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

[PointGuard 70]

[Posted in the Wolverine Studios forums by Wayne 23]

 

"Friggin' reporters! They don't know squat but they do all they can to make us coaches look bad!"

[PointGuard 70]

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Annika Vandergard, Bret’s sister

 

My son Tommy is experiencing emotional problems that stem from his being kidnapped while we were all still in Washington state. He’s been acting out with his teachers and especially with me. His grades are horrible. He’s getting into fights and has become a sullen little kid. Nothing I have done has improved things. I’ve even had a child psychologist trying to work with him, but Tommy has been totally unresponsive.

Last night I had a long talk with Bret, who seems to have more influence over Tommy than anyone else. Bret really wants to help, but he’s not home much since he spends so much time working with the team while they are in town and then being out of town for the many away games.

[PointGuard 70]

Buzz Moriarity, Missouri State Athletic Director

 

Game #6, Dec. 1, 2019: USC Trojans (3-2) at Missouri State Bears (2-3)

 

I’m really happy to have been able to schedule a team like USC to play us at home. I’m flying out tomorrow morning for a quick trip to Italy to visit some of my wife’s family. But I wouldn’t have missed this game. SG John Clayton is averaging 14.6 ppg for the Trojans thus far this season.

 

We hit 9 of our first 10 shots (including 6 from beyond the arc) to leap ahead 24-5. Our guys kept the pressure on and by the half we led 46-22. We hit 64% of our shots, held a 19-7 rebounding advantage, had block 4 shots, and held USC’s shooting to 32%. SG Kareem Masiello scored 11 points and SF Quinton Asbury dropped in 10 points.

 

Our shooting cooled in the 2nd half and USC’s shooting improved. While our margin decreased, we never were seriously challenged and came away with a big victory over a strong team. That will keep me smiling on the flight all the way to Rome.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (3-3)—71, USC—57.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-10 pts. 1 assist, 5 reb, 2 steals, 1 block; SF Quinton Asbury-14 pts, 1 reb; PG Brent Gregory-10 pts, 6 assists, 1 reb.

 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-10 pts. 1 assist, 5 reb, 2 steals, 1 block.

[PointGuard 70]

Mike Martin, 2nd Assistant Coach

 

Game #7, Dec. 6, 2019: Missouri State Bears (3-3) at Wofford Terriers (1-2)

 

Wofford’s top scorer is C Michel Sanders who is averaging 22.0 ppg. We’ll try to reduce that average tonight. Just before the game, there was a rumor that another terrorist act had occurred, but we tried ignoring it to keep our players’ minds on the game.

 

The refs teamed up against us and called 11 fouls in the first 8-1/2 minutes of play, putting the Terriers on the line 15 times. After trailing by 7 points, we took a 27-25 lead with 7:15 remaining in the first half. But the refs continued to call foul after foul against us and forced us to play a very soft defense. That resulted in allowing the Terriers to hit 72% of their FG attempts. We trailed 45-40 at the break. C Marquis Hollins scored 11 points but was limited by 3 fouls.

 

With the refs continuing their effort to parade Wofford players to the foul line in the 2nd half, I got called for a technical. At least Wofford missed that free shot and then on the ensuing possession had a shot clock violation! Midway through the half the two teams were tied 68-68. We took a small lead, but the Terriers hung tough and together with the refs fought back to go up 89-85 with 1:23 remaining. After calling a timeout, we freed up Brent Gregory for a 3 that knifed through the net to cut the lead to 89-88. Wofford took the ball to the hoop but missed their shot and we rebounded. We set up a pick and roll that went nowhere, so Kareem Masiello lofted up a 3 that was off the mark. Wofford rebounded and tried to play out the clock, but Brent Gregory stole a pass with 11 seconds to go and we called a time out with just 8 seconds to go. After the time out, Bart’s pass was picked off by Wofford and they drove down court for a meaningless dunk. Tough way to lose a game. But our ultimate demise was the refs sending Wofford to the line 41 times where they scored 15 more points than us. We scored 10 more points in the paint, 13 more second chance points, and 12 more fast break points. But home town refs are home town refs.

 

Final Score: Wofford—91, Missouri State (3-4)—88.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-14 pts, 1 assist, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-13 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals (in 11 minutes of play due to foul trouble); C Joey Jones-10 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 2 steals, 1 block.

 

Player of the Game: Wofford’s C Michel Sanders-21 pts (11 of those points were scored at the line), 1 assist, 6 rebounds, 1 steal.

