A rare breakout led by TMac, Aaron, and Jeff against Emerson

I got my first look at this year’s team on Tuesday night at the Bennett Center in a scrimmage against Emerson. 

The visitors gave the 2009-10 Scots an end-to-end taste of  irritating man-to-man defense.  Open shots were few and that very active Emerson defense prevented Gordon from cashing in on height advantages at every position very often.  But the Scots did put up 83 points as did Emerson.

Without stats and charting, my mission was to make sure everyone was back and also to check out the new players as well as the coach.

Aaron Trigg’s hair may have been different but his arsenal of shots looked the same. 

Ben Gaskill seemed to spend most of the night frustrated with himself.  He did miss a bunch of shots.  However, he looks bigger and was very aggressive around the basket.  Can he stay out of foul trouble?  He’s gone to the facial hair look.

TMac and Brady

I’ve seen Brady shoot better.  TMac’s intangibles seldom make a boxscore but the first charge taken was his.

The new guy?  Lefty Dave Dempsey is a player.  His quickness is noticeable and he can create his own offense. 

I also liked what I saw of freshman Scott Nelson of New Jersey.  He handled the ball well against as tough a man-to-man defense as the team will face.  He was the best natural point guard I saw.

Getting used to the new coach (Tod Murphy) will take a while.  First of all, Tod is at least a foot taller than Mike Schauer.  Also, Tod’s emotions were tightly in check during this scrimmage while those around during the last seven seasons could recall an occasional Mike Schauer sideline eruption. 

New to the 2009-10 staff is Ryan Smith.  He was quite the shooter back in the day.

Jordan Logan was not in uniform. Yes, this is Jerry’s brother.  Jordan told me that he was surprised that his parents weren’t on hand (for the scrimmage) since it was his 21st birthday.  He was joking but said that his parents (from Marietta GA) would be around for the season opener on November 18th.

That season opener (Husson) will be followed by the annual TipOff Tournament on the 20th and 21st.  I am looking forward to that stretch of home games. 

Plenty of good seats were available at the scrimmage

This is what the scrimmage crowd looked like.

Tod Murphy - Gordon men's basketball coach

I got my opportunity to talk to the new coach (Tod Murphy) on August 25th in his Gordon College office.  I already knew a little about him because of several internet stories.

In the interview, he told me that he knew nothing about Gordon before he heard about the head-coach opening.  “I wanted to move into a head coaching position and I wanted to do it in a Christian school,” he said. 

Tod had been an assistant at Cal Irvine but wanted to move away from Division One.  “I became disenchanted with the players’ motivations,” he told me.  “I was sure that at the Division Three level the players play because they love basketball not for any sort of scholarship.”

He had been a finalist for several other head coaching jobs in the last four years in California.  As a finalist in the Gordon job, he admitted that he didn’t know what to expect when he was brought in for an interview.  “I felt good about the phone interview, but I wasn’t sure if they offered me the job I would take it,” he said.  “But after coming here and visiting I realized that it was a no-brainer.  I fell in love with the school and the area.”

He said that he is now just as close to the ocean as he was in California.   He did realize, however, that the water temperatures would not be similar!

I learned that he had been a wingman in high school but suddenly grew 4-5 inches his sophomore year and that put him in close to the basket.  He graduated with the Cal Irvine scoring record and said that his development of turn-around, fall-away jump shot was the key to his scoring – “No one could block it.” 

Things were different at the pro level.  “I became more of a role player and a defensive player,” he said.  “I sat on the weakside and if things broke down on the other side, the ball would swing my way for 18-footers.  I also scored on a lot of offensive rebounds.”

He told me that any success he had in the NBA was due to his willingness to, “work his tail off,” and the fact that he has “a good basketball mind.”  “Larry Bird wasn’t a great athlete but mentally he was two steps ahead of everyone else,” he said.  “I wasn’t two steps ahead, like Larry, but I was a half step, and it made a difference.”

He believes that his basketball knowledge and work ethic will help the Gordon program.

Tod was well aware that Mike Schauer had developed a great program and that “the cupboard was certainly not bare.”  He said that he does not intend to change what’s here into “Tod Murphy’s program.”  “I want to continue what Mike Schauer has set up,” he added.

He did say, though, that the offense might be a little different.  “There will be continuity but I want to do more in creating shots for players like Aaron, Brady, Ben, and Greg,” he said.  He expected to use the man-to-man defense we’ve seen for Mike Schauer’s seven seasons.

He confirmed the good news that freshman David Dempsey ( 6’5” – Wallingford CT) is on campus.  One internet report has him as an excellent perimeter player.  An individual closer to the team says that David is the most athletic player this team has ever had.  

Tod looks to shorten the minutes of key players.  “The first 16 games are important and we’ll be ready for them,” he said, “but it’s 17-25 where we want to be peaking for the postseason.”  The frustrating thing for the Gordon faithful has been the team’s inability to win a semifinal game in the tournament.  Maybe fewer minutes will help to change that.

