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

[PointGuard 70]

Cedric Hastings, owner of the Missourian Diner

 

I got one of the boosters to introduce me to Bret Vandergard after the game against Drake. The next day I invited him to join me for lunch at our diner. While we were eating lunch, Alexei Koramatsov came into the diner. Alexei is a “business” acquaintance and one I like to keep happy. So I invited him to join us at our table. Even before lunch was finished a small emergency cropped up in the kitchen, so I had to excuse myself. Alexei is a smooth talker with a good sense of humor, and I’m sure was happy to have a chance to talk with the new coach by himself. Although I had to attend to the employee problem, I stuck my head out every so often and noticed that the two guys seemed to be getting along well together and were enjoying each other’s company. Alexei is what I would have to call an “entrepreneur”, and one with whom I’ve had some dealings from time to time. About 2 pm, Bret found me and said he had to get going. Later, Alexei thanked me for inviting him over to the table, saying he hoped to get to know Bret better.

[PointGuard 70]

Torbern “Swede” Olaffson

 

Game #17, Jan. 20, 2018: Evansville Purple Aces (7-9, 2-5) at Missouri State Bears (6-10, 3-4)

It’s been a long time since I saw Bret. Eastern Washington didn’t make things easy for me to return as AD, and I finally just got fed up and retired. Catherine and I spent a month down in Florida this winter and are on our way back up north. But we decided this was a good chance to see how Bret was doing, so we flew to St. Louis and drove over to Springfield. Catherine made me promise that I’d take her to Branson for some shows as well.

Bret was happy to see us, but seems to be feeling some pressure here since the team hasn’t performed all that well yet. I reminded him that his first year at EWU wasn’t that frikkin’ smooth either. He just needs time to recruit some good players and whip them into shape. 

Evansville started the season with 5 straight wins, but has won just 2 of their next 11 games. PG Dylan Perry has carried the team, averaging 16.4 ppg. 

Bret is concerned since C Joey Jones, the Bears top rebounder and 2nd highest scorer, will be sitting out the game with a badly bruised arm, making the bench short for inside players.

Both teams shot well, but the Bears capitalized on Evansville’s turnovers to gradually pull away in the first half. By the time the buzzer sounded, Missouri State led 46-28. The Bears hit 60% of their shots, but the 11-4 turnover advantage was the telling factor. Rudy Cage came off the bench and scored 9 points in 9 minutes of play to lead the Bears’ scoring.

Bret brought me down into the locker room at the intermission. While he praised his players, he rode them to stay aggressive in the 2nd half.

The Bears continued to harass the Purple Aces in the 2nd half and built a 30 point lead. But Evansville made a late run to cut the deficit but the game was never in doubt.

Catherine was thrilled when Bret introduced us to Brenda and Buddy Portman after the game. They gave us front row tickets to their Branson show tomorrow.

Final Score: Missouri State (7-10, 4-4, 5th place tie)—75, Evansville—60.

Leading players for Missouri State: Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; Ricky Lee-13 pts, 5 rebounds; SG Rudy Cage-11 pts, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2 steals; C Donte Hartsfield-11 pts, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals; PG Terrance Simmons-8 pts, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal.
Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals.

For Evansville: PG Dylan Perry-17 points.

Award: Joey Jones was selected as the Missouri Valley Freshman Player of the Week. Thus far this season, the Bears have pretty much owned this award with Ricky Lee being awarded it 4 times, Joey Jones 3 times and Donte Hartfield once.

[PointGuard 70]

Meaghan Kriley, news anchor for KSMO-TV

 

Bret invited me to dinner at the Flame Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Springfield on Sunday. It was the first time I’d seen him since getting to Springfield. But he’s been busy with the team and I’ve been overwhelmed by trying to develop quick knowledge about the Springfield area and the key people and issues.

It took us a little while to get comfortable with each other again, but by the end of dinner things were nearly back to normal. Bret said he had been watching me on the news broadcasts and was very impressed. It was kind of him to say so, but to be honest, I’ve been under a lot of stress and I’m sure it has shown. I’m glad I spent time with Connie Strickland, an experienced newscaster in Spokane, before I left. I’m sure that her tips have kept me from making at least some of the typical rookie mistakes. Bill Crandall, my partner on the broadcast tries to be a down-home type of guy but doesn’t carry it off all that well. I don’t think he’s happy that I’ve been brought in and he has been somewhat dismissive at times. Danny Borrell, our primary weatherman, has been very nice and helpful and his sense of humor has lightened things during our broadcasts. Steve Piersall, our sports anchor, knows his sports but not much else. With Bret's team having won their last two games, Steve has pulled away from some vicious critiques of the Bears and Bret that were his bread-and-butter in the past.

Bret’s team plays both of their games on the road next week, so he will be out of the area almost the entire week. Since his team has only won 1 of 9 games they've played on the road, Bret says he will be ecstatic if they come away with one win this coming week. 

He still professes not to have had any influence on my being hired for this job. He said when he returns, he will introduce me to some people he knows in the area.

[PointGuard 70]

Paris George, 3rd Assistant Coach

 

Game #18, Jan. 24, 2018: Missouri State Bears (7-10, 4-4) at Southern Illinois Salukis (10-7, 5-3)

The Salukis are tough at home, losing just one game thus far on their own court. They have pre-conference wins over Virginia and Notre Dame and are in a 3-way dog fight for 1st place in our conference.

They have 3 players averaging in double figures, but one is on academic probation. They score most of their points outside. PG Shannon Preston is averaging 10.4 ppg and SG Brandon Penders is scoring 11.6 ppg. Penders is hitting 48% of his 3’s, so we’re going to try to keep him closely guarded. They play a deliberate offense and employ a 1-3-1 zone on defense.

Southern Illinois hits their first 3 shots to take an 8-2 lead. We fight back but then turn the ball over on 3 straight possessions, resulting in 6 quick points for the Salukis and we trail 16-7 with 15:14 to go in the first half. The Salukis decimate our defense and sport a 49-31 halftime lead, hitting 61% of their shots from the field (including 57% of their 3’s). We turn the ball over 11 times to Southern Illinois’ 5 turnovers. Their perimeter players account for 36 of their 49 points with Shannon Preston dropping in 12 points to lead all scorers. Joey Jones and Greg Fisher both have 6 points for us.

During the halftime intermission, 6 of our 11 players come down with food poisoning. So we play the entire 2nd half with just 5 players. Those 5 guys (Fisher, Simmons, Wells, Earl and Hartfield—two starters and 3 reserves) play a helluva half. Their names will go down in Bears’ legend as Iron Men. While dog-tired at the end of the game, the Iron Men rally to pull off a 2 point come-from-way-behind victory. When you look at the stats, it just doesn’t make sense, particularly since we had a 26-9 turnover deficit, were outshot 56% to 50%, only hit 2 of 13 three-point attempts, and were whistled for 20 fouls while the Salukis had just 9 fouls called against themselves. But those 5 Iron Men simply played their hearts out and stopped the Salukis with a resounding 37-17 second half. HOW they did it is less important than THAT they did it. Do you believe in magic?

Final Score: Missouri State (8-10, 5-4, 3rd place tie)—68, Southern Illinois—66.

Leading players for Missouri State: C Donte Hartfield-15 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 2 steals, 1 block; PG/SG Greg Fisher-11 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 3 steals; PF David Earl-10 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 2 steals; PF Aaron Wells-8 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb, 1 steal; PG Terrance Simmons-6 pts, 4 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: C Donte Hartfield-15 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 2 steals, 1 block.

[Note: While trying to return to the game screen from the stats screen at the half, I did something (or the game did something) that caused the main home screen to cover most all of the game screen and I was not be able to get rid of it. I could just see the very bottom of the game screen and the very top of the game screen. So I just kept clicking the advance button on each stoppage of play without knowing what was happening in the game. When the game ended, the main home screen fortunately disappeared so I could see the final score, team stats and player stats pages. I nearly fell over when I saw what happened! And hence, the story of the 6 players coming down with food poisoning.]

[PointGuard 70]

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

 

Game #19, Nov. 27, 2018: Missouri State Bears (8-10, 5-4) at Indiana State Sycamores (7-11, 4-5)

Heya Bears sports fans! Glad to have you listening in to tonight’s game as your Bears take on the Indiana State Sycamores in Terre Haute. After Missouri State’s rousing victory when the Bears’ Iron Men snatched a victory from sure defeat in the 2nd half, should we expect Coach Vandergard to begin playing a short bench?

And here’s an oddity: All other Missouri Valley Conference teams played afternoon games today, so this is the final game of the day. And…there now is a 4-way tie for first place in the conference. If Missouri State pulls out another victory tonight they will move up into a 5-way tie for first place in the topsy-turvy conference. If they lose they will drop into a 4-way tie for 5th place (along with tonight’s opponent).

Rather than starting the Iron Men quintet, Coach Vandergard is putting his usual starting 5 on the court tonight. In their first meeting against the Sycamores this season, the Bears fell to an 81-67 loss on their own court. They may be hell-bent on revenge for this game. The Bears come into tonight’s game with a 3-game win streak and the Sycamores have won their last 2 games. Indiana State is led by C Jared Cox who is averaging 14.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
******
Again the Bears get themselves a hole early falling behind 6-2 after just 90 seconds of play. 
******
Joey Jones slices through congestion to throw down a power dunk and tie the game at 8-8.
******
The Sycamores continue to take advantage of Bears’ miscues. Indiana State’s two big men have now scored a total of 15 points and the Sycamores lead 22-11. Coach Vandergard calls a time out with 9 minutes left in the half to rally his troops.
******
The buzzer sounds to end the half. The Bears have to be happy to have that 20 minutes finished. They trail 36-17 after turning the ball over 12 times and hitting just 33% of their shots. Brent Gregory scored 7 points to lead the Bears offensively.
******
Indiana State continues to pour it on. Aaron Canty’s dunk puts them up by 29 at 53-24. Coach Vandergard is shaking his head on the sidelines.
******
Missouri State’s mini-comeback continues as Ricky Lee hits a 7 foot jumper from the left side of the key to reduce the Sycamores’ lead to 59-43 with 1:42 to go.
******
That wraps it up. The Bears offense never got in gear tonight and they lose and drop into a 5th place tie.
******
Post-game on-court interview of Coach Bret Vandergard (BV) by Tyson Rodero (TR):

TR: You never were in this game. What happened out there tonight?
BV: I wish I knew. We just came out flat. Maybe some of the guys still haven’t completely recovered from their food poisoning episode. But more likely, after we fell behind early, the crowd came alive for the Sycamores, and we just never recovered. OK, Tyson, I've got to get into the locker room now.
******
Final Score: Indiana State—63, Missouri State (8-11, 5-5, 5th place tie)—47.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-16 pts, 5 assists, 4 reb; C Dante Hartfield-12 pts, 4 reb.

Player of the Game: Indiana State’s C Jared Cox-19 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Award: Donte Hartfield was named the Missouri Valley Freshman Player of the Week as our interior guys continue to “own” that award.