[PointGuard 70]

Donald Steinway, Missouri State University President

 

December 11, 2019:

 

Nearly a week ago, we learned that while on vacation, Buzz Moriarity, our AD, sustained serious injuries during a terrorist incident in Rome. The severity of the burns he incurred will keep him in the hospital for an extended time plus require an extremely lengthy recovery time that likely will necessitate multiple surgeries.

 

I was finally able to speak with him today on the phone. I’m trying to make arrangements to get him back to the United States for hospitalization and treatment as soon as possible.

 

He told me he will need to step down as AD immediately. I responded that we will always have a job for him when he’s ready to return. We discussed possible candidates to take over his job. The most obvious would be Ansel Adamson, the Assistant AD, but Ansel is months from retirement and not the right person for the job anyway. Buzz advocated hiring Bret Vandergard as AD. He said of all the coaches at Missouri State, Bret is the most qualified to handle the job, and even in the short time he’s been here, Bret has become intimately familiar with most all aspects of our athletic programs. Buzz said that Bret also gets along well with our other coaches and administrators.

 

I subsequently gave it extensive thought and discussed it with several trusted sources and finally decided to offer the job to Bret. Bret expressed his appreciation for the offer and said he was gratified that Buzz and I had the confidence in him to take on the job, but that opined, I’m just a basketball coach.” I told him everyone is just “something” before taking on new responsibilities and asked him to give it some consideration and let me know.

[PointGuard 70]

Torbern “Swede” Olaffson, retired AD at Eastern Washington

 

Dec. 12, 2019:

 

Today I got a surprise call from Bret Vandergard. After discussing the horrible news about Buzz Moriarity, Bret said that the school had offered him the AD position, but that he just didn’t feel right taking it and walking away from the basketball team. He also said he’s trying to help his nephew out but so far hasn’t made much progress since the time he can spend with him is so limited. 

 

I said, “Bret, let me ask you just one question. What’s more important to you? Basketball or family? He didn’t hesitate in responding, “Swede, that’s easy. Family is more important.” I told him, “Well there’s your answer. You need more time helping Tommy than what you can possibly expend as head basketball coach in the middle of a season. You’ve got a great bunch of assistant coaches who can direct the team the rest of this season. And the college needs you at the helm of the Athletic Department. What’s more, in a few years when Tommy is back on the right track, if you still have the fire to get back into coaching, there’s nothing to preclude you from making that move.”

 

Bret thanked me for my advice and said he’d give it a little more thought and let me know what he decides to do.

 

I added, “You know Bret, you have a pretty special person in Meaghan Kriley. I know you’ve not wanted to deepen the relationship since most of your time has been devoted to your coaching duties and the travel that entails. But Bret, if you decide to become AD, you really need to not drop the ball with this woman. And if Meaghan is foolhardy enough to accept a proposal from a yayhoo like you, she won’t need to worry about having to leave her good job there in Springfield soon to follow you around as you move from one head coaching job to another. In addition, you’ll be able to devote the time necessary to develop a solid marriage.”

 

Laughing, Bret said, “Swede, you’re wanting me to make too many big decisions at one time.”

[PointGuard 70]

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

 

Game #8, Dec. 12, 2019: Missouri State Bears (3-4) at Hartford Hawks (2-5)

 

Hello Bears’ fans. Tonight, we all are saying prayers for Buzz Moriarity who lies in a hospital in Rome, Italy battling injuriies sustained during the recent terrorist act there. 

 

The Bears take on the Hartford Hawks and try to get back to .500 ball. The Bears have won all 3 games at home but lost all 4 games they’ve played on the road this season. They hope to turn that around and start putting some W’s on the board when they play away from the friendly confines of JQH Arena in Springfield.

 

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Masiello scores on a driving layup after the steal after the steal by Asbury making it 8-0 in favor of the Bears!

 

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With 12-1/2 minutes left in the first half, Kyle Knight knocks down a 3 for Hartford’s first basket of the game making it 12-3.

 

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Quinton Asbury’s 14 footer from the baseline swishes through the net for Asbury’s 7th point while giving Missouri State a 20-5 lead with 9:45 to go in the half.

 

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Marquis receives a pass down low and muscles his way to the basket for his 2nd straight lay up to give the Bears a 24-5 lead.

 

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McCain bounce passes it to Asbury. Asbury fakes a shot then puts it up and is fouled. His shot found the bottom of the net. Asbury’s free throw drops in to make it 35-17 with 2:17 left in the first half.