Tod realizes that recruiting will be a challenge.  He also realizes that with five seniors this team will need some replacements next season.  “I did a lot of recruiting at Cal Irvine but that was for Division One players,” he told me.

He said that he grew up a big fan of Jerry West’s.  Nowadays he said that his favorite player is Dwight Howard.  “He’s a tremendous player who works hard and hasn’t lost sight of his Christian faith,” he said.  He admires Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen for the same reasons.  Another player he admired was Kurt Rambis.  “Kurt was similar to me,” he recalled.  “He was a big scorer at Santa Clara but turned into a role player for the Lakers.  He did everything to help that team win games and that’s the kind of player I want to bring here to Gordon.”

Timmy MacDonnell - "He's the type of player I love " - Coach Murphy

Tod has seen some of the game films and not surprisingly, Timmy MacDonnell has caught his eye.  “He is one hard-nosed player,” said Tod.  “He told me that he had already taken one or two charges per game in summer league.”

Similar to thousands of coaches, Tod said he admired the coaching style of John Wooden of UCLA.  “He stressed preparation,” said Tod of Wooden, “and that’s what I’ll do.  This team has talent.  The important thing will be preparation.” 

At the time of the interview Tod was set up in a rented house nearby but without his wife (Kelly), and daughters Annie (6), Lacey (3 ½) and Kylie (22 months).  “I miss them,” he said.  “They’ll be here from California shortly.  It’s the longest we’ve ever been apart.”

So Mike Schauer and his three sons have left as Tod Murphy and his three daughters are arriving. 

In addition, to be noted is that Tod Murphy is a legitimate 6’9” and looks lean enough to be able to show as well as tell his players something. 

Mike Schauer was a serious 3-point scorer at Wheaton.  Tod was a serious in-close scorer at Cal Irvine.  I’ll be curious to see what Gordon’s developing inside game becomes in 2009-10 as Ben, Jeff, Jon, and Greg are coached by someone who knows the inside game personally. 

I will own up to the fact that I’m excited about the New England Patriots as their season is about to start.  I’m now also ready to get just as excited about this year’s Gordon College Fighting Scots team after having met the coach.  Bring on the season!

(This story was in the Salem (MA) Evening News on July 23, 2009)

By Mike Grenier – staff writer

 Tod Murphy wouldn’t strike anyone as a name-dropper, but he did try to get in touch with Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau before he was chosen to take over the men’s basketball program at Gordon College.

It wasn’t like Murphy was grasping at straws. He and Thibodeau go back 20 years, to the days when Murphy was a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Thibodeau was a hungry young assistant out of Salem State College.

“I was just calling to find out about the North Shore area and Gordon College,” said the 45-year-old Murphy, “and I thought, who’d be better to talk to than a Boston Celtics assistant coach? I’m sure Tom remembers me as an overachiever (in the NBA).”

Murphy never did connect with Thibodeau, who’s been traveling around the country this summer interviewing for an NBA head coaching job, but things still worked out as Murphy hoped they would.

A six-year assistant with the Division 1 Cal-Irvine Anteaters, Murphy is relocating his family from the West Coast in order to coach at Gordon, which went 20-7 last season under Mike Schauer.

“I’m well aware of what Mike did up there,” said Murphy. “He did a tremendous job in his seven years; I hope I don’t screw up what he’s already done. Mike has set me up to have a great year. We’re losing only one player and I feel good about the group we’re going to have. It’ll be a big year for the seniors.”

The logical question, of course, is why would Murphy, with his NBA background and Division 1 college coaching experience, abandon the life he had in California to coach a small Division 3 school in Wenham?

“Well, I just feel like I’m ready to be a head coach,” said Murphy, “and I wanted it to be in a Christian environment.

Over the last few years, I really wasn’t sure that Division 1 was the level I wanted to be. I felt I might be better suited to coach at the lower level.

“The players at Gordon are not going to be pros, but they love to play basketball. That’s the sort of kid I want to coach. Some of these players will probably improve more than the kids in Division 1. And if you’re that good (in Division 3), they’re going to find you anyway.”

Maximizing talent

At 6-foot-9, Murphy will be an imposing figure as he paces the Gordon sideline. He had a tremendous playing career at Cal-Irvine, where he ranks No. 2 in school history with 1,778 points and 837 rebounds. The Associated Press named him an Honorable Mention All-American, and he was inducted into the Cal-Irvine Hall of Fame in 2000.

Murphy knows exactly what he’s getting into at Gordon. The days of dealing with gifted Division 1 athletes are gone, but Murphy doesn’t see that as a negative. He sounds eager to roll up his sleeves and work with the talent that’s available.

“It’s not going to change for me,” said Murphy, alluding to his comment about being an overachiever. “I’m going to beat the bushes to look for kids who can play at Gordon. After that, it’s about maximizing their talent.