[PointGuard 70]

Brenda Blankenship, Go Bears Fan Club member

 

Game #20, Jan. 31, 2018: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (10-9, 6-4) at Missouri State Bears (8-11, 5-5)

The “Go Bears Fan Club” had a BBQ buffet dinner here at the college before tonight’s game, so that brought out almost all of the members. A number of them drank plenty so they’ll be whooping and hollering throughout the game.
I’m happy that Joey Jones has emerged as the starting center. He seems like such a nice guy.

The Ramblers beat our Bears 73-66 when they played earlier this year in Chicago, so we’re all hoping the Bears have some pay-back in them.

We got out to a 16-4 lead with 13 minutes to play as Brent Gregory chipped in 8 quick points. Loyola-Chicago scored the next 7 points, but the Bears regained the momentum and re-established their double digit lead. The half ened with the Bears leading 35-25. Brent Gregory was hot and scored 16 points.

When the Bears shooting went ice-cold and with Loyola-Chicago dominating the boards, the Ramblers made a run that cut our lead to 43-41 with 12:20 remaining. The Bears re-opened a 7 point lead but then the Ramblers came back to cut the lead to 1 point with 6 minutes remaining. The game remained closed but in the last 3 minutes the Bears pulled away to as much as an 8 point lead and hung on to win a close game.

Final Score: Missouri State (9-11, 6-5, 4th place tie)—68, Loyola-Chicago—64.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-27 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 2 steals; PG Terrance Simmons-9 pts, 4 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals; SF Aaron Wells-8 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-27 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 2 steals.

For Loyola-Chicago: C Brian Burrough-18 points and 13 rebounds.

[PointGuard 70]

Quote on the Wolverine Studios forums:

Originally Posted by bloomington 

Pity you missed what sounded like an exciting end to the game against Southern Illinois! It's probably better u weren't in control at the end - score might have turned out the other way around :P

LOL...all too true!

Funny thing is that when the screen came back to show the final score, I first thought we LOST 68-66 and was happy and surprised to see that we had come so close. It wasn't until I looked at it a 2nd time that I realized we had won.

[PointGuard 70]

Meaghan Kriley, news anchor for KSMO-TV

 

Bret took me to a party in Branson at the home of Buddy and Brenda Portman.  They are performers in Branson with their own theater.  They are both VERY country, not only with their music but their entire demeanor.  Brenda was a hoot.  She likes to joke and kid around.  She gave Bret a hard time about keeping me hidden away in Washington. 

 

Everyone at the party was very friendly.  They’re definitely big partiers.  One guy, Alexei Koramatsov, talked with Bret a lot.  But I thought he was a bit too friendly with me.  Nobody else noticed though, so I guess that I was overly-sensitive.

[PointGuard 70]

Buzz Moriarity, Missouri State Athletic Director

 

Game #21, Feb. 3, 2018: Missouri State Bears (9-11, 6-5) at Northern Iowa Panthers (11-9, 5-6)

I accompanied the team to Cedar Falls since there were some Missouri Valley Conference meetings there this week. 

We beat the Panthers on our own court 73-66 earlier this season. Northern Iowa is led by SG Edwin Walton who is averaging 14.0 ppg. I hope we can win some of the remaining away games so that we can get a good seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

We played well in the first half but not good enough to escape with a lead. Instead we trailed 32-26. Aaron Wells led our scoring with 9 points, but we’d let Edwin Walton get free too much and allowed him to score 12 points.

In the 2nd half, we simply got out-played. Northern Iowa steadily pulled away to win going away.

Final Score: Northern Iowa—75, Missouri State (9-12, 6-6, 5th place tie)—56.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Terrance Simmons-13 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-13 pts, 4 reb; C Joey Jones-9 pts, 4 reb; SF Aaron Wells-9 pts, 1 assist, 5 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Cedric Hastings, owner of the Missourian Diner, and Alexei Koramatsov, “entrepreneur”

 

Game #22, Feb. 7, 2018: Wichita State Shockers (13-8, 7-5) at Missouri State Bears (9-12, 6-6)

CH: Hey Alexei, glad you could join me for the game here.

AK: Thanks for getting the tickets, Cedric. Great seats! Did you get the bet down?

CH: Yes, I put down $500 on Wichita State.

AK: (Shocked look) What? I told you that even though the Shockers are the favorites, that from the tidbits I was able to pick up, the Bears are at full strength now. And their poor play in their last game had made them the underdogs. No better time to put some money on them since they’re playing at home. I put down a thou on them to win.

CH: Oh, I misunderstood you. Well, too late now. I guess we’ll be rooting for different teams tonight.

AK: (laughing). I think you’re gonna be crying by the end of this game, Cedric.

CH: I wouldn’t be so sure, Alexei. The Shockers have a 3 game win streak going and they beat the Bears by 20 the last time they played.

AK: Yes, but that was on their own court.

CH: Scott Tucker put in 26 against the Bears in their other meeting and for the season he’s being outscored by Anton Overton. So Wichita State has quite the 1-2 punch.

AK: Well if Tucker has another game like that, I’ll be surprised. I bet Vandergard puts the clamps on him.

CH: OK, the games underway.

AK: And look at that, the Bears control the tip, bring it down and immediately work the ball inside to Ricky Lee. He blew the shot, but grabbed his own rebound and stuffed it back in and got fouled besides. 3 points for the Bears on their first possession!

AK: 7-0 Bears! That $500 is slipping away from you, Cedric.

CH: Yeah, yeah.

AK: Brent Gregory looks focused…6 points in the first 3 minutes.

CH: Damn! That’s the 5th turnover by the Shockers and we’re not even halfway through the first half. And they bring in Greg Fisher and he immediately gets free for a nice jumper that puts Missouri State up 24-12.