 

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Ricky Lee steps in front of his man to steal the ball and fires it down court to a streaking Kareem Masiello who scores on his second straight driving layup. That makes it 39-17 in favor of the Bears. Hartford calls a time out.

 

**********

Fans, the Bears put on a clinic in the first half. They hit 52% of their FG attempts and dropped in all 9 of their free throws. They only turned the ball over 4 times while forcing Hartford to make 12 turnovers. They scored 18 points in the paint and 14 points on fast breaks. They will take the court in the second half leading 44-22. SF Quinton Asbury was on fire, scoring 13 and pulling down 5 boards. 

 

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Joey Jones cuts inside and goes to the basket slamming it home to put the Bears on top 38-30 with 10 minutes left in the game.

 

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Asbury hits a 3 from the right side to put the Bears up 69-38. Asbury now has 20 points.

 

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The buzzer sounds ending the game. Missouri State comes away with it’s most dominating victory of the season.

 

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TR: I have Bears Small Forward Quinton Brown with me. Quinton, congratulations on a big win and your exceptionally strong performance tonight. A 20 point, 10 rebound double-double!

QB: Thanks. We came out here with a purpose tonight. We wanted to win this game for Buzz Moriarity.

TR: Do you think this marks a turnaround for your team this year? The team seemed to play with newly found confidence.

QB: I think we’ve been confident all season, but we’ve played a lot of games on the road. We decided we were tired of getting our butts kicked while playing away from Springfield.

TR: How’d you come up so big tonight?

QB: The guys were getting the ball to me for some clear shots so gotta them props. And sometimes the basket just looks bigger and that was happening for me tonight. I’m always happy to mix it up inside and come up with some boards, though...so the 10 boards were bigger for me than the 20 points.

TF: Again, great game, Quinton. Thanks for talking with me.

 

**********

Final Score: Missouri State Bears (4-4)—77, Hartford—46.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SF Quinton Brown-20 pts, 2 assists, 10 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; C Marquis Hollins-10 pts, 3 assists, 6 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-10 pts, 2 assists, 6 reb, 1 steal; PG Brent Gregory-10 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb; SG Kareem Masiello-8 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 2 steals; C Joey Brown-8 pts, 1 reb, 2 steals.

 

Player of the Game: SF Quinton Brown-20 pts, 2 assists, 10 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

[PointGuard 70]

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Erick McGadney, 1st Assistant Coach

 

Bret called me into his office this afternoon. I thought he was going to talk about our upcoming game. But when I began raising an issue about our defense, he stopped me. 

He said, “Erick, I wanted you to be the first to know that I’ve accepted the AD position vacated by Buzz effective immediately. And my first decision as AD is to offer you the now vacant head coaching job for the Bears. I’ve valued your expertise and knowledge and know you will do a great job. Besides, there is no one who knows the team better than you and no one who can make the transition for the players easier.”

I nearly fell out of my chair. After taking several very deep breaths, I expressed my congratulations on his becoming AD. I told him, “I know I should give this some thought. But I really am pleased you are offering me the head coaching job. And there is no way I would say “no” to that. I just hope I can justify your faith in me.”

He said he’d call a team meeting and make the announcement to the players and rest of the staff before making things public.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #9

 

Game #9, Dec. 19, 2019: Missouri State Bears (4-4) at Niagara Purple Eagles (3-5)

 

Erick McGadney took the reigns as head coach for the first time tonight. This game was tight the entire way. There were 8 lead changes and 5 ties. Our biggest lead was 7 points and Niagara’s biggest lead was 5 points. We held a 24-21 halftime lead. SG Kareem Masiello played a great game and was the catalyst for our win.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (5-4)—57, Niagara—53.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-18 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb; SG Cleveland Brown-8 pts, 7 reb, 1 block.

 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-18 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb.

 

Injury Report: Quinton Asbury sprained his ankle and will likely be out of action for 1 or 2 games.

[PointGuard 70]

End of Pre-Conference Play

 

Missouri State's Record: 5-4; RPI: 119

 

There were only 3 teams in the MVC with records better than .500: Evansville was 7-2, and Missouri State and Loyola-Chicago were both 5-4.

 

Missouri State Player Stats:

 

PPG: SG Kareem Masiello-12.6 ppg, SF Quinton Asbury-10.9 ppg, PG Brent Gregory-9.1 ppg, C Marquis Hollins-7.3 ppg, PF Kenneth Grandison-7.2 ppg.

