On to the Tournament

[johnjaymilwaukee]

New format in Horizon tourney

By David Woods
[e-mail]

March 2, 2004

The 2002 postseason tournament at Cleveland was a watershed event for the Horizon League.

The No. 1 seed, Butler, was eliminated in the quarterfinal round by No. 8 Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Bulldogs, despite a 25-5 record, were excluded from the NCAA tournament.

The championship game, won by Illinois-Chicago over city rival Loyola 76-75 in overtime, was played in a near-empty arena.


David Woods' coverage continues at:

www.indystar.com/articles/3/125740-7793-043.html

IndyStar.com



Pearl stresses mental focus
He urges players to reach for prize[/color]

By DAN MANOYAN
[e-mail]

Posted: March 1, 2004

After the nets had been cut down in celebration of UW-Milwaukee's first regular-season Division I basketball conference championship, Bruce Pearl talked to his team about opportunity.

He talked about opportunities gained and opportunities lost.

"I told them, 'I want you guys to entertain this thought,' " the Panthers' coach said. " 'Notre Dame beat Illinois last year to go to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, along with teams like Arizona, Duke and Kansas.


DAN MANOYAN's coverage continues at:

www.jsonline.com/sports/coll/mar04/211571.asp

From the March 2, 2004 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel



Horizon Insider: CSU hoping history repeats itself

Joe Maxse from The Cleveland Plain Dealer

03/01/04

Not much has gone right for Cleveland State this season. In fact, you can say nothing has gone right since CSU gave North Carolina a scare three months ago.

The Vikings last won on Dec. 13 at Norfolk State. So here we are 79 days and 22 straight losses later with CSU standing a miserable 4-24 and 0-16 in the Horizon League. But let's see if a little history can repeat itself.

The ninth-seeded Vikings will travel to No. 4-seed Detroit Mercy for Tuesday's opener in the Horizon League Tournament. Sure, CSU has never won in 15 trips to Calihan Hall, including a 77-55 loss three weeks ago. The Titans are also on an eight-game winning streak.


Joe Maxse's coverage continues at:

www.cleveland.com/csu/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1078142197127540.xml

Cleveland.Com



Tuesday, March 2, 2004

Basketball: Roundup

Titans surge into tournament

By Tom Markowski / The Detroit News

DETROIT — Coach Perry Watson won’t say it, but you get the impression he likes his team’s chances in the Horizon League tournament.

Detroit Mercy (17-10) plays host to Cleveland State (4-22) at 7:05 tonight in a first-round game at Calihan Hall. Tonight’s other first-round games are Youngstown State (8-19) at Butler (14-13) and Loyola of Chicago (8-19) at Wright State (14-13).

The winners advance to Friday’s second round at a site to be determined. The semifinals are Saturday, and the championship game is March 9.

The Titans have won eight straight and are playing as well as any team in the league.


Tom Markowski's coverage continues at:

www.detnews.com/2004/college/0403/02/f04-79727.htm

The Detroit News



Horizon tournament sites are up for grabs

By Bill Jauss
Tribune staff reporter

March 1, 2004, 10:02 PM CST

Loyola will try to avoid a 20th loss Tuesday night while keeping its season alive when it plays favored Wright State in a first-round Horizon League tournament game in Dayton.

Meanwhile, Illinois-Chicago, riding a 10-game winning streak, has the rest of the week to prepare for whomever and wherever it plays in the Horizon semifinals Saturday.

This was the Chicago slant toward the tournament that has awarded byes through the first two rounds and into the semifinals to its 1-2 regular-season finishers, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and UIC.


Bill Jauss' coverage continues at:

chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/cs-040301horizon,1,4377273.story?coll=cs-college-headlines

The Chicago Tribune



Posted Mar. 02, 2004

College basketball: Father’s death motivates UWGB’s Hughes[/b]

By Rob Demovsky
[e-mail]

Kevin Hughes’ statistics — as impressive as they were — couldn’t begin to tell the story of perhaps the best basketball game he’s ever played.

His 23 points were a career high. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. He made 10 of the 14 shots he took. He grabbed six rebounds, had two steals and a blocked shot in 35 minutes. It all helped the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay take third place in the Horizon League from Wright State in Saturday’s 76-65 win over the Raiders to close the regular season.

But even on Monday, Hughes’ thoughts were not on his performance but rather the man he dedicated it to.


