9.1

SPORTS

The Norwich Guidon
Mar. 25, 2004

Men's basketball team loses in GNAC semifinal game

By Kevin Schieve
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

The Norwich men's basketball team was flying high as they went into their GNAC semifinal game at Southern Vermont on Thursday, Feb. 26. Just two days before, they had defeated Western New England College, edging the Golden Bears by three points with a 43-40 thriller.

"We hadn't beat them since I've been here, and that was more of a payback game, so it was pretty intense. I think that's what won the game for us, our intensity," said Adrian Ackles, 20, a junior communications major from Woodbridge, VA.

Though it was a low-scoring affair, the Cadets earned the victory with a solid team effort, as Norwich rose to the occasion defensively and spread the scoring around, with no player reaching double digits in the game.

"It was a real defensive battle; both teams were playing really good defense. We weren't hitting some shots we normally hit, which hurt us in the first half, but we still managed to come out with a win," said senior Andy Miller, 22, an environmental science major from Fort Collins, Colo.

As the Cadets entered Thursday night's game, they were riding an emotional high, winning their previous two games in hard-fought fashion, including an overtime victory over the impressive squad from Albertus Magnus College. Norwich was looking for a little payback against Southern Vermont College, as the Mountaineers had beaten the Cadets in the year's previous two meetings.

"We went into the Southern Vermont game on a real big high. When you win two big games in a row like we did, you feel like it's ours to win, and all the seniors, especially, were excited, knowing it could be our last game," Miller said.

However, Southern Vermont College gave the Cadets more than they could handle, winning the game 67-56.

"It was a lot closer than the score indicated; we were only down by three at the half, but we didn't shoot the ball well in the second half," Miller said.

"We were determined that we were going to win; unfortunately, we weren't shooting well. I think that if we had two more minutes, we would have won," Ackles said.

Norwich was down by only five points with little over a minute remaining, but a few bad breaks ensured the Mountaineer win.

"We had a couple of mental lapses. There [were] two key turnovers that they executed on, and that was the turning point in the game," Ackles said.

After the game, the Cadets were aware that their season was likely over at that point. They still had hope of being voted a berth in the ECAC tournament, but as it stood, Southern Vermont looked like the favorite to receive the bid, as they went undefeated against Norwich this season.

"Coach congratulated us on the year, and we had a record of 17-10, which is our best record in a long time," Miller said.

"After the game was probably the saddest moment, because for the seniors, it was their last game, and for some of the juniors like myself, the reality sinks in that we're getting toward the end of our careers," Ackles said.

Despite the disappointing end, the Cadet's season was still successful, as they finished with a 17-10 record, which is the best in recent history.

"We surprised a lot of people. I don't think the teams we played thought we were going to be that tough. They thought that because we haven't been that tough in the past, they were a little skeptical, so I think we exceeded expectations," Miller said.

"Honestly, I credit our success to the losing season my freshman year [2001-2002]. Ever since then, our team has worked twice as hard to improve." Ackles said.

"Also, we're a pretty close-knit team, and we always seem to come together, and I think that helps a lot."

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.