Mustangs Prevail Over SWOSU In LSC Final
By Nick Eatman
Just as they entered the tournament three days ago, the Midwestern State Mustangs will leave Bartlesville as the best team in the Lone Star Conference.
MSU proved that Sunday, claiming the LSC tournament championship with a 66-60 win over pesky Southwestern Oklahoma at Bruin Fieldhouse.
The Mustangs (24-6) have now won the LSC tournament four times in the last 10 years, including twice in the last three seasons. MSU, the No. 1 overall seed, didn't even qualify for the tournament a year ago, but rebounded this year, thanks to winning 21 of their 23 games.
LSC South Division Player of the Year Nolan Richardson, who had scored 40 points in the first two games of the tournament, picked up two early fouls and had just two points at the half. But playing with his grandfather, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson in attendance, Richardson hit three 3-pointers in the second half and finished the game with 15 points, earning MVP honors of the tournament.
The Mustangs got some huge production off the bench from both Anthony Moore, who scored 13 points and had 14 rebounds. Trajinksi Grigsby had 15 points, hitting three big 3-pointers. Point guard Earl Rabb had seven points, six assists and four rebounds.
Along with Richardson, Rabb and Moore were named to the all-tournament team.
The rest of the team included SWOSU's Abdullah Lawal and Clarke Hale, along with Eric Cazenave from Central Oklahoma.
MSU gets the automatic bid to next week's tournament and should be one of the top three seeds. The Bulldogs' season will likely end at 19-11 considering they were not included in the latest South Central Regional rankings.
SWOSU had three players in double figures, led by Hale's 17 points. Kenneth White scored 16 and Jordan Frosch added 10. The Bulldogs were one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the LSC, but were just 5-of-23 on Sunday.
The Mustangs were 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, but five came in the second half.
MSU led by as much as seven in the first half, but led only 34-29 at the half. The Bulldogs scored the first points of the second half to cut the lead to three, but they would never get any closer. Midwestern went on an 8-1 run, paced by two Richardson 3-pointers.
A 3-pointer by Grigsby with 7:26 to play gave MSU its largest lead at 15, although SWOSU would trim it down to six with a minute to play. But free throws by Richardson and Moore put the game away, giving the championship to the Mustangs.
It was a special moment for MSU head coach Jeff Ray, whose father suffered a stroke passed away in the middle of the season. The Mustangs have dedicated the rest of the season in his honor. Ray's father, Bobby, who went by the nickname "Fuzz" had served as an assistant coach. During the game, MSU had left an open chair on the bench. In the final minutes of play, once the Mustangs gained complete control, two MSU fans unveiled a huge homemade sign that read "For Fuzz" which ignited the Midwestern players and fans. After the game, the Mustangs players carried Ray on their shoulders and let him cut the final piece down of the championship net.
As for the Bulldogs, the loss ends the run by head coach Todd Thurman, who announced before the tournament he is stepping down from the position to concentrate solely on his Athletic Director duties at SWOSU. Thurman, who was trying to lead the Bulldogs to their first-ever LSC basketball championship, is expected to find and name his replacement.
Midwestern State University
Game Quotes
Jeff Ray
Head Coach
"I thought going in we didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but we tried to stay focus in the game. It was a very physical game. It wasn't very pretty. The players made big plays in the game."
"We had some kids who were kind of nicked and bruised. This time of year no one is going to be 100%."
"This team has always shared the basketball. Having a lot of assists is one of the best things about this team."
"We have guys who can come off the bench. We have players who come in and make something happen, whether it's scoring or playing all crazy on defense. Everyone plays hard and has a great attitude."
The core group of our team is what we are made up. We won only 13 ball games last year. We have six guys who have had a fantastic turnaround. They buy in with what we are trying to do. These guys just work. They stay together. No one ever complains. They just go in and play. I think that goes into the character about the team."
Nolan Richardson
"I wasn't getting frustrated. I tried to keep my head in the game and helped my team out. I came out in the second half and tried to be aggressive. I was able to knock down a few early shots and get things going offensively."
Earl Rabb
"I think being picked sixth definitely put a chip on a shoulder.
We knew we weren't a sixth-place team. It served as motivation."
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Quotes
Todd Thurman
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
"These kids played their hearts out. We felt very honored to have played in the game. Midwestern stepped up to the plate. They made plays when they needed them."
On Nolan Richardson
"I thought we would play him head up. We did a great job in the first half. Great player like that you are not going to hold them forever.
"We were not playing our best basketball. We are not a type of team that bounces back on a short turnaround. We were pretty dead legged. We needed to reach a little bit deeper, but I thought we were still in the game to the end."
"We went to a zone for a few possessions. They made some adjustments. They caught us a couple of times."
On MSU's bench
"They've been getting pretty good production out of our bench. I thought our adrenaline would carry us through."
On his departure of Coach
"Walking a way now is the right time. I have a group of kids that
I'd go to the end of the earth. They've got lives beyond this. Guys
are going to walk away from this and make more money than any of us
here. They all have degrees or are going to graduate with one."
Clarke Hale
"I don't know if my foul trouble had made a big impact. It was disappointing for myself. I wanted to be out in the championship game playing."
Abdullah Lawal
The quick turnaround
"We got up for the game. We only play seven players so I think that had a big impact on it."