“It wasn’t a tough sell (to make the move from California),” added Murphy. “My kids (three daughters) are young. My wife (Kelly) knows how important it is to me to be a head coach. I was in a secular environment before, and I couldn’t share my faith without wondering whether I was offending somebody. I won’t have to worry about that at Gordon. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

The Gordon players will be amused when Murphy gets around to telling them war stories from his NBA career. He tends to downplay his ability, but he was a starting forward on the first Minnesota Timberwolves team in 1989 and received the team’s Defensive Player of the Year award while leading the league in fewest turnovers per minute.
Murphy spent five years in the NBA, moving on to the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons after playing in Minnesota. Following his NBA career, he played for teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and Japan.

Link to Air Jordan

One of his favorite memories involved a game against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. This was when Jordan was at his skywalking best.

“Michael started to drive and got by his man, so I came over to provide help-side defense,” recalled Murphy. “I thought I might be able to tip the ball out of his hands or something, but he ends up on the other side of the basket for an unbelievable dunk. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’

“I was asked about the play by the media after the game and my comment was, ‘All I saw was the bottom of his shoes.’ It ended up being a national quote.”

Murphy called the NBA “the best job in the world because you’re doing what you like and you’re making more money than you deserve, plus you meet so many great people along the way.”

Coaching at Gordon is about as far from that type of spotlight as you can possibly get, but it’s going to be a huge part of his life for the foreseeable future.

“I’m just grateful to Gordon,” said Murphy. “They’ve put their faith in me.”

Gordon's new men's basketball coach - Tod Murphy

June 15, 2009 – Gordon announcement

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tod Murphy as the new men’s basketball coach. For the past six years, Murphy has been the lead assistant coach at the University of California at Irvine, his alma mater.  Prior to that, he spent two years as an assistant at the University of California at Riverside. At Irvine, Murphy was also the recruiting director, offensive coordinator, and principal scout. UCI finished tied for third last year in the Big West Conference.

A 6′ 9″ forward, Murphy had a stellar playing career.  At UCI, he set the career scoring record and was an honorable mention All-American.   Upon graduating from UCI with a degree in economics, Murphy helped lead the Albany Patroons to the Continental Basketball Association title, and was selected the MVP of the playoffs. He then became the starting forward on the first Minnesota Timberwolves club in 1989, winning the team’s defensive player of the year award and leading the NBA in fewest turnovers per minute. Over his five years in the NBA he also completed stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons. Following his NBA days, Tod played for several top international clubs, including teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and Japan.

Known as a fierce competitor with high integrity and a humble spirit, Murphy has been praised by his peers as the consummate team player, willing to adjust his game or his priorities to do what best serves the team.  At UCI, he regularly led worship services for players who wished to participate, and he is known for his personal attention and care for the welfare of his athletes.  He, his wife Kelly, and their three young daughters look forward to being a part of the Gordon community.   Pray for them and for the team as we enter this transition together.

Mark Sargent

Additional information I have found about Tod online

(2004 off the Cal-Irvine website)
As for Murphy, players flash a genuine smile and beam when they hear of his name.
‘He’s huge. He just does a lot of the little things and he’s also good off the court,’ said forward Nic Campbell. ‘He often has some of the guys over at his place to eat dinner so that we can get some team bonding going. He’s just a great guy all-around.’
Murphy, a former NBA player, seems to get nothing but rave reviews since joining Douglass’ staff at the end of last season.
‘He’s a unique coach because he goes on the court and scrimmages against us,’ said center Adam Parada. ‘He’s played professionally so he has the experience and because of that, he has the point of view from the big man.’
UCI’s biggest gain from Murphy’s presence just might be his experience from his well-traveled playing career.
‘We’ve always had really good big-man coaches. But he’s different because he brings a different type of coaching style,’ Parada said. ‘He has the experience of being on the court opposed to some of the other coaches we’ve had, who have just been coaching all their lives. He’s been in the team setting for his whole life so he knows what’s going on.’

(From the UC Irvine website) Tod Murphy, one of the most prolific players in UC Irvine history, is in his sixth season as an Anteater assistant coach in 2008-09.
Murphy graduated from UCI with a B.A. degree in economics in 1986. He was the CIF 4A Player of the Year at Lakewood High School in 1981-82 and then competed at UCI from 1982-86 under Coach Bill Mulligan. Murphy ranks No. 2 in UCI history with 1,778 points and 837 rebounds. He was first team All-PCAA (now Big West) as a junior and senior, and he was named to the All-District 15 team in 1986. Murphy, who earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors at UCI, was inducted into UCI’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Murphy was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1986 NBA draft. After sustaining an injury, he subsequently played for the CBA-champion Albany (N.Y.) Patroons in 1987-88. Murphy played in Villalba, Spain, during the 1988-89 season, then joined the NBA-expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. He was a member of the Timberwolves’ original starting five against Seattle Nov. 3, 1989. During that season, Murphy scored 24 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers and he pulled down 20 rebounds in a contest versus the Los Angeles Clippers.
He was traded to the Houston Rockets for the 1992-93 season, then returned overseas to play in Italy, Spain and Japan until 1998.
Murphy returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in May 2003 after serving two years as an assistant at UC Riverside.
Murphy and his wife Kelly have three daughters, Annie, Lacey and Kylie. His brother, Tim, is an assistant coach at Big West rival Cal Poly.