AK: What the hell. 4 turnovers by the Bears in their last 5 possessions. Come on! Settle down out there!

CH: I thought the Shockers were going to get this game close, but they’re still trailing 40-29 at the half. But at least they aren’t behind by 16 like they were earlier in the half. Alexei, Wichita State might get their act together in the 2nd half. 

AK: They’re going to have to if they want a chance in this game. The Bears have an advantage in every team stat and hit 57% of their shots compared to the Shockers 40% shooting in the first half. Brent Gregory cooled off, but he still leads all scorers with 9 points.

CH: OK, let’s get going Shockers! Otherwise I’ve gotta get 10-20 more customers in for lunch tomorrow to replace the $500.

AK: Look at that defense the Bears are playing! They’re completely frustrating Wichita State!

CH: OK, the Shockers now trail by 22 points. Looks like you were right, Alexei.

AK: Yes, the Bears not only are playing strong defensively but they are completely controlling the boards. If they weren’t throwing the ball away so much they’d be up by 30 or more. Next time when I tell you how to bet on a game, don't be a dumb ass and only half listen. I know what I'm talking about!

CH: Yeah, the only way they are scoring in this half is by fast breaks off the turnovers.

AK: Yesssss, game over. Bingo! Now I can go collect on my bet! Come with me, Cedric, I’m buying at the Club. And hey (laughing), did you notice that Scott Tucker was held to just 6 points in this game?

Final Score: Missouri State (10-12, 7-6, 3rd place tie)—70, Wichita State—51.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-20 pts, 3 assists, 7 reb, 4 steals; PF Ricky Lee-12 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-8 pts, 1 reb.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-20 pts, 3 assists, 7 reb, 4 steals.

[PointGuard 70]

Meaghan Kriley, KSMO TV News Anchor

 

(parts of a conversation with Bret Vandergard and Alexei Koramatsov)

AK: Hey Meaghan and Caoch! Glad to have you aboard my boat. What do you think of her?

BV: Very sleek. This must have set you back a pretty penny.

AK: (Laughing). What’s money for if not to spend? You like the power, Meaghan?

MK: Looks like most of the other boats out here on the lake are fishing to me.

AK: Yeah, yokels. They don’t like the noise and speed of my boat. But hell, I could make a sharp turn at full throttle up close to them and wash them down if I wanted. But I’m too nice a guy to do that.

MK: Ahh. I’m glad you informed me of that.

AK: It’s fortunate we have this unseasonably warm weather so we can enjoy a day out on the lake in February. When are you flying to Illinois for the game, Coach?

BV: Head up there tomorrow afternoon.

AK: They say the Redbirds are pretty good this year.

BV: You got that right. They’re 15-7 so far and likely will be in the running for the conference championship.

AK: So you giving in already, Coach? Aren’t all your guys at 100% physically? Don’t you have some surprises for them?

BV: I wish we did, Alexei. And yes, everyone’s fine...but our guys are going to have to put together a solid team effort if we are to have a chance.

AK: Didn’t Brent Gregory get a big double-double, something like 20 points and 10 boards, when you beat them on your home court?

BV: Good memory, Alexei. Yes, Brent had a fantastic game that would be hard to duplicate.

AK: Hell Coach, you’re only a game behind them in the conference. You take them and you’re in 2nd place in the Missouri Valley. What do you think, Meaghan? This guy have it in him to beat a prohibitive favorite on his own court?

MK: He’s got some previous experience doing exactly that! I wouldn’t rule him out against anybody.

AK: Good point, but times change, Megs.

MK: It’s Meaghan.

AK: (throttling the boat to nearly full power and smiling) Here’s just a taste of what my.........boat........can do, Ms Kriley.

MK: I hear big noisy engines like this have a penchant to fail when it’s crunch time. It would be a shame if we had to be towed in by one of these little fishing boats.

AK: Not to worry, Megs...err....I mean, Ms Kriley. Failure is not an option. Hold the wheel, I’m going to go get some champagne from the cooler so we can toast to a great ride.

[PointGuard 70]

Article in the Springfield News-Leader by Rob Porter, Sports Writer

 

Game #23, Feb. 10, 2018: Missouri State Bears (10-12, 7-6) at Illinois State Redbirds (15-7, 8-5)

Last night the Missouri State Bears travelled to Normal, Illinois to take on the Illinois State Redbirds in a battle for move up to 2nd place in the Missouri Valley Conference. They were greeted by a large, boisterous crowd at Redbird Arena. 

Illinois State jumped out to a 15-2 lead and then expanded it to 24-4. Even though the Bears got their balance at that point, they couldn’t make much of a dent in the score and trailed 38-20 at the half. Joey Jones and Ricky Lee both had 5 first-half points.

The Redbirds held onto their lead throughout most of the 2nd half and never let the Bears make a serious challenge. With the loss, the Bears dropped into a tied for 4th place in the conference.

“We put ourselves in a deep hole early in the first half. While we fought hard to climb out of it, Illinois State never folded,” said Bears’ center Joey Jones.

Final Score: Illinois State—71, Missouri State (10-13, 7-7, 4th place tie)—55.

Leading players for Missouri State: PF Ricky Lee-12 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-11 pts, 7 reb, 1 steal; SG Brent Gregory-8 pts, 2 reb.

Player of the Game: Illinois State’s SF Morris Cummings-21 pts, 3 reb.

Award: PF Ricky Lee was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Player of the Week for the 5th time this season.

