News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Sports

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
March 2, 2013

Rose prepared for ‘great opportunity’

Engineers ready for former Division III national champ Calvin

David Hughes The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — At first glance, the men’s basketball teams of Calvin College and Rose-Hulman resemble each other in several ways.

Both will bring 24-3 records into their NCAA Division III tournament first-round clash today in Hulbert Arena.

 Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Also, both captured 2012-13 regular-season conference championships — the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) for Rose and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) for Calvin.

And both emerged from their conference tournaments as champions last Saturday, thus earning automatic bids into the Division III tournament. The Engineers downed Hanover 64-59 behind 17 points from tournament Most Valuable Player Brenton Balsbaugh to claim the HCAC title in Hulbert Arena and Calvin got 18 points from reserve guard Bryan Powell in routing Hope 77-57 for the MIAA crown at Grand Rapids. Mich.

Another similarity is both squads possess balanced offensive attacks. The Engineers have five players averaging between 14.5 and 7.4 points per game, while the Knights from Grand Rapids utilize four double-digit scorers.

But for some reason, Calvin is ranked higher in the latest d3hoops.com national poll — No. 12 (compared to No. 19 for Rose-Hulman). In fact, this is the only matchup out of the Division III tourney’s 31 first-round games that features two top-20 teams.

This will be Rose’s 10th appearance in the Division III tourney, having lost a first-round matchup to North Central College 74-71 in St. Louis last season. Meanwhile, this will be the 18th DIII tourney appearance for Calvin, which won national championships in 1992 and 2000.

“They’re a real storied program, absolutely,” Rose-Hulman coach Jim Shaw told the Tribune-Star this week. “This year, they are really long and very skilled. They do a lot of things well. They’re really good defensively.”

Among the Knights’ front-line starters are 6-foot-9 junior Tyler Kruis, 6-8 sophomore Tyler Dykstra and 6-4 senior Tom Snikkers. That may be a challenging combination for Rose’s 6-6 starting big men, seniors Balsbaugh and Jon Gerken.

Calvin’s top scorer is Snikkers at 13.3 ppg, although Kruis (12.8 ppg), Powell (11.6 ppg) and 6-3 sophomore guard Jordan Brink (10.7 ppg) aren’t far behind. Kruis averages a team-high 6.2 rebounds per contest.

“I’ve heard they’re a good team,” Balsbaugh mentioned. “We’ve got to defend their guys who are a little bit bigger than us and we also need to rebound. … don’t give them any second-chance points. And then we need to get the ball out and run a little bit.”

“We always have to defend well … and we have to rebound,” added 6-3 junior guard Julian Strickland, Rose-Hulman’s leading scorer at 14.5 ppg. “[Calvin] is a long team, like coach [Shaw] has been telling us, so we’ve got to guard ‘em and when we stop them, we can’t give them second-chance efforts. So we’ll have to rebound. And we’ll have to execute our plays … running in transition and putting the ball in the basket.”

“Obviously, their length inside and on the perimeter concern us,” Shaw admitted, “because we usually have that advantage over people. But it might be a disadvantage this game. … [Calvin] is a program that really knows how to win. They’ve had a lot of success. This is a great opportunity for us to beat somebody with a national reputation.”

In addition to Strickland, the Engineers plan to rely on 6-2 senior guard Austin Weatherford (12.5 ppg), 6-4 senior reserve Nate Gissentanner (7.8 ppg), Gerken (7.6 ppg), Balsbaugh (7.4 ppg) and 6-2 junior guard James Pillischafske (3.9 ppg), among others. In last weekend’s HCAC tournament victories over Defiance and Hanover, Balsbaugh combined for 34 points, Strickland totaled 31 and Weatherford had 25.

“We probably need to play better [than last weekend],” Shaw assessed. “You need to play better at every level you go up. I think we beat good teams the last couple weeks, but Calvin’s at another level of good.

