| Mike Manderino |
| Men's Basketball Coach • 708/709-7835 |
|
||
 |
||
|
Schedule | |
|
Roster | |
|
News | |
|
Stats | |
|
Coaching Staff | |
|
Directions/Map | |
|
PSC Home | |
|
Illinois Skyway Conference | |
|
Region IV | |
|
Prospective Athlete Form | |
| March 12, 2007 KING VOTED TO ALL-CONFERENCE AND ALL-REGION TEAMS Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) of the Prairie State College men’s basketball team was recently recognized for his accomplishments as he earned All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Region IV accolades. In a vote by the conference and region coaches, King was selected to the All-ISCC first team and the All-Region IV second team. King led the Pioneers in 13 statistical categories, including scoring (19.3 points per game), assists (5.5 per game), three-point baskets made (64), three-point percentage (35.6), free throws made (132), free throw percentage (80.5), defensive rebounds (116), steals (2.9 per game) and starts (29). The 6-foot point guard also was one of just two PSC players who competed in all 31 games this year. In the NJCAA Division II national standings, King ranks 19th in steals per game. Among the region, which consists of 25 teams, he is first in steals, second in scoring and sixth in both assists and free throw percentage. Prairie State finished 8-23 overall and 2-12 in conference play. March 1, 2007 PIONEERS’ SEASON ENDS IN REGION TOURNAMENT LOSS The hope was that after defeating Elgin Community College 82-81 in the regular-season finale Saturday, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team would head into its rematch with the Spartans on Thursday with momentum on its side. But that wasn’t the case as Elgin downed PSC 87-38 in the first round of NJCAA Region IV Tournament to put an end to the Pioneers’ season. Prairie State closed out the campaign with an 8-23 record. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) gave PSC its only lead of the contest when he opened the scoring with a basket. The host Spartans, however, scored the next 10 points to seize control of the game. Later in the first half, Elgin used a 15-0 run to push the margin to 35-10. The Spartans led by a comfortable 33 points (51-18) at the half. The Pioneers put up a more competitive fight in the second half but were still outscored 36-20 in the final 20 minutes. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) had his fifth double-double of the year after leading Prairie State with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) added 10 points and led all players with six steals. February 24, 2007 Elgin won’t have to wait long in its bid for a payback as PSC travels to the northwest suburb Thursday for the opening round of the eight-team NJCAA Region IV Tournament. The Pioneers (8-22, 2-12 ISCC) earned the seventh seed, while Elgin (16-10, 9-5 ISCC) is the No. 2 team. The region champion advances to the national tournament. Free throws played a key role in Saturday’s outcome with Prairie State making 31-of-38 attempts (81.6 percent) compared to 15-of-24 accuracy 62.5 percent) for the Spartans. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) solidified the win at the charity stripe when his free throw with 1.9 seconds left in the game made it 82-78. Elgin did hit a three-pointer as time expired to make it a one-point decision. After eight lead changes - four in each half - the Pioneers took the lead for good when a three-point basket by freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) put PSC in front 47-45 with 15:29 to play. Prairie State extended the lead to as many as 10 points twice over the next 4:26, but the difference remained in single digits the final 10:49 of the contest. PSC also built two 10-point surpluses in the first half before taking a 40-32 advantage at the break. King led all players with 33 points and three steals. In addition to shooting 8-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, he connected on 14-of-17 free throws. Roberts and freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) both recorded double-doubles after playing their best games of the year. Roberts scored 19 points to equal his second-highest effort of the year in addition to pulling down a season-best 10 rebounds, while Kleszczynski tallied 13 points and 12 assists to publish his top totals in each category. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) also reached double-figures in scoring after contributing 10 points. February 22, 2007 Double-doubles by freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) and freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) Thursday night helped the Prairie State College men’s basketball team tally its best offensive showing in four games and win the rebounding battle for the first time in six contests. That, however, wasn’t enough to contain a Moraine Valley Community College team that shot over 50 percent from the field and canned 15 three-pointers en route to its 93-70 victory in Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference play in Palos Hills. Kona produced career-best totals in both scoring and rebounding after netting 15 points and pulling down a game-high 15 boards. The 15 rebounds are the third most by a Pioneer this year. Davis, meanwhile, recorded his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds. PSC (7-22, 1-12 ISCC) outrebounded the Cyclones 41-38, but the hosts made up for that deficit by connecting on 36-of-71 attempts from the field (50.7 percent), including 15-of-33 three-point tries (45.5 percent). Prairie State’s lone lead of the game came at the 17:10 mark of the first half when freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) scored to give the Pioneers a 6-5 advantage. That was part of a run that saw PSC hit eight consecutive shots. The torrid shooting during that stretch enabled the guests to trail by just four points, 21-17, with 13:31 remaining. That differential was the closest Prairie State would get the rest of the night as Moraine Valley (18-11, 7-7 ISCC) took a 42-31 lead at the half and held a 51-39 scoring advantage in the final 20 minutes. King topped the PSC scorers with 22 points. He also had five assists and a game-high four steals. Freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) added 11 points and five assists. February 20, 2007 PSC (7-21, 1-11 ISCC) never led in the contest and trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before heading into the intermission down 28-15. Twice in the second half the Pioneers got to within 11 points, but that was as close as they would get. The 19-point differential at the conclusion of the game was the largest of the night. For the 10th consecutive game, freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee Roberts (Rich East H.S.) totaled 10 points and two steals. February 18, 2007 STRONG DEFENSIVE SHOWING BY PSC NOT ENOUGH Playing its best defensive game of the year, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team limited Waubonsee Community College to 52 points and a 27.6 field goal percentage - the lowest totals the Pioneers allowed this season - Sunday afternoon in Sugar Grove. Although the defense did its part, PSC came up short 52-46 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference contest. Both teams connected on 16 shots from the field, but the Pioneers gained an edge after making seven three-pointers compared to just two for Waubonsee. However, two areas that were detrimental to Prairie State were free throws and rebounding. The Chiefs were 18-of-25 at the free throw line and had 47 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive end, while Prairie State connected on 7-of-10 at the charity stripe and grabbed 30 boards. Neither team came out particularly strong in the first half as Waubonsee led 17-13 at the break. PSC (7-20, 1-10 ISCC) took its biggest lead of the afternoon when it held a 7-4 advantage with 13:02 on the clock. The Pioneers’ only lead in the second half came after freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) hit a three-pointer to put the guests in front 24-23 at the 15:08 mark. With the game knotted 27-27, the Chiefs published a 9-0 run to extend the difference to 36-27 with 7:58 remaining. Prairie State answered with a 10-2 spurt over the next 2:31 to close the gap to 38-37, but that would be as close as it would get as Waubonsee (17-9, 7-4 ISCC) built the lead to as many as 10 before holding on for the six-point victory. King led all players with 26 points and four steals. Producing game- and career-high totals were freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood), who had 14 rebounds, and freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic), who distributed seven assists. February 15, 2007 MCHENRY’S QUICK START PAVES WAY TO VICTORY Falling behind 7-0 to open the game, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team dug itself into a deficit it couldn’t overcome in its 78-42 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference loss to McHenry County College on Thursday in Chicago Heights. The Fighting Scots led by as many as 24 points (39-15) in the first half before taking a 41-18 advantage at the break. McHenry (17-10, 5-5 ISCC) then outscored the PSC (7-19, 1-9) 37-24 in the final 20 minutes. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) was the lone Pioneer to crack double figures in scoring as he finished with a game-high 19 points. He also distributed five assists. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) led all players with 10 rebounds and three steals.February 10, 2007 KING SCORES 37 POINTS IN PRAIRIE STATE LOSS The top individual scoring effort of the season by a Prairie State College men’s basketball player wasn’t enough to earn the Pioneers a victory Saturday afternoon as freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) netted 37 points in a 69-56 setback to Kishwaukee College in Malta. King connected on 15-of-25 field goal attempts, including 7-of-14 three-pointers, to reach his tally. Along with his game-high point total, King also led all players with five steals and tied atop the statistical standings with six assists. Joining King in double-figure scoring was freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.), who