 

Reb: SF Quinton Asbury-4.3 rpg, C Marquis Hollins-3.7 rpg, SG Kareem Masiello-3.4 rpg, C Joey Jones-3.0 rpg.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #10

 

Game #10, Dec. 26, 2019: Northern Iowa Panthers (3-6, 0-0) at Missouri State Bears (5-4, 0-0)

 

As expected, SF Quinton Asbury will sit out this game to give his ankle time to heal. 

 

We grabbed a small lead early in the game but midway through the half had increased our lead to 28-17 by controlling the boards and taking some high percentage shots. By the end of the half we led 46-28. SG Kareem Masiello led our scoring with 12 points.

 

We continued to add to our lead throughout the 2nd half and won easily by outshooting the Panthers 69% to 39%. We dominated the boards 35-15. 

 

Final Score: Missouri State (6-4, 1-0, 1st place tie)—92, Northern Iowa—57.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-22 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 1 block; PF Kenneth Grandison-17 pts, 1 assist, 7 reb; PG Brent Gregory-12 pts, 4 assists, 4 reb; PG Bart McCain-8 pts, 5 assists, 1 steal; SG Cleveland Brown-8 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb.

 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-22 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 1 block.

 

Injury Report: Bart McCain took a hard fall and has a sore wrist, but is likely to be ready to play in our next game.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #11

 

Game #11, Dec. 29, 2019: Missouri State Bears (6-4, 1-0) at Evansville Purple Aces (7-3, 0-1)

We broke out on top and never looked back. By the half we were ahead 39-23. 

We expanded our lead to 24 points early in the 2nd half and then cruised to the win. We outshot Evansville 56% to 33% and held a 31-20 rebounding advantage. 

Final Score: Missouri State (7-4, 2-0, 1st place tie)—73, Evansville—59.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-23 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; PG Brent Gregory-15 pts, 5 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-14 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 2 steals. 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-23 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal.

[PointGuard 70]

Awards in the 2019 portion of this season

 

MVC Player of the Week:

 

Quinton Asbury (week ending 12/17/19)

Kareem Masiello (week ending 12/31/19)

 

MVC Freshman Player of the Week:

 

Kareem Masiello (week ending 11/19/19)

Kareem Masiello (week ending 12/31/19)

[PointGuard 70]

•  
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The New Year Begins

 

Game #12, Jan. 2, 2020: Southern Illinois Salukis (7-6, 2-0) at Missouri State Bears (7-4, 2-0)

Southern Illinois came out playing a withering defense and took a 12 point lead in the early portions of the first half. As the half continued we began to figure it out but still trailed 33-27 at the end of the first half. But in the second half we totally dominated the boards (a 34-17 advantage for the entire game) and improved our shooting. Midway through the half, we passed the Salukis and while never getting much of a lead (due to a total of 24 turnovers!), we stayed in control. The Salukis never quit though and the game was in doubt all the way to the buzzer. 

Final Score: Missouri State (8-4, 3-0, 1st place tie)—67, Southern Illinois—64.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-20 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 1 steal; PG Bart McCain-10 pts, 8 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-10 pts, 1 reb, 4 steals; C Marquis Hollins-8 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 3 steals; PF Ricky Lee-8 pts, 5 reb.

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-20 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 1 steal.

Injury Report: PG Brent Gregory twisted his ankle and missed the entire 2nd half, but should be ready for our next game.

Game #13, Jan. 5, 2020: Missouri State Bears (8-4,3-0) at Drake Bulldogs (4-8, 1-2)

We took control early and at the end of the first half we led 37-28. We built a 21 point lead in the 2nd half before coasting to the end. Both teams hit over 50% of their shots.

Final Score: Missouri State (9-4, 4-0, 1st Place)—79, Drake—67.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-22 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 2 steals; C Joey Jones-16 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb, 2 steals; C Marquis Hollins-10 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 3 steals; PF Kenneth Grandison-10 pts, 1 reb.

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-20 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 1 steal.

Awards: SG Kareem Masiello was named MVC Player of the Week and MVC Freshman Player of the Week.

Game #14, Jan. 9, 2020: Bradley Braves (1-12, 0-4) at Missouri state Bears (9-4, 4-0)

On paper this should have been a walk-over, and in reality it was! We stomped the Braves. At the end of one half of play, we were held a commanding 45-21 lead. Even though we played our bench extensively, we continued to pad our lead right up to the end of the game. We hit 56% of our shots, controlled the boards 27-18, and held a 23-7 turnover advantage.

Final Score: Missouri State (10-4, 5-0, 1st place)—82, Bradley—42.

