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Web posted
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Cowley men hoops ready for more
By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
If Cowley College wants to compete for a Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division title and meet the high expectations it set at the beginning of the season, then getting off to a good start in conference play is vital.
Cowley opens conference play at 5 p.m. tonight against Kansas City at W.S. Scott Auditorium. It's the start of a stretch where the Tigers play three of their first four conference games at home. After tonight, Cowley plays Wednesday at Allen County before playing at home against Coffeyville (Jan. 12) and Johnson County (Jan. 16).
"We've got to get off to a good start," Tigers coach Steve Eck said. "I don't mind if we play at home or away."
Cowley set themselves up for a shot at a conference title with a stellar fall semester. The Tigers went 11-1, with its only blemish on an otherwise dominating non-conference slate being a 57-49 loss to Northern Oklahoma on Nov. 17.
Cowley's play resembled that of Eck's 2006-07 team at Redlands Community College (Okla.), which finished 31-2.
A strong reason for Cowley's strong fall semester was its disparity between points scored (85.2) and allowed (58.8). The Tigers cracked the 100-point plateau three times -- be it against JV teams. Team chemistry and defense certainly had something to do with that point disparity, as they allowed an average of 55.4 points in the last five games of the fall semester -- all Tiger wins.
"I thought we got better defensively," Eck said. "I thought we started getting tougher and rebounding the ball better."
Eck believes the sledding won't be easy in conference play, noting improvement from top-to-bottom in teams throughout the conference.
"It's going to be very balanced this year," he said. "I think Independence is going to be better. Coffeyville is going to be there. Allen County is going to be pretty good this year. I think the bottom teams have really improved themselves this year."
And what better way for Cowley, the conference leader in scoring offense, to open Jayhawk East play against Kansas City, the conference leader in scoring defense (55.5).
A big reason for Kansas City's success so far is its efforts on the boards. Kansas City (8-4) has a staggering advantage in rebounding, as it pulled down an average of 43.1 per game, while limiting the opposition to 30.5. Clearly, getting second shots are key for the Tigers if they want to have success.
"They just block out so well," Eck said of Kansas City's rebounding efforts. "They block you well and give you only one shot. That's made a big difference."
It's been over a month since Cowley's last game -- an 80-45 win against Eastern Oklahoma State on Dec. 5. And the Tigers are eager to get back on the court.
"It's been a while," Eck said. "The guys are ready to play somebody besides themselves."
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