had 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) contributed a team-best eight rebounds. PSC (7-18) got off to a quick start, scoring the first eight points of the game. But the Kougars controlled the reminder of the half to take a 36-26 advantage at the break. Kishwaukee eventually worked the difference to 27 points (60-33) in the second half before the Pioneers closed out the game on a 23-9 run. February 8, 2007 PSC CAN’T OVERCOME FIRST TWO MINUTES OF SECOND HALF Down by just eight points at the half, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team was well within reach of knocking off Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference leader Oakton Community College on Thursday in DesPlaines. But PSC was outscored 13-0 in the first 1:55 of the second half to increase its deficit from 53-45 to 66-45, sealing its fate in a 98-74 loss. After Prairie State (7-17, 1-8 ISCC) jumped out to a 12-6 lead early in the contest, Oakton went on a 35-14 spurt to pull away 41-26. The 15-point gap was the largest of the first half. PSC was still down 51-37 with 2:53 remaining in the opening period when it closed out the half on an 8-2 run to narrow the difference to 53-45. Oakton (20-5, 10-0 ISCC), however, extinguished the Pioneers’ momentum burst in the first two minutes of the second stanza and led by as many as 33 in the final 20 minutes. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) topped the Pioneers with 21 points, eight assists and three steals. Freshman forward Dan Cloutier (Beecher H.S.) followed with 14 points after connecting on all six of his field goal attempts. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) and freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) both scored 12 points. Davis also pulled down a a game-high 13 rebounds.February 1, 2007 PRAIRIE STATE SNAPS LOSING STREAK January was not a particularly kind month to the Prairie State College men’s basketball team, which lost all nine games during the stretch. But the Pioneers have taken a liking to February as they defeated College of Lake County 70-62 in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference bout Thursday evening in Chicago Heights. PSC’s victory avenged a 75-57 loss to the Lancers on Jan.11 and upped its record to 7-16 overall and 1-7 in conference play. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete Monee H.S.) was a key figure in the win, leading all players with 33 points and eight assists. He also contributed eight rebounds and six steals and was nearly flawless at the free throw line, where he connected on 16-of-17 attempts. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) also demonstrated accurate shooting, hitting on 7-of-9 tries from the field en route to scoring 18 points. Like King, he grabbed eight boards. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) led Prairie State with nine rebounds. In its best shooting performance in 11 games, PSC made good on 44.7 percent of its field goals (21 of 47), including a 50-percent clip from beyond the arc (7 of 14). The Pioneers also converted 80.8 percent of their free throws (21 of 26). Lake County led 21-17 with 5:19 remaining in the first half when Prairie State scored 10 consecutive points to go in front 27-21, which was the largest lead for either team in the opening 20 minutes. The Lancers answered with their own 10-0 run to regain the lead, 31-27, at the 1:22 mark, but freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) converted a three-point basket to close the gap to 31-30 heading into the intermission. Kleszczynski added another trey 1:30 into the second half to put the hosts ahead 33-31. Prairie State would not trail the remainder of the game. PSC pulled away by as many as 10 points (49-39) with 9:10 to play, but the Lancers worked the differential down to one point on two occasions (53-52, 55-54). After a Lake County basket made it 61-59 with 1:38 on the clock, the Pioneers ended the game on a 9-3 spurt. Roberts accounted for five points in that span. January 30, 2007 MORAINE VALLEY CONTROLS BOTH HALVES IN WIN OVER PSC Outscored by 16 points in each of the two halves, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team was defeated by Moraine Valley Community College 81-49 in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game Tuesday evening in Chicago Heights. PSC (6-16, 0-7 ISCC) trailed 40-24 after the first half before getting outscored 41-25 in the second half. After two ties in the initial 6:15 of the contest, Moraine Valley (16-7, 4-3) took the lead for good when it went ahead 14-12. The Cyclones led by as many as 18 in the opening half. MVCC started the second half with a 10-0 run to push the difference to 50-24. The Pioneers would not get within 24 points the remainder of the game. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) led all players with 17 points. Also reaching double figures was freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.), who scored 14 points. January 25, 2007 PRAIRIE STATE CAN’T MAINTAIN FIRST-HALF LEAD Playing one of its better half’s of the year, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team led Morton College 49-43 after the first 20 minutes Thursday night in Cicero. The second period, however, was another story as the Pioneers were outscored 36-23 in their 79-72 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference loss. In the opening half, PSC (6-15, 0-6 ISCC) shot 60 percent from the field (18 of 30), 84.6 percent from the free throw line (11 of 13), committed just two turnovers and matched the Panthers in rebounding (15 rebounds each team). Prairie State saw all of those numbers regress in the second stanza after connecting on 26.7 percent of its field goals (8 of 30) and 55.6 percent of its free throws (5 of 9), while turning the ball over eight times and losing the rebounding battle by two boards. The promising start enabled the Pioneers to go ahead by as many as seven, 47-40, with 1:35 to play in the first half. The six-point difference at the intermission evaporated in the second period when Morton went on a 14-3 run to take a 57-52 lead with 12:19 to play. Morton held on to the advantage the remainder of the game, keeping the margin between 5 and 11 points. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) topped the game-high charts with 30 points and six assists. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) etched a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Dan Cloutier (Beecher H.S.) and freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively, while freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) had 10 rebounds. January 23, 2007 17-0 RUN LEADS MCHENRY TO VICTORY Baskets by freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) and freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) gave the Prairie State College men’s basketball team an early 5-0 lead over McHenry County College, but the Fighting Scots answered with 17 consecutive points to pave the way to their 64-50 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference victory Tuesday in Crystal Lake. After falling behind 17-5, PSC (6-14, 0-5 ISCC) never pulled closer than seven points the remainder of the first half, which concluded with the hosts on top 36-18. The Pioneers, who outscored McHenry 32-28 in the final 20 minutes, had the difference down to 11 points, 47-36, with 11:36 to play but were unable to get within single digits in the second period. King led Prairie State with 19 points and seven assists. Roberts added 11 points and a game-high four steals, while freshman guard Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) had 10 points. January 20, 2007 KING’S TORRID SCORING PACE CONTINUES Since second-semester play began Jan. 9, freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) has taken over as the Prairie State College men’s basketball team’s top scorer, averaging 22.3 points in six games. King helped his scoring clip Saturday, tallying a game-high 25 points in a 93-56 loss at Kankakee Community College. King has scored 24 or more points in four of the six games. King gave PSC (6-13) its only lead Saturday when he connected on a three-point basket 27 seconds into the contest to give the Pioneers a 3-2 advantage. But Kankakee (16-5) dominated the remainder of the game, pulling away 52-27 at the half and leading by as many as 42 in the second period. Along with his scoring, King compiled seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) also had a productive outing as he had 19 points and seven rebounds. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) grabbed nine rebounds, marking the fourth time in six games he has led the Pioneers in that category. January 18, 2007 PRAIRIE STATE DONE IN BY POOR START If only the Prairie State College men’s basketball team could wipe out the first 9:20 of Thursday night’s Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game at Elgin Community College. PSC (6-12, 0-4 ISCC) fell behind 23-0 during that opening stretch but played the Spartans virtually even the final 30:40 as it was outscored 50-49 the rest of the way in an eventual 73-49 loss. After cutting the difference to 32-17 at the half, the Pioneers opened the second period on an 8-2 run to pull to within nine points, 34-25, with 16:29 on the clock. Elgin (10-4, 3-1) proceeded to score on its next two possessions to push the lead into double figures for good. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) led all players with 24 points and tied for game-high honors with five assists. The bulk of his scoring came at the free throw line, where he connected on 13-of-14 attempts at the charity stripe. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) contributed 15 points, while freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) added a team-best nine rebounds. January 16, 2007 FIRST-HALF DEFICIT TOO MUCH FOR PSC TO OVERCOME Ranked first in the NJCAA Region IV standings, Oakton Community College is one of the top opponents on the Prairie State College men’s basketball team’s schedule this year. The Raiders justified their top billing Tuesday evening in Chicago Heights, defeating PSC 90-69 in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game. Oakton led from start to finish and raced out to a 10-0 lead just 1:33 into the contest. Trailing 13-3, the Pioneers scored eight consecutive points to narrow the gap to 13-11 at the 14:29 mark, but that was as close as they would get. The Raiders orchestrated a 28-7 run to open a 41-18 cushion before taking a comfortable 51-29 lead at the half. Although Prairie State (6-11, 0-3 ISCC) never got closer than 19 points in the second half, it did outscore Oakton (13-5, 3-0) 40-39 in the final 20 minutes. After tallying a career-high 20 points in his previous outing Saturday, freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) totaled a team-best 19. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) and freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) had their top offensive showings of the season, scoring 18 and 14 points, respectively. Davis also pulled down 10 rebounds to author his first collegiate double-double. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) recorded 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. January 13, 2007 SANDBURG PULLS AWAY IN FINAL 8 MINUTES TO EARN WIN Twenty-two lead changes, seven ties and no lead greater than six points are indicative of how evenly matched the Prairie State College men’s basketball team and Carl Sandburg College were for the first 32 minutes of Saturday afternoon’s game in Chicago Heights. The final eight minutes, however, tilted in the favor of the Chargers, who outscored PSC 13-3 in the closing stretch to earn a 70-57 victory. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.), who scored a team- and career-best 20 points, converted two free throws with 8:01 remaining to even the game at 54-54. That would be the last points the Pioneers would net until a free throw by freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) at the 42-second mark made it 68-55. Prairie State (6-10) enjoyed a 52-48 lead - matching its largest advantage of the contest - with 9:33 on the clock when Sandburg (9-10) connected on consecutive three-point baskets to overtake the hosts 54-52. That was the last time the lead would change hands. The Chargers (7-9) looked to run away with the game at the start, scoring the first five points and going ahead by six (8-2) - the biggest lead of the game until their final charge - within the first two minutes. PSC responded with eight consecutive points to take its first lead - 10-8 - with 16:40 to play in the opening half. The Pioneers would also end the period with a two-point cushion as they were in front 31-29 at the intermission. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) scored 15 points, while Davis had 11 points and eight rebounds. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) led all players with 11 rebounds. January 11, 2007 BALANCED SCORING AND SOUND DEFENSE NOT ENOUGH FOR PSC With four starters reaching double figures in scoring and a defense that forced 24 turnovers, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team looked to have the ingredients for a victory against Waubonsee Community College on Thursday in Chicago Heights. But the Pioneers fell 75-70 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference contest to drop to 6-9 overall and 0-2 in the league. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) led all players with 32 points. He also had five steals to tie for game-high honors with freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.), who scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts finished with 12 points, while freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood) added 10. The 24 turnovers recorded by the PSC defense marked its second-best figure of the year, trailing only the 28 miscues it caused in the season opener against South Suburban College. The Pioneers, who never led in the first half en route to a 29-24 deficit at the intermission, scored 12 unanswered points early in the second period to go ahead 38-31. The Chiefs, however, countered with a 12-0 run of their own to make it 43-38 with 14:27 to play. Waubonsee (12-5, 2-0) upped the lead to nine, 69-60, at the 3:26 mark, but Prairie State went on a 10-2 spurt to cut the gap to 71-70 with 1:05 left. That would be as close as PSC would get as the Chiefs netted the final four points of the game. Down 73-70 in the final 30 seconds, the Pioneers had the opportunity to tie the game but could not convert. January 9, 2007 PRAIRIE STATE DEFEATED IN CONFERENCE OPENER Poor shooting was a key factor in the Prairie State College men’s basketball team’s 75-57 loss to College of Lake County in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference opener Tuesday evening in Grayslake. The Pioneers shot a season-low 36.2 percent from the field, hitting on 21 of their 58 attempts for the game. Meanwhile, the 57 points PSC tallied marked its second-lowest total of the year. After six lead changes and three ties in the first 4:57 of the game, Lake County took the lead for good when it grabbed a 10-9 advantage. The go-ahead basket ignited a 15-2 run that turned the Lancers’ 9-8 deficit into a 23-11 surplus. CLC kept its double-digit lead intact at the half as it led 34-24. But a quick start by Prairie State (6-8, 0-1) to open the second stanza enabled it to cut the difference to 36-33 with 16:56 on the clock. The Lancers (5-9, 1-0) answered PSC’s rally with 12 unanswered points to pull away 48-33 at the 12:39 mark. The hosts would not let the margin get within 11 points the remainder of the game. