Grizzlies now 2-1 with wins at Grizzly Classic tournament

Grizzlies now 2-1 with wins at Grizzly Classic tournament

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team will continue the season with a 2-1 record after picking up two wins this past weekend at the Grizzly Classic tournament.

The Grizzlies defeated Craig Tyson Prep from Fayetteville, Arkansas, 138-86 Friday evening and National Park College from Hot Springs, Arkansas, 99-75 Saturday evening at the West Plains Civic Center.

"We had a lot of guys contribute and I feel like we got better at the small things," Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Jared Phay said. "We have to keep building on this weekend, but I am very happy with where we are at."

The Grizzlies needed the wins after dropping the ball the previous weekend at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

Zarzuela at the front of the pack

Sophomore point guard Jesse Zarzuela helped lead the Grizzlies offensively both nights, scoring 19 points and adding 7 assists against Craig Tyson Prep, and he had 23 points against National Park with 6 assists.

"I feel like Jesse played well from a complete player standpoint," Phay said. "He is a talented scorer, but we have been coaching him to make the others around him better and he has really grown in that area."

Sophomore guard Adnan Hussein matched Zarzuela's 19 points with 6 of 8 shooting from 3-point range. Other Grizzlies scoring in double digits against Craig Tyson Prep include sophomore guard Byron Breland, who had 15 points and 6 rebounds, and sophomore guard Franklyn Petion with 13 points and 7 rebounds.

The match against National Park returned similar results.

Hussein added 18 points for the Grizzlies on 6 of 9 shooting from the arc. Sophomore forward Nico Hill led the team in rebounds with 10.  James "Scooter" Williams had a complete game, scoring 12 points, in addition to 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

"National Park is a very good team that I know will win a lot of games this season, so that was a great win for us," Phay said.

The Grizzlies will next face Link Year Prep from Branson at 5 p.m.  Friday, Jan. 29 and Illinois Prep from Carbondale at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Moberly Area Community College Classic.

"Overall I was very happy with our effort. Our team played hard and played unselfishly," Phay said. "Getting the team together is always a challenge, but it was fun to see our guys come together and start to gel."

For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit www.msuwpgrizzlies.com