Rob Demovsky's coverage continues at:

www.greenbaypressgazette.com/sports/archive/sports_14988528.shtml

greenbaypressgazette.com



Redemption time for Raiders
First round of Horizon League tourney Tuesday[/color]

By Marc Katz

Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | Twice this season the Wright State Raiders lost two straight Horizon League games. They can't afford to allow the latest streak to reach three. If it does, the season is over.

Tuesday, the Raiders host Loyola of Chicago at 7:30 p.m. in a first-round Horizon League tournament game at the Nutter Center, the second part of a doubleheader with the WSU women's team, which hosts Youngstown State at 5, also a first-round match.

Neither team can afford to lose as the tournaments are single-elimination.

The road for the male Raiders was made more difficult when they slipped to the No. 5 seed. While Loyola has lost 14 of its last 16 games, the winner meets the Detroit-Cleveland State winner on Friday at 5:30 p.m., in Indianapolis if Butler wins its first-round game against Youngstown State, or in Chicago if Butler loses.


Marc Katz's coverage continues at:

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0301horizon.html

daytondailynews.com



YSU analysis: In March, all is up for grabs

By JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle

BUTLER will host the YSU men tonight at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tipoff is at 7.

The seventh-seeded Penguins (8-19, 4-12) have lost to sixth-seeded Butler (14-13, 8-8) twice by a combined five points - one was by one in overtime at Beeghly Center.

YSU defeated Oral Roberts twice during the 2000-01 season - the Penguins last season in the Mid-Continent Conference.

The then third-seeded Penguins were bounced from the conference tournament in Fort Wayne, Ind., thanks to the first-round loss to the Golden Eagles, 73-70.


JOHN VARGO's coverage continues at:

www.tribune-chronicle.com/sports/story/032202004_spt04YSU2.asp

Tribune Chronicle



Online Bracket webpages:

www.geocities.com/uwmspringbreak/bracket.html

www.jsonline.com/sports/coll/feb04/208710.asp

www.horizonleague.org/staticfiles/2004_trackingbracket_complete.pdf

[johnjaymilwaukee]

ON THE HORIZON

WSU starts tourney at home tonight
Doliboa gets straight talk from his dad[/color]

By Marc Katz

Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | At most games, Mike Doliboa takes his seat just before tipoff, usually near the Wright State bench, but apart from the other fans.

After the game, he stays seated, waiting for his son, Seth, to join him and rehash the game.

"That's all I'm there for, to watch the game," Doliboa said. "I'm not much of one to scream and holler. It's kind of hard to sit and talk and watch. It's not that I don't like the people."

Tonight, Mike Doliboa will watch his son for the last time at home, when the Raiders open the Horizon League tournament against Loyola of Chicago. Other first-round games have Cleveland State at Detroit and Youngstown State at Butler.


Marc Katz's coverage continues at:

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0302wsubb.html

Dayton Daily News



Hollins gains strength from loved ones

By Tom Archdeacon

Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | He said Quincy Rutledge has been his best friend since their kindergarten days in Fort Wayne, Ind.

"He grew up right behind me," Vernard Hollins said. "Our families knew each other. My dad was older and coached his dad in high school. Quincy and I did everything together."

And no place were they closer than on the basketball court. "We played four years for North Side High. We were the starting guards. I was more of a scorer, but he set the school record in assists. He was the best passer I've ever seen in my life. We knew each other's game and one day we thought we'd both be in the pros. That was our dream."

First came college, though, and academic issues forced both of them into a brief detour. Because of a low SAT score, Hollins came to Wright State as a Prop 48 player. That meant the NCAA demanded he skip basketball for a year and work on his grades. Rutledge, Hollins said, took the junior college route into Illinois.


Tom Archdeacon's coverage continues at:

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0302arch.html

Dayton Daily News

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Butler Shoots Past Youngstown State, 88-57, In The Horizon League Tournament
Bulldogs scorch the nets at a 59.6% clip[/color]

March 2, 2004

Sophomore Avery Sheets and freshmen Jamie Smalligan and Nick Brooks combined for 63 points to lead #6 seed Butler past visiting Youngstown State, 88-57, in the opening round of Horizon League Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday (March 2). The victory lifts the Bulldogs to 15-13 on the year and into a quarterfinals game against #3 seed UW-Green Bay on Friday (March 5).

Sheets, Smalligan and Brooks each scored 21 points in the game. The three combined to hit 24 of 31 shots, including 10 of 15 from the three-point arc. Smalligan and Brooks each recorded a career scoring high, while Sheets topped the 20-point mark for the third time in his young career. The last time Butler had three players score 20 points in a game was Dec. 5, 1984, when Tim Haseley (30), Tim McRoberts (21) and Darrin Fitzgerald (20) turned the trick against Indiana State.

