Grizzlies race past Roadrunners for key Region 16 win

When you do what you're supposed to do, good things happen.

That's what the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team discovered Wednesday evening when they defeated Region 16 rival State Fair Community College.

The Grizzlies jumped out to a 20-10 lead early in the first half and never looked back on their way to an 83-72 decision. They are now 10-18 overall and 2-4 in region play.

"We've got talented players. If we function together, we're hard to beat. That's the key for us," Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp said.

Sophomores shine

The Grizzlies got off to a fast start on a night that honored the team's sophomores, and it was one particular sophomore who set the tone.

"Credit Eric Stafford. We put him on their best player and he frustrated him. He went right at him," Popp said.

"The sophomores played well. With Quentin (Jones) being hurt, he didn't get to be out there, but the other five played very well together. Not one of them didn't have a good night. I was happy for them," the coach added.

Prior to tip off, the team and fans recognized six sophomores for their contributions to the program. Joining Stafford and Jones on the court for the ceremony were Sardaar Calhoun, Taevon Horton, Alex Peterson and D'Andre Vilmar.

Despite short runs late in the first half and early in the second by State Fair, the Grizzlies never lost control of the game.

"At the end of the first half, there was an 8-point swing, then there was a 6-point run early in the second half. Other than that, our guys did a good job limiting those stretches," Popp said.

The Grizzlies held a 16-point advantage at halftime and went up by as much as 24 points in the second half. Although the Roadrunners made a late push, the Grizzlies remained in control, and the outcome was secured.

The team's efforts against State Fair Wednesday give Popp and Grizzly fans cause for hope as the season winds down.

"These guys continue to work, record aside, with the end goal in mind," the coach said. "We talk about the long game. The season comes down to how you finish, and we want to finish strong."

Calhoun led the offensive charge for the Grizzlies with 22 points. He also had a team-leading eight rebounds.

Peterson followed with 17 points, and Horton added 14 more to round out the double-digit scoring for the team.

"Taevon and Alex played well. They kept doing what they have been doing. They've been very consistent for us," Popp said. "It was good to see Sardaar play well, too. And D'Andre did a good job for us. Our sophomores played like they were supposed to play. They led the way."

Final games

Only two regular season games remain for the Grizzlies, and both are against region opponents. They will travel to Park Hills Feb. 19 to face Mineral Area College, then they will host the region leader, Moberly Area Community College, Feb. 22 at the civic center.

Moberly's lone region loss came at the hands of Mineral Area Feb. 1 in Park Hills.

"Mineral Area is playing very well. They're undefeated at home. People seem to struggle offensively at Mineral Area. We have a challenge ahead of us. We have got to have another consistent game and not allow runs," Popp said.

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