[PointGuard 70]

Larry Montgomery, 2nd assistant coach at Eastern Washington University

 

(Phone call to Coach Bret Vandergard)

LM: Hey Coach, good to talk with you. I’ve been watching how your team has been doing and they seem to be getting stronger throughout the season.

BV: Yes, we definitely have less talent than at Eastern Washington, but these guys are hard workers. I’ve been continually checking out how the Eagles do and you’re having quite the season. 21-4! Congratulations!

LM: Thanks. Things have gone well and we presently have a 12 game win streak. But a lot of that success has to be credited to you since all of our players were recruited during your tenure.

BV: Twelve straight wins means the scout is doing a great job, but you did that while I was there as well. It’s nice to see EWU ranked. What are you now?

LM: Ranked #22 and our RPI is 19th best in the country.

BV: Larry, pass along my best wishes to the players and let Grant Wane know that I think he’s done a great job with the team. I hope to see you guys make a deep run in the Big Dance this year.

[PointGuard 70]

Bryson Chambers, state legislator representing Springfield

 

Game #24, Feb. 14, 2018: Bradley Braves (10-13, 5-9) at Missouri State Bears (10-13, 7-7)

I’m not a basketball fan. But this is my home district and as y’all know, raising campaign funds is a 24/7 job for elected politicians. So here I am, sitting on a hard seat and anticipating a couple hours of pure drudgery having to watch a bunch of big tall guys run up and down a court. But there are a lot of deep pocket constituents that come to Missouri State basketball games, so it’s good for them to see me here and think I love what they love. Oh yeah, just remembered, I gotta keep smiling.

Springfield mayor, Spencer Goodwin, is sitting next to me and says the Bears lost to the Braves 77-58 earlier this season. Well, it’s just a damned game…it’s nothing like high-stake politics.

Just 7-1/2 minutes into this game and the Bears sport a 14-5 lead. I was right, this game is not my cup of tea. I decide to make the rounds and slap some backs and visit with some of the people I hope will help fund my next campaign. The noisy crowd quieted down toward the end of the first half, as the Braves cut into Missouri State’s lead. At halftime, Missouri State was ahead just 28-25. PF Ricky Lee was the top scorer for the Bears with 10 points, in case anyone really cares.

Bradley took the lead at 40-38 with 13-1/2 minutes left in the game. Later SG Brent Gregory hit a long shot from the corner. Those 3 points put the Bears ahead 62-57 with just under 4 minutes to go. The Bears held on to make the crowd happy. And that makes me happy, since they’re more likely to be generous in their giving at my post-game fundraiser.

Final Score: Missouri State (11-13, 8-7, 4TH place tie)—72, Bradley—67.

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-20 pts, 1 assist, 11 reb; PF Ricky Lee-19 pts, 3 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: C Joey Jones-20 pts, 1 assist, 11 reb. (Nice double-double)

For Bradley: SG Adam Ross-17 pts.

[PointGuard 70]

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

 

FB: Hey sports fans, we have Coach Bret Vandergard with us this morning. His team pulled out a 72-67 win over the Bradley Braves last night. Congratulations, Coach, nice comeback win.

BV: Thanks Flash. We played well early in the first half and late in the second half, but had a let down during the middle 20 minutes of the game. We’re going to be working on that this week.

FB: That’s a sound strategy Coach since you now travel up to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Drake Bulldogs later this week. 

BV: Yes, this is our second straight road game against some of the strongest competition in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake still has a chance to finish atop the conference standings but can’t afford another loss so I expect them to be mighty tough. We also beat them 78-60 when they came here to play earlier this season. So they will be looking for some payback.

FB: Who do you need to control most on that team?

BV: Pretty much everyone since it’s a real team-effort on their part. But their best scorer is PF Kevin Jackson and he routinely drops in from 10-20 points each game, and does so very efficiently, as well as pulling down more than his share of rebounds.

FB: We have a caller with a question, Coach…Josh, you there and are you ready to ask Coach Vandergard your question?
Josh: Oh, how you doing Flash? Sure nice of you to give me a chance to talk with the coach this morning. This is the first time I’ve ever called in.

FB: Ring-a-ding-ding…yet a new caller for our program! So what’s your question, Josh?

Josh: Uhhh, well…let me see….ummm, Coach…

FB: Just ask your question, Josh.

Josh: OK, OK…Why don’t you settle on one point guard? You keep interchanging Simmons and Fisher.

BV: That’s because those two guys are pretty evenly talented. They have different skill sets but both run the team well. And having fresh legs on the court is a good thing, so I’ve found it best to shuttle them in and out. And when one of them has run into foul trouble, we’ve slipped Brent Gregory over from SG to PG and he’s also done a good job running the team.

FB: Thanks for calling in Josh. Oh, we have another caller. What’s your question, Alex?

Alexei: Flash, actually my name is Alexei. Hey Coach, you’ve only won 2 of 13 road games. What are you going to do for this game to turn that around when you play Drake?

BV: Alexei, you do get around, don’t you! To answer your question…I think in order for us to have a good chance against Drake, we’re going to have to play 40 minutes of lock-down defense. They like to run the high post and Kevin Jackson is a good shot from outside, but we need to pound the boards when their big guys are outside. Their perimeter players are very good at getting inside and scoring, so our outside defenders need to stick to them like glue. Unfortunately the Bulldogs are 10-1 at home this season, so every one of our guys is going to have to step up for this game. 

FB: Time for a commercial. Thanks Coach for talking with us this morning.