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 5 assists, 1 reb; C Marquis Hollins-11 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals, 1 block; SG Kareem Masiello-9 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 2 steals; PG Matt Lewis-9 pts, 1 assist; PF Kenneth Grandison-9 pts, 5 reb.

Player of the Game: C Marquis Hollins-11 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals, 1 block.

Game #15, Jan. 12, 2020: Missouri State Bears (10-4, 5-0) at Wichita State Shockers (8-8, 3-2)

Wichita State hasn’t lost at home this season. They’re led by PF Phil Chatman (12.3 ppg). Our defense was porous in the first half and the Shockers took advantage to take a 45-34 lead at the break. We came back in the 2nd half but came up short as turnovers continued to haunt us. 

Final Score: Wichita State—75, Missouri State (10-5, 5-1, 1st place tie)—69.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-19 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb; PG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 3 assists, 5 reb; PF Ricky Lee-8 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; C Marquis Hollins-8 pts, 2 assists, 2 steals.

Player of the Game: Wichita State’s C Maurice Miller-14 pts, 2 assists, 10 reb, 2 steals.

Injury Report: PG Brent Gregory sprained his finger and will miss at least 2 games.

Game #16, Jan. 16, 2020: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (10-5, 5-1) at Missouri State Bears (10-5, 5-1)

One of these teams will drop out the first place tie in the MVC. The Ramblers out-played us in the first half. At one point we were behind by 14 points but we trailed 39-35 at the break. We clamped down defensively in the 2nd half and gradually pulled away. 

Final Score; Missouri State (11-5, 6-1, 1st place tie)—77, Loyola-Chicago—63.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-15 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 3 steals; SF Quinton Asbury-12 pts, 4 assists, 6 reb, 1 steal, 4 blocks; C Marquis Hollins-12 pts, 2 assists, 7 reb, 2 steals; PF Ricky Lee-8 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb, 1 steal; SF Marcus Jones-8 pts, 5 reb.

Player of the Game: SF Quinton Asbury-12 pts, 4 assists, 6 reb, 1 steal, 4 blocks.

For Loyola-Chicago: PF Davis Harris scored 24 pts.

Notable Game: Drake edged Northern Iowa 101-97 in triple overtime.

Game #17, Jan. 19, 2020: Missouri State Bears (11-5, 6-1) at Illinois State Redbirds (5-11, 2-5)

We controlled the boards (37-25) allowing us to gradually pull away. At the half we led 38-31. The 2nd half was nearly a carbon copy of the first half. 

Final Score: Missouri State (12-5, 7-1, 1st place tie)—76, Illinois State—63.

Leading players for Missouri State: PF Kenneth Grandison-15 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb; SF Quinton Asbury-15 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 1 block; C Marquis Hollins-11 pts, 3 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-8 pts, 6 reb.

Player of the Game: PF Kenneth Grandison-15 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb.

For Illinois State: SG Antoine Hill scored 23 pts.

[PointGuard 70]

 

Meaghan Kriley, KSMO TV News Anchor

 

Bret’s been different since he took over as the AD. At first I figured it was just the result of him trying to get used to his new job and also missing his head coaching duties. But it’s been too long now. So tonight, I brought it up to him. Instead of talking about it with me, he disagreed and strongly contended that he was the same as always. When I provided some specific examples, he became angry and we had a big argument. I left wondering why I’ve been wasting my time with him.

 

[PointGuard 70]

 

Meaghan Kriley, KSMO TV News Anchor

 

Bret came over to my apartment after I got home from doing the nightly news at the TV station. I said, “Surprise to see you here!” He said, “Hey, I understand your being upset with me. After our argument, I sat up most of the night examining myself and trying to assess how I’ve been behaving. I finally decided that it was just with you that this has come out and it’s because I’ve been bothered by being unable to wrap my head around our relationship. The more I thought about it, though, the more it became obvious to me that I am driving you away and that I can’t lose you. With that he got down on one knee and proposed to me. I was in a state of shock and am not sure exactly what I said or did, but I finally got out the response, “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

 

[PointGuard 70]

Two more games

 

Game #18, Jan. 23, 2020: Indiana State Sycamores (8-9, 6-2) at Missouri State Bears (12-5, 7-1)

 

Brent Gregory returned to lineup after missing the past 2 games. While we didn’t come out of the gate scoring, we got things going during the last 15 minutes of the half and led the Sycamores by a score of 40-27 at the intermission. Then in the 2nd half our defense strengthened and we ran away for an easy win. Even though we’ve had turnover problems in many of our earlier games, tonight we had just 5 turnovers while forcing Indiana State to turn the ball over 21 times.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (13-5, 8-1, 1st place tie)—74, Indiana State—47.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-21 pts, 4 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals; SG Kareem Masiello-13 pts, 1 assist; PG Bart McClain-11 pts, 1 assist, 2 steals; C Marquis Hollins-8 pts, 2 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal, 2 blocks.

