Who's Bret Vandergard and what's he done for us lately? [DDSCB3]

[PointGuard 70]

Brad Thompson, sports reporter for The Standard, Missouri State University newspaper

 

Bears Players Win Awards

Following the first week of Division I basketball play, the Missouri State Bears not only have two overtime wins, but two of their players won MVC awards. Sophomore guard Brent Gregory averaged 20 ppg and 5.5 rpg in the Bears first two contests. On the basis of that play, he won the Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Week award. Power forward Ricky Lee averaged 8.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg and won the MVC’s Freshman Player of the Week award.

Coach Bret Vandergard said, “Brent made it possible for us to pull out two close wins. Not only did he score and rebound well for us, but he played excellent defense as well.” With regard to freshman Ricky Lee, Vandergard added, “Ricky played like a much more seasoned player. It’s not easy to make the step up from high school to college ball, but Ricky had a great first week. And as with Brent, Ricky played tough defensively.”

[PointGuard 70]

Don and Teri Kriley, Meaghan Kriley’s parents

 

TK: Don, I’m worried about Meaghan.

DK: Why, Teri?

TK: Haven’t you noticed? She’s so much quieter, doesn’t smile or kid as much, is spending all her time either working or at her apartment. Stacey [Meaghan’s sister] has talked with me several times about it.

DK: Maybe this new job of hers is just taking more time. You know it’s a more demanding job.

TK: Don, come on. She’s had this job for quite a while now, and she wasn’t like this 6 months ago. I think it’s due to Bret moving to Missouri without considering her. I’m sure she was really hurt by that. I’m pretty ticked off at Bret. He seemed like such a nice guy but to just pick up and move leaving Meaghan in the lurch is so disrespectful.

DK: How about us doing something special that will cheer Meaghan up?

TK: Get out of your Mr. Fixup mode, Don! You always just think you can storm in and FIX things. Mr. Fixup waving his magic wand and saying "presto chango". Some things aren’t that easily resolved.

(Don heads outside muttering to himself.)

[PointGuard 70]

Rob Porter, Sports Writer, Springfield News-Leader

 

Game #4, Nov. 25, 2017; Missouri State Bears (2-1) at Seattle Redhawks (3-0)

Bears Hibernate

The Missouri State Bears travelled to Seattle to take on the Seattle University Redhawks last night. The Redhawks came into the game undefeated with 2 of their 3 wins achieved on the road. Seattle’s scoring had come from outside, led by PG Colin Miller’s 14.0 ppg.

Missouri State played well offensively but a 15-10 turnover disadvantage and Seattle’s dominance of the boards (28-19) resulted in Missouri State losing their second straight game by a score of 76-59.

The Bears hit 59% of their first half shots, but were outshone by Seattle’s 63% shooting, including their hitting 6 of 9 three-point shots. The Redhawks used that to move out to a 46-38 halftime advantage. C Joey Jones scored 11 and SG Brent Gregory added 9 to lead Missouri State’s offense in the first half. The Redhawks’ bench scored 22 of the teams points.

Seattle continued to outplay the Bears in the 2nd half and pulled away to win with ease.

Final Score: Seattle-76, Missouri State-59 (2-2)

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-18 pts, 4 assists, 5 reb, 1 steal; SG Brent Gregory-16 pts, 1 reb.

Player of the Game: Seattle C Derrick Merfeld-19 pts, 1 assist, 7 reb, 1 steal.

[PointGuard 70]

Paris George, 3rd Assistant Coach

 

Game #5, Nov. 29, 2017: Missouri State Bears (2-2) at Alcorn State Braves (0-4)

Alcorn State may have lost all 4 of their games, but all have been close while playing on the road, including a 6 point loss to #16 Missouri. So playing them on their home court isn’t going to be a picnic. C Gregory Bond has been their top scorer, but freshman SF Gerrick King has started two games and scored in double figures both times. 

Gerrick King started and we decided to double team him early to try to keep him in check. We turned the ball over on our first 2 possessions resulting in 4 quick points for the Braves. Gerrick King scored 8 of Alcorn State’s first 10 points. We switched to playing strictly man-to-man at that point to control him better. With 8-1/2 minutes remaining in the first half Brent Gregory sunk a 15-footer and was fouled and hit his free throw, giving us our first lead of the night at 22-20. The game remained extremely close until late in the half when the Braves recovered and hit some key shots. When the half ended we trailed 40-32. Alcorn State outshot us 64% to 44%, but we had 3 fewer turnovers and scored 6 more points at the free throw line. C Donte Hartfield led our scoring with 11 points while SF Gerrick King was top scorer for the Braves with 10.

Alcorn State came out with guns a-blazing in the 2nd half. We fought back, led by the scoring of Jimmy Woni, who worked the interior beautifully drawing foul after foul. The lead flip-flopped throughout the middle 10 minutes of the 2nd half. But in the final 4 minutes Alcorn State’s great shooting allowed them to slowly draw away. They finished the game by outshooting us 61% to 49%. 

