Grizzlies show tenacity, grit against Three Rivers

The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team put forth one of its best efforts of the season Saturday night against Region 16 arch rival Three Rivers College.

They showed a tenacity and grit that kept them nipping at the heels of the Raiders throughout the evening. Even so, the Grizzlies came up short, falling 89-83 at the West Plains Civic Center. The loss drops their record to 7-15 overall and 0-2 in region play.

"The biggest thing for us was coming out and playing well. We needed to play well, and overall, I thought we did," Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp said.

Back-and-forth battle

The Grizzlies scored the first 2 points of the game, then found themselves in a back-and-forth battle. A couple of 3-pointers by the Raiders near the midway point of the first half created some separation between the teams. Inopportune turnovers and rebounding struggles kept the Grizzlies from closing the gap.

"There are three phases of the game – there's offense, there's defense and there's rebounding – and we're losing consistently in one phase of the game," Popp said.

"We did our job for the most part. We gave up a couple of wide open (threes), and we had a couple of breakdowns with our press, especially in the first half. Outside of those, we are progressing defensively," he explained.

"We played well enough in every other area of the game except one – we've got to rebound better," he stressed. Statistics show the Grizzlies were outrebounded 43-29. Sixteen of the Raiders' grabs came off the offensive glass.

"It was a game where it seemed like every time we missed an assignment, they got it. That's one thing Three Rivers does very well, they rebound well offensively. They finished with 16 offensive boards. That means we gave them 16 additional possessions. We've got to fix the rebounding, and we can," Popp said.

Freshmen making an impact

One of the team's strongest rebounders is freshman Franklyn Petion, the coach said. "That's a place where Franklyn really brings a different dynamic for us from the perimeter. He is a load flying in from the perimeter. He makes tough plays and plays very hard," Popp said.

"Franklyn has come so far in his understanding of what needs to be done. He's such a special young man," the coach added.

Petion was one of several freshmen who made an impact in the game. "We're seeing our freshmen develop," Popp said. "Zavien (Smith-Morales) wasn't playing much at the beginning of the year, and now he's a starter. Alex (Rodrigues) is figuring out the differences in the American game and just how hard he has to play.

"Nico (Hill) is a coach's son, and he plays like a coach's son. He's got a really good feel. He's coming into his own, he's gaining some confidence, he can play all over the court," Popp said. "His versatility is big, and he's starting to make shots.

"Our freshmen have really made strides and hopefully can finish the season continuing upward," the coach added.

Grizzlies scoring in double figures for the night include sophomore forward Alex Peterson with 25 points, sophomore guard Taevon Horton and Petion with 16 points each, and redshirt sophomore forward Quentin Jones with 10 points.

Popp said he's much more encouraged by the progress the team is making than he was a week ago following the Grizzlies' home loss to Labette Community College.

"It's so easy for a team when you're struggling to check it in. This group that played tonight are all bought in. They're working their tails off to get better with the end goal still in mind. If they continue that, we've got a chance," he said.

The Grizzlies continue region play Wednesday evening with a road game against State Fair Community College in Sedalia.

"They're a very talented team. They're a little like us. They've underachieved som, but they're very talented and well coached, and they'll be hard to beat at their place," Popp said.

For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit www.msuwpgrizzlies.com or call 417-255-7991.