Grizzlies hope to end '08 on positive note
ALAMOSA, Colo.— The Adams State College men’s basketball team will look to end the 2008 portion of the season on a positive note as they play host to the Grand Canyon (Ariz.) University Antelopes in a non-conference battle in Plachy Hall.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and can be heard on KSPK-FM (104.1 in Alamosa) and via the internet at www.kspk.com. Live statistics and subscription-based video coverage are also available on ASC's official athletic website.
The Grizzlies come into the game, their first since a Dec. 20 & 21 road trip to Chadron State and Nebraska-Kearney saddled with a 7-game losing streak. Although just 2-8 overall, the Grizzlies have dropped three games by just a single point.
Knowing that they could easily be 5-5, the Grizzlies still have confidence for the second half of the season that truly begins when the squad re-enters Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play on Jan. 10 at home against UC-Colorado Springs.
In the meantime, the Grizzlies have Tuesday’s game against the ‘Lopes and next Wednesday (Jan. 7) at West Texas A&M, their final non-conference game of the season, to get ready for the stretch run.
ASC has three players averaging in double-figures, a group led by 6-foot-6 forward Seth Heinbaugh (Prescott, Ariz.). Heinbaugh averaged 14.2 points per game and also leads the RMAC in rebounding with his 9.5 per game clip. He also leads the team with his .509 field goal shooting percentage and .750 free throw percentage.
Senior Sean Amos (Philadelphia, Pa.) is faring well pouring in 13.1 points per game while pacing the team with 30 total assists. Nate Ingbretson (Castle Rock, Colo.) is also averaging 10.0 points per game and really picked up steam in the trip to Nebraska pouring in 33 points.
He scored 21 of those points from beyond the arc and hit five treys in his career-high 19-point performance against Nebraska-Kearney. Ingbretson is shooting at a .467 clip from 3-point land throughout the season, the best mark on the team and ninth best in the RMAC.
The ‘Lopes also have three players averaging in double figures including 6-foot-7 sophomore senior center Engen Nurumbi. The native of Kinshasa, Congo who transferred from the University of Minnesota is averaging 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and has four 20-plus point performances, including a 22-point, 17-rebound effort against Western New Mexico back on Dec. 6.
6-foot-5 foot junior David Cuen is also playing well and averaged 11.8 points per game, although he has missed four games and has started just three.
GCU's outside game is led by senior Brandon Dempster, averaging 10.1 points per game. The 6-foot-5 guard is also shooting a team-best .538 from the field and an impressive .516 from 3-point land.
Caught in a win one, lose one pattern since starting off 0-2, the ‘Lopes are 4-5 overall. They have played three games against RMAC schools splitting a home-and-home series with Western New Mexico while dropping an 86-69 decision to Fort Lewis on Nov. 26. They also dropped a 70-56 home game to Cal State-Dominguez Hills, the same team the Grizzlies lost to on Nov. 22 in a game that started ASC’s slide.
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