"The ball movement was terrific," said Butler head coach Todd Lickliter. "We were patient and shot it when we were open."


The ButlerSports.Com coverage continues at:

butlersports.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/030204aaa.html

Butler Athletics Men's Basketball



March 2, 2004
Men's Basketball: Penguins' Season Ends at Butler, 88-57[/b]

Indianapolis, Ind. -- After playing Butler close in two regular-season contests, the Youngstown State men's basketball team found out how tough the Bulldogs are in the postseason losing 88-57 on Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the opening round of the Horizon League Tournament.

The Bulldogs (15-13) had three players score 21 points to end the Penguins' season at 8-20. Senior Adam Baumann, playing in his final game for the Penguins, scored a team-high 21 points to lead Youngstown State. Butler's Jamie Smalligan, Nick Brooks and Avery Sheets were too much to contain each scoring 21 points on the evening as the Bulldogs scored a season-high 88 points.

In the first half, Smalligan went off for 18 points eclipsing his career high (15 three times) in just a half of play. Smalligan came into the contest averaging four points per game, but was hot making four 3-pointers in the opening stanza.


The Youngstown State Sports coverage continues at:

www.ysu.edu/sports/mensbasketball/200304/butlerrecap3.htm

ysu.edu/sports

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Titans Score Round One Tournament Win Over Cleveland State, 62-36

March 2, 2004

Senior guard Jimmy Twyman led three Titans in double figures with 13 points as Detroit took the important first step in the 2004 Horizon League Championship, defeating Cleveland State, 62-36, Tuesday night in Calihan Hall.

Elijah Warren added 11 points and Ryvon Covile 10 more as the Titans won their ninth straight contest while Cleveland State (4-25) lost for the 23rd time in a row.

The fourth-seeded Titans, now 18-10, move on to the second round of the league tournament, on Friday at Butler. Eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago will be the opponent and game time is set for 5:30 p.m.


The DetroitTitans.Com coverage continues at:

www.detroittitans.com/mbasketball.jsp?id=1078282018080

-Detroit Titans-



Vikings Fall In Horizon League Tournament
Cleveland State sees season end at Detroit, 62-36[/color]

March 2, 2004

DETROIT (AP) - Jimmy Twyman scored 13 points Tuesday to lead Detroit Mercy to a 62-36 win over Cleveland State in the first round of the Horizon League championship tournament.

Elijah Warren added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Titans (18-10), who have won nine consecutive games, the school's longest streak since the 1997-98 team won 11 straight.

Jermaine Robinson had 11 points for the Vikings (4-25), who ended the season with 23 consecutive losses, including an 0-17 streak against conference opponents.


The CSUVikings.Com coverage continues at:

csuvikings.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/030204aaa.html

Cleveland State Men's Basketball

[johnjaymilwaukee]

March 02, 2004

Men Fall to Loyola in Horizon League Tournament

The Wright State men's basketball team jumped out to an early lead, but the Loyola Ramblers controlled the second half in defeating the Raiders 76-59 in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament at the Nutter Center Tuesday night.

WSU burst out to an 18-6 lead midway through the first half, thanks in part to six points from Vernard Hollins and five by Alex Kock, but Loyola gradually cut into the margin and tied the game at 25 at the 2:08 mark after a 7-0 run, capped off by a pair of DaJuan Gouard three-pointers.

A DaShaun Wood three put the Raiders back in front and Wright State still led until a Gouard jumper put the Ramblers ahead 38-37 with 15:49 to play. The Loyola advantage was still just three before a 7-1 run made it 55-46 at the 9:11 mark.


The Wright State Athletics coverage continues at:

www.wright.edu/cgibin/athnews.cgi?menu_choice=show_item&release_id=1590

Raider Athletics



Sports Network Tournament Summary/Chicago Tribune

sports.chicagotribune.com/default.asp?c=chicagosports&page=cbask/misc/horizon-tournament.htm

[johnjaymilwaukee]

butler 88, y'town st. 57

Hot-shooting freshmen lift Butler in victory
Smalligan, Brooks each score 21 points as Bulldogs win in Horizon tournament.[/color]

By David Woods
[e-mail]

March 3, 2004

That experience wins at tournament time is a basketball truism. But if Carmelo Anthony can lead Syracuse to an NCAA championship, it is probably true you can win with freshmen, too.