[PointGuard 70]

Paris George, 3rd Assistant Coach

 

Game #25, Feb. 17, 2018: Missouri State Bears (11-13, 8-7) at Drake Bulldogs (16-8, 9-6)

We jump out to a 10-4 lead after 4-1/2 minutes of play. Even though Kevin Jackson scores 4, we hold the rest of the Bulldogs scoreless with solid m-2-m and 3-2 zone defense. Damn, we go 9 minutes without making a turnover, and I mention how good we are doing to Coach V. The next two possessions result in 2 turnovers. The Bulldogs cut our lead to 4 a few times, but our defense remains solid throwing Drake off-balance, and we continue to connect from the field. With 4 minutes to play in the half we sport a 32-19 lead. We got sloppy from there on and Drake pulled to within 4 at the half, 36-32. Drake hit all 7 of their free throws. We got 3 more free throw attempts but scored 3 less points at the line. Again our free throw shooting was atrocious, 4 of 10. We outshot the Bulldogs from the field 58% to 42%, though. SG Brent Gregory scored 11 points to lead us offensively. Drake had two players in double figures, reserve SG Drew Brown with 12 and PF Kevin Jackson with 10.

Drake scores on two quick put-backs at the very beginning of the 2nd half to knot it up at 36-36. The refs tag us with 6 fouls in the first 3-1/2 minutes of the 2nd half allowing Drake to take a 43-41 lead. Kevin Jackson gets hot and we drop behind by 7 points with 11 minutes to play. We drop our m-2-m defense, and employ our 3-2 zone. It works initially and we cut into their lead, but the refs continue to whistle us and send the Bulldogs to the line where they connect. We drop behind by 12 with 5 minutes to go. With the refs rewarding the Bulldogs with free throws, it’s a margin we can not overcome. For the half, Drake goes to the line 20 times to our 4 times. For the game the Bulldogs sink 24 of their 27 free throw attempts and score 17 more points at the line than do we.

Final Score: Drake--79, Missouri State (11-14, 8-8, 5th place tie)—67.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-16 pts, 3 assists, 5 reb, 1 steal; PG Terrance Simmons-13 pts, 4 assists, 1 reb; C Joey Jones-10 pts, 5 reb; C Donte Hartfield-10 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

Player of the Game: Drake’s PF Kevin Jackson-22 pts, 1 assist, 9 reb, 1 steal, 2 blocks.

Also for Drake: SG Drew Brown-15 pts.

[PointGuard 70]

Jakes Varner, millworker, and Coot Corrigan, handyman

 

(Jakes and Coot meet at their favorite watering hole, the Dew Drop Inn)

JV: Didja see the Bears lost another game last night?

CC: Yeah, heard about it today from Old Carl Belkins while I was workin’ over at their place on Mapes Avenue. Old Carl said Mizzoo State had a big lead early in the game and then blew it. Old Carl was fit to be tied.

JV: It’s getting pitiful the way that team’s a playin’. I thought they brought that new coach in to turn things around and finally make the Bears winners. But they ain’t even close to playin’ .500 ball. So what’s that Vandergard done for us lately?

CC: I’m not surprised. Vandergarden, huh? Sounds Dutchie to me. They should just stick to growin’ tulips. The Dutch don’t know nuthin’ about basketball, do they? 

JV: Obviously not! Hell, we ain’t even gonna contend for the MVC crown, let alone get to play some games in March.

CC: They should oughta hired that coach at Ridgeway High School instead of Vander-whatever. That Ridgeway guy’s a coach! Won them a bunch of state championships. Not only that but the guy grew up right here in Springfield.

JV: Yeah, you might be right. And damned sure he coulda recruited the hell out of all of Missouri and probably Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Tennessee too. The way that Ridgeway team plays, kids from all round these parts gotta know about that coach.

CC: If’n those administrators over at Mizzoo State knew anything atall, they’d fire Vander-whats-his-name, and go after that Ridgeway coach so we could have a good ball team next year.

JV: Maybe you should tell ‘em, Coot. Seems to me I recall you did some work over at Buzz Moriarity’s place a while back and he’s the AD there. 

CC: Well, don’t think I got an in there, Jakes. He and I had a fallin’ out over things. The guy’s a cheap SOB.

JV: What the hell good are you then, Coot? Here I thought I had a guy who could straighten things out a bit and you let me down.

CC: Don’t get your tail in a knot. You buyin’ today, aren’tja?

[PointGuard 70]

Steve Piersall, KSMO TV sports anchor

 

Game #26, Feb. 19, 2018: Drexel Dragons (12-13) at Missouri State Bears (11-14)

They called last night’s game between Missouri State and Drexel a Bracket Breaker game. But let’s be realistic. Unless either of these teams wins their conference tournament, they aren’t going to the Big Dance. 

And both teams played like it. Neither team scored from the floor for the first 3 minutes of the game. After 10 minutes of lackadaisical play, the Bears finally got their act together and pulled ahead to take a 34-25 halftime advantage with SG Brent Gregory garnering high point honors with 7 points.

The Bears were totally out-hustled again by the Dragons in the early stages of the 2nd half. The Bears held Drexel off, but then in the final 2 minutes the Dragons made a run that cut the lead to 1 with a minute to play. But fortunately for Coach Vandergard’s team, the Dragons ran out of gas during the final minute.

Final Score: Missouri State (12-14)—63, Drexel—60.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-14 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals; PF Ricky Lee-11 pts, 2 reb; PG Terrance Simmons-7 pts, 5 assists, 5 reb; PF Jimmy Woni-8 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-14 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals.

For Drexel: C Jerome Nixon-17 pts, 6 reb.

[PointGuard 70]

Alexei Koramatsov, “entrepreneur”

 

Game #27, Feb. 21, 2018: Missouri State Bears (12-14, 8-8) at Evansville Purple Aces (9-16, 4-12)

I have a big bet down tonight on this game. My sources say that Missouri State is fired up to finish the season at .500 and have a winning record in the MVC. That would require them to win tonight (as well as their final home game). I found an Evansville fan who is sure the Purple Aces will win at home.

