The Observer, December 9, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 13
Bench bunch sparks Spartans in win over Thiel
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It was a night of the unexpected for Monday's men's basketball game against the Thiel Tomcats. The game featured fighting, technical fouls, and a surprise appearance by the entire Case bench early in the second half. However, the result on the scoreboard was a typical one as of late for the Spartans, as they easily beat Thiel, 84-58.
Senior guard Funso Lafe led Case with 18 points on an impressive shooting night. Senior forward Carson Oren had his fifth consecutive double-double, grabbing a team-high 15 rebounds with 11 points. With the win, Case's record improved to 5-1, which marks the program's best in 20 years, when the 1984-1985 team started 8-1.
The Spartans started off the game sluggishly, finding themselves trailing 24-17 halfway through the first half. After scoring over 100 points in its last two games, the team appeared to be in a sudden scoring drought amidst an onset of turnovers.
The Spartans then started a 14-2 run that gave them a lead that they would not relinquish. With Lafe's drives to the basket, and Oren's work on the boards, the Spartans appeared headed to an easy victory.
However, this did not happen, at least early in the second half, as the Spartans came out of the locker room in the same fashion that they started the game. Three minutes into the half, Case found itself only leading by eight points and struggling to put away the Tomcats. That's when Case coach Sean McDonnell made a change that he didn't expect to make, inserting his entire second unit, including three freshmen, into the game.
The move was risky, with the group coming in cold in a close game. However, they did not seem intimidated by the situation. Instead, they seized the oppor-tunity, showing energy not seen by either team in the game up until that point.
"Give all the credit to that group of Quintin, Steve, Dan, Brad, and Chris off the bench," coach Sean McDonnell said. "They showed great hustle. I'm not sure that, without their energy, we could have won this game, or won it as a blowout."
Judging by their inspired performance, perhaps McDonnell should find a way to get them more playing time. The stellar outside shooting by freshman Steve Young and versatile play of big man Brad Sutton sparked a Spartan rally, increasing the lead from seven to 11 during the five-minute stretch.
The starters then returned and, feeding off the bench's energy, finished the Tomcats off for good, outscoring them 34-19 the rest of the way. The strong finish was a contrast to the way the starting unit began both halves.
"Our starters were flat," McDonnell said. "It could have been a product of the stale environment."
McDonnell was referring to the rather sparse, quiet crowd that was in attendance for the game. There was also a technical difficulty at the beginning of the game that temporarily knocked out the public address system, canceling the announcement of starting lineups.
The team is hoping for a better turnout and a similar outcome against Grove City tomorrow night.
Conrad out: Sophomore center Mason Conrad, who gives the team a strong inside presence, was missing from the lineup due to a sprained ankle. He is expected to be back in uniform tomorrow night.