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2009/4/29/MBB_0429092958.aspx?path=mbball

Mike Schauer has accepted the head coaching position at Wheaton College.

It was the announcement we hoped we’d never see. (Click on the link above to read the details on the Wheaton site.)

But it has happened.  I think I had the same sensation when I was attending a Sunday morning service at Hamilton Congregational Church when Harold Bussell said he was leaving to serve in California. 

I am sure for Mike  the choice to leave wasn’t an easy one but not one that is a total surprise.  Mike is from the Midwest, played at Wheaton, and was an assistant coach at Wheaton before going to Eastern and then to Gordon. 

And what’s not to like about what Mike’s coaching style brought to Gordon’s basketball program during the past seven seasons?  His first year here he inherited some great seniors and the team was 20-5.  Impressive, to me, was what he did after the major pieces of that team graduated after the season.  We learned that he was a terrific recruiter because as players graduated new ones came along who could compete successfully in the CCC.  There was never a losing season!

The year-after-year successes were bound to catch the eye of other programs in the country sooner or later.  My take is that other offers were received but never considered.  His eye was always on the Wheaton job and the longer Mike coached at Gordon the better his resume became. 

The Wheaton basketball program has been very, very successful.  I can’t imagine that not continuing with Mike as the head coach. 

Where does that leave those of us left behind?  Imagining the future is very difficult. Some of us have gotten very attached to the winter activities at the Bennett Center and there is a very good team in place for the 2009-10 season.  

How does Gordon go about getting another coach?  Without an athletic director the search could be real difficult. 

BUT GOD!  God is in control and for those of us who have prayed for the Gordon basketball program for years there is great consolation in that fact.  Uncertainty has a way of drawing us closer to Him and this is surely a time of uncertainty. 

I have followed the team regularly for all of Mike’s years here.  I think, in fact, that Mike is the only one who has seen more of Gordon’s games during the past seven years than I have.  I’ll miss him a lot but at this point I’m prepared to press ahead and see what God has in store for the team’s future.  I’ll also be keeping my eye out for Wheaton scores to see how he does.

Psalm 33:20-22 “We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need.  What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.  Love us, God, with all you’ve got – that’s what we’re depending on.”

I hope to get over to the college and do a brief interview with Mike before he leaves.

 The Scots lost 72-54 exiting from the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament in the semifinals for the fourth straight season as a result.  Gordon was the lone returnee from last season’s Final Four.

Meanwhile, Colby-Sawyer moves on to the finals at UNE on Saturday night.  The UNE pressure gave the Chargers trouble in a regular season loss. 

The Gordon lax team attired at Colby-Sawyer with TMac goggles and Brady arm pads - photo courtesy goggle wearer's mother

The Gordon/CS game was played Thursday night in New Hampshire before a crowd that included a busload of Gordon students.  The kids came and made plenty of supportive noise throughout but the team just didn’t respond.

Aaron sandwiched by Jon Chaloux (#12) and Matt Lemieux (#3) - photo courtesy Ron Harden

Jon Chaloux (23 points /7 rebounds) and Matt Lemieux (18 points /7 assists) led the (20-6) Chargers.  Jon, the 6-6 junior, caused similar damage (26 points) in the first meeting at the Bennett Center.  Someone needs to figure out how to guard him before next year’s game. 

The Scots were cold early and it was four minutes in before Ben Gaskill took his only shot of the game and scored after receiving a nice pass from Brady Bajema.  Meanwhile, the Chargers already had six points thanks to Jon Chaloux. He took one of Matt Lemieux’s seven assists and dunked and also hit a couple of jump shots.  This was a game in which we had trouble scoring and they didn’t, most of the time.

Before the half was over the Chargers had put together a run of seven straight, and three runs of six and led 33-17 at halftime.  An optimist at halftime could certainly note that we weren’t down 48-26 as we were at halftime in the 90-64 loss and that this time around Aaron Trigg hadn’t scored yet.

Gordon got off to a much better start in the second half.  After a couple of Ben Gaskill free throws, the Scots made their next five shots and cut the deficit to 39-30 after 3 ½ minutes played.  Plenty of time left.

But Matt Lemieux (5-8 senior) put a damper on the optimism with his own personal run of seven points and in a little over a minute the Chargers were up by sixteen (46-30). 

CS, wisely kept the ball in Matt’s hands most of the second half and spread the floor to give him plenty of room to show his ball-handling skills. 