Our guys played tough, but while we got a very small lead several times, we could never pull away while Alcorn State put together solid final minutes in both halves that ultimately were the difference. For the entire game there were 18 lead changes and 12 ties. 

Final Score: Alcorn State—76, Missouri State (2-3)—69.

Leading players for Missouri State: PF Jimmy Woni-16 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 1 steal; C Donte Hartfield-13 pts, 2 assists, 6 reb, 2 steals, 1 block; PF Aaron Wells-8 pts, 2 assists, 7 reb, 2 steals.

Player of the Game: Alcorn State’s PG Bobby Wiatre-19 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb, 2 steals, 1 block.

Other Braves: SF Gerrick King-17 pts; SG Lee Whiteman-13 pts, 3 assists, 6 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Buzz Moriarity, Missouri State Athletic Director

 

Bret Vandergard flew to Spokane, Washington a day earlier than the team. Rumor has it that he has a hottie there and wanted to spend some time with her. But he just told me he had some things to check up on and needed the extra day there.

[PointGuard 70]

Flash Borden, sports reporter for KSMO radio in Springfield, MO

 

FB: Hi Coach. How’s things back in Cheney, Washington?

BV: Fortunately they’re having unseasonably good weather right now. So it’s very pleasant, Flash. It’s going to feel strange tonight going into the visitors’ locker room though.

FB: Are your guys ready to take on your old team tonight?

BV: As ready as we’ll ever be! The Eagles are having a good season and playing as well as I would have expected. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, but we need a few of those to help us gauge how well we can play. We’re going to have to turn things up a notch to be able to compete.

FB: What players for Eastern Washington are you most concerned about?

BV: The Eagles are getting good scoring from 8 or 9 of their squad, so you can’t focus on your attention on 1 or 2 players. When one of their players gets hot, we’ll then shift our emphasis their way to try to interrupt their success. Their best scorer thus far has been SF Tim Whitaker. He’s a streaky shooter. Anthony Alston and Will Davis have been playing the 2 for them and both are shooting extremely well. Quintin Brown is a freshman we recruited hard last year and he’s been gaining confidence at the point game after game this season. Inside they have 4 guys (Adam Stevenson, Donte Robinson, Thomas McTyer, and Nate Dye) who are all strong players and nearly interchangeable.

FB: Coach, you’ve been changing things up each game as far as your interior starters go. Fans wonder why you haven’t yet settled on a set starting lineup.

BV: Each one of our big guys thus far have had hot and cold games. So, we’re still seeing who will be most consistent. But overall I’m pleased with our inside play. Due to their play in our last game, Jimmy Woni and Donte Hartfield will be starting tonight, but I expect Ricky Lee and Joey Jones to get more playing time tonight that they did earlier this week. On the outside, our guards have been playing well, although they did have a let-down against Alcorn State. So we’ll stick with starting Greg Fisher at point, Brent Gregory at the 2 and Aaron Wells at the 3.

FB: Time for a word from our sponsor. But good luck tonight, Coach.

BV: Thanks Flash. We’re going to need it.

[PointGuard 70]

Jack Cooper, Barber

 

Game #6, Dec. 1, 2017: Missouri State (2-3) at Eastern Washington Eagles (4-1)

Bret Vandergard is such a great guy. He came by earlier today to get a haircut. It was so nice to see him again. He gave me a ticket to tonight’s game. Reese Court is packed tonight. The fans around here want to see the Eagles beat up on Bret’s Missouri State team. The crowd seems pretty revved up even before the game begins.

Boy, I bet Coach V wishes he was back coaching the Eagles. After 4-1/2 minutes they were burying the Bears, 17-4 and had hit 4 of 5 from 3 point distance. With 8-1/2 minutes to go in the first half, EWU led 28-8. Missouri State turned the ball over 12 times in the first half. That plus the Eagles hitting 50% of their shots (including 5 of 9 threes) gave Eastern Washington a commanding 38-19 lead at the half. The only Bear that looked very good was their starting center, Donte Hartfield, who scored 6 points and hauled down 7 rebounds. Greg Fisher, their PG, also scored 6 points. For the Eagles, Anthony Alston and Tim Whitaker both scored 8 points.

Coach V must have got on his players during the half, because they scored 9 points in less the 2 minutes of the first half, cutting the Eagles lead to 11 points. But that woke the Eagles up, and led by Anthony Alston’s scoring, they re-established a 20 point lead with 12 minutes left in the game. The Bears showed spark though and crept closer. Donte Hartfield hit 2 free throws with 4:38 left to pull the Bears to within 9 at 59-50. EWU took care of business from there on so never put the game in doubt.

Coach V’s team, although out-gunned, played gutsy ball in the 2nd half to keep the score respectable. The only team stats that were dramatically different were turnovers (19 for the Bears, 14 for the Eagles), and free throws (9 more attempts and 10 more points for the Eagles than the Bears).

Final Score; Eastern Washington—69, Missouri State (2-4)—53.

