thought our balance on offense was one key tonight; the other was our defense of the 3-point shot (they were 3-14 for .214).  Michael and Nick Neal each had 5 assists and Shawn had 4 to make up the bulk of our 20 assists.  I was happy to get the hard-fought victory!"

Lansing CC 73, Kalamazoo Valley 58     1-16-08     12-3, 4-1     [Box Score]     [15 Game Cumulative Stats]     [5 Game League Stats]

The Lansing Stars brought their 12-2 record to KVCC's gym tonight and showed why they are ranked 13th in the nation in Division II basketball.  Muhammed El-Amin returned to the Stars' lineup after a three game absence and his 8-12 (FG's), 2-3 (3's), and 6-8 (FT's) performance was too much for the Cougars to handle.  El-Amin rattled home 15 first half points to lead the Stars to a 34-19 halftime margin.  Lansing's stifling 2-3 zone caused the Cougars to shoot a miserly 7-27 (.259) from the floor as the Stars spurted ahead.  In the second half the Cougars scrapped and clawed to get back to within 7 (54-61) with 3:52 left but LCC's 8-10 from the line sealed the Cougars' fate.  Complementing El-Amin's 24 points was 14 each from Torrian Harris and Ty Motley.  Ron Ferguson finished with 3 triples for 9 points.  Lansing shot 24-57 (.421) from the floor; behind 17-33 (.515) in the final stanza, KVCC finished 24-60 (.400).  LCC was 8-27 (.296) from behind the arc; KVCC was a paltry 3-19 (.158).  Lansing also won the FT battle, going 17-20 (.850) to KVCC's 7-13 (.538).  Gerald Busby's 9 rebounds led Lansing to a 39-34 edge on the glass despite a game high 11 from Michael Tilmon, Jr.  Shawn Carter led KVCC in scoring with 18; Nick Watts had 11 and Jovon Mosley 9.  Nick Neal had a game high 6 assists.

Coach's Comments:  "We struggled offensively in the opening stanza, repeatedly missing perimeter shots and not effectively attacking them inside.  Our defense kept us from being buried early tonight, and actually when our offense stepped it up late in the game, we were able to close to within 7.  But the story in both halves, again, was our inability to stop them, especially El-Amin.  It did not help that Brendan Birchmeier was not able to play due to a knee injury, but LCC must be given credit for both their superior defense and three point shooting.  They are a VERY good team, and I'm sure they had something to do with the fact that we were not able to duplicate the kind of performance we had last Saturday against Grand Rapids.  The battle is now and always has been consistency, and we did not win that battle tonight.  The good news is that we are still tied with Lansing and Lake Michigan in the loss column--one.  Our next three league games will complete the first half of our round robin play.  We'll know by next Wednesday night if we are a legitimate contender for the championship.  I'm hopeful that we can bounce back quickly!"

Kalamazoo Valley 91, Grand Rapids CC 65     1-12-08     12-2, 4-0     [Box Score]     [14 Game Cumulative Stats]     [4 Game League Stats]

A lay-up by Michael Tilmon, Jr. sparked a 17-5 Cougar run this afternoon, pushing their halftime lead to 42-25.  Nick Neal poured in 18 first half points for KVCC.  Shooting a blistering 23-31 (.742) from the floor in the second half, the host team finished with a season-high 40-58 (.690) field goal mark.  The visiting Raiders warmed-up on offense in the second half shooting 18-37 (.486) but finished the game 25-66 (.379).  KVCC won the rebound battle, 42-23, with Tilmon's 9 and Mark Casterman's 8 topping the effort.  Neal had 22; Tilmon 17, and Shawn Carter 13 for the balanced Cougar attack.  Bylynn Hatcher had 17; Brad Schnyders 12, and Santonio Martin 10 for the Raiders.

Coach's Comments:  "These are the kinds of wins coaches dream about.  We passed well, we rebounded well, and for the most part, we defended well today.  I knew we had this kind of performance in us, but it was a great pleasure to see it finally unfold.  We had 21 assists with Shawn, Nick Neal, and Brendan each dishing out 4.  Our bench came in to pick us up as well.  Mark Casterman had 9 points and 8 rebounds in under 18 minutes, and Jovon Mosley chipped in 9 points in just under 20 minutes of action.  Both Mark and Jovon were 4-5 from the floor!  Only down sides in today's game were our 18 turnovers, our inconsistent defense in the second half, and our poor 7-14 (.500) performance from the free throw line.  However, we moved the bar higher today.  This is our best overall performance of the year, and for us to become serious contenders in our league, we will have to play even better in upcoming games.  I am pleased with the effort and the team play and look forward to next week's challenges against Lansing and Lake Michigan."