CS never let go of that double-figures lead the rest of the way, using the clock and ending most of their lengthy possessions with points. 

In the twenty wins Gordon ended up with this season, we’ve seen them do the same thing with a lead.  It sure is a helpless feeling to see your team on the wrong side of that strategy especially when your team’s defensive arsenal doesn’t include trapping or pressing.

Brady Bajema - Paced the Scots with 24 points including 17 in the second half.

Even in the loss, we did see quite a second half, shooting show from Brady.  He tossed in seventeen second half points and ended up with 24 points for the game. 

Brady became the go-to guy in that second half as Aaron never got untracked and for the first time in 53 games didn’t make at least one three.  The defense was good but not that good.  This was truly one of those rare outings when the talented junior from Kansas had his shooting touch nearly abandon him entirely.  But again, let me repeat, no one player ever loses a team game!

Closer to the basket things didn’t go that well either.  Greg (6 points) had trouble getting the ball, and when he did get it was faced with extra defenders.  Ben (4 points) took only ONE shot the entire game (He had 14 points on Tuesday night) and because of foul trouble watched 18 minutes of the game from the bench.

Enough of that negative stuff.  Gordon ends with twenty wins and a lone graduate (David Flight) whom we wish well.  Trust me, the 2009-10 team will be favored in the preseason CCC poll.  The target will be on their backs with so much experience returning.  We are destined for another season of very good basketball I suspect.  I would like to believe that next year’s team is capable of winning the conference and securing homecourt throughout the playoffs in 2010.  Can they (finally) win the tournament?  Why not?

A closing thanks to the friends we’ve renewed with this season and to those added along the way.  The tremendous sacrifices that parents of players make just to attend games always amazes me.  Any player reading this article needs to remind their parents repeatedly that they are appreciative of their support.

I am thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to cover seven seasons of Gordon games.  My wife, Julie, has been a wonderful source of encouragement and I thank her for that.

Lord willing, I expect to follow the team during the 2009-10 season. 

Thanks for being part of the readership.

Box Score

(Wenham) Remember the long prayer Aaron let fly up from the corner at Endicott to win that game in December? 

Aaron Trigg - Scored game-high 17 points including game winner in the last second vs Roger Williams.

He was at it again tonight at the lively Bennett Center against Roger Williams with a shorter prayer but, like the Endicott shot, it was a game-winner. 

This time the stakes were higher as the 50-48 victory that resulted advanced the Scots to the semifinals of the CCC tournament at Colby-Sawyer (defeated Wentworth 83-71) on Thursday night at 7PM. 

You could never relax no matter which side you were rooting for in this game.  No lead provided comfort because the defense was so intense that scoring droughts were out there just waiting to happen.

Fortunately, for Gordon it was the visitors who ran into a game-deciding, 2 ½ minute scoring drought at the end of this one that opened the door for a GC rally. 

Corey Fava’s two free throws had given RW a 48-44 advantage with those 2 ½ minutes to go. 

Greg Walker (12 points/6 rebounds) followed with a jumper.  Pat Flanagan had a shot rim out down the other end.

Aaron missed a layup in traffic but Ben Gaskill (14 points/7 rebounds) collected one of those rebounds and tied the score at 48-48 with 1:19 left.

Aaron fouled Taylor Petruccelli but the 6-4 sophomore came up empty on the front end of a one-and-one.  You’d like to think that the nearby Pit might have had something to do with it.  But Hawk Ryan McGinn turned up with the rebound with inside a minute left.

The Hawks went into a very deliberate style as they passed and dribbled on the perimeter letting the clock wind down.  Finally, Corey Fava, with JT Himmelstein covering, went up with a jumper that rimmed out.  JT got the rebound with 31 seconds left.

Now it was Gordon’s turn to use the clock.  The ball was in Aaron’s hands most of the time with Taylor Petruccelli tight on him.  With eight seconds left, Aaron gave up the ball to Brady who headed for the basket only to see multiple defenders ahead.  He passed back to Greg who quickly found Aaron on the right baseline.  Aaron ended up spinning right for a fall away in and over traffic.  Swish with .2 seconds left.

After a timeout, and an itchy trigger finger on the score clock, Ryan McGinn tried a fullcourt pass over 6-9 Jon Himottu that Aaron deflected away.  Whew!

The win gives Gordon a 20-6 overall record.  It ends a four-game win streak the Hawks had going against the Scots. Maybe it even avenges RW’s ouster of Gordon in the CCC tournament semifinals last season.

Whatever, the Scots move on to face Colby-Sawyer.  A mere two weeks ago, the visiting Chargers abused Gordon from beginning to end in a 90-64 blowout.  Since then the Scots have won five straight.  This may be the time they win their first CCC tournament semifinal game.

This was the day in which the top 15 players in the CCC were announced as well as the MVP.  I suggested last article that Aaron was the MVP but no, they wouldn’t listen.