Leading players for Missouri State: C Donte Hartfield-13 pts, 1 assist, 10 rebounds, 1 steal; SG Brent Gregory-9 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal; SG Rashad Thompson-8 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Eastern Washington’s SG Anthony Alston-18 pts, 2 assists, 3 reb, 2 steals, 2 blocks.

Others for Eastern Washington: PG Quintin Brown-13 pts, 3 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal; SF Tim Whitaker-11 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Erick McGadney, 1st Assistant Coach

 

After our loss to Eastern Washington, Joey Jones was yapping about Donte Hartfield being given favorable treatment by Coach V and that Coach V had started the wrong player at the 5 the past two games.

I passed the incident along to Coach V. When we got back to Springfield, Coach V called Jones into his office and read him the riot act and told him that even though he’s a freshman, that was an immature attitude. Jones got defensive leading Coach V to give him a one-week suspension.

Coach V later told him that there are too many young guys on this team to allow guys to get away with things.

Then a day later, Hartfield’s starts were validated when the Missouri Valley Conference named Donte Hartfield the Freshman Player of the Week.

[PointGuard 70]

Brad Thompson, sports reporter for The Standard (Missouri State University newspaper)

 

Bears Slump Raises Questions

After starting the season with two thrilling overtime wins, the Bears basketball team’s season is rapidly disintegrating into yet another year of mediocrity. Their 4th straight loss last Friday gives reason to question whether they will be able to compete well when Missouri Valley Conference games begin late this month. With the possible exception of SG Brent Gregory, no players have shown a great deal of promise. The teams RPI is 188 and dropping like a stone. The athletic department brought in a new coach who was supposed to turn the basketball program around. But after their two slim wins, there have been four lopsided losses. The starting lineup continues to fluctuate making fans wonder if the coaches have a clue as to what they are doing. So the question of the day is: “Coach Vandergard, what have you done for us lately?” You may have come to Missouri State with a good reputation, but that rep isn’t producing wins.

[PointGuard 70]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloomington 

PG wondering if you can put an update post with what ur ratings were when u started...what they are now as well as your teams success over your dynasty ie. overall conference record as well as tournament results. Thanks.

 

 

OK...here it is:

 

Vandergard's Record:

2013-2014, Eastern Washington.....15-15.....11-5, 2nd....No post-season tourney
2014-2015, Eastern Washington.....19-11.....11-5, 1st.....CIT (1st round)
2015-2016, Eastern Washington.....21-10.....12-4, 1st.....NIT (2nd round)
2016-2017, Eastern Washington.....29-4.......16-0, 1st....Ranked #14, NCAA (rnd of 16)

TOTALS @ Eastern Washington......84-40.....50-14 (Big Sky)

 

 

Awards:

 

Big Sky 1st Team All-Conference: 5

Big Sky 2nd Team All-Conference: 1

Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year: 1

Big Sky Freshman Player of the Year: 1

Big Sky Coach of the Year: 3

 

 

Initial Ratings: O-26, D-27, R-35, S-28, PD-34, Rep-10
Present Ratings: O-40, D-49, R-84, S-32, PD-52, Rep-22

[PointGuard 70]

Jamal Smith, Head Coach at Delta State University (Division II)

 

Game #7, Dec. 6, 2017: Missouri State Bears (2-4) at Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (3-2)

It was a 5-1/2 hour drive from Cleveland, MS to Lafayette, LA, but I wouldn’t have passed up the opportunity to meet up with Bret Vandergard. Not only have we known each other a long time, but I learned a lot from him while serving as his 1st assistant coach at Eastern Washington. That plus his positive recommendation were what got me the head coaching job at Delta State. Even though it’s a Division II school, I think it’s a great stepping stone. Well not if we don’t improve from our 9-17 record of last season, but thus far we’re 3-3 this year, and I think we’ll do well in conference play when it starts later this season. While I love being a head coach, it’s harder than I expected.

Bret and I were able to spend some time together this afternoon. The Bears opponent tonight, Louisiana Lafayette, has won all 3 games they’ve played at home this year. They have 3 players averaging in double figures: SG Derek Horan is averaging 14.3 ppg and PG Anthony Williams and C Jamel McCoy are both averaging 10.8 ppg. So Missouri State won’t be able to clamp down on one player without others picking up the slack.

The first half was a disaster for the Bears. The Ragin’ Cajuns out-rebounded them 16-11 and held an 11-3 turnover advantage which allowed them to get off a lot more shots than the Bears. That resulted in a 49-29 lead for Louisiana Lafayette at the break. SG Brent Gregory led the Bears with 8 points, but PF Mike Thomas scored 10 for the Ragin’ Cajuns. I’m sure Bret gave his guys hell in the locker room for giving up 49 points in the half.

The Bears came out and played better in the 2nd half but turnovers and rebounding kept them from making serious inroads toward reducing the deficit. Finally in the last portion of the game, Missouri State reduced the lead but not enough to present a serious challenge. The Bears were simply out-manned in this game. The Ragin’ Cajuns exploited the Bears’ weakened interior to score 44 of their 79 points in the paint.

