February 27, 2010

RedStorm drop season finale

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm men's basketball team closed out the 2009-10 regular season on Saturday afternoon and dropped an 86-68 decision to NAIA No. 10 Georgetown College at the Newt Oliver Arena. 

Rio Grande (5-25, 0-14 MSC) never led in the game, but stayed right on the visitor's heels until the final 13 seconds of the first half. 

The RedStorm trailed by five points (41-36) with 13 seconds remaining in the opening half and Georgetown converted a tip-in off a missed three throw to go up seven points. Rio subsequently turned the ball over and Georgetown's Hollis Giles sank a 30-footer at the buzzer to give the Tigers a 46-36 lead at the half. The 10-point lead was the largest advantage of the first half for GC. 

Hollis' three-pointer culminated a 19-10 run by the Tigers to close out the first half.

Georgetown (23-6, 11-3 MSC) blew the game open coming out of the locker room for the second half, out-scoring Rio Grande 16-2 in the first five minutes of the second half. 

Georgetown would get the lead to as high as 28 points at 69-41. 

Rio was led by junior guard Doug Campbell (Salisbury, NC) with 18 points. Senior guard P.J. Rase (Wheelersburg, OH), playing in his final game before the home crowd, scored 17 points. Sophomore forward Shaun Gunnell (Columbus, OH) reached double figures with 10 points. He also led the RedStorm in rebounds with eight. 

The Tigers used a balanced attack with Vincent Crutcher topping the scoring chart with 14 points (12 in the second half). Giles added 13 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Dillon Boggs chipped in 12 points off the bench (10 in the first half). Vic Moses recorded a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Eddie Gray tossed in 11 points. 

"I thought we battled and I thought we played well in the first half," said Rio Grande head coach Ken French. "With 13 seconds left in the first half they're shooting free throws and we're down five, they miss, we don't box out and they tip it in, then we throw it away, they get it back, they hit the 30-footer for the three. What should have been a five-point deficit or a chance for us to cut into a five-point deficit going into the half turns into a 10-point deficit at the half." 

"It's almost like we battle, we battle, we battle and we look up and we we're down double figures. We view that, with everything we've gone through as a big hole to dig out of," French added. "Right now we don't have the bodies to do it and that's exactly what happened."

"When they go up 10 at the half, we didn't handle it very well," French said. "We fought and scrapped the entire game and I'm proud of the guys, but we've got to eliminate those mistakes." 

French also talked about his lone senior. "P.J. Rase represents everything that a student-athlete should.  He is one of, if not the best, shooter in the country.  I am so proud of what he has been able to accomplish here at Rio."

"You always talk about - you can replace the points and maybe you can, but you can't replace the person, what he brought to our program for three years," French added. "He brings it every day."

"The big thing is, P.J.'s grown up, he's grown up a lot in our program and I don't let it be a secret, I've got a 10-year old son and if he can grow up and be anything like P.J. Rase I'll be extremely happy."

Rase commented on the season after the game. "It's been a good time, but if I could trade it (all the accomplishments this year) for a few more wins I would for sure," he said. "Our guys deserve it, we've worked so hard."

"It's tough, it's a tough season but I wouldn't trade it for anything." 

Rio will move on to the post-season. The RedStorm will face MSC regular season champion and No. 1 seed Campbellsville in the first round of the MSC Tournament on Friday (March 5) at the Frankfort Civic Center. The game time will be determined.

Stretch Internet will follow the RedStorm on the tournament trail.