Kalamazoo Valley 82, Ancilla 67     1-9-08     11-2, 3-0     [Box Score]     [13 Game Cumulative Stats]    [3 Game League Stats]

The Cougars broke out to a 41-26 halftime lead tonight, mainly behind some nifty long range shooting by Nick Neal (3-4) and consistent rebounding (6) by Shawn Carter.  The visiting Chargers, however, kept it close, battling back to within 10-11 points several times during the final stanza.  Neal led KVCC in scoring with 20; Shawn Carter and Nick Watts each had 14.  Carter and Watts each registered a double-double as well, with Carter grabbing 11 boards, Watts 10.  Ancilla's Hampton Salles was the game's top scorer with 22; Ethan McNary had 20, and Dejan Nedelkovski chipped in 14.  The Cougars shot 34-65 (.523 ) from the floor, but only 8-19 (.429) from the charity stripe.  Neal's 7-8 FT performance was clearly the highlight from the FT line.  Ancilla finished 25-70 (.357) from the field and 14-20 (.700) from the FT line.  The Cougars out-rebounded the Chargers, 47-39.  Valley had 20 assists and 20 turnovers; Ancilla had 10 assists and 18 turnovers for the night.

Coach's Comments:  "I'm always happy to get a win, but I was not at all pleased with our effort tonight.  By that I mean that we did not play like a contender in our league.  The game was sluggish in both halves.  I scouted Ancilla last Saturday and they are much better also than they played tonight.  With both teams struggling, I thought the difference in the game was our perimeter defense.  We held them to 3-17 (.176) shooting from behind the arc, a big statistic in any game.  All of our 12 players scored so that was a good thing too.  Big league games loom ahead for us (GRCC, Lansing, Lake Michigan, and Muskegon) and we'll have to play much better than we did tonight to be able to establish ourselves as legitimate contenders for our league title.  My hope is that we learned from our mistakes and will be ready for each of these upcoming challenges."

KVCC Christmas Classic

Kalamazoo Valley 82, Lakeland 66     12-15-07     10-2, 2-0     [Box Score]     [12 Game Cumulative Stats]     [2 Game League Stats]

Behind some nifty passing and a second half scoring explosion by Shawn Carter, the Cougars broke open a tight game erupting for 50 points on 21-30 (.700) shooting from the field to pull away from the Lakeland Lakers tonight.  Carter tossed in 21 in the final stanza, finishing with 29 on 14-20 (.700) field goal shooting himself.  Nick Watts finished with a season high 17, including 4-5 from long range, and Jovon Mosley rounded out the double-figure scoring with 12.  Watts was the game's top rebounder with 10 as KVCC held a 39-26 edge in that department.  KVCC finished with 23 assists with Nick Neal gathering 8 and Brendan Birchmeier 6.  KVCC finished the game 35-59 (.593) from the floor while holding the visitors to 20-55 (.364).  An anomaly in this game was the fact that Lakeland was 22-30 (.733) from the foul line while KVCC could only manage to get to the line 8 times, netting 7 for an .875 percentage.  Bryan Wright led the Lakers with 15; Roderick Fuller had 14 and Turell Morris 13. 

Coach's Comments:  "This was a great way to finish our first semester.  Although we made too many turnovers and committed too many unnecessary fouls tonight, we did select our shots well and our defense was overall pretty solid and consistent.  It's nice to see hard work rewarded, and as tonight unfolded, things came together, especially on offense.  Lakeland started the second half in a 1-3-1 zone and Nick Watts immediately nailed three 3's to break open a close game.  Then, when they went to the full court press, we were able to convert on several fast break opportunities as Shawn Carter went 10-12 on the receiving end of some good passing.  Ryan Sisson and Jovon Mosley again gave us some solid minutes off the bench, and Nick Neal not only played solid defense on their leading scorer, Bryan Wright (19/game), limiting him to 4-11 shooting for 15, but Nick also played a key role, along with Brendan, in penetrating their full court press to get the ball to Shawn.  We finish finals next week, then have just over two weeks off before we come back for a barrage of league games in January and February.  The challenge is formidable as the league is filled with very good teams once again, but we are looking forward to the excitement.  May all of the readers of these summaries have a blessed time of joy and happiness as you share the love that came down at Christmas with each other."