“By the same token, I don’t think we have to do anything that is out of character for us. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We’re not going to change who we are and neither will Calvin. We’re two really good teams … and whoever plays best will probably win.”

If Rose happens to knock off Calvin tonight, a 25th victory would give this group the highest season total in program history. The 1976-77 Engineers, coached by John Mutchner, posted 24 wins.

I I I

n Rose awards — Earlier this week, Strickland (Player of the Year) and Shaw (Coach of the Year) were honored by the HCAC for their achievements in 2012-13. Each offered his reaction following a mid-week practice.

“I’ve got to give credit to my teammates for getting me open, getting me shots,” Strickland said. “Coach is always pushing me in practice and it shows in the game. I’ve made some progress since I got here my freshman year — my mindset and my skill level. … I knocked down some open shots and I take what the defense gives me.”

“I’m proud individually, but first my team, the players, make a coach,” Shaw emphasized. “Second of all, I have the best assistant coach in America [Rusty Loyd] and we work as a team, so it’s his honor as well. And third, it’s a great honor because of the respect I have for the other coaches in the league who voted for me as Coach of the Year.”

 

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Sports
Page.jpg

Ethan Page is the race director for the Terre Haute Triathlon.

  • TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown

    Today is the day for the Thunder in the Valley, and the Terre Haute Triathlon is under new leadership in 2013, the 28th year for the event at Hawthorn Park.
    A former Terre Haute North track and cross country standout, Ethan Page is the race director as the race falls under the reign of Page’s new company, Crossroads Events.

    May 18, 2013 2 Photos

  • SPT0502113BB olds.jpg Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title

    Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
    Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout.

    May 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU

    Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
    ISU couldn’t do it.

    May 18, 2013

  • South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North

    Host Terre Haute South kept its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title hopes alive — and clinched no worse than second place in the process — by downing Lawrence North 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.
    The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline.

    May 18, 2013

  • PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion

    Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
    Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
    Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC.

    May 18, 2013

  • SPT0511613track keller.jpg Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown

    His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
    When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot.

    May 17, 2013 4 Photos

  • SPT 051613 CAMP VOLLEY.jpg South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional

    Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
    The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it.

    May 17, 2013 2 Photos

  • SPT0511613manaea4.jpg Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley

    Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
    First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt.

    May 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard

    Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.

    May 17, 2013

  • PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game

    Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.

    May 17, 2013

Local Interest
High School
College
Sports Columns
Page.jpg

Ethan Page is the race director for the Terre Haute Triathlon.

Pro Sports
Terre Haute Rex
SPT 071512 DORSETT FILE.jpg

Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)

Colts
Auto Racing
Latest News
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Front page
AP Video
Amico: Grizzlies/Spurs series preview Three and Out: Knick's Bench Loud Mouths: Venting Machine Does Orb have a legit shot at the Triple Crown? Stuart: You gotta move on and win your home games Green: 'Winning is a mentality; we are not satisfied' UW Women's Golf team ready to shoot for more NCAA history Bogut: 'It was a roller-coaster of a season for me' Pavelski on 0-2 hole: 'We gotta put it behind us and move on' Curry on Jack & Landry: 'I want them back' Thompson: 'We've got all the right pieces to win a championship' Video: Blackhawks' Bickell on Game 2 approach Barnes: I want to improve by post game and ball-handling Curry: I don't look like the typical NBA player; I look 18 Baseball player returns $500 thousand overpayment to team Peter King's OTA watch Is help really on the way for the Yankees? Lacob: 'I'm happy we could give the fans a good product' Ratto: Spurs know how to close out a series Landon Donovan One-on-one
NDN Video
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool Beyonce Is Pregnant! SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT $1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion Woman tricked into taking abortion pill Emma Watson Goes Pantless IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes Raw: Marines Come to Obama's Aid in the Rain CUTE: Monkey shares lollipop with dog, then HITS pooch on head with it Miranda Kerr Looks Sexy in a Bikini Photo Shoot
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity