Cardinal men start strong
NJCAA poll place team as high as No. 2 in national ranks
David Humphreys
Issue date: 12/7/09 Section: Sports
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Even with the 10-game streak halted by the Eagles, the weekend turned bittersweet after NIC tacked on another victory against Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC), 74-57. According to sixth-season head coach Jared Phay, the game was fought hard on both sides of the court.
Officials ejected Parker during Friday night's game due to unsportsmanlike conduct midway through the first half, forcing the 6' 6" forward to serve a one game suspension. According to Phay, Parker became involved in a verbal dispute with a member of the opposing team and stood up from the bench to confront him. This resulted in the All-American being forced to sit out against CNCC the following night.
"He didn't do anything wrong," Phay said. "It was a ridiculous call by the officials, if you ask me."
Standing a mere 5'9", forward Hale took command of his team Saturday and accumulated 20 points by the last buzzer. Following the freshman in points was sophomore forward, Taylor Stevens, bumping up NIC with 11 points. According to Phay, Idell Bell was the leader not only defensively, but also emotionally.
NIC stayed in front of CNCC for the duration of the game, leading at the half by twenty and ending the game with 17 points to spare.
"We played really well," Phay said. "I'm happy with the defense that we brought to the game."
Despite the crafty offensive skills that NIC brought to the floor Friday night, the team's defense struggled against the Eagles. The Cardinals fought to keep up with the offensive powerhouse and relinquished their perfect record by three points. The shooting averages were down for the whole team, including lead scorers Parker and Hale, who only scored nine points combined. The Eagles set the game's pace, which the Cardinals generally managed to match. According to Phay, the ball couldn't seem to find the net during several crucial plays. Logan Jones earned 10 points for the Cardinals, leading the team in points and assists. Hale added seven points and two steals before the final buzzer.
"We had a couple chances as a team," Phay said with a sense of regret. "We just couldn't make some of the shots."
The Williston State Tetons put up quite a fight against NIC during the Nov. 28 home game. NIC struggled at the tip-off and lingered behind the Tetons 8-0. The men found it difficult to keep up with the game's pace and trailed behind in five-point increments during the first half. With the help of point guard Hale and forward Parker, NIC surpassed the opposition with eight minutes left before halftime. The score stood at 37-29.
The Cardinals went into the second half with an eight-point lead and held onto it for the rest of the night's play. Forward BJ Shearry contributed six points and two assists and found the game to be troublesome even with the comfortable lead in the second half.
"They played pretty good," Shearry said. "It wasn't our best night, that's for sure."
For the rest of the night, NIC controlled the court and the outcome of the night's play. The score finally rested at 54-46.
The Cardinals travel to play Salt Lake Community College Friday, which the team is hoping to come back with the 11th win of the season.
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