Press story on MU-Rider hoops
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
LAWRENCE - It was heading for a replay of all those heartbreaking losses the
Monmouth University men's basketball team has endured at Rider over the
years.
And then, at the very end, the Hawks tore up the script.
Sophomore Whitney Coleman's 10-footer from the left
baseline with 5.3 seconds left after a Mike Shipman steal capped a
remarkable comeback in the final two minutes that sent Monmouth to a 67-66
non-conference victory.
Coleman, 1-for-8 from the floor before the game winner, said he
thought the ball was going to hit the front of the rim.
His coach said he thought otherwise. "I knew he was making it,''
said Dave Calloway, Monmouth coach. ""He hadn't
made one all night so he had to eventually make one.''
As Coleman's jump shot swished through the net most of the 1,650 fans, about to
witness the first victory by Monmouth (3-5) over Rider (4-2) in the Broncs
Zoo since 1996, let
out a wail of disbelief.
After the basket Terrance Mouton drove the length of the floor for Rider but his
flying layup fell off the rim.
Dejan Delic scored 25 points, 20 in the second half for Monmouth which
watched Rider snap a 58-58 deadlock and mount a 64-59 lead after two foul
shots by Jason Thompson with 1:47 showing.
That seemed as if it was going to be enough to finish the Hawks as Rider
got a career high 29 points and 13 rebounds for the career 16th double double of the 6-10
Thompson's career.
Shipman, who had two steals in the late burst, cut the lead to 66-65
with a layup with 18 seconds left.
Monmouth double teamed the ball off the inbounds play and Harris Mansell
coughed it up.
""I thought we did a good job of holding the trap,'' said Calloway.
""Their guy tried to split it.''
Shipman dished the ball across the court to Delic who drove towards the
hoop and, as defenders converged, found a wide open Coleman.
""I knew we were going to make a run at the end of the game and we
did,''
said Delic who pumped a first at the Rider fans when the game ended.
""I was very excited,'' said Delic. ""I wanted to shoot that last one
really,
really bad.
""But I figured out, there were like four guys on me so I had to pass it.
And I was falling down.''
""It felt great (to win the game),'' said Coleman. ""We talked a lot about
toughness before the game. I think we showed toughness being up and then
going down and not quitting and coming back right until that very last
play.''
Monmouth, which led by six points early in the second half got a big lift, literally and figuratively off the bench from 7-2
senior John Bunch.
Bad knees and all Bunch, scored eight of his season high 12 points in the
first half, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked a shot.
"I was feeling Ok in the beginning of the game'' said Bunch. ""But I haven't
practiced too much and I was real winded.''
Bunch played 22 minutes. ""I just knew I needed to stay out
there so I just had to fight through it,'' he said.
While Monmouth won its third game of the season, the victories by a total
of four points, a four-game Rider winning streak came to an end.
Monmouth got four assists, one block, and five steals from Shipman as the
Hawks ended with 13 assists and 10 turnovers.
""It's very disappointing when you're that close to victory and
you don't execute in the last minute of the game,'' said Tommy Dempsey, Rider coach.
"'Hopefully we'll learn from it. They hung around and they stole it.''
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
STAFF WRITER
LAWRENCE - It was heading for a replay of all those heartbreaking losses the
Monmouth University men's basketball team has endured at Rider over the
years.
And then, at the very end, the Hawks tore up the script.
Sophomore Whitney Coleman's 10-footer from the left
baseline with 5.3 seconds left after a Mike Shipman steal capped a
remarkable comeback in the final two minutes that sent Monmouth to a 67-66
non-conference victory.
Coleman, 1-for-8 from the floor before the game winner, said he
thought the ball was going to hit the front of the rim.
His coach said he thought otherwise. "I knew he was making it,''
said Dave Calloway, Monmouth coach. ""He hadn't
made one all night so he had to eventually make one.''
As Coleman's jump shot swished through the net most of the 1,650 fans, about to
witness the first victory by Monmouth (3-5) over Rider (4-2) in the Broncs
Zoo since 1996, let
out a wail of disbelief.
After the basket Terrance Mouton drove the length of the floor for Rider but his
flying layup fell off the rim.
Dejan Delic scored 25 points, 20 in the second half for Monmouth which
watched Rider snap a 58-58 deadlock and mount a 64-59 lead after two foul
shots by Jason Thompson with 1:47 showing.
That seemed as if it was going to be enough to finish the Hawks as Rider
got a career high 29 points and 13 rebounds for the career 16th double double of the 6-10
Thompson's career.
Shipman, who had two steals in the late burst, cut the lead to 66-65
with a layup with 18 seconds left.
Monmouth double teamed the ball off the inbounds play and Harris Mansell
coughed it up.
""I thought we did a good job of holding the trap,'' said Calloway.
""Their guy tried to split it.''
Shipman dished the ball across the court to Delic who drove towards the
hoop and, as defenders converged, found a wide open Coleman.
""I knew we were going to make a run at the end of the game and we
did,''
said Delic who pumped a first at the Rider fans when the game ended.
""I was very excited,'' said Delic. ""I wanted to shoot that last one
really,
really bad.
""But I figured out, there were like four guys on me so I had to pass it.
And I was falling down.''
""It felt great (to win the game),'' said Coleman. ""We talked a lot about
toughness before the game. I think we showed toughness being up and then
going down and not quitting and coming back right until that very last
play.''
Monmouth, which led by six points early in the second half got a big lift, literally and figuratively off the bench from 7-2
senior John Bunch.
Bad knees and all Bunch, scored eight of his season high 12 points in the
first half, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked a shot.
"I was feeling Ok in the beginning of the game'' said Bunch. ""But I haven't
practiced too much and I was real winded.''
Bunch played 22 minutes. ""I just knew I needed to stay out
there so I just had to fight through it,'' he said.
While Monmouth won its third game of the season, the victories by a total
of four points, a four-game Rider winning streak came to an end.
Monmouth got four assists, one block, and five steals from Shipman as the
Hawks ended with 13 assists and 10 turnovers.
""It's very disappointing when you're that close to victory and
you don't execute in the last minute of the game,'' said Tommy Dempsey, Rider coach.
"'Hopefully we'll learn from it. They hung around and they stole it.''
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 12:42 AM
4 Comments:
Is it too early to start calling for the Monday Night Upset Special? It would give us the New Jersey Non-Conference sweep (St. Peter's, Rider and the Hall), that'd be a great accomplishment, too bad Princeton couldn't fit us in this year.
or Rutgers...but as noted by someone in an earlier post -- they make a habit out of kissing off MU.
Hey Tony,
I have been checking the posts for the past few weeks, and I find it amazing how after each loss your posts "blew" up "ragging" how bad we did. Yet after we win there is so little to say. It's as if the blog posts have come to a halt. The past few losses have made your blog almost burns up, some with close to 30 comments on some posts, but with such as the Rider win - that was suppose to be sooooo amazing you get 2. What up with the fans? Are we sleeping with the enemy or what?
You make a very good point. When teams (Monmouth or whoever) lose fans are upset, frustrated, and vent.
Just listen to the FAN or WIP as Exhibit A.
When they win it's like" OK, we
won."
For MU fans the win at Rider, considering who it was against, where and how it happened, had to be one of the most exciting regular seasons wins ever....at it s level....
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