TAKING BACK SUNDAY - THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT'S BRIGHTEST STARS FROM DAY #3
By Joey Yashinsky
DOMINIQUE MATTHEWS (UIC)
The UIC Flames were wobbling. They were up against the ropes. A 17-point lead had been whittled all the way down to two. Just one more little nudge from Green Bay and the comeback would be complete. Then Dominique Matthews stepped to the foul line with 1:05 to play. The freshman calmly sank the first; and did the same with the second. If there is such a thing as a cold-blooded trip to the free throw line, this was it. Matthews had a mountain’s worth of pressure resting on his shoulders and he shrugged it off like it was nothing more than a housefly. The Flames are stocked with talented freshmen; Matthews (along with Tai Odiase) led the team with 16 points,, but fellow frosh Marcus Ottey was right behind with 15 of his own. This is not just a team to keep an eye on over the next couple nights; it’s a team to fear for the next three years.
TAI ODIASE (UIC)
Kerem Kanter had just finished a terrific first half for Green Bay, scoring 13 points to go with seven rebounds. It was doubly impressive considering he posted those numbers going against Tai Odiase, a player recently voted as the Horizon League’s top defender. If Kanter could pull off the same feat for another 20 minutes, the UIC Flames could very well have been sent packing. But Odiase wasn’t having any of it. “In the first half, I guess I got kind of tired,” he said. “In the second half, we just...we didn’t want to lose.” Odiase put the clamps on Kanter, limiting him to just 2-of-6 shooting and three turnovers the rest of the way. It was a fantastic overall performance from the UIC junior, tallying 16 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks. Odiase could be in line for another monster night on Monday against Milwaukee, a team that starts just one player taller than 6-foot-5.
CHARLES COOPER (GREEN BAY)
It wasn’t a tremendous shooting night for Cooper - connecting on just 6 of 18 - but the sheer tenacity that the senior showed over the game’s final few minutes was nothing short of inspiring. Cooper was hounding every UIC ball-handler, wrestling away steals, and practically willing the ball into the basket. It was the epitome of a college senior doing anything in his power to extend his career for just one more night. Unfortunately, after a memorable four-game run at last year’s Horizon tournament, Cooper and friends are headed home after just a cameo appearance in 2017.
LAVONE HOLLAND II (NORTHERN KENTUCKY)
What a brilliant floor game from LaVone Holland II. He steered the ship from beginning to end, finishing with 16 points, nine assists, and just two turnovers. He repeatedly beat his defender off the dribble, resulting in either a basket for himself or an easy opportunity for a teammate. Wright State coach Scott Nagy said after the game that this year’s Raider team “didn’t really have a point guard.” Holland took full advantage of that shortcoming, controlling the action for the 29 minutes he was on the court. With the typically reliable Drew McDonald struggling for much of the night, it was up to Holland to pick up the slack; he did exactly that. The Northern Kentucky Norse are dancing their way into the tournament semi-finals, playing with as much confidence as just about any team in the country.
THE NORSE BENCH (NORTHERN KENTUCKY)
In a grind-it-out games where the lid stays on the bucket for extended periods, it often comes down to which bench unit can provide that extra spark. In this last quarterfinal of the evening, it was the Northern Kentucky reserve unit that did just that. Freshman Mason Faulkner came up with 10 critical points, including a pair of treys. NKU coach John Brennan called Faulkner’s performance “outstanding.” Jeff Garrett and Dantez Walton chipped in which seven apiece. All told, it was a 27 to 10 bench advantage for the Norse, which was ultimately too much for Wright State to overcome.
GRANT BENZINGER (WRIGHT STATE)
Northern Kentucky was threatening to run away in the second half when they started making shot after shot. At one point, they knocked down 14 in a row. It was only due to the blistering long-range performance from Grant Benzinger (29 points) that the Raiders were able to stay in the game. He splashed home seven 3-pointers, the most by any player to this point in the tournament. The rest of the Wright State cast just could not match that level of productivity. Still, it was a very nice junior season for Benzinger, who was asked to take on more of the scoring load in the absence of program mainstays JT Yoho and Joe Thomasson. He just didn’t get enough help on Sunday night.