 

Player of the Game: PG Brent Gregory-21 pts, 4 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals.

 

Injury Report: SG Kareem Masiello bruised his thigh. We sat him out in the 2nd half as a precautionary move, but he should be ready to play for our next game.

 

Game #19, Jan. 26, 2020: Missouri State Bears (13-5, 8-1) at Northern Iowa Panthers (6-12, 3-6)

 

Although our offense didn’t sparkle (our outside game wasn’t clicking), our defense did, particularly in the first half when we build a 33-23 lead. We held the Panthers shooting to 37% for the entire game and forced them to make 18 turnovers. 

 

Final Score: Missouri State (14-5, 9-1, 1st place tie)—64, Northern Iowa-50.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-13 pts, 3 reb, 3 steals; PF Kenneth Grandison-11 pts, 3 reb; C Marquis Hollins-10 pts, 2 assists, 3 reb, 3 steals.

 

Player of the Game: C Joey Jones-13 pts, 3 reb, 3 steals.

[PointGuard 70]

•  
•  

Erick McGadney, New Head Coach

 

Bret has been staying away from practices, even though I have the feeling he’d really like to be there. But the two of us have been discussing opponents and strategy. 
Today he let me know that both of our recruits did well on their SAT’s. That was good news, although we weren’t very concerned about either of them. The good thing is that both will give us more depth this coming season. With only two players graduating (PG Brent Gregory and SF Quinton Asbury), I expect us to have a stronger team next year since we will have 3 starters returning, a transfer SF who is a stud, and the PG position well covered by Bart McCain and Matt Lewis. I’m sure Bret would have loved to see how far he could have taken this team.

[PointGuard 70]

Dark Clouds

 

Game #20, Jan. 30, 2020: Evansville Purple Aces (12-7, 5-5) at Missouri State Bears (14-5, 9-1)

 

PG Brent Gregory returns tonight after missing the past 2 games with an injury. The first half was a back-and-forth affair for most of the 20 minutes with 6 lead changes and 4 ties. But Evansville out-played us the final few minutes to take a 41-36 lead to the locker room. Evansville came onto the court in the 2nd half with a new confidence and gradually pulled away from us with dagger-like shooting. We didn’t have any answers and took an embarrassing home court loss.

 

Final Score: Evansville—87, Missouri State (14-6, 9-2, 2nd place)—71.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-21 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-10 pts, 3 assists, 2 reb, 3 steals: PF Kenneth Grandison-9 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb; SF Quinton Asbury-8 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal.

 

Player of the Game: Evansville’s SG Jeremy Walker-22 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 3 steals (in addition, PG Mac Smith scored 21 and reserve guard James Jordan scored 17).

 

Game #21, Feb. 2, 2020: Missouri State Bears (14-6, 9-2) at Southern Illinois Salukis (15-7, 10-1)

 

This game would have been big no matter what, but if we want any chance for the conference title, we need to win on the road against a very tough Southern Illinois team. We just barely edged them on our home court earlier this season and they’ve won 8 straight games since then. They’ve got balanced scoring throughout their lineup so there’s no use trying to shut down any one guy.

 

We kept close to the Salukis in the first half, but still trailed 28-26 at the break. But the second half was a disaster and they ran away from us. We turned the ball over 20 times, but the refs put the Salukis on the line 20 more times that they did us and Southern Illinois scored 17 more points on free throws than us.

 

Final Score: Southern Illinois—69, Missouri State (14-7, 9-3, 2nd place)—55.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-13 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb; SF Quinton Asbury-10 pts, 1 assist, 8 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; PF Kenneth Grandison-8 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb.

 

Player of the Game: SF Bryan Briggs-8 pts, 5 assists, 7 reb, 5 steals.

[PointGuard 70]

 

Ansel Adamson, Missouri State Assistant Athletic Director

 

Bret doesn’t say anything, but I think he’s bothered by the basketball team losing two straight games. The home court loss was tough to take, but the loss to Southern Illinois was even worse since the Salukis have owned us for many years. We’ve only won 1 of the last 16 games we’ve played against Southern Illinois. I know that Bret was hoping to turn things around and begin evening the score. Maybe we will get another crack at them in the conference tournament.