Final Score: Louisiana Lafayette—79, Missouri State (2-5)—64.

Leading players for Missouri State: PF Ricky Lee-16 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 1 steal; PF Jimmy Woni-12 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb; SG Brent Gregory-10 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Louisiana Lafayette’s C Jamel McCoy-10 pts, 2 assists, 6 reb, 2 steals.

Others for Louisiana State: PG Anthony Williams-11 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist; PF Mike Thomas-12 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb; SG Mike Shipley-9 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb; C Shannon Holland-9 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Buddy and Brenda Portman, Branson entertainers

 

Game #8, Dec. 13, 2017: Southern Jaguars (4-3) at Missouri State Bears (2-5)

We love coming up to Springfield to go to Bears’ games on nights our theater is dark. We’ve been performing down in Branson for 12 years. We finally have our own theater there and perform 5 nights and 2 matinees a week. We used to perform on the road constantly. The money was good, but the travel got old fast and having to deal with all sorts of venues got to be such a hassle. Performing in Branson, we have a nice home on the lake so we can go boating and fishing and then it’s just a short drive to our theater for the shows. Our fans come from all over, but mainly from the midwest and south. They like our brand of country music, our patriotism, and our corny skits and humor.

Tonight Missouri State asked us to sing the national anthem and we agreed. Rather than have the college pep band accompany us, we brought along a few of our band members. No money but we can write it off on our taxes as a gift to the university.

OK, we’re back in our seats and ready for the game to begin. The anthem went well even though the acoustics here at JQH Arena are horrible.

The Bears held a small lead throughout most of the first half. But during the last 5 minutes of the half, the refs called foul after foul against our guys which allowed Southern to take a 33-29 halftime lead. PG Greg Fisher led our scoring with 7 points.

Again Missouri State took the lead early in the half and held onto it until Southern came back to go ahead by 3 with 2 minutes left. Joey Jones banked in an 8-footer with 1:29 to play and was fouled on the shot. He knocked down the free throw to tie the game at 74-74. Southern missed their shot on their next possession and Jones rebounded. The Bears brought it up court quickly, found Brent Gregory on the left side who put up 3 that swished through the net to put Missouri State on top by 3 with 59 seconds left. SG Chris Wynn was fouled and hit both freebies to cut the lead to 1 with 50 seconds to go. Both teams missed a shot and then Terrence Simmons was fouled with 28 seconds to go. His to successful free throws gave the Bears a 79-76 lead with 28 seconds remaining. The Jaguars worked the ball around the perimeter and Mike Wallace hit a 3 with 15 seconds on the clock. Coach Vandergard called a time out with 8 seconds to play. Jimmy Woni’s shot at the buzzer was blocked taking the game to overtime.

OT: The Bears used drives to the basket to open a 91-84 lead with 1:10 to play in the overtime. The Jaguars were unable to come back.
All 3 of the Bears wins have been Overtime games.

Final Score: Missouri State (3-5)—94, Southern—86. (OT)

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-17 pts, 3 assists, 5 reb, 1 steal; SF Aaron Wells-13 pts, 5 assists, 5 reb, 3 steals; PG Greg Fisher-13 pts, 6 assists, 1 reb; PG Terrence Simmons-10 pts, 1 reb; PF Jimmy Woni-8 pts, 2 reb, 2 steals.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb, 1 steal.
For Southern: SG Chris Wynn-23 points and SF Bernard Coursey-15 points.

Award: The Missouri Valley Freshman Player of the Week award went to C Joey Jones.

[PointGuard 70]

Janice Conlan, sports anchor for KSPR TV in Springfield, MO, 10 pm newscast

 

Game #9, Dec. 20, 2017: Cal State Fullerton Titans (4-6) at Missouri State Bears (3-5)

Earlier this evening the Missouri State Bears basketball team hosted a visit by Cal State Fullerton. 

Ricky Lee and Brent Gregory scored the first 18 points for the Bears as they jumped out to an 18-5 lead. At that point both Lee and Gregory got into foul trouble and went to the bench. Cal State Fullerton crept back and by the end of the first half, the Titans led 39-36. Brent Gregory was the Bears’ top scorer in the half with 10 points.

The Bears fell behind by 14 points early in the 2nd half, but made a rousing comeback to narrow the score to 62-58 with 8 minutes remaining. But Cal State dominated the boards 29-16 and Missouri State missed 18 of 40 free throws. That led to a home court loss.

Final Score: Cal State Fullerton-76, Missouri State (3-6)-69.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-21 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-12 pts, 1 assist, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Cal State Fullerton’s SF Tim Bailey-21 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb.

Other Titans: PF/C Jarvis Wheeler-16 pts, PF Rich Nunn-12 pts, C Jeremy Totten-10 pts

[PointGuard 70]

Flash Borden, sports reporter for KSMO radio in Springfield, MO

 

FB: Coach, thanks for joining us this morning. Tough loss last night.

