Aggies end magical season in playoffs
BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma (March 5) – It wasn’t exactly the way the Cameron men’s basketball team (14-13, 7-5 LSC North) wanted to see their season end, but what a season it was. This year the Aggies far surpassed all preseason expectations and ended 2008-2009 with a 94-65 loss to the rival Mustangs of Midwestern State University (21-6, 10-2 LSC South) in the opening round of the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament.
“After a tough loss like we had tonight, it will take us a while to really see all that we accomplished this year,” Head Coach Wade Alexander said. “I am so proud of the men on our team because from day one they have bought into what the coaches were trying to tell them. They were willing to work and you could clearly see the difference.”
Not only did the Aggie men secure the first winning season in four years, but two weeks ago they clinched a spot in the LSC postseason tournament for the first time in 11 seasons. Tonight was CU’s fifth trip to the conference’s playoff event, however CU has still not won a postseason game since 1993.
“Give credit to MSU because they were the better team tonight,” Coach Alexander said. “We played hard and fought tough, but you can’t shoot like we did and turn the ball over that many times and expect to win; especially in the conference tournament.”
Tonight’s game was in MSU’s control even before the first tip-off. After referees caught a senior Aggie dunking and hanging on the rim in pre-game warm-ups (a rules violation), the Mustangs were awarded a pair of uncontested free throws just before the opening tip. Both foul shots swished through putting CU down 2-0 before they even set foot on the court.
Once MSU grabbed the tip off to start the game, the teams battled back and forth for much of the first few minutes. The Aggies allowed the Mustangs to go on a quick scoring run to stretch their lead to double-digits, and at halftime Midwestern State had more than doubled Cameron’s scoring total 51-25.
In the second half the Mustangs did not let up and built a 30-point lead just five minutes into the frame. Cameron did all it could to fight off the MSU run, but the top-seeded Mustangs were simply too much.
A great many schools would see a first-round exit from the conference tournament as a disappointment, and while no one desires or enjoys losing, there could be nothing less disappointing than the 2008-2009 Cameron Aggie men’s basketball season.
Besides winning 14 games and reaching the postseason, the Aggies helped to fill the stands in historic Aggie Gym with their exciting and winning style of play. Coach Alexander helped to lead the team from a six-win squad to a conference contender and due to his impressive turnaround performance, Coach Alexander earned Co-Coach of the Year honors from the Lone Star Conference.
Additionally, senior guard Dave Smith was named to the LSC North Division First Team after lighting it up from three-point range all season long. Not only did Smith shatter the previous school record of 80 three’s in a season with 99, but he also set the CU record for three-pointers made (10) and attempted (18) in a game.
Senior guard/forward Mekaile Reed and junior forward Kallan Glasgow were also named to the LSC Honorable Mention team following their solid seasons.
“This was a great season to start with,” Coach Alexander said. “We will be able to take so much away from this year and this team, and we will only come back next year stronger and hungrier. The fans made this year a big success and I don’t think we could have done so well at home and made the tournament without their support.”
For the first time in a long time, Aggie fans will wait with bated breath for the 2009-2010 season with hopes that the Aggies can make it back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in nearly 20 years. Beginning tomorrow, CU will say goodbye to six influential seniors and start the offseason training portion of their schedule.
