(Neb.)-CSC Basketball Teams Playing In Classics In Eastern Nebraska

By: John Kant Posted at: 11/25/2009 08:24 AM

(Courtesy Of CSC Sports Information Office)

Both Chadron State basketball teams will be playing in classics in eastern Nebraska this weekend.

The women’s team will be at the University of Nebraska-Omaha to meet Southwest Minnesota State on Friday and the host Lady Mavericks on Saturday. Both games will start at 3:30.

The CSC men will play in the first SUNHEAT Classic at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island. They will tangle with Nebraska-Omaha at 6 p.m. Friday and Benedictine College from Atkinson, Kan., at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Southwest Minnesota women were 14-16 last season. The Mustangs graduated their leading scorer from a year ago, but the second leading scorer, 5-foot-7 Tori Fink, is back after averaging 8.4 points. Also returning is 6-2 Laura Kramer, who averaged 7.7 points and led the team in rebounding at 5.9 a game last season.

The Mustangs hosted a tournament last weekend, and lost to Truman State of Missouri 71-59, but defeated Hillsdale of Michigan 63-58. Fink scored 25 points in the latter game. Kramer collected 20 rebounds in the two contests.

Abby Kenealy, a 6-2 sophomore, had 17 points to lead the way against Truman and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win over Hillsdale.

The UNO women were 15-12 last season, and have just four players back from that team. They include 5-9 senior Alyssa Green, who averaged 11.1 points a year ago, second best on the team. Ashley Nelson, a 6-4 senior, returns after averaging 7.5 points last winter.

Both of the other returnees, Heather Pohl, a 6-0 sophomore, and Katie Kane, a 6-1 junior, averaged just 1.6 points last season. However, Kane is the team’s leading scorer with a 14.3-point average after three games this campaign.

The Mavericks defeated Dana College 88-54 in their season opener on Nov. 15, but lost to Minnesota Duluth 57-45 and Texas A&M-Kingsville 71-66 last weekend in a tournament at Warrensburg, Mo.

The UNO men have defeated Doane 96-67 and Rockhurst of Missouri 79-71 in action so far this season. Jeff Martin led the Mavs against Doane with 18 points while Tyler Bullock poured in 28 against Rockhurst. Both are 6-2 juniors who transferred to Omaha from Nebraska-Kearney.

The Mavericks were 17-11 last season.

Benedictine is an NAIA school and has already played five official games along with two exhibition contests.  

The Ravens, who were 10-18 a year ago, have defeated Northwest College of Iowa 91-78 and three Missouri teams, Rockhurst 68-62, College of Ozarks 80-67 and Columbia College 51-45. They  lost to Cardinal Stritch of Milwaukee 90-81.

Last weekend, Benedictine lost 79-59 to Northwest Missouri and 79-48 to Central Missouri, both NCAA Division II teams, in exhibition games.

Benedictine’s top scorers in the official games have been Alex Miller, a 6-6 freshman who is averaging 14 points, and Jack Johnson, a 5-9 senior who is averaging 13. Chris Bonham, a 6-10 sophomore, is averaging 9.4 points. He averaged 10.5 points a year ago.

The CSC men are 2-1 after the first week of the season.

Three different players have led the CSC men in scoring. Kevin McClelland is the leading scorer through three games this season, averaging 11.3 points. Donte Archie is also averaging double-digits (10.7) and Christian McGhee and Tyler Coffman are each scoring 9.7 points a game.

The Chadron State women are 0-1, but received some strong performances in their loss against Montana State University-Billings. Kaitlin Petri scored 20 points in the loss and Lexi Smidt just missed out on having a double-double. She scored 10 points and had nine rebounds.

Both sets of Eagles will open their home schedules on Dec. 4-5 by playing RMAC rivals Colorado State-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands in double-headers.