Deacons victorious in pair of exhibitions
By Jordan Webster
Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team picked up convincing wins in each of their two exhibition tuneups, a 108-65 pasting of Nike Elite on Nov. 2, and a 117-64 pounding of Gulbene Buki, a Latvian team, on Nov. 7. The Deacs tip off regular season play against UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the Preseason NIT at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Joel Coliseum.

Five Deacons scored in double figures in the rout of Nike Elite, led by senior forward Antwan Scott, who poured in 22 points in only 21 minutes of play. Two of Scott’s frontcourt mates joined him in double digits, as junior forward Josh Howard chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward Darius Songaila added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Senior guard Craig Dawson also scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and junior guard Steve Lepore contributed 11 from the bench.

Head Coach Skip Prosser’s constant full-court pressure forced 28 turnovers, and the Demon Deacons collected 19 steals. The pressure induced several early first-half turnovers, as the Deacons jumped out to an early 8-0 lead. Scott, who guarded the inbounder at the top of Prosser’s press, led the Deacs with four steals.

A modest 54-37 halftime advantage for the Deacons ballooned early in the second half on their way to the 43-point win. All 11 players that dressed out for the Deacons saw at least 12 minutes of game action. The team’s three walk-ons did not dress, because they were not yet cleared by the NCAA.

“I was pleased with the effort,” Prosser said in a statement released by the sports information department. “We were sloppy at times, but you expect some of that when you’ve only practiced three weeks.”

The Demon Deacons made short work of Gulbene Buki on Nov. 7, exploding for an 81-point first half in the 53-point blowout. This time seven players reached double figures scoring for the Deacons, paced by Howard, who dropped 24 points in 23 minutes.
Howard missed only three of his 12 field goal attempts, and also led the Deacons with five steals. Songaila scored 17 points for the Deacons, including going 11-of-11 from the free throw line, and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Freshman Vytas Danelius also recorded a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Scott added 16 points at forward for the Deacs, and three members of the backcourt scored in double figures, with Dawson scoring 13, senior guard Broderick Hicks adding 12, and freshman guard Taron Downey contributing 10. Senior guard Ervin Murray led the team with five assists.

Once again, the Deacons’ defensive pressure gave their opponent fits, as Latvia turned the ball over 30 times, and the Deacs racked up 19 steals. Twenty-one of those turnovers came in the first half, as the Deacons shot 66.7 percent from the floor and also hit 6-of-9 three-point attempts.

The Seahawks will travel to the Joel for Monday’s first round Preseason NIT matchup. Should the Deacons advance, they would host the Arkansas/Maine winner in a game on Nov. 16 at the Joel.