Neither team can gain an advantage in the early going of the game. Finally at the 8 minute mark of the 1st half, Missouri State takes a 24-19 lead, the first time in the game that either team has been ahead by more than 3 points. That seems to have lit a fire within the Bears since they then exploded and expanded their lead to 13 points 3 minutes later. The half ends with Missouri State in control 39-29. PF Ricky Lee scored 13 points for the Bears.

Evansville gradually cut into the Bears’ lead in the 2nd half and with 10 minutes to go they trail by just 2 points. Then with 5-1/2 minutes left, Evansville takes a 58-57 lead. Brent Gregory sinks 2 free throws to tie the game 63-63 with 1:17 remaining. Aaron Wells then stole a pass in the key and outlets it quickly to Brent Gregory who dives down court for a layup to put the Bears up 65-63 with 39 seconds on the clock. After a missed shot by the Purple Aces and resulting rebound by Ricky Lee, Terrance Simmons is intentionally fouled with 21 ticks to go. Simmons calmly knocks down both free throws. Evansville is unable to convert on their next possession and that locked up the game for Missouri State. And I collect on my bet.

Final Score: Missouri State (13-14, 9-8, 5th place tie)—67, Evansville—63.

Leading players for Missouri State: PF Ricky Lee-15 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb; SG Brent Gregory-15 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; SG Rudy Cage-9 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-15 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

[PointGuard 70]

Buzz Moriarity, Missouri State Athletic Director

 

Game #28, Feb. 24, 2018: Southern Illinois Salukis (19-8, 13-4) at Missouri Valley Bears (13-14, 9-8)

I’d sure like to see us win tonight. But it will be a tough game for us even though we are playing at home. Southern Illinois is the cream of the MVC this year and locked up the conference championship long ago. But we surprised them with a come-from-behind win earlier this year. Since that game, though, the Salukis have reeled off 9 straight wins with all but one of those being by more than a 10 point margin of victory. Southern Illinois scores well from outside. Both of their starting guards, PG Shannon Preston and SG Brandon Penders, are averaging more than 12 ppg.

Coach V is starting Greg Fisher back at PG, probably because he’s a graduating senior and this will be his final home game. Greg also played well against the Salukis in the first game between the two teams this season.

Well, so much for my pre-game assessment. The Salukis score their first 12 points inside. But the Bears had scored 19 by that point. But by the 6 minute mark, Southern Illinois had garnered the lead. The half ends in a 35-35 tie. The Bears outshoot and out-rebound the Salukis but turn the ball over 12 times. C Joey Jones led our scoring with 10 points.

The 2nd half is a real barn-burner as the lead goes back-and-forth. But with 3 minutes to play, Aaron Wells scores to give us a 59-53 lead. A minute-and-a-half later though, Southern Illinois cuts our lead to 61-59. With 48 seconds remaining, the Salukies make one of two free throws to further reduce our lead to 61-60. We turn the ball over and Southern Illinois works the ball inside for a 2 footer that drops to put them ahead 62-61 with 19 seconds to go. We call a time out and the pick and roll works to perfection as Terrance Simmons gets free for a 14 foot jumper than puts us back ahead by a point. The Salukis take their time and work the ball around putting up a 10 footer with 3 seconds to go and it slips through the silks. A disappointing loss. Even though we controlled the boards 31-21, we had 21 turnover to the Salukis’ 14. But the refs called 20 fouls on us compared to just 10 against Southern Illinois. That put the Salukis on the line 12 more times where they scored 9 more points that did we.

Final Score: Southern Illinois—64, Missouri State (13-15, 9-9, 5th place tie)—63.

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-16 pts, 6 reb; SF Aaron Wells-15 pts, 7 reb; SG Brent Gregory-10 pts, 1 assist,1 reb.

Player of the Game: Southern Illinois’ SG Brandon Penders-14 pts, 3 assists, 5 reb, 6 steals.

[PointGuard 70]

MVC Standings

 

Here's the final standing in the Missouri Valley Conference for the 2017-2018 season:



The loss in our last game dropped us into a 3-way tie for 5th place, but the tie-breakers seeded us 7th in the conference which means we have to play one of the play-in games for the MVC Tourney. 

[PointGuard 70]

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament

 

Play-in Games:

Bradley Braves (11-16, 6-12) vs Indiana State Sycamores (10-17, 7-11): The game was close in the early going, but Bradley then got stingy defensively to allow them to pull ahead 39-29 at the half. The Braves quickly opened a 23 point lead in the 2nd half and then gamely held on to win 73-58. Adam Rose scored 18 for Bradley. Jared Cox scored 23 and grabbed 7 rebounds for Indiana State.


Janice Conlan, sports anchor for KSPR TV in Springfield, MO

Game #29, Mar. 3, 2018: Evansville Purple Aces (9-18, 4-14) vs Missouri State Bears (13-15, 9-9)

In the play-in round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Missouri State faced Evansville, the doormats of the MVC this season. In their previous two meetings this season, the Bears beat the Purple Aces 75-60 and 67-63.

Missouri State struggled early and fell behind 21-8 midway through the first half. They then mounted a spirited comeback to draw within 4 points, but at the half trailed 38-31. SG Brent Gregory scored 14 first half points to lead the Bears offensively. But Missouri State let Evansville convert 60% of their shots in the first half.