Grand Rapids CC 86, Clark State 38     12-15-07     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 72, Clark State 59     12-14-07     9-2, 2-0     [Box Score]     [11 Game Cumulative Stats]     [2 Game League Stats]

Tonight's game featured 11 lead changes and 10 ties, before the Cougars could go on a 13-3 run in the last 5 minutes of the game.  Ryan Sisson came off the bench to spark KVCC late in the first half, scoring 7 points to help the Cougars to overcome a 29-35 deficit and close to within one at the intermission.  The Eagles scorched the nets for 14-28 (.500) shooting in the first half, but the Cougar defense stiffened in the final half, holding the visitors to 9-26 (.346) so they finished a modest 23-54 (.426) from the floor.  Debari Johnson  led all scorers with 21; Mark Wortham chipped in 12 and Daniel Mims, Jr. 11.  Nick Neal led KVCC in scoring with 17 while contributing 6 assists as well.  Shawn Carter recorded a double-double, 15 points, 10 rebounds.  Sisson finished with 11 and Brendan Birchmeier scored 10 while also dishing out 6 assists.  KVCC won the rebound battle 38-25, with Carter's 10 leading the way.  Martez Scales had 8 boards for the Eagles.  KVCC committed 18 turnovers to 15 for Clark State.

Coach's Comments:  "I thought they were more ready to play tonight than we were.  This was one of those games that could very easily have been lost.  Credit Clark State with fiesty play and Debari Johnson with a superb performance.  I thought there were two keys tonight; the first was Ryan Sisson's lift off the bench near the end of the first half, and the second was our team defense in the last 7:27, when we held them to 3 points.  As I've said many times before, the battle is for consistency, and tonight we did not come as pumped up as we should have.  My hope is that we learned our lesson well, because if we did not, we're in for a long night tomorrow against Lakeland, who fell to Grand Rapids in the opener, 68-70.  Lakeland is now 8-4 on the season."

Grand Rapids CC 70, Lakeland 68     12-14-07     [Box Score]    

Kalamazoo Valley 93, Kellogg 75     12-12-07     8-2, 2-0     [Box Score]     [10 Game Cumulative Stats]     [2 Game League Stats]

Four straight points by reserve Mark Casterman pushed the Cougars out to a 26-16 lead in the first stanza tonight, and the Cougars displayed excellent passing (24 assists) and shooting (35-68 for .515) to keep the talented Bruins at arms' length throughout the game.  Shawn Carter made 9-9 from the floor in the first half and finished the game 10-13 for a game high 20 points.  Nick Neal (18), Michael Tilmon (15), Casterman (12), and Nick Watts (10) rounded out the balanced Cougar attack.  Aaron Crump had 19 for Kellogg; Millard Hale chipped in 16, and Devonte Pryor 14 for the visitors.  Kellogg shot 26-71 (.366) from the floor.  KCC was 18-24 (.750) from the FT line; KVCC was 16-28 (.571).  Kellogg won the rebound battle, 47-42, with David King grabbing 8.  Nick Watts led KVCC with 8 as well.  Brendan Birchmeier dished out a game high 7 assists for the hosts.

Coach's Comments: "This was a huge league win!  Kellogg is the defending conference champion and will undoubtedly be in the hunt again this year.  What pleased me the most tonight was our passing.  We moved the ball around pretty well, especially early in the game, to establish a lead.  As our defense softened tonight, we were able to maintain the lead with some nifty passing.  Mark Casterman stepped up tonight and played solid in relief, as did Jovon Mosley, Tommie Carter, and Ryan Sisson.  Jason Cockrell was out with an injured wrist; Ryan Chambers had a bum ankle.  I regard Aaron Crump as one of the best and most mobile shooters in the league this year, and Devonte Pryor is an excellent penetrator and passer.  For this night, however, we defended both of them pretty well.  It's far too early to know if we will be contenders in our league yet, but this was a vital step towards keeping that dream alive.  I was proud of the effort and team play of our entire squad tonight."