BV: It sure was, Flash. It was a let-down to lose our final pre-conference game on our home court.

FB: Your team played well early in the game, but then what happened, Coach?

BV: Our shooting went cold for a spell and that let Cal State Fullerton get back into the game. But we let them man-handle us inside on the boards. Then when we made a good run midway through the 2nd half, we shot ourselves in the foot when we couldn’t sink our free throws.

FB: Now that conference play is starting, how do you think the Bears are going to do?

BV: The Missouri Valley Conference is going to be very competitive this year. We’re really going to have to pick it up to have a chance against most any of the teams in the MVC. 

FB: Who do you think are the favorites in the conference?

BV: Drake, Illinois State and Wichita State looked best in pre-conference play so I think you have to go with one of those three to come out on top.

FB: Any lineup changes for this week’s conference opener against Illinois State?

BV: The only change will be that we’re going to give Terrence Simmons a start at point guard. Terrence has been playing well and deserves a shot. Otherwise we’ll go with Brent Gregory at the 2, Aaron Wells at the 3, Ricky Lee at PF, and Joey Jones at C.

FB: Hasn’t Donte Hartfield outplayed Joey Jones?

BV: He’s done a better job on the boards, but defensively thus far, Joey has the edge.

[PointGuard 70]

Buzz Moriarity, Missouri State Athletic Director

 

Game #10, Dec. 27, 2017: Indiana State Sycamores (3-6, 0-0) at Missouri State Bears (3-6, 0-0)

We have a decent turnout for the conference opener tonight. People are still curious about how Bret Vandergard will handle the Bears. We need to win our home games this season.

Indiana State likes to run a 2-3 zone. They have yet to win on the road this season. Jared Cox, their center, is their top scorer and rebounder with 11.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg.

The Bears kept the Sycamores on their heels throughout the first half, but could never make a sustained run and hold more than a small lead. We dominated the board which was fortunate because our shooting was streaky. The Bears held a 37-32 advantage at the end of the half. Our scoring was led by Terrence Simmons and Ricky Lee who both scored 8 points.

We opened an early 9 point lead in the 2nd half, but fouls and turnovers let that slip through our fingers and Indiana State took their first lead of the game at 55-53 midway through the half. With 5 minutes to go we trailed by 12 as we could not hit any shots. The home crowd dwindled down to next to nothing as we continued to struggle to make shots (39% FG shooting and 23% 3-point shooting) and lost by 14 points. A nice double-double (15 pts and 10 reb) went to waste. A very disappointing last 10 minute of a game we had control of until then.

A second straight loss at home…not good at all.

Final Score: Indiana State—81, Missouri State (3-7, 0-1, 6th place tie)—67.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-19 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 2 steals; PF Ricky Lee-15 pts, 10 reb; SG Rashad Thompson-9 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb; PG Terrence Simmons-8 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Indiana State’s C Jared Cox-13 pts, 6 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Buddy and Brenda Portman, Branson entertainers

 

We hosted a fund-raising party for the Missouri State athletic programs, in particular the basketball program. Buzz Moriarity, the college’s athletic director, attended as did Bret Vandergard, the Bears’ new basketball coach. There were a lot of other entertainers from here in Branson as well as many other well-connected people. The aim is to get together funds to improve athletic facilities at Missouri State.

Buzz has been over to our house and to other parties, but this was the first time we had a chance to spend time with Coach Vandergard. He was a little overwhelmed by who all were at the party and was stiff at the beginning, but our libations cured that. A tradition at our home is that those coming to one of our parties for the first time has to get up in front of everyone and do a karaoke song. Bret was really reluctant to do that, but we all finally shamed him into performing. He was a trooper, getting through the entire rendition of “I Walk the Line”. He was bad, but we all cheered him after he got through the entire song. Buddy joked that he better ought to stay with his day job.

Later Brenda cornered him to get some dirt about his personal life. She found out he had been going out with a woman when he was in Washington state, but she had stayed there when he came back to Missouri. Brenda gave him a tough time about his not bringing her along with him.

[PointGuard 70]

Paris George, 3rd Assistant Coach

 

Game #11, Dec. 30, 2017: Missouri State Bears (3-7, 0-1) at Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (4-6, 0-1)

Our starters match up well against this team, but their bench is stronger. But we’ve got a chance to wind this road game if we play well together as a team. 

We harassed the Ramblers with a full-court press throughout most of the first half. Even though they outshot us 56% to 46%, the press kept us in the game. But in the final two minutes of the first half the Ramblers were finally able to open a 6 point lead and we trailed 37-31 at the halftime break. Brent Gregory led our scoring with 8 points.

We kept the game close in the 2nd half, but then ran out of gas toward the end of the game. The difference in the game, though, came down to free throws. The Ramblers were sent to the free throw line 11 more times and scored 8 more points than did we.

But this is the third straight game where our team has had a big letdown in the 2nd half. I’m already anticipating Coach V coming down on the team and the staff to get that turned around.

Final Score: Loyola-Illinois—73, Missouri State (3-8, 0-2, 9th place tie)—66.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 4 assists, 3 reb, 3 steals; PG Terrance Simmons-11 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb; C Joey Jones-11 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 2 steals.

Player of the Game: Loyola-Illinois’ C Brian Burrough-17 pts, 3 assists, 7 reb, 2 steals.

[PointGuard 70]

Cyndi Rayburn, Missouri State athletic department public relations

 

Game #12, Jan. 3, 2018: Northern Iowa Panthers (8-3, 2-0) at Missouri State Bears (3-8, 0-2)

With the way our team has been playing, it’s hard to create any positive PR. And now we have to take on the co-leaders in the Missouri Valley Conference. If we lose we take sole possession of last place in the conference. Not much way to get the media and fans excited if we do that. 

Even though they initially hailed his arrival, many in the local media are beginning to turn on Coach Vandergard, intimating he’s not cut out to lead the Bears to better times and that he’s in over his head by jumping up from Eastern Washington. People are asking, "What has Bret Vandergard done for US lately?"

Oh no, the Panthers even look good warming up.

The Bears put together a tight defense early in the game, preventing Northern Iowa from hitting a FG for first 9 minutes and 51 seconds of the game. This allowed the Bears to open a 12 to 6 lead. The Pathers made a run right after that to cut our lead to a single point. But the Bears slowly but surely expanded their lead to finish the half on top by a 37-24 score. We outshot Northern Iowa 57% to 28% and out-rebounded the Panthers 15-10. Terrance Simmons led our scoring with 7 points.

The Bears continued to play aggressively defensively and by the mid-point of the 2nd half had expanded their lead to 26 points. From there they coasted to their first win in conference play as they thrashed Northern Iowa, dropping them out of first place. The Bears hit 55% of their shots compared to the Panthers 38% shooting. Missouri State dominated the boards 32-20.

Final Score: Missouri State (4-8, 1-2, 5th place tie)—73, Northern Iowa—56.

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Terrance Simmons-12 pts, 6 assists, 3 reb; PF Ricky Lee-10 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; SF Aaron Wells-10 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 2 steals; SG Brent Gregory-10 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb; C Joey Jones-9 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb.

Player of the Game: PG Terrance Simmons-12 pts, 6 assists, 3 reb.

For Northern Iowa: SG Edwin Walton-16 pts.

[PointGuard 70]

 Meaghan Kriley, KSPK TV Investigative Reporter

 

I got an early morning call, waking me from a sound sleep this morning. The caller identified himself as Bobby Hendricks, owner of KSMO radio in Springfield, MO. He said he’d been watching some of my television news stories and found them to be daring, insightful and refreshing. I kept asking myself why he was calling me. 

He then said he was impressed with my on screen presence. He said his station had just shaken up its evening news crew and he felt I’d be a good addition as one of their co-anchors for the evening news. By then I was definitely awake and completely surprised. After regaining my composure we went into more depth on just what this meant. I ended the conversation by thanking him and letting him know I would give it some thought and get back to him with my decision.

Later that day I called Bret and told him what had happened. I asked him if he knew anything about this. He said no and he sounded as surprised about it as I had been. (I was happy about this because I don't want to be getting job offers based on Bret's help.) But he said he was sure I deserved the offer because he also felt my work was top-notch. He asked if I was going to accept the job offer. I told him that I still needed to research and consider it more.

[PointGuard 70]

Mike Martin, 2nd Assistant Coach

 

Game #13, Jan. 6, 2018: Missouri State Bears (4-8, 1-2) at Wichita State Shockers (7-5, 1-2)

I scouted the Shockers and feel they have a solid team. We match up well with them at the 2, 3 and 4 but they’re stronger at PG and C. Their C Hector Weaver is particularly strong on the boards and their PG Scott Tucker scores well (12.6 ppg) and feed the ball smoothly to others. Their top scorer is SG Anton Overton who is averaging 14.1 ppg. We’ve got a real challenge in trying to contain both their guards. Their primary set is the shuffle offense, but they also run the high post effectively. On defense they mostly employ man-to-man but mix in a 1-2-2 zone. They took on Louisville in the Las Vegas Jam Tournament, and even though they lost, they gave the Cardinals a real challenge. 

We controlled the boards in the first half (18-12). But we shot poorly (39%), Wichita State shot well (52%). We made too many turnovers (10), Wichita State didn’t (6). So after being competitive with the Shockers for the first 7 minutes, we then allowed them to gradually pull away. The half ended with us trailing 42-30. Our lone effective offensive weapon was Brent Gregory who scored 12 points, but he also picked up 3 fouls.

Things didn’t improve in the 2nd half. The Shockers opened 22 points leads several times. We made a few mini-runs that cut the margin to as low as 14 but were never truly in it.

Final Score: Wichita State-88, Missouri State (4-9, 1-3, 9th place tie)—68.

