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Looking at the two games against California this year:
Ethan had a huge first game, finishing with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Armoni went for 20 and Morris had 22. Demo also chipped in 10 points and 7 boards. Sulaiman was no factor, playing just 16 minutes. This was before he was promoted. The bench, in fact, combined for just 6 points. That game was played Jan. 5, so Polce and Dillard were still in their deer/headlights phase. IUP won, 84-71.
For Cal, Alston had a crazy 14 rebounds but was held to just 11 points. Collins and Pegram had 17 each and Boswell had 16 points. The Vulcans were outscored by 22, 53-31, in the second half after holding a 9-point lead at the break.
The second game, played in an empty KCAC, had a similar start with Cal coming out on fire. This time IUP cut the deficit to just 4 points at halftime and outscored the Vulcans 48-36 in the second half on the way to an 87-79 win.
Alston went bonkers in Round 2, scoring 30 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Pegram got 19 and Boswell had 11, but Collins and Palek were held to just 6 and 4 points. The Vulcans shot 51 percent in the first half but just 35 percent in the second.
For IUP, Sulaiman had a career-high 26 points with 8 rebounds. Porterfield again had a big game with 23 and 6. Armoni had 19 but shot terribly (5-19). David also had a bad night, shooting 2-10. Polce and Dillard combined for 14. Tommy Demogerontas did not play in this game.
It's clear IUP's post presents some major challenges to Cal defensively. Armoni and David couldn't hit the side of a barn in the second game. I suspect they will perform better tonight.
One item to watch is Kyle Polce is out. He's one of IUP's better defenders. That likely means Dallis Dillard will get heavy minutes tonight -- guessing in the 32 range. He's also a good defender and probably a better offensive option than Polce. Bryce Radford missed both Cal games but will play tonight. He will likely be the 4th guard. His only viable match-up is with Boswell. Pegram is way too quick and Collins is way too quick and big. It's possible KJ Rhodes could play (moving back out to guard). Radford is probably going to play 10 minutes.
Demo is a wild card in this game. He played a lot against UPJ this past Saturday (28 minutes). Sulaiman was in foul trouble much of the day so that could explain it. But, Demo gives them a different element offensively they'll (Cal) have to address. Sulaiman killed the Vulcans with those 15' jumpers in the last game. Depending how they address it, other things will open.
Joe has to play four quarters tonight. Reverse the trend in the first 10 minutes and I think they should be OK. IUP also needs to hit more FTs tonight. The last three games haven't been great. They had 23 and 35 attempts in the two Cal games so they will have their chances tonight. The Vulcans play aggressive and tend to foul a lot.Leave a comment:
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Just my opinion. Of course, I'd guess the women's coach at most schools makes less than the men's coach. In D1, it is probably absurdly different.Originally posted by WarriorVoice View PostLeave a comment:
Leave a comment: