By Dillon Flanigan
Sports Editor
On Friday Feb. 28, as the sixth seed in the NE10 Conference tournament, the Men’s Basketball narrowly avoided a first-round upset at the hands of Franklin Pierce University, defeating the Ravens 85-76.
In the third meeting of the season, both teams showed how results earlier in the season should not lay expectations for the future. Where six days earlier, the Owls won by 42 points topping the first game point differential by 31.
“We didn’t make shots. I think we pressed at both ends of the court and little nervous energy. We weren’t relaxed out there, and we just couldn’t get any consecutive stops, until late in the game,” Head Coach Scott Burrell said. “We just didn’t have any chemistry today. We weren’t on the same page. We didn’t have the same passion, but we’ll get it back.”
The Owls were at full strength after several of the players were sick and missed practice in the days leading up to the game.
Off to a slow start offensively, the Owls gave the Ravens the opportunity to think they could win the game. Frustration boiled over with six minutes left in the first half as forward Antonio Chandler, a senior, was called for a technical foul after he shoved an opposing player while on defense that emulated into a scuffle that was separated rather quickly by the officials and players on the court.
“After my free throw on the other end, I felt like it was kind of a late hit. The guy boxed me out knew the rebound wasn’t even going near me. It’s kind of like an illegal felt like it was a little dirty move,” Chandler said. “I let that one go but then I saw, one was doing illegal stuff to my teammate and now and go for that. I was just standing up for my teammate at the end of the day.”
Adding to the frustration filling in the Owls locker room with a 35-31 lead at the break; guard Albert Vargas, a junior, who leads the team in points scored this season only had two in the first half.
After rekindling what has allowed them to reach such potential in the latter half of the season, the Owls found their rhythm including Vargas who scored 28 in the second half.
“I had a pretty rough half, but I’ve been in those moments before the whole year, and it’s a lot of ups and down,” Vargas said. “I knew my shots were gonna go in, and I never lost my focus, and I was out there just trying to win, do everything that I can to win again, and that’s what kept us in the game, and you saw the results.”
Over the second half, Burrell rotated several players in the lineup. However, for a significant portion, forward Cherif Diarra, a junior, was missing in action. He was not injured, but Burrell purposely held him out given the importance of the game.
“Well, he had four fouls. I’m not gonna let him fall out with 12 minutes left, because we’ll be in trouble, but you got to save time,” Burrell said. “He’s a huge part of our team. He’s a huge part of why we’re successful. So, you have got to keep him on the bench and eat up some minutes and get him in so he can finish the game.”
Over the last several weeks, the Owls have been on fire. With this win they have won seven of their last eight games dating back to Feb. 1 with a healthier team.