Leading Players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-21 pts, 4 reb; PG Terrance Simmons-9 pts, 2 assists,4 reb; Aaron Wells-8 pts, 3 reb.

Player of the Game: Wichita State’s PG Scott Tucker-26 pts, 3 assists, 6 reb, 1 steal.

Others for Wichita State: SG Anton Overton-17 pts.

Note: Rudy Cage and Aaron Wells got into an argument, the escalated to pushing and shoving and then some blows before teammates broke it up. Coach V called both into his office. Both players were contrite and got off with verbal warnings.

[PointGuard 70]

Bobby Hendricks, owner of KSMO radio in Springfield, MO

 

(phone conversation with Brenda Portman, Branson entertainer)

BH: Yes, Brenda, I called her.

BP: Well, did she accept?

BH: She asked a lot of questions and said she needed to think it over.

BP: What? She needs to think a great offer like this over? Offer her more money!

BH: Now Brenda. It’s not unusual for people to talk with others about these sorts of opportunities before deciding what they will do.

BP: All I can say, Bobby, is you damn well better lasso that woman and get her over here near Coach Vandergard.

[PointGuard 70]

Cal Phillips, Missouri State athletic department janitor

 

Game #14, Jan. 10, 2018: Illinois State Redbirds (9-4, 2-2) at Missouri State Bears (4-9, 1-3)

I see these guys playing all the time during practice, but don’t get to too many of their ballgames. I have a big family, so don’t have all that much time after getting done with work. I used to play a little ball. I like the guys, but they’re just a little soft. They need to toughen up and start asserting themselves more on the court. 

Coach V has a big challenge with this group. No stars in the bunch even though most all work hard. But Coach V’s spending way too much time here. Must not have any social life at all. I guess the first year coaching a team is tough, though. He’s been good with me. Treats me with respect unlike some of the coaches here in the past.

Rudy Cage is a real great guy and always has been. Hard worker, good personality. But something’s been bugging him lately. I’ve been talking with him some but he’s not opening up about it. As a walk-on, he doesn’t get to play much, but I don’t think that’s it.

Kenneth Grandison is a transfer so isn’t playing this year. But he’s practicing and working out here. He leaves stuff all over. I’m always having to pick up after him. I’d like to kick his butt sometimes.

I’d like to see the team win one tonight. They’ve had a hard season so far. But the Redbirds are a good team. They’ve beaten #12 UNLV, Stanford, and Georgia. Three of their starters are scoring in double figures: PG John Gresham, 13.1 ppg, SF Morris Cummings, 11.5 ppg, and PF Johnny Lindsey, 11.0 ppg. Yeah, not going to be an easy game for the Bears at all.

We started out good, taking a 12-6 lead, but then we got sloppy and let the Redbirds back into the game. Like I said, we’re too soft. Darned if our bench didn’t come on and give us a 6 point lead with 4 minutes to go in the first half. Starters came back out on the court and let the lead evaporate. We trailed 35-34 at the half. Too many turnovers (10). Brent Gregory and Terrance Simmons both had 7 points to lead our scoring. 

Brent Gregory came out hot in the 2nd half, scoring 7 points in the first 90 seconds to put the Bears ahead 41-35. We expanded the lead to 11 points with 17 minutes to play. Terrance Simmons then hit some big shots to give us a 53-41 lead with 15-1/2 minutes left. The lead then stayed in the 8-12 point lead from there on. The Bears outshot Illinois State 53% to 42%, out-rebounded them 34-23, and had a 13-12 turnover advantage. 

Final Score: Missouri State (5-9, 2-3, 5th place tie)—78, Illinois State—69.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-20 pts, 2 assists, 10 reb; PG Terrance Simmons-15 pts, 5 assists, 2 reb, 3 steals; C Joey Jones-10 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-20 pts, 2 assists, 10 reb (big double-double, particularly for a guard).

[PointGuard 70]

Don and Teri Kriley, Meaghan’s parents

 

We’re so happy.  Meaghan accepted the news anchor job for a TV station in Springfield, Missouri.  She said she had a hard time convincing herself to transition from investigative reporting, but thinks she still may get some opportunity to do some of that in her new position.  She has already moved back to Springfield and begins as the evening news co-anchor on January 16^th.  She said Bret Vandergard sounded very happy to have her coming back there.  We both like Bret, so hopefully they will hit it off again.

 

Meaghan is studying up on local cities, towns, and geography plus learning the names and backgrounds of key political players in the area and primary industry and organizational leaders. Transitioning to becoming a news anchor is a big challenge, but we have all the confidence in the world in our little girl.  She’s personable and warm and that will come across well on TV.

[PointGuard 70]

Tyson Rodero, play-by-play announcer for KSMO radio

 

Game #15, Jan. 13, 2018: Missouri State Bears (5-9, 2-3) at Bradley Braves (7-7, 2-3)

Welcome to Peoria, Illinois Bears’ fans. Tonight Missouri State takes on the Bradley Braves. Both teams are tied for 5th place in the Missouri Valley Conference with 2 and 3 records. In pre-conference play, Bradly had wins over Ohio State, New Mexico and Texas Tech as well as a loss to #20 Connecticut. But thus far they’ve been inconsistent in conference play. 

