Gordon stays undefeated with 80-77 win over Fisher

Eric Demers (19 points) set to launch the three that will tie the game in the last minute

Tyler Shular (31 points) at the rim for the Falcons

(Wenham MA) Gordon scored all of the points (nine) in the final three minutes and defeated Fisher College, 80-77, on Tuesday night at the Bennett Center in non-league action.

The Scots (2-0) had to withstand a remarkable performance by Falcons’ senior Tyler Shular (31 points, 4 assists, 6 steals) to pull this one out.

Gordon was down by eleven in the first half (31-20) and six (77-71) in the second half but shot and defended their way back to the lead at the end of each half.

Clutch shooting and strong defense combined to get the job done down the stretch. The Falcons missed all six shot attempts in crunch time thanks in part to blocks by Sam Johnson and Garrisson Divivier.

Big shot? Down three with less than a minute left, Jaren Yang (8 assists) found freshman Eric Demers open in the right corner for the tying three-spot.

The Falcons (2-1) had two more possessions. Darrell Grady missed a layup in heavy traffic, while a Kyle Holmes three (over Noah Szilagyi) misfired for the lead with six seconds to go. Meanwhile Gordon drained three of four pressure free throws (Jaren Yang 2 & Garrisson Duvivier 1) to ice the outcome.

Eric Demers defends Tyler Shular

Remarkable performance by 6-3 Tyler Shular. Credit Eric Demers and Jake Hart with “holding” him to thirty-one points. This guy could shoot from anywhere and had terrific speed. He logged thirty-nine minutes. A reason for the Gordon win? Tyler didn’t take a shot the final three minutes as GC rallied for the win. Credit Eric Demers’ defense for some of that.

This year’s team is so different from the Hans Miersma teams of the previous four seasons. Those teams were inside out and for good reason. This team is clearly outside in. And this team can make 3-point shots. Last year the high on made 3-pointers was seven. First game (Lesley) this year nine were made. Tonight it elevated to eleven.

A big part of tonight’s win was that the Scots had excellent stats from insiders Sam Johnson and Garrisson Duvivier as well. Garrisson was a startling 8-for-9 while both Sam and Garrisson blocked three shots. Forcing teams to defend the 3-point shooters on the perimeter opened space for Sam and Garrisson in closer.

Jaren Yang (eight assists) in traffic

Jaren Yang matched his season high (eight) in assists. He also had a huge rebound in the last minute.

Jason Dempsey was in the house.

Gordon lost to Fisher last year, 79-76, in a game that Jason, Hans, and Taylor combined for 55 points and 28 rebounds.

Efficiency Chart

Tyler Shular 38

Garrisson Duvivier 24 (17pts/6reb/3blocks)

Sam Johnson 17 (12pts/9reb/3blocks)

Jaren Yang 16 (10pts/8assists/3steals)

Aaron Penn 14 (12pts/2assists)

Noah Szilagyi 14 (13pts/5rebs)

Gordon travels to MIT on Thursday night (7PM). The Scots will open plenty of eyes with a strong show against the Engineers on the road.

Box Score

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Game on!

Sam Johnson (12 points) looks to pass

Eric Demers chased by Tyler Shular and Darrell Grady

Jaren Yang hit two free throws in the last minute of the game

Kyle Holmes fires a three with six seconds left

Garrisson Duvivier at the line in the closing seconds

Jaren Yang steals and seals the deal

Jake Haar defends Aaron Penn

Sam Johnson blocks

Garrisson Duvivier blocks

Garrisson Duvivier rebounds

Eric Demers (four 3’s) from the left

Darrell Grady in the paint

Noah Szilagyi (three 3’s) hits one

Luke Meyer plays the point

 

Turnovers key in Gordon’s 79-76 loss to nonleague Fisher

Hans Miersma (18 rebounds)

Taylor Bajema (21 points)

Jason Dempsey (18 points)

 

 

 

 

 

(Newtown CT) Gordon did almost everything right.

When the game with Fisher ended, however, an ongoing Scots’ deficiency overrode the positives and led to a 79-76 loss on Thursday night.

(My wife and I are in Newtown tending our granddaughters.)

Negligent ball care (26 turnovers) ruined the glow of outstanding performances by Hans Miersma, Jason Dempsey, and Taylor Bajema.

The contest was non-league and played in Lynn (MA).

Even factoring in the frightening turnover total, the Scots (2-6) were more efficient (96) than were the 8-3 Falcons (88).  For those new to what “efficient” means let me explain how the total is figured: I take the negative stats (missed field goals, missed free throws, turnovers) and subtract them from the positive stats (points, rebounds, blocks, steals, assists).  Usually the losing team comes out on the wrong end of the efficiency stats but not this time.

A look at the efficiency numbers however did reveal remarkable games by Hans (37), Jason (23), and Taylor (19).  If all you knew were those personal efficiency numbers you’d almost be certain a GC win had happened but instead even those numbers weren’t enough to avert a third straight loss.

Gordon had a field day in close to the basket getting 46 points in the paint.  Taking most of their shots in high-percentage areas helped the Scots shoot a remarkable 55.4%, which was a season high.

This game was close throughout.  The Falcons from Boston took the lead for good with five minutes left.  The rest of the way backbreaking 3’s by Kyle Holmes (2) and Tyler Shuler (1), plus seven straight made free throws in the last thirty-four seconds, denied GC comeback attempts.

Kyle ended up with sixteen points and four steals.  Tyler added eighteen points and three steals.

Carter Bras – 7 points and five rebounds vs Fisher

This was easily Gordon freshman Carter Bras’ best game.  The newcomer contributed seven points and five rebounds.

The Falcon’s game-long tenacity on defense was the ultimate game decider.  Fisher forced twenty-six Gordon turnovers and even more important turned the miscues into thirty-three points!  So the average cost to GC for every turnover was over one point.  That is very heavy price to pay.  From my long-range vantage point that looks like a game with an overdose of “steal-two’s” to me.

In the games I’ve actually seen, most of the turnovers have happened because guards try to dribble through double teams or because players in the paint are untuned to weakside defense giving help.  In both scenarios GC players are getting ganged up on by multiple defenders and are still trying to dribble in such a high risk setup.

The bottom line is that if Gordon had tamed the turnovers they would have won the game.  The Scots will get a chance to attempt some of that “taming” at 5PM on Saturday versus 1-5 Lesley in Cambridge.  Last game before the Christmas break.

Name drop for me from the Lesley roster: Casey Blanchard.  The name seemed familiar to me.  Sure enough research revealed that the last time I saw the Lesley junior play was in the Division 3 Massachusetts state baseball championship against Newburyport in June of 2011. Casey had two hits in Pioneer Valley’s 9-4 loss.  That game was played on the same day the Stanley Cup Boston Bruins had their parade through the streets of Boston.

It is hard to imagine a college, like Fisher, not having its own gymnasium, isn’t it.  But it wasn’t that long ago that Gordon played its home games at Beverly Memorial.  Okay, it was long ago but the luxury of having an on-campus athletic facility is not lost on those of us who go back to those off-campus days.

Efficiency
Hans Miersma 37 (16 points/18 rebounds/7 blocks)
Jason Dempsey 23 (18 points/8 rebounds)
Tyler Shular 21 (18 points/3 steals)
Taylor Bajema 19 (21 points/4 assists)
Kyle Holmes 15 (16 points/4 steals)

Gordon 96
Fisher 88

Boxscore