Eagle's Determination Lands a Win Against Terra State
Written by: Max Miesse | Photo Credit: Max Miesse
The Clark State Men's Basketball team sits at 1-9 with six games remaining in the season, but the lack of results is not from a lack of effort. The Eagles have seldom gone down without a fight and in some cases fell victim to just a bit of crummy luck. Head Coach Anthony Clements has instilled in his group a sense of teamwork and self-motivation. They go into every game, every possession, feeling that they can win, and it shows in the hustle that is displayed on the court.
Since we last checked in with the men's team, they have played six games, starting with a home matchup with Terra State on February 13. The Titans put up a team effort that saw five different players put up 13 points or more, but at the half it was just a one-point deficit. 39-38 in favor of Terra State. The Eagles played clean basketball, ending the game without a single turnover. The Eagles #10, Terrell Williams put up a double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 points in only 28 minutes of play. As the buzzer sounded though, their efforts came up short and the scoreboard showed 90-74, Terra State wins.
The Eagles resumed action four days later with another home game, this time against Hocking College. The Hocking College Hawks were led by Jeron Tinsley and Xavier Johnson, who combined for 48 of their 76 points that day. No other teammate had more than nine. The Eagles also ran into a bit of trouble with Tinsley in the paint, as he took 17 free throws, sinking 11 of them. The Eagles' Mike Wallace fought back; earning 13 free throws of his, converting nine of them on his way to 25 points. As a team Clark State struggled from behind the arch, only making four of their 20 attempted 3 pointers. Ultimately, the Eagles fell 76-62, putting them at 0-6 on the season.
Clark State ended their home stand with a game against UC Clermont, and it proved to be a hard fought matchup all the way to the buzzer. The Cougars #22 John Aicholtz was locked in throughout the game, shooting nearly 70% overall, including nine of 13 from the field. He racked up 27 points, the most of anyone on either team. The Eagles once again found themselves entering halftime down just one; it was 41-40. Clark State put together an excellent performance, both as a team and on an individual level. Jermayn Baxter pulled down 10 rebounds and was perfect from the free throw line. Ryan Marchal and Mike Wallace both put up 25 points while shooting over 50% from the field. When the clock hit zero, the Eagles had a better shooting percentage from the field and from the free-throw line, they made twice as many 3-pointers as the Cougars in less attempts, and even outrebounded them. Despite all this, the scoreboard showed 88-87, Cougars win. Eagles fall to 0-7 on a heartbreaker. It was their second time this season losing by 1 point.
Following that, Clark State went on the road, about three hours northeast for a re-match with Kent State Tuscarawas. Their first meeting saw the Golden Eagles snuck off with a 78-77 win. Throughout much of Clark State's second try, it seemed that history would repeat itself. The Eagles found themselves down by 17 with only 10 minutes remaining in the contest. However, Clark State was led by standout performances including a 10 rebound-10 point performance from Joe Timmons and 25 points to go with seven rebounds and five steals from Mike Wallace, who came alive down the stretch to lead the Eagles back into the game. Despite the early struggles, Coach Clements' team resurrected themselves from a big deficit and pulled off a 65-60 victory. Their first of the season, and a testament to the team's determination and tenacity.
Fresh off their first win of the season, Clark State continued on the road to take on UC Clermont. To put it simply, they got their doors blown off. The stats tell an odd story, as the Eagles put together a solid performance. Jermayn Baxter and Terrell Williams put up 10 points each; Baxter had nine rebounds as well. The team's offensive leaders were functioning like well-oiled machines, Ryan Marchal and Mike Wallace racked up 24 and 20 points respectively. It is as though the Eagles were working uphill though, because despite all this they lost by more than 25, and the final score was 88-115.
On Saturday, the Eagles returned to the Rose City for their second to last home game of the year, this time against Bryant & Stratton. The Bobcats spent the game dominating the glass. They finished with just as many offensive rebounds (19) as the Eagles had defensive rebounds (19), and their 28 defensive rebounds nearly matched the Eagles 29 total rebounds. Bobcat's sophomore LaQuon Taylor pulled down 17 rebounds on his own. As a result, Bryant & Stratton found plenty of second chances and the Eagles had a hard time getting any. At the half, Clark State was down 46-32, but in a way that we have to expect, they kept fighting. Ryan Marchal was on fire, playing a full 40 minutes; Marchal made his presence felt with a season high 33 points while shooting better than 50% from the field. Mike Wallace gave him plenty of backup as well, with 27 points of his own. The Eagles even outscored the Bobcats in the second half but it was not enough. The Eagles lost this one 81-69.
All of that leaves Clark State with a 1-9 record, but it is certainly not anything to be ashamed of, as they fought hard through every minute of every game to this point. They have six games remaining on the schedule, all of which are rematches and the Eagles will surely look at them as opportunities for revenge. Their next game is on the road against Terra State on Friday, March 12 at 6 p.m. Their next and final home game is Thursday, March 25 at 6 p.m., once again against Terra State.