Last Wednesday, Siebens Fieldhouse hosted back-to-back basketball with the men’s and women’s squads competing versus Central for Senior Night. The men’s team was able to pull through in the second half with a whopping 68 points earned for a win, while the women’s fought, but weren’t quite able to pull through in the final score.

Mens:

The men’s squad continued their trend of seeing success, though halftime presented a bit of a challenge. The team was able to come back from being behind 40-29 at halftime with an explosive comeback in the second half. Head Men’s Coach Trevor Johnson believes though the team started out slow, their energy was not lacking. Offensively, Johnson states the team executed more efficiently while being able to knock down shots.

Seven three-pointers to begin the second half had the men’s squad firing on all cylinders. Junior Michael Demers made two of those, while also finishing the game with the team-high 22 points. Noah Schmitt, Timothy Jeffries, and Lincoln Rock were also able to hit threes in this solid second half start. Demers and Jeffries then sunk shots to create a lead of 56-49, which translated to the game’s finish as the Beavers worked as a well-oiled machine to make free-throws and shots to win the game 97-85.

“Mike Demers was huge in the second half,” Johnson says. “He was absolutely fantastic, a huge part of turning things around for us. . . You always know Tim [Jeffries] is going to be solid inside being a senior having played all four years, he’s always going to step up when you need him.”

The squad shot 53 percent overall, and 64 percent in the second half. DJ McNeal held 19 points, Jeffries 17 points, and Rock 11 points with a double-double. Dominic Sesma also contributed with 11 points and six rebounds.

Sharing the ball is a big part of the philosophy Johnson has instigated in gameplay. Defensively, he plans to focus on improvement through adjustments, but feels game play is solid with his team jiving with one another on and off the court.

With this game being senior night, Johnson points out how pivotal Jeffries, Schmidt, Alex Rogers, and Lincoln Rock have been both in games and practice. Jeffries has averaged around 18 points per game, contributing as a solid leader on the court. Schmidt has done everything asked of him, a great passer, contributing crucially to the box score in his starting role.

“Al, he’s been huge for us in practice. He’s a great energy guy, the guys love having him around,” Johnson adds. “He makes guys work. . . And losing Rock, since he’s graduating early, he plays harder than just about anybody I’ve ever seen. Finding guys like that is rare, and it’ll be hard to find guys to step into that role.”

The men’s squad finished out regular season play vs. Simpson on Saturday, Feb. 22 with a loss of 85-72. They are currently ranked 18-7 (9-7 in ARC play), and are seeded at No. 4 in the ARC tournament. Their next game will be this Tuesday vs. Simpson at 7 p.m. in Siebens Fieldhouse for the first round.

Women’s:

The female team faced a tough loss against the Dutch with a final score of 77-58. Senior Destiny Einerwold contributed 15 points for the highest on the team, with sophomore Erin Gerke close behind at 12 points along with sophomore Nicole Lange and freshman Vanessa Hamlett each contributing 11 points. Central had the lead during the game, beginning with 16-12 in the first quarter.

“We were down eight by half which we felt was a manageable deficit, in the third quarter we had cut in to that down to five,” Head Coach David Wells says.

The Beavers were able to close the gap late in the third quarter, coming as close as 41-38. They were only two points behind in the beginning of the fourth quarter 20-26 total. They weren’t able to stop the Dutch at the basket, as they took advantage in sinking some shots going into the final quarter.

“Unfortunately, we came up short having given up 30 points in the fourth,” he adds. “It’s tough to lose on a night in which you want to celebrate the careers of your seniors. They have done the best job they know how to help our team, I wish we could’ve gotten a W.”

The lady Beavers were able to score the majority of their points from the free throw line, at 12-15. Destiny Einerwold is highlighted as ninth in D III for her free throw shots sunk in her season, at 120 before this game. She contributed in this game 7-9 in free throw statistics.

Wells points out Erin Gerke has been a standout player, helping rally the team when they need it and being strong on offense and defense. In adjusting offense throughout the season, Wells has found the motion of the team most effective along with sets. In future years, he plans to focus on more sets and transition, and keep offensive progression solid.

“As we became more comfortable with ball pressure, we began to become more confident,” Wells states. “I’m always talking about having a sense of urgency, a will to compete, and an uplifting attitude with an openness for good things to happen.”

Wells believes finishing better at the rim through intentional focus on that skill is what the team needs for future gameplay. He is grateful for the two seniors who took their last look at the floor on the 22nd at Simpson, Destiny Einerword and Kiara Sporrer. Each have shared their love of the game with coaches and squad, which will leave a lasting impact.

Wells adds both ladies will be great as they transition into the next stages of their lives because of their genuine natures, honesty, and work ethic. He’s thankful for each doing their best jobs on and off of the court, and leaving a positive impact.

The Beavers finished out their season vs. Simpson with a 56-76 loss on the afternoon of Feb. 22. The ladies end their season 1-24, and look forward to next year’s season of Beaver basketball.

“I know our first year has not gone the way we wanted, but I’m thankful for this group of student athletes that have handled their school work (3.855 cumulative GPA as a team), made an effort to adapt, and gave what they had,” Wells says. “I’m looking forward to the foundation we have built and to reap the benefits of the sacrifices this group has made.”