Written By: Andrew Nowel
The men’s basketball team has started the season 0–3, falling in their latest matchups to Saint Bonaventure and Mercyhurst. Even with offensive success against the Bonnies last Saturday and defensive success against the Lakers on Wednesday, the Griffs haven’t been able to find success on both sides of the court in the same game. With the team heading to Michigan this upcoming weekend, the Griffs look to find the consistency needed to win their first game of the season.
The Griffs were able to find offensive success through junior Paul McMillan IV’s 31 points, a career high. Shooting 11–15 from the floor, McMillan became the first player since Malcolm McMillan in 2015-16 – no relation – to score 30+ points in his first home game of the season.
The Bonnies would win 87–78, but Head Coach Jim Christian was pleased with what he saw against Saint Bonaventure. He explained, “I think there’s a level of consistency we’re still trying to find, but I think with the Bonnies game, we took a big step forward. [This season] we’ve had a lot of bad turnovers, and we’re only forcing seven turnovers, so you can’t win if they’re getting more shots.”
The Griffs returned to the road on Wednesday night against the Mercyhurst Lakers for Mercyhurst’s first Division I home game. The Griffs played well defensively, but the offense struggled. McMillan dropped 20 while senior Tana Kopa notched 17 points. They were the only Griffs to score more than five points. The Lakers used a 12–0 run in the second half to defeat the Griffs 62–52.
McMillan became the first player since Larry Fogle in 1974 to score 20+ or more points in the first three games of the season at Canisius with his 20 points at Mercyhurst. He commented on how his 31-point game against the Bonnies helped to bring the offensive success, but how a win is more important.
“It’s always nice to accomplish things like that, but I just wanted to get the win and we failed to do so,” said McMillan. “Going back to the film room, watching film and figuring out what we need to do in practice because it all starts in practice.”
Sophomore Cam Palesse echoed the sentiment regarding practice, believing that is the answer to the team’s lack of consistency: “It really comes down to our connectedness and our discipline. The everyday grind of practice and staying locked in because it can get lost in a long season.”
The Griffs will return to the court on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. to face SIUE in the Bronco Classic in Kalamazoo, Michigan before playing the host Western Michigan Broncos on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 12 p.m. They will also travel to Maryland to face the Terrapins on Tuesday night, Nov. 19, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Comments