 

[PointGuard 70]

 

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Janneke Vandergard, Bret’s mother

 

Phew! We got the news just a few weeks ago that Bret and Meaghan were going to get married and we attended their wedding today. They wanted a small wedding and all the key family members could get to Springfield. It was a really nice wedding. Bret and Meaghan will wait until the summer (when school is out and TV news ratings aren’t important) to have a honeymoon trip.

[PointGuard 70]

Regular Season Ends

 

Game #22, Feb. 6, 2020: Drake Bulldogs (9-12, 6-6) at Missouri State Bulldogs (14-7, 9-3)

 

The Bulldogs played us tough in the first half, with 8 lead changes and 7 ties, but we managed to take a 36-33 lead at the half. We came alive early in the 2nd half and opened a 19 point lead, but then let Drake come back and give us a scare at the end of the game. SG Kareem Masiello continued his 4-game slump, scoring just 2 points and virtually disappearing on court. We need to rebuild his confidence. It’s possible his injury was more severe than we were able to ascertain or than he reported, and altered the way he was playing.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (15-7, 10-3, 2nd place)—74, Drake—66.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SF Quinton Asbury-19 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 3 steals; C Marquis Hollins-14 pts, 3 reb, 3 steals, 1 block; PG Brent Gregory-13 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal; PG Bart McCain-8 pts, 3 assists, 2 reb.

 

Player of the Game: SF Quinton Asbury-19 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb, 3 steals.

 

Game #23, Feb. 9, 2020: Missouri State Bears (15-7, 10-3) at Bradley Braves (3-19, 2-11)

 

We struggled in the first half and the game remained close the entire 20 minutes. At the break we were ahead, but just by 2 points at 34-32. We began pulling away in the 2nd half and eventually opened an 18 point lead. SG Kareem Masiello broke out of his slump with a big double-double.

 

After the game, we learned that Southern Illinois finally lost a game cutting their lead to 1 game with 4 conference games to play.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (16-7, 11-3, 2nd place)—70, Bradley—57.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-21 pts, 10 reb,2 steals, 2 blocks; PG Bart McCain-8 pts, 4 assists, 4 reb.

 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-21 pts, 10 reb,2 steals, 2 blocks.

 

Game #24, Feb. 13, 2020: Wichita State Shockers (13-12, 8-6) at Missouri State Bears (16-7, 11-3)

 

Wichita State never had a lead in this contest. We put them in a 40-23 halftime hole. Even though our bench played a lot of minutes, we continued to increase our lead almost up to the final buzzer. We held an advantage in almost all statistical categories, but the biggest factor was our 23-9 differential in turnovers.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (17-7, 12-3, 2nd place)—71, Wichita State—44.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: C Marquis Hollins-13 pts, 7 reb, 2 steals; SF Quinton Asbury-11 pts, 1 assist, 3 reb, 3 steals; PG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-9 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 3 steals.

 

Player of the Game: C Marquis Hollins-13 pts, 7 reb, 2 steals.

 

Game #25, Feb. 16, 2020: Missouri State Bears (17-7, 12-3) at Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (16-8, 11-4)

 

The Ramblers have had a great year. They’re 10-0 when playing on their own court. A loss tonight would drop us into a tie with them for 2nd place in the MVC and put us 2 games behind Southern Illinois.

 

Coach McGadney pulled Kareem Masiello out of the game after just 2 minutes of play after he pushed a player on the Ramblers and gave McGadney lip. Masiello sat on the far end of the bench the rest of the game. This was a close game the entire way with 13 lead changes and 7 ties. The Ramblers came out of the 1st half with a 36-32 lead. But we battled back in the 2nd half and regulation play ended with the score tied 74-74. OT was just as close, but with time running out, the Ramblers PG Mack Nelson go through our full-court press and tossed up a prayer from half court that hit the backboard and caromed into the net.

 

Want to know how close this game was? We hit 25 of 57 FG’s, the Ramblers 24 of 54. We dropped in 26 of 33 FT’s, the Ramblers had 26 of 32. Both teams had 30 rebounds. We got called for 23 fouls, the Ramblers 24. We turned the ball over 17 times, the Ramblers 18. The only difference in the game was that we hit 4 of 17 three-pointers, while the Ramblers hit 9 of 25.

 

Final Score: Loyola-Chicago—83, Missouri State (17-8, 12-4, 2nd place tie)—80 (OT).

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-19 pts, 1 assist, 6 reb; SF Quinton Asbury-11 pts, 7 reb, 2 steals; PF Ricky Lee-10 pts, 6 reb, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-8 pts, 3 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-8 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal; PG Bart McCain-8 pts, 5 assists, 2 reb, 3 steals.