In the 2nd half, the Bears sank like the Titanic. Playing abysmal defense, they allowed Evansville to streak ahead and never look back. Finally the game mercifully came to a close to stop Missouri State’s dispirited play and end their season. Evansville was hot and we were not.

Final Score: Evansville—77, Missouri State (13-16)—57.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-27 pts, 3 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

Player of the Game: Evansville’s C Brian Covert-16 pts, 3 assists, 6 reb, 4 steals.


Round 1:

Bradley Braves (12-16, 6-12) vs #25 Southern Illinois Salukis (20-8, 14-4): This game had 16 lead changes and 12 ties, but Southern Illinois escaped with a 74-67 victory. Shannon Preston scored 29 and Adam Lilly hauled down 12 boards for the Salukis. Adam Ross led the Braves with 17 points and 5 steals.

Evansville Purple Aces (10-18, 4-14) vs Drake Bulldogs (19-9, 11-7): Evansville continued their Cinderella story by crushing the Bulldogs 62-46. Marcus Snyder scored 14 to lead Evansville. Mark Davey scored 16 and Karen Porter had 10 rebounds for Drake.

Northern Illinois Panthers (15-13, 9-9) vs Wichita State Shockers (17-11, 11-7): Regulation play ended in this game with the score tied 60-60. But Wichita State came out with guns blazing in the OT to win 78-67. Scott Tucker dropped in 16 points to lead 4 Shocker starters who scored in double figures. Edwin Walton tossed in 24 points and Tarrell Holmes grabbed 11 rebounds for the Panthers.

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (13-14, 9-9) vs Illinois State Redbirds (17-11, 10-8): After a very close first half, Illinois State asserted its dominance and cruised to an 84-67 win. The Redbirds were led by Johnny Lindsey’s 15 points. Brian Burrough also scored 15 points for the Ramblers.


Round 2:

Illinois State Redbirds (18-11,10-8) vs #25 Southern Illinois Salukis (21-8, 14-4): Illinois State held a slim one point advantage at the half, but Southern Illinois gradually pulled away to vanquish the Redbirds 69-59. Brandon Penders scored 16 for the Salukis and Morris Cummings led the Redbirds with 13 points.

Wichita State Shockers (18-11, 11-7) vs Evansville Purple Aces (11-18, 4-14): The question on everyone’s minds before this game was: Can Evansville continue it’s run of upsets? The answer: Yes, it could! Wichita State took a 2 point lead to the locker room at the half, but the determined Purple Aces played their trump cards to pull off a 70-68 upset win. Dylan Perry dropped in 20 points for Evansville while Scott Tucker scored 24 for Wichita State.


Championship:

Evansville Purple Aces (12-18, 4-14) vs #25 Southern Illinois Salukis (22-8, 14-4): This was a game of David vs Goliath for the Championship...the top team in the conference vs the bottom team in the conference. Southern Illinois took control early and was determined to not give the Purple Aces yet another chance to pull off an upset victory. After leading by 21 at the half, Southern Illinois won the championship with a resounding 72-48 win over Evansville. Shannon Preston topped the Salukis’ scoring with 15 points. Brian Covert and Rudy Sheppard both scored 9 points for Evansville.

[PointGuard 70]

Missouri State Bears 2017-2018 Statistics

 

Missouri State Bears PLAYER stats for the 2017-2018 season:




Missouri State Bears TEAM stats for the 2017-2018 season:

PPG: 66.0 ppg; Opponents: 69.5 ppg
APG: 12.2 apg; Opponents: 14.0 apg
RPG: 27.2 rpg; Opponents: 25.1 rpg
SPG: 7.2 spg; Opponents: 8.8 spg
BPG: 0.9 bpg; Opponents: 1.2 bpg
FG%: 48.8%; Opponents: 49.4%
3P%: 29.4%; Opponents: 34.7%
FT%: 68.3%; Opponents: 70.3%
TOPG: 16.2 topg; Opponents: 14.5 topg

[PointGuard 70]

NCAA Tournament Selection Show:

 

#1 Seeds: North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oregon, Maryland

 

Southern Illinois is the #7 seed in the Boston Regional and will play #10 seed Marquette. (no other MVC teams were selected for the NCAA Tourney)

 

Eastern Washington (Coach V's old team) is the #6 seed in the Austin Regional and will play #11 seed St. John’s (Eastern Washington finished the season with a 25-5 record and won the Big Sky with a 15-1 record.  They are ranked #15 in the nation.  SF Tim Whitaker led their scoring with 12.1 ppg.  C Adam Stevenson was their leading rebounder.  PG Quintin Brown led the team in assists.

[PointGuard 70]

CBI Tournament:

 

Illinois State is the #4 seed in the West Regional and will play #5 seed Idaho State

 

Round 1:

 

Idaho State vs Illinois State: Illinois State jumped out to a lead and never looked in the rear view mirror as they led by as much as 22 points before settling for a 67-53 victory.   4 Redbirds players scored in double figures with SF Morris Cummings leading the way with 13 points.

 

Round 2:

 

Illinois State vs Oakland: This was a fiercely fought battle and the two teams ended regulation tied 73-73.  But in the OT, Southern Illinois pulled away to win 85-77.  SF Morris Cummings again had high point honors with 23 points.

 

Semi-final:

 

Seattle vs Illinois State: Illinois State took control from the outset of this game and pulled away in the 2^nd half to win easily 72-54.  PG John Gresham ripped the nets for 21 points for the Redbirds. 

 

Championship:

 

Illinois State vs Gonzaga: The game was close throughout the first half, but Gonzaga came out in the 2^nd half to leave Illinois State far behind.  The Zags won impressively 63-41.  PF Johnny Lindsey scored 17 for Illinois State.