KVCC Invitational

Kalamazoo Valley 70, Wayne County 66     12-8-07     7-2, 1-0     [Box Score]     [9 Game Cumulative Stats]

Behind Shawn Carter's 10 first half points, KVCC dominated play in the opening stanza tonight, leading 42-21 at the break.  The Cougars shot an impressive 17-30 (.567) while holding the Wildcats to 8-25 (.250).  But as pride stirred the visitors at halftime, the Cougars went into a total meltdown, blowing the 21 point lead completely to fall behind for the first time in the game 61-62 with 1:42 left on a Robert Hargrove field goal--2 of his 16 2nd half points.  KVCC worked the ball to Shawn Carter to regain the lead at the 1:06 mark, 63-62, and a Jason Cockrell put-back off a missed FT pushed the margin to 66-62 with :35 remaining.  Cockrell took a charge to give KVCC the ball back, and Nick Neal went 4-4 from the charity stripe to seal the win for the Cougars.  Valley finished 27-53 (.509) from the floor, as WCCCD pulled their final FG Pct. back up to a respectable 26-63 (.413) with the surge.  Carter led all scorers with 20; Mosley hit for 15, and Neal rounded out the 2-digit scoring for KVCC with 10.  Gilbert Ward's 16 and LeAnte Durin's 11 complemented Hargroves's 18 for the Wildcats.  KVCC out-rebounded the visitors, 39-31, with Shawn Carter and Mark Casterman grabbing a team high six apiece.  Guard Kenny Bonner led Wayne County with 7.  WCCCD was 10-16 (.625) from the  FT line; KVCC was a tick better at 11-17 (.647).  The Cougars committed 20 turnovers to the Wildcats' 12.

Coach's Comments:  "I'm not positive, but to the best of my recollection, in all of my 29 years at KVCC, I don't remember ever blowing a 21 point halftime lead.  Basketball is a wild, unpredictable game, and tonight demonstrated that fact as clearly as ever before.  Having a 21 point lead at the break is a rare enough phenomenon in itself, so being able to play mentally and emotionally under those circumstances is something that is rarely able to be experience in game situations.  After the break, our starters allowed penetration and open looks over and over on defense, while dribbling too much and forcing shots on offense.  When we allowed a dunk by loafing back, I had seen enough.  With the bench cleared, I was hopeful that our reserves were ready to pick up the slack with their play, but, unfortunately, they gradually slid deeper and deeper backwards as Wayne County became more and more energetic, seeing the possibility of a spectacular comeback road win slowly becoming a reality.  As their confidence soared, our play withered even farther.  Give Wayne County credit for never giving up and for almost creating a lifetime memory for each of their players.  We avoided a devastating loss tonight by staying poised enough to get the ball to Shawn after falling behind at the 1:42 mark and Shawn responded with a nifty move inside.  Three decisive events then sealed the win.  One, Jason's offensive rebound basket off Brendan's missed FT with :35 left; two, Jason's alertness to take a charge at the defensive end; and three, Nick's calmness to go 4-4 from the stripe in the last :22 seconds.  It was an impressive finish to a very lackluster second half effort.  What remains to be seen is IF our young team learned anything about effort, teamwork, and defensive intensity tonight.  Lessons learned in basketball often mirror those learned in life in general.  I believe with my whole being that one does not have to learn by experience only.  One can learn vicariously, that is, he can learn from the experiences of others.  To do so, however, involves a desire to learn, it involves trusting another person who is trying to teach, and it involves having empathy or having the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another and imagine what it would be like to make any given "mistake" or any given "good decision."  I am grateful that we were able to WIN this game as I don't believe that losing the game would have resulted in any better chance for us to learn.   Will we be able to take from this experience a fact of basketball, and a fact of life:  the battle is learning how to be consistent?  Good teams are consistent with their effort, their attitude, and their teamwork, just as good people are consistent in their lives with their effort, their attitude, and their teamwork.  Anyone can do the right things once in awhile; pursuing excellence means committing to doing right things all of the time.  We are going to be severely tested in the weeks ahead (starting next Wednesday night against Kellogg), and it is my hope that we will be able to see this experience today as a stepping stone to a better understanding of not only how to play, but also how to live."  

Kellogg 79, Henry Ford 71     12-8-07     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 66, Henry Ford 64     12-7-07     6-2, 1-0     [Box Score]     [8 Game Cumulative Stats]

In a game that featured 10 lead changes and 6 ties, the Cougars prevailed down the stretch tonight.  A Jovon Mosley triple with 1:34 left in the opening stanza gave KVCC their biggest lead of the night, 38-25, but the last 1:10 of the first half belonged to the Hawks.  Jathon Cannon nailed a three with 1:10, Tracy Tubbs hit a two, and Ali Barada swished a 30' shot at the buzzer to cap a 8-0 Hawk run and cut the margin to 38-33 at the intermission.  Delano Wade put the visitors ahead 46-45 at the 14:42 mark, but the Cougars, on a Shawn Carter turnaround gave the lead back to the hosts with 13:20 remaining.  With the score tied at 50, Mosley gave the Cougars a 54-50 lead with two straight field goals.  Two Barada FT's gave the Hawks their biggest lead, 57-54 with 6:30 left, but the Cougar defense dug in to hold Henry Ford scoreless for almost 6 minutes.  Nick Watts pushed the Cougar lead to 62-56 with 1:49 left; then the excitement started!  Two FT's by Ward Jones with :32.7 ticks left were followed by two more by Barada at the :18.3 mark, cutting the lead to two 63-61.  Two more FT's by Nick Neal at :17.2 put KVCC up 66-61, but another Barada 30' bomb closed it to 66-64 with :05 left.  After a time out, KVCC misfired on the in-bounds pass with :03.7 remaining.  Another time out resulted in the Hawks setting up a last second shot from the baseline.  Nick Neal challenged the two-pointer and the game ended as it bounced harmlessly off the rim.  Chris Johnson led all scorers with 16; Barada had 15 and Cannon 12.  Neal and Mosley led KVCC in scoring with 15 each; Shawn Carter chipped in 10.  KVCC won the rebound battle, 39-34 with Jason Cockrell finishing with a game high 9.    Johnson had 7 for HFCC.  The Cougars shot 25-56 (.446) from the floor; the Hawks were 23-60 (.383).  Both teams shot well from the FT line; KVCC was 13-16 (.813) and HFCC 13-15 (.867).  The Cougars committed 12 turnovers; the Hawks 13.

Coach's Comments:  "I am pleased with the win!  I thought our defensive stops from 6:30 to :32.7 were the key tonight.  Our three point shooting was poor (3-12 = .250), while theirs was an impressive 5-10 = .500.  Our late game turnover let them have a chance to tie or win at the buzzer, something I am not happy about.  With the 6 point lead at the 1:49 mark, we should NOT have fouled them, but we did--twice!  But, bottom line is that we played well enough from the 6:30 mark to establish a 6 point lead, which in turn was JUST ENOUGH to hang on for the win.  We played without Michael Tilmon tonight (family obligations), and Jason and Mark stepped in to do a commendable job.  And, Jovon gave us a big lift from the bench, especially on offense, which enabled us to maintain a small lead most of the second half.  Henry Ford is well-coached and always plays hard and together, so I regard this as a significant victory over a very worthy opponent."

Kellogg 84, Wayne County 66     12-7-07     [Box Score]    

Kalamazoo Valley 86, Jackson CC 61     12-5-07     5-2, 1-0     [Box Score]     [7 Game Cumulative Stats]     [1 Game League Stats]

A recently renovated and brilliantly lit facility, featuring a sparkling new gym floor treated hundreds of area fans to the first intercollegiate league basketball game at JCC in over 20 years tonight.  With nerves tight, this conference opener was a defensive struggle in the first half with neither team being able to generate any consistent offense.  The Jets were 11-40 (.275) from the floor while the Cougars were not much better at 10-34 (.294), resulting in a slender 30-27 lead for the visitors.  The Cougars exploded, however, in the 2nd half, racing off to the lop-sided win by shooting 23-42 (.548) to Jackson's 12-31 (.387) in the closing stanza.  Shawn Carter led the way for KVCC with 22, Nick Watts had 13, Michael Tilmon 12, and Nick Neal 11 (all in the last half).  Brendan Birchmeier chipped in 9 and finished with 8 assists.  Neal dished out 6 assists as well.  Andy Sierminski led Jackson with 20; VaShawn White had 11 and Kris Rismer 10.  KVCC out-rebounded Jackson 57-38, with Carter leading the way with 8.  Jerrod Hinkle had 8 boards for the Jets.

Coach's Comments:  "The second half tonight was the best half of basketball we have been able to put together this season.  It's always a joy for a coach to see hours and hours of hard work come together in a team effort.  I thought there were three keys to tonight's win: first, our defense was pretty solid, as we had 12 steals while holding them to 22-65 (.338) from the floor; second, we moved the ball well in the 2nd half (16 assists), resulting in several open looks; and, finally, we pulled down a season high 22 offensive rebounds.  I was proud of the team effort, and hope it is something we can build on in upcoming games.  Henry Ford and Wayne County are formidable opponents and will test whether we can sustain our 2nd half performance over two more 40 minute games."

Kalamazoo Valley 75, Calvin College JV's 71     11-28-07     4-2     [Box Score]     [6 Game Cumulative Stats]

After a nip-and-tuck first half with Calvin leading most of the way, the Cougars spurted to a 39-32 lead on Nick Watts' triple with 1:00 minute left in the first half.  The Knights regrouped quickly on two triples, one by Bryan VanHam and one by Jordan VanderBaan in the last minute to close it back to one at the break, 39-38.  Two FT's by Nate Sytsma at the 15:47 mark extended Calvin's fragile lead to 46-43, but the Cougars were far from finished.   Calvin maintained the slight advantage, slipping ahead on a Danny Rodts' jumper 56-54 with 8:53 remaining.  Nick Neal gave KVCC the lead on a long range bomber at 8:35, 57-56, sparking the Cougars 9-0 run, a stretch in which KVCC held Calvin scoreless for 5:13.  The game was not iced, however, because the Cougars went ice cold themselves, misfiring on 8 of 12 FT's, while Calvin caught fire from behind the arc.  A triple by VanHam with :47 and another by Sytsma with only :19 left closed the gap to 73-71 but Neal's FT's with :16.7 left pushed it back to the final margin of victory.  Nate Sytsma led all scorers with 22; Rodts had 21, and VanHam 10.  KVCC was led by Nick Neal (19); Nick Watts had 15, and Shawn Carter 14.  Led by Tyker Vanderzee's 8, Calvin out-rebounded KVCC, 37-32.  Carter grabbed 8 boards for the Cougars.  The Cougars shot 30-56 (.536) for the game; Calvin finished 26-62 (.419).  The Knights were 11-15 (.733) from the charity stripe; KVCC finished a paltry 9-17 (.545).  Calvin committed 15 turnovers to KVCC's 10.

Coach's Comments:  "This was another tense struggle, and I am pleased to come out ahead!  We had a couple of good offensive stretches, especially in the second half tonight, and we played tough defense in the critical 5 minute spot where we went on the 9-0 run.  Shawn hit some big inside jumpers, Nick Neal dropped in key triples, Tommie came off the bench to go 2-2 from behind the arc, Nick Watts made key shots down the stretch, and Brendan moved the ball around well during our good offensive segment.  But, once again, I felt that our ability to shut them down from 8:53 to 3:40 was the key to victory tonight.  It was a good win over a solid team, and it marks the end of our participation against JV teams this season.  We're 0-2 against community colleges, and all of our remaining 20 games are against community colleges.  We open league play next Wednesday, December 5, at Jackson Community College.  My heart's desire is that we keep improving!"

KVCC Thanksgiving Classic

Kalamazoo Valley 77, Hope College JV's 68     11-20-07     3-2     [Box Score]     [5 Game Cumulative Stats]

Three point accuracy enabled the Flying Dutchmen to stay well within challenging distance of the host Cougars in this one.  Draining 9 triples in 22 tries, the visitors from Holland made life interesting for KVCC.  Kevin Tonn (3-7) and Aaron Boersma (3-6) led the long distance bombing while rugged 6'5, 220, Robert Guimond powered away inside to keep it close.  With the score 65-60 KVCC at the 6:43 mark, Michael Tilmon, Jr. calmly dropped in two FT's to extend the Cougar lead.  Another triple, this one by Daniel Cox cut it once again to 5, 68-73 with 30 ticks left.  Two FT's by Nick Watts and two more by Nick Neal sealed the win for KVCC.  The Cougars shot .580 (29-50) from the field, while Hope rebounded from a dismal .333 (11-33) first half showing to 13-25 (.520) in the second half, finishing at 24-58 (.414) for the game.  The Cougars won the rebound battle, 33-27, with Shawn Carter posting a game high 9.  Carter led all scorers with 19, Neal had 13, and Ryan Sisson 11.  Kevin Tonn led Hope with 15; Kevin Warren had 13, Cox 11, and Giumond 10.  KVCC had 15 assists, 5 by Brendan Birchmeier, and 14 turnovers.  Hope dished out 12 assists and had 13 turnovers.

