Thursday, January 11, 2006
CBB
Wisconsin Milwaukee-Cleveland State
Press Notes
Cleveland State returns home for the first time in the new year to start a three-game league homestand. The Vikings open the stretch against three-time defending Horizon League champion UW-Milwaukee. Vikings have played better than their 6-11 overall and 0-4 league mark shows, owning the halftime lead in 12 of the 17 games this season. CSU is coming off a 65-53 loss at UW-Green Bay on Jan. 6, a game which saw the Vikings fall behind after having a 13-point halftime lead. UW-Milwaukee (4-13, 1-3) has struggled after losing all five starters off last year’s 22-9 team. The Panthers split their two league games last week, including a 65-64 overtime win over Detroit on Jan. 4. After using the same starting lineup and player rotation in the first 11 games, the Vikings made some changes over the last five games to help offset the loss of senior Victor Morris (9.7 ppg, 2.5 apg) to a foot injury.
Bowling Green-Ohio
Press Notes
If the first weekend is any indication (three games decided by a combined eight points), the battle for the MAC East title could emerge as one of the best races in recent history. Bowling Green and Ohio will meet for the 119th time on Thursday night. BGSU, the most improved team in the MAC thus far, is 10-4 and 1-0 and coming off a 74-73 victory at home over Buffalo. Ohio, also 10-4 and 1-0, defeated Akron 77-72 last Saturday. A big reason for the early season success for BGSU has been the improved defensive effort of the Falcons. Last year, BGSU allowed 71.4 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field. This year, BGSU leads the MAC in field goal percentage defense (38.9%) and is fourth in scoring defense allowing 64.0 points per game. Ohio returns three starters from last year’s team and has several key performers back from the 2005 MAC Tournament Championship team. Akron transfer Bubba Walther has had an immediate impact averaging 15 points per game. Sophomore Jerome Tillman is averaging 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, junior Leon Williams is contributing 14.4 points and 8.9 boards, and senior Whitney Davis is averaging 12.2 points.
Washington-Stanford
Press Notes
The Stanford men’s basketball team (9-4, 1-2 Pac-10) return to the Bay Area to host conference foe Washington (11-4, 1-3). The Cardinal are 2-2 since returning from the holiday break and are coming off a hard fought road win (76-75) at Virginia. Huskies enter Thursday’s contest with an 11-4 overall record and a 1-3 mark in league play. Last week, UW split with the Arizona schools, beating ASU and falling to Arizona. Washington ranks 11th nationally in scoring with an average of 84.8 points per game. Stanford holds a 66-58 lead in the all-time series that began in 1916, including wins in 15 of the last 20 meetings against Washington. The Huskies lost in their last 13 visits to Maples Pavilion.
Louisiana Tech-Boise
News Star
After a 2-0 start in the 2006-07 Western Athletic Conference season, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-10; 2-0 WAC) will continue league play tonight at 8:05 against the Boise State Broncos (7-6; 1-1 WAC). Since joining the WAC in 2001, the Bulldogs and the Broncos have battled 11 times with the Tech winning eight. Last season in the conference opener, Tech’s Paul Millsap had to hit a last-second three pointer to get past Boise in Idaho.
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