By Jim Richards
We’re number seven!
Sure, the Cougars would have liked to come back to town closer to No.1, but after a disheartening tournament start, the SMCC men’s basketball team certainly showed that it belonged at the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
The sophomore-laden Cougars wrapped up a wild and exciting 26-8 season with two wins in the tournament’s consolation round. Their 86-73 win over a solid Erie (NY) CC club Saturday night gave them seventh place in the 12-team tournament in Danville, Illinois.
“We wanted to prove something,” said SMCC coach Dan Nichols. “We were really energized when we went out there. We had talked about going out there and showing everyone what we were about.”
Tre Golston --the Cougars’ lone member of the All-Tournament team--picked up his second consecutive double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, Dave Cuen had 24 points and Tyrone Kelley also scored 22 as the three sophomores went out in style.
The Cougars picked up the school’s first ever tournament victory in Thursday’s 73-63 win over Southeast CC of Nebraska behind 18 Golston points, 14 from Kelley and eight points and 10 rebounds from Roy Prieto.
“We really got moving and we just played the last couple of games out,” Nichols said. “We really pounded a good team (Saturday). Physically, we mauled them and they were a big team. They had three or four big dudes inside, but we just went to the rim all night.”
But the sting of the tournament-opening 79-41 loss to eventual third-place recipient Kirkwood (Ia.) CC was still there.
“We were really so incompetent when we went out there that first game,” Nichols said. “We hadn’t played a game like that all year where we couldn’t make a bucket and nothing would fall. Kirkwood was good, but they weren’t doing anything to create that kind of trouble. We couldn’t make a thing and I think we just got discouraged in the second half.”
The fact that tournament-winner Mott CC of Michigan, SMCC and Kirkwood made it tougher for the Cougars to finish higher, something Nichols felt they deserved.
“I really felt that despite the first night, we got one of the top four teams out here,” Nichols said.
Aside for going 2-1 at the national tournament, the 2007-08 Cougars will also be remembered for:
Winning their second consecutive ACCAC Division II regular-season title.
Capturing the Region I Division II title with a wild overtime victory over Phoenix College.
Coach Dan Nichols being a co-winner of the ACCAC’s Coach of the Year award.
Dave Cuen named as a 1st-Team All-ACCAC member.
Tyrone Kelley named as the 2nd Team All-ACCAC member.
“The guys got a nice trophy,” Nichols said.