2008 Woodie Awards
Tigers start conference stretch run after Texas sweep
By: Tyler James
Issue date: 2/5/08 Section: Sports
During this part of the season every game is make or break for the Tigers, who won two conference road games this weekend and kept their aspirations for a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championship and an NCAA tournament bid alive.
The two wins extend the winning streak to six games and move the Tigers' overall record to 15-4 and 7-2 in SCAC competitions. The Tigers overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half of Friday's Texas game to defeat Southwestern University 54-34. Junior guard Mike Moore led the Tigers in scoring with 19 points. The Tigers shot a season high 50 percent from the field in the second half, helping spark the comeback.
Mounting another second-half comeback, the Tigers beat Trinity University in a 70-68 thriller, taking revenge for last season's SCAC Conference tournament loss. The game came down to a potential game-winning shot by Trinity in the final seconds of the game, which bounced off the rim at the buzzer, securing the Tiger victory. Senior guard Ryan Werntz shot a career-high 21 points to lead DePauw to the win. The Tigers shot 11 three-point field goals in the game to help take the win.
The Tigers have been playing the best basketball of the year as of late, winning a season-high six games in a row. Moore explains that the defensive tempo is the cause for the team's great performances.
"We play at a fast pace and tend to wear teams down over the course of the game," Moore said. "We have been pretty successful in the second half, because our endurance allows us to keep the pressure going the entire game."
The weekend sweep in Texas keeps postseason hopes high for the Tigers. Senior center Stephen Schott said the SCAC should take note of the team's recent winning streak.
"To win both games in Texas strengthens our regular season résumé," Schott said. "It sends a message to the rest of the conference about the kind of basketball we are playing right now." With a legitimate shot at the conference title, the Tigers are looking for at least an at-large bid into the postseason tournament.
However, the Tigers aren't satisfied yet: having fallen behind early this season, the Tigers are still working to make up for it.
"We have to improve on the way we start games," said sophomore guard Tony James. "We have yet to put a team away from the tip-off."
The Tigers hope to continue winning when the Rhodes College Lynxes come to town on Friday. The Lynxes (8-12 overall, 3-7 SCAC) pose a threat with the high-scoring backcourt duo of sophomore guard Corey Smith and junior guard Jared Hoskins, who average 19.7 and 15.5 points per game respectively. Tip-off of Friday's home game will be at 8 p.m.
The two wins extend the winning streak to six games and move the Tigers' overall record to 15-4 and 7-2 in SCAC competitions. The Tigers overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half of Friday's Texas game to defeat Southwestern University 54-34. Junior guard Mike Moore led the Tigers in scoring with 19 points. The Tigers shot a season high 50 percent from the field in the second half, helping spark the comeback.
Mounting another second-half comeback, the Tigers beat Trinity University in a 70-68 thriller, taking revenge for last season's SCAC Conference tournament loss. The game came down to a potential game-winning shot by Trinity in the final seconds of the game, which bounced off the rim at the buzzer, securing the Tiger victory. Senior guard Ryan Werntz shot a career-high 21 points to lead DePauw to the win. The Tigers shot 11 three-point field goals in the game to help take the win.
The Tigers have been playing the best basketball of the year as of late, winning a season-high six games in a row. Moore explains that the defensive tempo is the cause for the team's great performances.
"We play at a fast pace and tend to wear teams down over the course of the game," Moore said. "We have been pretty successful in the second half, because our endurance allows us to keep the pressure going the entire game."
The weekend sweep in Texas keeps postseason hopes high for the Tigers. Senior center Stephen Schott said the SCAC should take note of the team's recent winning streak.
"To win both games in Texas strengthens our regular season résumé," Schott said. "It sends a message to the rest of the conference about the kind of basketball we are playing right now." With a legitimate shot at the conference title, the Tigers are looking for at least an at-large bid into the postseason tournament.
However, the Tigers aren't satisfied yet: having fallen behind early this season, the Tigers are still working to make up for it.
"We have to improve on the way we start games," said sophomore guard Tony James. "We have yet to put a team away from the tip-off."
The Tigers hope to continue winning when the Rhodes College Lynxes come to town on Friday. The Lynxes (8-12 overall, 3-7 SCAC) pose a threat with the high-scoring backcourt duo of sophomore guard Corey Smith and junior guard Jared Hoskins, who average 19.7 and 15.5 points per game respectively. Tip-off of Friday's home game will be at 8 p.m.
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