 

Player of the Game: Loyola-Chicago’s PG Mack Nelson-14 pts, 2 assists, 1 steal.

 

Game #26 [bRACKET BUSTER], Feb. 19, 2020: Missouri State Bears (17-8) at Portland State Vikings (18-9)

 

We’re the #14 team on the Who’s Out list of the Bubble Watch. Portland State is the #15 team on the same list. It’s rather hard to imagine that this game really means much since we probably have to win the conference tournament to get into the Big Dance.

 

Another tight game with 19 lead changes and 13 ties. At the intermission we led 34-28. The game was closer than the final score indicated since the Vikings had to foul several times at the end of the game and we were hitting our free throws. 

 

Final Score: Missouri State (18-8)—72, Portland State—65.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal; SG Kareem Masiello-15 pts, 4 assists, 2 reb, 1 block; C Marquis Hollins-12 pts, 3 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; PF Kenneth Grandison-8 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb.

 

Player of the Game: PG Brent Gregory-18 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal.

 

Game #27, Feb. 20, 2020: Illlinois State Redbirds (5-20, 2-14) at Missouri State Bears (18-8, 12-4)

 

We played an exceptionally strong first half and led 48-27 at the break. But we played sluggishly in the 2nd half. Fortunately we had too big a lead to be seriously threatened.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (19-8, 13-4, 2nd place tie)—81, Illinois State—66.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Kareem Masiello-13 pts, 4 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; SF Quinton Asbury-13 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; C Marquis Hollins-10 pts, 4 reb; PF Kenneth Grandison-10 pts, 4 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal; C Joey Jones-8 pts, 1 assist, 2 reb, 1 steal.

 

Player of the Game: SG Kareem Masiello-13 pts, 4 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

 

For Illinois State: SG Wesley Jones scored 24 points.

 

Game #28, Feb. 23, 2020: Missouri State Bears (19-8, 13-4) at Indiana State Sycamores (11-16, 9-8)

 

We couldn’t shake the Sycamores in the first half and held a slim 39-35 lead at the break. As the 2nd half progressed we managed to gain and hold a double digit lead in a game we needed to win to finish in a tie for 2nd place in the conference standings, since Loyola-Chicago upended Southern Illinois. Our win was #20 for us this season.

 

Final Score: Missouri State (20-8, 14-4, 2nd place tie)—76, Indiana State—65.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: SF Quinton Asbury-24 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb; SG Kareem Masiello-14 pts, 2 assists, 1 steal; PG Brent Gregory-9 pts, 2 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal; PG Bart McCain-9 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal.

 

Player of the Game: SF Quinton Asbury-24 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb.

 

For Indiana State: PF Elan Brown scored 24 points.

[PointGuard 70]

2019-2020 MVC Final Standings

 

[PointGuard 70]

Top

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Annika Vandergard, Bret’s sister

 

Wow, it’s amazing the improvement I’m seeing in Tommy. Bret’s expanded time with him and his ability to get Tommy to be responsive has been nothing but astonishing. While not perfect, Tommy has been so much better with me and with others, particularly his teachers and school mates. Tommy also has benefitted by having Meaghan around now that she and Bret are married. She’s particularly good with Tommy and he wants to make her proud of him. Tommy’s grades are improving and he’s back to playing basketball. Bret says that for his age, Tommy is a basketball wizard. In fact, he’s much better than most kids who are years older than him.

[PointGuard 70]

NIT

 

We’re the #4 seed in the Midwest and will play #5 seed Air Force

 

Round 1:

 

Game #30, Mar. 13, 2020: Air Force Falcons (18-11) vs Missouri State Bears (20-9)

 

We took an early lead and stretched our lead to 11 points early in the 1st half, but then Air Force came back and the last portion of the half went back-and-forth. We held a 43-39 halftime lead. We couldn’t get our offense going in the 2nd half and Air Force gradually pulled away from us for a disappointing end to our season.

 

Final Score: Air Force—81, Missouri State (20-10)—69.

 

Leading players for Missouri State: C Marquis Hollins-19 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 2 blocks; SF Quinton Asbury-15 pts, 1 assist, 7 reb; SG Kareem Masiello-13 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 2 steals; C Joey Jones-10 pts, 4 reb, 3 steals.

 

Player of the Game: Air Force’s C Dontay Jackson-15 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 2 steals.

 

Championship:

 

Providence—62, Illinois—56