Bradley is led by center Kareem Buse who is averaging 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s supported by shooting guard Adam Ross who has chipped in 10.3 ppg and pulled down 4.4 rpg.
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The Bears control the tip. Simmons slings it over to Wells on the left side of the key. His jumper rims out but Gregory is right they to put it back up and in to draw first blood. 
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The Bears are playing some solid defense early in the game, but aren’t capitalizing much on it on the other end of the court. With 16:11 to play they lead 5-0 and have gotten to the foul line 8 times, but only knocked down 3 of those free throws. 
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Ricky Lee powers inside and puts up a 6 footer that drops to give the Bears a 31-21 lead with 90 seconds to go in the first half. 
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That’s the end of the first half. Missouri State has never relinquished the lead and finishes the half up 31-25. The Bears have done it primarily by controlling the boards 17-11 and outshooting the Braves 57% to 42%. Brent Gregory and Joey Jones are the top scorers for the Bears with 6 points apiece.
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The tide’s turned here in the 2nd half as the Braves have come out shooting and take their first lead of the game at 36-35 with 16:30 to play. The big home crowd is whooping it up..
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The wheels haven’t quite come off the cart for Missouri State but they are certainly wobbling. They trail 46-37 with 11 minutes left. 
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Hawkins sinks a long 3 for Bradley to open a double digit lead at 57-47 with 7:15 left in the game.
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Bradley hitting shots from all over the court. They now sport a 17 point lead with 4 minutes to go.
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The game finally comes to a merciful end. The 2nd half was all Bradley. After hitting just 42% of their shots in the first half, the Braves drop in 59% of their shots for the entire game. They were lights out from the field the entire 2nd half. They also forced the Bears to cough up 19 turnovers.
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Final Score: Bradley-77, Missouri State (5-10, 2-4, 8th place tie)—58.

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-12 pts, 8 reb; SG Brent Gregory-12 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-9 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb; SF Aaron Wells-8 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Bradley’s SG Adam Ross-17 pts, 6 assists, 1 reb, 3 steals.

Others for Bradley: C Kareem Buse-18 pts.

Injury: Brent Gregory strained his abductor muscle at the end of the game and may have to sit out the next game. But our trainers will be treating it aggressively in the hope he can be back when we meet the first place Drake Bulldogs.

Award: Joey Jones was selected as Freshman Player of the Week for the Missouri Valley Conference.

[PointGuard 70]

Cedric Hastings, owner of the Missourian Diner

 

Game #16, Jan. 17, 2018: Drake Bulldogs (11-4, 4-2) at Missouri State Bears (5-10, 2-4)

I’ve owned the Missourian Diner for 12 years but it’s an institution in Springfield. It opened in 1946 and I bought it from the original owners. Not only do we get a lot of students coming to our restaurant, but we also get many of the college’s administrative, educational and sports staff. 

I heard that SG Brent Gregory was injured but they just announced he will start. It’s possible his court time will be limited though, if he hasn’t fully recovered from the injury to his thigh. This team needs his presence on the court so hopefully he isn’t hampered by the injury.

Drake has been the strongest team thus far in the Missouri Valley Conference but has stumbled a bit on the road. The Bulldog’s SF Kevin Jackson and PF Karel Parker have combined for 21.8 ppg and 9.8 rpg. 

The Bears turn the ball over on their first 2 possessions. Fortunately Drake only scores off one of these. By the first TV time out though, the Bears have 5 turnovers and trail 8-6. If the Bears weren’t controlling the boards as they’ve done thus far, they’d be much further behind.

It looks like the Bears have decided to double team Kevin Jackson. That’s probably wise since he has hit a high percentage of his shots this season.
The two teams slugged it out throughout the first half with neither team able to gain a distinct advantage. Missouri State gained a slight advantage in the late going and took a 37-33 lead to the locker room. Joey Jones led the Bears scoring with 8 points.

The Bears applied a tough man-to-man defense and took a 49-37 lead with 13:44 remaining. From there on the Bears kept the Bulldogs at bay and late in the half added to their lead to score a big win over a good team. Missouri State out-rebounded Drake 34-19 and out-shot the Bulldogs 56% to 48%. 

The Bears held the Bulldogs’ top scorers, Jackson and Porter, to a combined 12 points.

Final Score: Missouri State (6-10, 3-4, 6th place tie)—78, Drake—60.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-15 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb; C Joey Jones-14 pts, 3 assists, 11 reb, 3 steals; PF Ricky Lee-11 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb, 3 steals; PF Jimmy Woni-10 pts, 3 reb, 1 steal; SF Aaron Wells-8 pts, 7 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: C Joey Jones-14 pts, 3 assists, 11 reb, 3 steals.