One thing I didn’t understand in this game was the limited playing time of the Hawk’s third-team, all-league freshman Pat Flanagan.  He was averaging nearly 12 PPG but had time for only one point this time. The 6-9 inside threat played only 13 minutes and in my opinion that kept our 6-9 Ben Gaskill out of the foul trouble he got into in the January loss to RW. 

Ben Gaskill (6-9 junior) Plays above the rim on his way to 14 points vs Roger Williams - photo courtesy Ron Harden

Ben, maybe motivated by his omission from the all-league team, had his second best point game of the season and the rebound he converted into points in the last two minutes was huge. 

Ben and Aaron had 22 of Gordon’s 28 second half points. 

Box Score

(Newport RI) After that meltdown 90-64 loss to Colby-Sawyer eleven days ago at home, you had to wonder where your Scots would be four games later at the regular season’s end.  Sitting then at 6-4 in league play, with Western New England, UNE, and Salve Regina on the upcoming schedule, you had to at least entertain the thought that Gordon could miss the playoffs.

Fear not, eleven days later not only are the Scots in the eight-team playoffs but they’re seeded #3 after this afternoon’s 75-67 win at Salve Regina.

Yes, that’s four straight wins to close out the season including a nonleague victory over Bates.  This team is rolling and gets Roger Williams in the first round on Tuesday night (7PM) at the Bennett Center.

In the other part of the playoff bracket that Gordon is in, Wentworth travels to Colby-Sawyer.  Am I the only one that notices that the three teams in the playoffs we’ve lost to are in our bracket while four teams we’ve beaten (UNE/Nichols/Salve Regina/Western New England) are in the other bracket.  No one ever suggested that the playoffs would be easy!

You’re wondering about the game with Salve I suspect?  For the second straight game (UNE was the other), Gordon faced a team willing and able to press fullcourt.  It made every possession for your Scots a bit of an adventure.

Gordon, meanwhile, restricted its defensive efforts to halfcourt and did a great job disrupting any sort of offense that SR attempted to run in the first half.  The Seahawks, however, did find enough offense to garner a 15-15 tie with ten minutes played.

The rest of the half?  My notes had Gordon missing only three shots while collecting 24 points.  Salve?  I had them for four turnovers, at least twelve missed shots, and getting only six points.  Some games are won early.  The Scots led 39-21 at halftime. 

Where did the points come from?  Seven different players contributed.  As one spectator said afterwards, “I don’t think Gordon ever took a bad shot.”  They did not make all their shots but took most of them from places where the percentages were in their favor.

(All photos added to this game story were provided to me by a professional photographer – Ron Harden.  He has a collection of Gordon action shots.  Some of  them are in this story while others are in previous stories, and some I haven’t used or seen.  He can be contacted for purchasing details at mdlsstudio@aol.com )

Ben Gaskill soars to first and only Gordon jam of the season at Salve Regina

Ben drives around Seahawk Dan Royce at Salve Regina

If the Gordon faithful on hand remembers only one shot from this game, it will be the first-half jam by Ben Gaskill during the breakaway run.  It happened in the last minute of the half.  Timmy MacDonnell got the ball to Big Ben on a press break (I would have given Tim an assist) and Ben took a step into the lane and jammed it.  This is the first one we’ve had all season. The Bennett Center crowd would have gone crazy.  Maybe Tuesday night?

All those good things in the second part of the first half did give the Scots a nice 18-point cushion but it wasn’t a comfortable lead, if you know what I mean.  Salve had an identical 8-4 CCC record.  They were playing at home and they had honored seniors before the game.  They wouldn’t be going to defeat quietly.

For the first 9 ½ minutes of the second half Gordon stayed in comfortable control.  A Brady Bajema 3-pointer gave the Scots their largest lead of the game, 54-34.  With 5 ½ minutes to go Greg Walker sank a couple of free throws and a layup and the lead was still in the comfort zone – 62-45.

The rest of the way, SR went into a helter-skelter mode, and created some excitement.  They had been firing three’s the whole game but had made four of them during the first 35 minutes of play.  The last five minutes they hit five of them. 

Defensively, I figured that they’d start to foul on every possession to stop the clock the way UNE had done the last game.  But they didn’t.  Instead, they pressed in the backcourt and double-teamed the ball-control Scots in the frontcourt.  Six turnovers resulted but, and again this is a big but, there were eight possessions when the Seahawks aggressive defense sent Gordon to the foul line.

And foul shooting has turned into a huge positive over the last four games – 86 for 102, which comes out to 84%.  In this end game on the road versus SR the Scots hit 13 of 16 freebies, which offset the suddenly effective Seahawk long-range game.  SR got to within six points a couple of times near the end on made 3’s but never had possession to get closer. 

Greg Walker - Shooting over a Salve Regina defender on his way to 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Brady Bajema releases a shot as the referee signals the beginning of a 3-point play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Walker registered his third double/double (17 points/10 rebounds) of the season and led all participants in both categories.  He also had an important blocked shot late in the game on Dan Royce.  Greg is getting multiple defenders almost every time he gets the ball in close.

Brady and Aaron both had 15 points and combined for 14-for-15 from the foul line but it was their defense on Justin Woodworth and Windell Hinkson that caught my eye.  Brady’s glue-like defense had a lot to do with keeping Justin (18.8 ppg) down to 11 points. Windell didn’t get many clean looks either and it took him 18 shots to get 14 points. 

As usual, there were a couple of eye-catching stats in the box score. 
(1) Salve committed 19 fouls in the second half and they weren’t fouling intentionally.  Gordon had 18 fouls for the entire game. 
(2) SR’s 14 steals ties a season high (Curry) in that category.  Scot dribbling into double-teams caused a number of them to happen.
(3) This is the fifth time that Gordon has had at least 40 rebounds this season.  That number was reached only four times in all of the previous three seasons!

Gordon’s first round opponent (Roger Williams) may be the sixth seed but they have to be pleased that they get the Scots.  They have defeated Gordon 4 straight times including that hideous display of basketball exactly one month ago.  It will be a long time before I forget our 14-10 HALFTIME lead in that one and the 50-37 final score.  We also have never beaten RWU in the playoffs.  Some might say that we now have them right where we want them!  The game is at the Bennett Center and lately good things have happened to the home team there. 

You can’t take a trip to Salve Regina and Newport without marveling at the mansions nearby.  The cost of heating such a place might require some sort of stimulus package.

Box Score

(Wenham) Winners of 19 in a row?  Wow! 

Hadn’t lost since November 25th?  Terrific! 

Undefeated in the Commonwealth Coast Conference? Impressive!

The University of New England Nor’easters (20-4 overall/ 11-1 in the CCC) can put all those lofty accomplishments behind them after your Gordon College Fighting Scots defeated them, 82-75, before a revved up Bennett Center on Wednesday night.

You can look at the boxscore of this one and read this writeup but it won’t capture the excitement that this game generated from beginning to end. 

Because UNE had been so successful for so long this season, the hope going in was that Gordon could ride the Bennett Center wave, hang in with the talented visitors for as long as possible, and maybe steal one at the end.

And that is what happened.  A layup by Marchale Robinson put UNE up 60-58 with 6 ½ left but the Scots were hanging close late into the game.

The next 3 ½ minutes UNE got away from what it does best – driving to the basket – and missed all three attempts from long range.  Throw in a turnover and a missed front end of a 1-and-1 by Jaykyri Simpson. and the visitors had nothing to show for five straight possessions.

Meanwhile, your Scots used the 3 ½ minutes to tally thirteen points and stun all of us by surging to a 71-60 advantage. 

The last three minutes of the game were painfully slow and tense. Down one end it was hope-for-the-best defensively while at the other end it was one pressure free throw after another. And while UNE did make three 3-pointers in the last two minutes, the Scots answered back with nine straight free throws to minimize the damage.

The place where the Scots looked to be in the most trouble was after a layup by Quentin Thompson had narrowed things to 76-72 with 36 seconds left.  Brady was stripped in the frontcourt but recovered to hound UNE’s Johnnie Jefferson into a turnover in front of the UNE bench and gave Gordon the ball back.  Consecutive free throws by Brady, Austin Bentson, and Aaron Trigg followed to seal the deal.

Maybe you heard the collective Bennett Center sigh of relief that followed the final buzzer?

Home crowd celebrates as 82-75 score shines in the distance after UNE upset

Coach Mike Schauer went with a very short bench and it paid off.  The Scots faced constant pressure anywhere they had the ball and ended up with 21 turnovers for the game but, and this is a very important but, only two of the give aways came in the last 6 ½ minutes.  And it was during this period of strong ball management, with veterans on the floor, that the game was won.

Aaron Trigg - leading scorer with 27 points

Brady Bajema - 19 points and 7 assists

There were some eye-catching stats;
 (1) Gordon held UNE to the lowest rebound total (18) for an opponent.  They had been averaging 34 rpg.
(2) Senior Jaykyri Simpson (10-for-11 with 23 points) is the most dangerous 1-on-1 player in the CCC.  He has the jets to get to the basket but that speed led him into a couple of offensive fouls in this game.
(3) Aaron Trigg led all scorers with 27 points, in a 40-minute performance against the best team in the CCC.  Toss in six rebounds and three assists.  He has my vote for MVP in the CCC.
(4) UNE had only six assists, which is ten assists under their CCC league-leading average.  Good defense or selfish offense?
(5) Brady did some damage to his league-leading 3-point shooting percentage (53.8%) with a 1-for-4 evening but his seven assists should boost him in that important category.  His 19 points were huge.