Freshmen Jamie Smalligan and Nick Brooks scored a career-high 21 points each, and sixth-seeded Butler made sure the Horizon League tournament stays at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs crushed No. 7 seed Youngstown State 88-57 before a season-low crowd of 2,301 Tuesday night.

Sophomore guard Avery Sheets also scored 21 for Butler. The Bulldogs' points and field-goal percentage (.596) were season highs.


David Woods' coverage continues at:

www.indystar.com/articles/5/125944-8605-043.html

IndyStar.com



Butler bashes YSU men

Special to Tribune Chronicle

Indianapolis - After playing Butler close in two regular-season games, Youngstown State found out how tough the Bulldogs are in the postseason on Tuesday night.

Butler beat YSU 88-57 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the opening round of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Bulldogs (15-13) had three players score 21 points to end the Penguins' season.


The Tribune Chronicle's special coverage continues at:

www.tribune-chronicle.com/sports/story/033202004_spt08YSUmen3.asp

Tribune Chronicle

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Wednesday, March 3, 2004

UDM 62, Cleve. St. 34

UDM rolls over Cleveland State

By Tom Markowski / The Detroit News

DETROIT — Detroit Mercy thoroughly outplayed Cleveland State Tuesday night in the first round of the Horizon League tournament.

The Titans advanced with 62-34 victory at Calihan Hall. Cleveland State finishes the season 4-25.

UDM (18-10), winner of nine straight, plays Loyola of Chicago (8-19) in the second round at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Butler.


Tom Markowski's coverage continues at:

www.detnews.com/2004/college/0403/03/c01-81152.htm

The Detroit News

[antrim92]

Did you see the attendance at the Butler game? A whopping 2301! Where is HinklePower when you need him? Go UWGB.

[PANTHERfan]

Detroit could barely get 1,000 people to watch their game. That's pathetic. Even if they're on spring break or something that's no excuse.

GO PANTHERS!

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Horizon League First Round Recap

Hoopville.Com recap by Nick Dettmann



No. 4 Detroit 62, No. 9 Cleveland State 36

Senior guard Jimmy Twyman scored 13 points to lead three Titans in double figures in Detroit's 62-36 blowout win over Cleveland State from Calihan Hall.

No. 8 Loyola-Chicago 76, No. 5 Wright State 59

It was deja-vu for the Ramblers and Raiders on Tuesday night.

No. 6 Butler 88, No. 7 Youngstown State 57

In their biggest offensive output of the season, the Bulldogs hit 60 percent from the field en route to an 88-57 blowout win over the Youngstown State Penguins.


The complete Hoopville.Com recap, by UWM's own Nick Dettmann, continues at:

www.hoopville.net/conferences/17.asp?EntryID=7407

Hoopville.Com

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Loyola pulls Horizon surprise
Ramblers advance as Butler keeps tourney at home[/color]

Associated Press

March 3, 2004

Paul McMillan led a closing 15-4 run that swept Loyola to a 76-59 victory over Wright State in the first round of the Horizon League tournament Tuesday night in Dayton.

Loyola (9-19) will play Detroit (18-10) on Friday in the second round, which will be held in Indianapolis after Butler cruised to an 88-57 home victory Tuesday over Youngstown State in another first-round game.

If the Bulldogs had lost, the tournament would have been completed at second-seeded Illinois-Chicago.


The Chicago Tribune's Associated Press coverage continues at:

chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/cs-0403030363mar03,1,7672212.story?coll=cs-college-headlines

The Chicago Tribune

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Bulldogs Face UW-Green Bay In League Tournament
Butler to host quarterfinals and semifinals [/color]

March 4, 2004

TOURNAMENT WEEK: Butler (15-13), coming off its best shooting performance of the season, will continue play in the Horizon League Tournament at home with a game against #3 seed UW-Green Bay (17-10) on Friday, March 5. The #6 seeded Bulldogs will face the Phoenix in the second game of the second round at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. (EST). The first game on Friday will send #4 seed Detroit (18-10) against #8 seed Loyola (9-19) at 5:30 p.m. (EST). Butler defeated Youngstown State, 88-57, in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday (March 2), while UW-Green Bay received an opening round bye. Detroit defeated Cleveland State, 62-36, and Loyola upset #5 seed Wright State, 76-59, in the opening round. The two Friday night winners will join #1 seed UW-Milwaukee and #2 seed UIC in the tournament semifinals on Saturday, March 6.

