@DEN_Sports tweet of the day: #EIU men’s basketball falls to Central Arkansas 74-72 of a buzzer beater by DeShone McClure.
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Sports Editor Jordan Pottorff 217 • 581 • 2812 DENSportsdesk@gmail.com
T H E DA I LY E ASTE R N NEWS D A I LY E A S T E R N N E W S . C O M
T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 29, 2012 N o. 6 7 , V O L U M E 9 7
MEN’S BASKETBALL
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Eastern learns from IUPUI’s play style By Alex McNamee Staff Reporter
Z ACHARY WHITE | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Keenan Anderson, a sophomore forward, gains control of the ball after fighting for it with Robert Crawford, a senior guard. The Panthers lost to the Bears 74-72 at Lants Arena Wednesday.
Team feels dagger of buzzer-beater By Anthony Catezone Assistant Sports Editor
It was a tale of two halves for the Eastern men’s basketball team, but its late-game surge fell short as Central Arkansas guard DeShone McClure nailed a buzzer-beater as the final dagger-in-the-heart to a sore-throated Panther Nation crowd. Meanwhile, the scoreboard read 74-72 Central Arkansas. After Central Arkansas missed its first game-winning attempt, McClure battled for the rebound off the front end of the rim. As McClure came down with the ball, he followed through the mid-ranged shot with a smooth motion. The ball sunk through the net, while the back board simultaneously beaded bright red and the buzzer silenced all but the Bears’ bench. McClure said he was coming off of a game where he missed two winning shots from the corner in
a 71-68 loss to Sacramento State, but this time he wasn’t letting the opportunity slip through his fingers. “The only thing I was thinking about was the follow through,” McClure said. “‘Follow through and you’ll make the shot,’ is what I thought to myself.” This came after Eastern freshman guard Cameron Har vey missed a corner three with less than 10 seconds left. “The last possession we would have liked to have gotten a better shot,” head coach Jay Spoonhour said. “But, we don’t have a guy that can go create a shot or kick it out and get somebody else a shot.” Despite the execution, Spoonhour was pleased with the final play that was ran, as well as the transition defense back down the floor. It was just a matter of McClure fighting for the rebound. “I thought the (offensive) possession itself was fine,” he said. “And I thought the defensive possession going back the other way
was fine. We got back and guarded them and contested it. It was just one of those deals where it was a loose ball and (McClure) went and got it and shot it in.” Harvey was a fitting man to take the shot, as he drained a three earlier in the second half, to cut the deficit to five, at 66-61, with 5:40 remaining in the game. At the time, that was Eastern’s shortest deficit of the half. Two minutes later, senior guard Austin Akers hit another threepointer to narrow the game 67-66 in Central Arkansas’ favor. Then, the Panthers would score their last basket with less than a minute left, as sophomore forward Josh Piper made yet another three-pointer to give Eastern its first lead, 72-69, since the opening minute of the game. However, before fans could get a chance to relish that lead, Central Arkansas answered with a three of its own, to tie the game back at 72 with 44 seconds remaining. While a second half offensive
explosion had the Panthers out scoring the Bears 47-40, Central Arkansas took a 34-25 lead into halftime. Eastern shot 27.6 percent from the floor in the first half compared to Central Arkansas’ 45.5 percent. Despite the Bears coming out and shooting 53.6 percent in the second half, the Panthers were able to attack the press defense that gave them troubles in the first half, on their way to shooting a staggering 70.4 percent. “Coach (Spoonhour) told us to attack their press,” senior guard Morris Woods said. “That’s what we did (in the second half ). He told us just go with it and attack. I kept looking for my teammates and wasn’t passive on the press.” Woods led all players with a career-high 17 points. Akers followed with 11 for the Panthers, adding five assists and four rebounds. Akers played a game-high 39 minutes, 11 more minutes than any other player.
Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis looks a lot like a familiar conference team, Eastern Kentucky, in that they apply relentless pressure on the ball. Eastern women’s basketball head coach Lee Buchanan said that’s why he schedules games against teams like IUPUI — to prepare for the games that count in the Ohio Valley Conference. IUPUI’s defensive pressure will be a good challenge for the Panthers, Buchanan said, because it forces the offense to work harder and make more direct, decisive passes. Working harder will be a test for the Panthers because the team is struggling to do so on a consistent basis, senior guard Ta’Kenya Nixon said. “Our big, big problem is playing hard all the time and doing what we’re supposed to do,” Nixon said. “We’re within 1.6 seconds of being 3-2,” Buchanan said, referring to the last-second loss to Bradley on Nov. 12. “It’s not the end of the world.” The Panthers are trying to start to settle into a groove, but the Thanksgiving break and the weeklong break for school finals throws everything off, Buchanan said. Also, players like senior guard Kelsey Wyss, junior guard Jordyne Crunk and red-shirt sophomore guard Katlyn Payne are shooting the ball well. “All three (players) have the potential to hit four, five, six threes in a game. If that happens one of these games, look out,” Buchanan said Mariah King and Nixon have consistently been the Panthers’ best players for the past few years and teams are starting to try to force a different player to beat them. “We have to do a better job of being prepared and learn how to score and still be ourselves within the offense.” The Panthers will focus on IUPUI’s best player, DeAirra Goss. Goss averages 15 points per game and is the only player on the team who scores in double figures each game. The Panthers will try to pick up a home win at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lantz Arena.
BUZZER, page 7
Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-2812 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.
An in-depth version of this story is available at dailyeasternnews.com
NE W PL AYERS
Fall 2014 baseball recruiting class announced By Jordan Pottorff Sports Editor
Eastern’s baseball team announced its latest recruiting class with six players set to join the Panthers for the 2014 season. The recruiting class will have three pitchers and three position players joining Eastern’s roster. Alex Cain (Oregon, Ill.) is a 6-foot-3-inch right-handed pitcher that was an all-conference first team selection as a junior at Oregon High School. Cain posted a 3-4 record with a 2.08 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. He also proved to be effective at the plate, posting a .442 batting average with 35 RBI.
“I think with Cain, because he is so athletic and so talented, I don’t think it will be an issue (playing him both ways),” Schmitz said. “I think Cain is good enough to pitch and play the field without any issues.” Scmitz also said that Cain’s breaking ball along with a solid fastball could have him playing the role of closer for the Panthers when he joins the program. Jake Haberer (Highland, Ill) is a 6-foot-2-inch right-handed pitcher that was also an all-conference first team selection in his junior season at Highland High School. Haberer posted a 9-3 record with a 2.01 ERA and 65 strikeouts last season. Chase Thurston (Danville, Ill.)
will round out the trio of pitchers that are set to join the Panthers for the 2014 season. Thurston is a 5-foot-11-inch right-handed pitcher that was an all-conference first team selection playing at Danville High School. Thurston posted a 7-4 record to go along with a 2.39 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 15 appearances. “I think Haberer has a chance to be in the starting rotation, and I think Cain can be a two-way threat and Thurston has one of the best out pitches I have seen in a long time,” Schmitz said. “I think all three of them will have an impact.” Troy Vandenbroek (Belvidere, Ill.) was an all-conference first team selection playing for Belvidere High
School. Vandenbroek recorded a .480 batting average with 28 RBI and 22 doubles last season. The Panthers are projecting Vandenbroek to be a middle of the lineup hitter. “When it comes to hitting, Vanderbroek is one of the best pure power hitters,” Schmitz said. “There are very few hitters that come in here knowing how to hit, but Troy is the wow-guy out of the class. He really knows how to hit and hit with pop, and as a freshman that is pretty amazing.” Marshawn Taylor (Chicago, Ill.) was an all-city selection in his sophomore and junior season playing the shortstop position for Simeon Career Academy. Taylor posted a .425 bat-
ting average to go with 23 RBI and 16 stolen bases last season. “Marshawn (Taylor) is one of the most polished guys we have ever brought in here,” Schmitz said. “He is a plus runner and a good shortstop.” Drew Sterioti (Naperville, Ill.) rounds out the recruiting class that will join Eastern for the 2014 season. Sterioti played primarily at third base for Neuqua Valley High School, posting a .326 batting average to go along with five RBI and a .452 onbase percentage. Jordan Pottorff can be reached at 581-2812 or jbpottorff@eiu.edu.