Gordon (18-6 overall/ 8-4 in the CCC) travels to Newport to face an excellent Salve Regina team (also 8-4 in the CCC) on Saturday afternoon.  A win there will assure your Scots 3rd place and a home game in the first round of the CCC playoffs next Tuesday night.  A loss?  They could fall as far as 6th and play on the road Tuesday night.

David Flight - honored before the game

Gordon’s lone senior, David Flight, was honored before the game.  His appearance on court in the last few seconds drew some rousing applause.

UNE had a good group of fans travel south from Biddeford on a snowy evening.  It seemed to me that their support of the Nor’Easters just brought out the enthusiasm in the Gordon crowd.  Both support groups had plenty to cheer about.

Ben Gaskill leads the CCC in defensive rebounds.  He got eight more in this game as well as two blocks.  He took a turn at trying to deal with UNE’s driving guards.

Timmy MacDonnell drew a couple of offensive fouls and also tried shooting free throws without his googles on. 

6-7 Greg Walker continues to be the go-to guy down low.  At times he was covered by 5’9” Steve Belmonte.  Now that’s a mismatch!  Greg appeared to sprain an ankle in the first half.  He did play afterwards and totaled 13 points.

UNE hosts Nichols on Saturday.

One game left in the regular season.  Can you believe it?

Box Score

Greg Walker (6-7 sophomore) career high 28 points vs WNEC

(Wenham) Remember all those shots Greg took the last three games that went in and out? By my count, he was 12-for-34 totaling 26 points. Unfortunate Western New England caught Greg on a can’t-miss performance (12-for-15) and lost to Gordon, 77-57, on Saturday afternoon at the Bennett Center.

Greg’s 28 points were a career high and no doubt, the twenty he got in the first half put the Golden Bears in a deep enough hole that they couldn’t dig themselves out.

The victory put the Scots (17-6 overall/ 7-4 in the CCC) into the postseason tournament. They own tie-breakers over the teams (Curry and Western New England) they would tie with if they were to lose their last two games.

Now the press is on to finish in the top four in the standings so that when the playoffs start on Tuesday (February 24th) the Gordon game will be played at the Bennett Center instead of on the road.

Ahead is UNE on Wednesday night. With a win at Colby-Sawyer today they have clinched the number one seed in the playoffs. They have won 19 straight and are undefeated in the CCC. They haven’t lost since November 25th! Good? You bet! But, your Scots have won two straight at the Bennett Center.

For the first twelve minutes in this game the only given was that WNEC (7-15 overall/ 5-6 in the CCC) had no defensive answers for Greg. However, WNEC had quickness and used it to produce several layups that kept them in contention. One of those layups was by Rick Johnson and put WNEC in front, 18-15.

The next ten minutes of playing time? It was like Bates (20-point run) all over again. The Scots put together a couple of eleven point runs that left the visitors behind, 46-23, two minutes into the second half. It added up to a 28-5 scoring advantage.

A look at my scripting shows me that Gordon’s top two scorers (Aaron 17.6 ppg and Brady 14.8 ppg) had only two points in all this. That’s unusual, don’t you think? Austin has two 3-pointers and JT Himmelstein had one. Ben Gaskill contributed three baskets including a jump shot further from the basket than what we’re used to seeing. And then there was Greg (14 points) hurting WNEC almost every time the Scots got him the ball inside – and believe me after a while it became a team mission to get him the ball.

When the dust cleared after this stretch of good offense and tight defense by the Scots, the resulting 46-23 deficit was more than WNEC could do much with the rest of the way. The closest they got was 72-55 with 2 ½ left but they didn’t have the firepower this time to make things interesting.

There were several eye-catching stats from this game. Ben had a remarkable 13 rebounds for Gordon. He’s second in the CCC in rebounds. (I mention that not just because I was given some Buckeye chocolates but it did factor into it.) An even better rebounding stat was WNEC getting just 23 rebounds when they came in leading the CCC with 41.5 rpg.

Austin Bentson (6-3 sophomore) 2-for-3 long range

JT Himmelstein (6' freshman) career high ten points vs WNEC

Another eye-catcher was JT’s first double-figure scoring game – 10 points. He made a couple of 3-pointers and put in a rebound of his own miss. As teams (reading this game’s box score) become aware of the need to collapse in on Greg there will be openings beyond the arc. Both Austin and JT took advantage of the daylight when WNEC sent outside help down low to help against Greg.

On the other side, those sixteen Gordon turnovers are way too many. WNEC didn’t start full-court pressing until three minutes into the second half. I suspect that UNE will press from beginning to end on Wednesday night. The better we handle the ball against them the better our chances will be of pulling an upset.

There was a good crowd on hand that was given plenty to cheer about from beginning to end. Can they take a study break on Wednesday night for the UNE game?

Eight faces in the crowd - How many of them do you know?

Gordon’s last regular season game is against Salve Regina on Saturday (February 21st) afternoon in Newport, Rhode Island. Their campus is in amongst some spectacular mansions. Chance to sightsee and catch a good game all in one day.

Box Score