The Bulldogs are 11-3 in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

HOME WORK: Butler was the final team in the hosting rotation for the Horizon League Championship, so the Bulldogs will be at Hinkle Fieldhouse for as long as they're in the tournament. The Bulldogs have won 73 of the last 80 games played on their homecourt.


The ButlerSports.Com coverage continues at:

butlersports.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030404aaa.html

Butler Athletics Men's Basketball



College basketball: UWGB men must top Butler, again

By Rob Demovsky
[e-mail]

It was not long ago that beating Butler three times in a season didn’t seem possible.

It, in fact, was impossible — at least for the last six years — because the mighty Bulldogs, whose dominance of the Horizon League has been unmatched, would have had to lose to someone twice in year before it could go down a third time.

When the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay beat Butler on Jan. 10 in Green Bay, three weeks after it did the same in Indianapolis, the Phoenix became the first Horizon League team to sweep Butler in a regular-season series since the 1997-98 season.


Rob Demovsky's pre-game coverage continues at:

www.greenbaypressgazette.com/sports/archive/sports_15025217.shtml

Gannett Wisconsin Online

[johnjaymilwaukee]

Inside the Game
UDM won't look ahead any longer[/b]

By Terry Foster / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Please forgive me for this tired, old sports cliche, but the Detroit Mercy men’s basketball team is playing one game at a time.

You’ve heard it a trillion times in sports. The Titans, however, really are playing one game at a time. They take a nine-game winning streak into tonight’s Horizon League tournament quarterfinal game against Loyola of Chicago. Tip off is 5:30 p.m. at Butler University in Indianapolis.

Normally, I would tell you who the Titans’ next opponent would be Saturday should they win, but we do not want to venture from the one-game at a time approach.


Terry Foster's coverage continues at:

www.detnews.com/2004/college/0403/05/h02-83224.htm

The Detroit News



Loyola Heads to Indianapolis to Face Detroit in Horizon League Championship Quarterfinal Action

3/3/2004

#8 Loyola (9-19) vs. #4 Detroit (18-10) March 5, 2004 - Indianapolis, Ind. 5:30 pm EST - WYLL (AM 1160) 2004 Horizon League Championship - Quarterfinal Round

Tonight’s Game: Loyola, the only lower-seeded team to claim a victory in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship, heads into tonight’s quarterfinal contest against #4 Detroit fresh off a 76-59 win at #5 Wright State Tuesday. The Ramblers have won consecutive games for only the fourth time this season and the first occasion since toppling Youngstown State and Cleveland State to open the Horizon League slate, Jan. 3-5. The winner of tonight’s contest faces top-seeded UW-Milwaukee tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. That game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Chicago.

Loyola - Detroit - The Series: This is the 107th meeting between the Ramblers and Titans, with Loyola owning a 65-41 edge in the series. The teams have split the last eight encounters, including the season series this year. On Jan. 31, the Ramblers snapped an eight-game losing-skid with an 80-77 overtime victory at the Gentile Center behind a career-high 27 points from DaJuan Gouard. Detroit held on for a 69-62 decision at Calihan Hall just two weeks ago. LU owns a 3-1 edge over Detroit in postseason play, but the Titans put an end to the Ramblers’ season a year ago with a 98-84 victory in the quarterfinal round of the Horizon League Championship at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. Willie Green scored 36 points for the victors while David Bailey netted 28 points in his final game wearing the Maroon and Gold.

Head Coach Larry Farmer: In his sixth season at Loyola, Larry Farmer has been at the helm of the Rambler program longer than any coach since Gene Sullivan (1980-89). The NCAA record holder for the best three-year record as a player, Farmer helped UCLA to three national championships and an 89-1 ledger while playing for Hall of Fame coach John Wooden from 1970-73. In six years at Loyola, Farmer has compiled a 71-101 (.413) record and he owns a career 166-178 (.483) mark. Farmer lays claim to a 35-55 (.389) record in Horizon League play and is 5-8 versus Detroit since arriving in Rogers Park. He is 4-5 in postseason action at Loyola, including 0-1 versus the Titans. Postseason Prowess: Loyola has prevailed in four of its last six postseason affairs dating back to the 2002 Horizon League Championship. Prior to that tournament, the Ramblers had dropped 10 straight League championship contests. Loyola has also notched postseason victories in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-92.


The LoyolaRamblers.Com coverage continues at:

www.loyolaramblers.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=9553

Loyola University Chicago