ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Adams State Grizzlies Men's Basketball team went into this past weekend with an away record of 0-9. After two crushing defeats in Grand Junction that saw the Grizzlies put together a good first half but choppy second half, and in Gunnison that saw the Grizzlies nearly climb their way to a comeback victory, they now sit at 0-11 on the road in the 2019-20 season. Friday night in Grand Junction, the Grizzlies went into halftime nodded at 40 with their conference foes, the Colorado Mesa Mavericks, but were unable to replicate the success they had in the second half and ultimately fell to CMU, 76-88. On Saturday in Gunnison, the Grizzlies went into half trailing by 9, but clawed their way back into the ballgame, even taking a one-point lead in the second half, but unfortunately were on the wrong end of a back and forth game that led to their fourth straight loss, 85-88. The Grizzlies now sit at 3-8 in the RMAC, and face an uphill battle moving forward to get back into the playoff conversation.
Friday night against CMU saw the Grizzlies nail five three pointers, which was a good sign considering the Grizzlies had been inconsistent from three-point range leading up to the game. They went into half tied with Colorado Mesa at 40, and feeling good about the second half. Mesa made big adjustments at the half, particularly on the defensive end, limiting the Grizzlies who had a stellar first half shooting the ball, to just 20% (2-10) from long range in the second half. Mesa found their rhythm on the offensive end, and pulled away from the Grizzlies winning by 12, 76-88.
Maverick guard Michael Skinner was the Grizzlies' kryptonite on the evening, as he led all scorers in the game with 20 points and corralled a whopping 16 rebounds. The Grizzlies had no answer for him in the second half, as he was all over the court on both ends, registering 2 blocks and 3 steals on defense.
All five Grizzly starters were in double figures on the night, but CMU did a good job of neutralizing
Juwan Green who was coming off of his best performance of the season, holding him to just 10 points on 4-13 from the field. Guard
Szymon Walczak had a terrific night even in the loss, leading all Grizzly scorers with 17 points to go with with 10 rebounds -- an impressive 5 on the offensive end, completing the double-double. Walczak added 2 steals on the defensive end, and only turned the ball over once in the loss.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies traveled to Gunnison for a primetime matchup against another team fighting to stay relevant in the RMAC playoff conversation, the Western Colorado Mountaineers, who came in with an identical 3-7 conference record. The game would be a hotly contested showdown of bitter rivals for all 40 minutes, but in the end, the Mountaineers prevailed, defeating the Grizzlies by three, 88-85.
The Grizzlies trailed going into the half by nine, but forward
Rickey Norris came out of the locker room determined to put his team on his back and try and mount a second half comeback. Norris led all Grizzly scorers with 20 points on the evening, bodying up Western defenders who had the size advantage and playing tough basketball in the post. Norris added 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and on the defensive end, was an absolutely force to be reckoned with, as he had 3 huge blocks on important possessions to keep the Grizzlies within striking distance.
The guard play for the Grizzlies in the second half was key in mounting their near-comeback in the second half.
Szymon Walczak had a solid game for the second night in a row with 12 points and 9 rebounds, as well as 2 assists and a steal. Sophomore
Cole Arceneaux was inserted into the starting lineup over
Kaelin Crane, and had what was his best game of the season, giving the Grizzlies 37 quality minutes with 10 points on 4-5 shooting, also grabbing 8 rebounds.
Juwan Green had what by his standards, would be considered a pedestrian night, but he contributed to the Grizzlies in a big way with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, venturing close into triple-double land.
The Grizzlies trailed by as many as 12 in the ballgame, but came out in the second half ready for a fight. The inched closer and gained momentum in the second half, thanks to lockdown defense from their starting five that got them back into the game in the second half. Late in the second half, the Grizzlies took their first lead of the night 71-70, but it did not last long, and the Mountaineers came right back, and in the end, had just enough offensive firepower to hang on for the 88-85 victory. Adams now trails Western by a game in the standings, and the two will meet again in February at Plachy Hall.
In what was a tough weekend slate for the Grizzlies on the road, there was plenty to like from Coach
Russ Caton's squad. Though sloppy at times, the Grizzlies' effort in both games was put on display, and that hard-nosed style of play is becoming the Grizzlies' identity in 2020. The Grizzlies shot the ball much better this weekend, hitting 7 threes on Friday and 8 on Saturday, and shooting nearly 50% from the field against Western. While there are no moral victories, the Grizzlies came out over the weekend and gave both opponents tough tests on the road. They will return to Alamosa next weekend, as they prepare to host Colorado Christian and Regis on Friday and Saturday from Plachy Hall.
