By Jim Richards
To become a great team you have to take a few lumps along the way. The great Michael Jordan, for instance, went seven years without an NBA title and suffered several heart-breaking playoff losses to the Detroit Pistons before winning six titles. And just how many lumps did sliced bread take before it finally became recognized as the greatest thing and something to be measure by to just about everything in this generation?
The South Mountain men’s basketball team took a few lumps this past week at the Eureka Challenge in Twin Falls, Idaho, the home of the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, the No.2-ranked team in the NJCAA Div I preseason rankings and a program that is so confident in its teams that it’s website writes: “Winning is expected” and the school possesses, “the most successful overall athletic program in the NJCAA and the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.” The tournament wasn’t SMCC coach Dan Nichols’ ‘first rodeo’, but he admitted to being impressed with the host school’s basketball team.
“I’ve never seen a junior college team with that much talent,” Nichols said.
Against College of Southern Idaho, the Cougars grabbed a 40-34 first-half lead, but foul trouble led to a 53-44 CIS lead at the half on the way to a 115-82 CSI victory. “We were the only team that hung with them,” Nichols said.
Tyrone Kelley paced the Cougars with 19 points. Roy Prieto had 16 and Freddy Franco and Michael Johnson had 12 apiece.
Nichols admitted that his club came out flat in a 79-66 loss to California power Riverside Community College, a game that SMCC missed 12 out of 27 free throws. David Cuen and B.J. Dotson had 15 points apiece to lead the Cougars. Dotson threw in 14 rebounds.
The Cougars managed to pull out a victory, coming 20 points down at the half to defeat Eastern Wyoming behind 15 points apiece from Cuen and Kelley while Dotson had 13. “We played the powerhouses and I thought we were right there,” Nichols said. “I thought we matched up real well.”
Fans can see the Cougars back in action Wednesday night when they host Southwestern College at 7:30.