Coach's Comments:  "We knew we had to stay up on them from behind the arc, but I don't think we responded to that challenge very well.  They moved the ball quickly and set good picks, hanging up our defense numerous times.  Robert Guimond hurt us inside in the 2nd half, and Aaron Boersma and Kevin Tonn kept us spread with their outstanding accuracy from long range.  Our shot selection was pretty good tonight and we were solid from the foul line (14-17 = .824).  I am still concerned with our lack of offensive rebounding, but I am please that we had 6 fewer turnovers (14) tonight than we had last night.  Hope and Calvin always bring fundamental JV teams for us to play, which is one reason I like to play them.  A team that beats them MUST be solid at executing good picks, boxing out, and defending the 3 as well as defending their post men that have a variety of low post moves.  We were not able to pull away from them, but we were able to outplay them in the last 6 minutes, a factor that I do not consider minor!  Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers!"

Lake Michigan 77, Kalamazoo College JV's 68     11-20-07     [Box Score]

Kalamazoo Valley 85, Kalamazoo College JV's 56     11-19-07     2-2     [Box Score]     [4 Game Cumulative Stats]

A basket by Nick Watts at the 10:32 mark put the Cougars up 17-8 tonight and the Cougars never looked back.  With all 12 players scoring the host team built on a 42-21 halftime margin to defeat the Hornets from nearby Kalamazoo College, 85-56.  Shawn Carter led KVCC with 17; Jovon Mosley chipped in 12.  Ryan Clark led K-College with 13.  KVCC shot 36-64 (.563) from the floor to K's 20-57 (.351).  Ryan Sisson was the game's top rebounder with 9; Michael Tilmon had 7 to lead the Valley team to a 42-25 rebound margin.

Coach's Comments:  "Kalamazoo College always comes to play.  Tonight was no exception.  I was pleased that we played solid defense early in the game.  Even though we slipped ahead by 21 at the half, I thought K came out even more determined and battled even harder after the break.  We only outscored them by 8 in the final half.  I was happy to be able to play everyone, and I thought our ball movement was decent.  I'm still not pleased that we are so careless with the ball--20 turnovers is too many!   And I do not think we are attacking the basket enough.  Our inside game must improve in the days ahead if we are to be a contender in our league.  We simply are not getting to the FT line enough.  And, our boxing out must get much better or we are going to get clobbered on the boards.  Tomorrow night will be another good test as Hope College brings another good group of freshmen and sophomores into our gym." 

Lake Michigan 58, Hope JV's 57     11-19-07     [Box Score]

East-West Classic at Muskegon Community College

Alpena 82, Kalamazoo Valley 70     11-17-07     1-2     [Box Score]     [3 Game Cumulative Stats]

A triple by Nick Neal at the 16:06 mark gave KVCC an 11-8 lead, but Alpena controlled most of the first half, going up 38-25, and finishing the half with a 42-31 margin.  The Lumberjacks, behind the game's MVP, Austin Rowe (35 points, 8 rebounds), held the Cougars at arm's length the entire second half, not permitting them to get closer than 6 points.  Center Chris Wilson completed a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Matt Carr chipped in 11 points for Alpena.  KVCC was led by Nick Neal and Shawn Carter with 19 and 16 respectively.  Neal had 7 rebounds, Carter 6, but KVCC lost the battle of the boards, 37-33.  Alpena shot 30-58 (.517) from the floor; KVCC finished 27-65 (.415).  Alpena had 14 assists (Wilson, 6) and 19 turnovers; the Cougars had 18 assists (Brendan Birchmeier, 5) and 17 turnovers.

Coach's Comments:  "It seemed that no matter what we tried to do this afternoon, we could not catch Alpena.  They hit key basket after key basket to keep us at bay.  And every time we closed it to six points, it seemed that we would 'shoot ourselves in the foot' by turning the ball over.  This game had a distinctly different character than our game against St. Clair.  Our defense held St. Clair to .250 shooting but our offense sputtered.  Today our offense was better, but our defense softened.  We had several players try to guard Austin Rowe--and try is the operative word--but none of them was successful.  Austin was 12-23 from the floor and 9-9 from the FT line, and he scored both inside and out on us.  We'll have to learn how to play more consistently on both offense and defense before we will be a good team.  I am looking forward to the day we can be solid in both areas.  I know it is possible with this team; how often we can do it remains to be seen."

