December 10, 2009

Newt Oliver Coaches Classic set for this weekend

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande will host the Newt Oliver Coaches Classic this weekend at the Newt Oliver Arena. The weekend is a great chance for the Rio Grande community to reconnect with alums and also an opportunity to see some exciting basketball. 

The RedStorm women will officially start the weekend with a game on Friday night versus Malone University at 6 p.m. Rio Grande has an overall record of 6-4 and enters the game coming off a huge win over NAIA Division II No. 7 College of the Ozarks last Saturday. 

Malone, a former foe in the American Mideast Conference, is 2-7 on the season and has lost five consecutive games.

Rio Grande head women's coach David Smalley knows that Malone is struggling at this point, but will caution his team not to look past them. "Malone is struggling right now, but they played Ohio Dominican tough, to a three-point loss," Smalley said. "You just never know, you've got to be ready."

Saturday is an eventful day with the alumni game beginning things at 12 Noon. Rio Grande's men's team will tip-off against arch-rival Shawnee State at 6 p.m. and the defending Ohio Division IV State Champion Oak Hill Oaks will play Huntington St. Joseph High School at 8 p.m. in the nightcap.

Rio Grande (4-6) will be looking to stop a two-game losing skid and also to enact some revenge on the Bears, who beat Rio Grande 87-77, November 17 in Portsmouth in a game that Rio led for 37 minutes but faltered down the stretch. 

Shawnee State enters the game with an overall mark of 2-8.

"It'll be a typical Rio/Shawnee game, just like it was as their place," said Rio Grande head men's coach Ken French. "Even though these are early, non-conference rivalry games, we had a good atmosphere there. I don't know what kind of crowd we'll get in here with the students not being on campus."

"With Oak Hill and Huntington St. Joe playing after us, hopefully we'll get a decent crowd and it should be a good game," French added. "Both teams will be hungry for wins; going into this weekend they've only won two games and one of them was against us. They beat Mount Vernon and played really well against Mount Vernon."

"I expect nothing but a one or two possession game," French said. "It'll be another dog fight, we better be ready to play."

One of the highlights of the Newt Weekend is reconnecting with alums and Rio Grande will be able to do that with the alumni game and with the fact that high school coaching legend Norm Persin pilots Oak Hill High School. 

The alumni game is something that had gained in popularity over the years. "We're trying to reconnect and trying to keep people involved and let them know that they're still a part of Rio basketball," French said. "We've had a good response and we should have one of our larger turnouts on Saturday for the alumni game. It should be a good day, a good morning for Rio basketball and having those guys on campus and spending time with them and just to get to talk to them."

French said the high school game with Oak Hill and Huntington St. Joe should be very entertaining as well. "Norm Persin will be coaching in that game and we've got J.D. Hale playing for us from Oak Hill, and they're the Division IV defending state champions," French said. "It should be a good game. I'm sure they're going to play hard, they (Oak Hill) may not be as talented as what they were last year or as deep, but they are going to win a lot of games this year."

The Newt Oliver Coaches Classic is in honor of the legendary coach of the Rio Grande College Redmen from 1952-54 led by Bevo Francis. Oliver posted a 60-7 coaching record during that time for Rio Grande, including a perfect 39-0 campaign in 1952-53. 

Marathon Friendly Mart of Rio Grande is the game sponsor.