Basketball opens conference at home
As the CEU men’s basketball team prepares for their first home conference game on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the BDAC, they have a lot to be happy about. They have left a trail of destruction everywhere they have played in the preseason.
On Nov. 24 in Twin Falls, Idaho, they took on Chemeketa Community College and won easily 94-70. The starting five: Steve Hassell, Jeremy Lathan, Anthony Oliver, Tyler, Kepkay and Rafael Moreira got a lot of minutes and did most of the scoring and rebounding. But every member of the team got minutes and made contributions.
This archived article was written by: Scott Frederick
As the CEU men’s basketball team prepares for their first home conference game on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the BDAC, they have a lot to be happy about. They have left a trail of destruction everywhere they have played in the preseason.
On Nov. 24 in Twin Falls, Idaho, they took on Chemeketa Community College and won easily 94-70. The starting five: Steve Hassell, Jeremy Lathan, Anthony Oliver, Tyler, Kepkay and Rafael Moreira got a lot of minutes and did most of the scoring and rebounding. But every member of the team got minutes and made contributions.
Three players got into double-digit scoring with Kepkay leading the way with 26 points followed by Hassell with 14 and Moreira 12.
Moreira also grabbed 12 rebounds to give him a nice double. Add a three pointer and a couple of blocks and you got a great effort by the freshman.
The next night in Twin Falls, the Eagles pulverized Western Wyoming Community College 113-64. Coach Bryan Zollinger was able to give every player on his team valuable minutes.
Even with reduced playing time, Kepkay led all scorers with 24. Other players scoring in double digits were Lathan with 16 and Felix Casperi 10. Casperi also grabbed 12 rebounds to give him a double double.
Lathan was deadly from beyond the arc raining down five out of six threes. Kepkay also showed his outside shooting ability hitting four of six three-point shots.
Back in the BDAC on Nov. 29 with their home crowd cheering, the Eagles killed the Treasure Valley Community College Chukars like the opening of bird hunt with the Eagles shooting down the Chukars 113-71.
Four of the starters scored in double digits with Oliver getting close with nine points. Kepkay again led all scorers with 29, followed by Lathan 20, Hassell 17 and Moreira 12.
Again showing their outside shooting skills Lathan went four of six from three-point land, with Kepkay hitting four of seven.
With a balanced scoring attack and a smothering full-court press, the Chukars must have felt like birds unable to get out of the path of a twelve-gauge shotgun blast.
Coach Z commented on how well his players performed in these three games. Saying if the team played defense every night as well as they did in these games, they would be very hard to beat.
A couple of nights later in the BDAC on Dec. 1, the Eagles took on the free-wheeling high-flying team from Pro Look Sports. For most of the game the Eagles were able to build a solid lead and counter the impressive individual efforts of the Pro Look players with solid teamwork.
In the first half it looked as if the game would be an easy win for the Eagles as they headed to the locker room with a halftime lead of 55-46.
During the second half however, the Pro Look players turned it on and roared right back getting to within one point of the Eagles with 14 seconds left and the ball right under their basket. Coach Z called time out and laid out his defensive plan.
Pro Look brought the ball into play but was unable to get a shot off and the ball was swatted out of bounds by a CEU player with around seven seconds left on the clock. Coach Z called time out again and got everyone on the same page. The ball came into play and Pro Look took a three pointer and missed as time expired.
The next home games for the Eagles, which begins conference play, are this weekend on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the BDAC against Colorado Northwestern Community College.