St Clair 50, Kalamazoo Valley 42     11-16-07     1-1     [Box Score]     [2 Game Cumulative Stats]

It took St. Clair 3:12 and KVCC 4:11 to score in this tight defensive struggle this afternoon.  The Skippers managed to sneak out to an 11-4 lead on P. J. Pinson's triple with 10:15 remaining in the opening stanza.  The Cougars were ice cold, managing only 4 points in the game's first 10:20!  A Shawn Carter jumper with :10 left managed to close the halftime Skipper lead to 24-17.  A revitalized Cougar squad took the lead for the first time 33-32 on a Nick Neal trey with 9:55 left, and another triple, this one by reserve Bobbie Patton, pushed the Cougar lead to 36-32 with 9:10 remaining.  But the Skipper defense plugged the holes from there, holding KVCC scoreless until a Brendan Birchmeier FT with 3:58 left, St. Clair leading 40-37.  KVCC's defense responded, holding St. Clair scoreless from 5:57 to 1:46, but the Cougar offense sputtered once again.  An Orlando Brown layup with :47 left put St. Clair up 45-39 and a Neal tri-fecta could not offset 5 free throws by the game's top scorer, James Scott (16), in the last 20 seconds.  Brown (10) was the only other Skipper to score in double figures as he finished with 10.  Neal was the only Cougar to hit the double digit mark as he dropped in 10.  The rebound war went to SCCCC, 46-38, with Damian Perkins grabbing a game high 8.  Each team committed 21 turnovers; St. Clair scored 18 and KVCC only 6 off those turnovers.  From the field St. Clair shot a meager 13-52 (.250); KVCC was not much better at 16-53 (.302).

Coach's Comments:  "Best thing I can say about our team today is that, in spite of our inept offensive performance, our defense actually gave us a chance to win the game.  The ironic thing is that as both teams played conservatively, trying to maximize each possession, they actually still turned the ball over, collectively, more than 25% of the time in the low possession contest!  I also thought that St. Clair attacked the basket better than we did; their 22-30 (.733) from the line to our 7-11 (.636) supports that contention.  But, perhaps the most significant factor in the game, I thought, was that their pressure defense was successful in keeping us from executing our offensive patterns with any consistent precision.  We have worked hard on our defense in the five weeks we've been at it, but it is obvious that we need to put some more focus on the cutting and screening, especially on getting open, aspects of sound offensive basketball.  Yes, I am disappointed about today's game, but I'm confident that we'll respond in a positive way.  No one said it would be easy to become a good team!  We'll see how much we have learned when we play Alpena tomorrow afternoon."

Kalamazoo Valley 64, Siena Hts. JV's 60     11-14-07     1-0     [Box Score]

The Cougars opened their season with a hard-fought victory on the road.  In a game remarkably like the opener with the Saints last season at KVCC, the visitors jumped out to a 13-8 lead, then fell victim to a Saint rally and went into the locker room at halftime all knotted up, 27-27.  A Derrick Owens' triple put the host squad up 47-40 at the 12:57 mark, but the Cougar defense tightened, shutting the hosts out for 6 minutes while methodically going on a 11-0 run to take the lead 51-47 on a Jovon Mosley putback with 7:05 remaining.  A layup by Mark Snipes would close it once again to 62-60 but two more pressure-packed free throws by Nick Watts with :04.5 ticks left iced the win for the Cougars.  Nick Neal led KVCC with 17; Shawn Carter chipped in 12 and Nick Watts 10.  Owens led Siena with 11; Snipes had 10.

Coach's Comments: "Another season, another tough opener!  We showed signs of being a good team tonight, but our consistency, especially on offense left much to be desired.  They played a half-court trapping defense most of the 2nd half and we had trouble penetrating it without turning the ball over.  Good signs were our .511 FG Pct (.609 in the 2nd half), and our 44-33 rebound margin.  But the most significant statistic of the game was their .308 FG Pct.  Our defense was solid enough to make it tough for them to score most of the night.  Our 19 turnovers (to their 13) made it difficult to pull away from them, but our defense stepped up, especially from 12:27 to 6:27 when we held them scoreless, to the task.  It was a good road win against a capable opponent.  Now it's on to the East/West Classic at Muskegon, where we will play St. Clair County Community College on Friday and Alpena Community College on Saturday.  Our first home games are next Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 PM."