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) led all players with 25 points, seven assists and seven steals. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) added 14 points. Freshman center Hermann Kona (Homewood), who was making his collegiate debut, led the Pioneers with nine rebounds. December 21, 2006 PSC DENIED IN ITS BID TO SURPASS .500 MARK One item on the Prairie State College men’s basketball team’s Christmas wish-list was lifting its record over the .500 plateau before going on its holiday break. Harper College, however, decided to play the role of Scrooge as it defeated the Pioneers 56-53 Thursday in Palatine. PSC, which has not been above .500 at all this year, fell to 6-7 with the setback. The game also marked Prairie State’s final appearance until the Illinois Skyway Conference season commences Jan. 9 at the College of Lake County. The Pioneers had a sluggish start against Harper, falling behind 11-0 and being held scoreless for the first 5:56 of the game. The Hawks led 21-4, but PSC outscored the hosts 19-9 the final 11:01 of the opening half to cut the difference to 30-23. Prairie State then netted seven unanswered points to open the second half to knot the score at 30-30. Despite the offensive surge, the Pioneers would not lead at any point in the final 20 minutes. Although PSC was behind the remainder of the contest, it still had an opportunity to earn the win. In the final 2:40 of regulation, the Pioneers were within three points the entire time. Trailing 54-53, Prairie State turned the ball over with 28 seconds to play. After the Hawks converted a pair of free throws, PSC’s three-point attempt at the buzzer to tie the game banked off the rim. Freshman center Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) led all players with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Freshmen guards Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) and Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) scored 15 and 14 points, respectively. King also finished with nine assists. December 19, 2006 FORMER PSC/BLOOM PLAYERS EXCELING AT FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS After two successful basketball seasons at Prairie State College, Darnell Howell and John Gray – a pair of Bloom Township High School graduates – are continuing to excel at four-year schools. Howell, who graduated from Bloom in 2003 and played at PSC from 2003-05, is a senior guard at the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), while Gray, a 2004 Bloom graduate, is a junior guard at Bellevue University (Neb.) after spending the previous two years at Prairie State. A starter in all 12 games this season, Howell leads the Patriots, an NAIA Division I member, in scoring (17.2 points per game), field goals made (68), free throws made (40) and steals (21). Last year, Howell, who was used as a reserve in each of Cumberland’s 28 games, averaged 10.0 points each outing in addition to leading the team with 48 steals and placing second with 43 three-point baskets made and 60 converted free throws. While at Prairie State, Howell earned a spot on the All-Skyway Conference and NJCAA Region IV first teams in 2004-05. As a freshman, he made the all-conference second team. Howell is the current owner of six PSC records, including most three-point baskets made in a season (102) and a career (150), career assists (182) and career steals (148). He is second for career points (1,053), points in a season (663) and points in a game (40). Like Howell, Gray also made a smooth transition to the four-year level as he has started all 13 of the Bruins’ contests this year and is second among his teammates in scoring (12.8 points per game), field goals made (49), free throws made (56), three-point field goal percentage (.545) and steals (19). Those contributions have enabled Bellevue to forge an unblemished 13-0 record and move to No. 5 in the NAIA Division II national poll. Gray is one of the most prolific players in Prairie State history as he owns 19 records. Highlighting that list are his point totals for a career (1,401), season (751) and game (55) as well as his per-game scoring averages for a career (23.4) and season (25.0). Besides his offensive production, Gray also established PSC’s best-ever tally for career rebounds (414). Not surprisingly, Gray was a two-time selection to the All-Skyway Conference first team and a member of the All-Region IV first team last year. December 19, 2006 PRAIRIE STATE’S BIG FIRST HALF PAVES THE WAY TO WIN Entering Tuesday’s game in Chicago Heights, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team had won four of its previous five contests, while Illinois Valley Community College posted five victories in its last six outings. With both teams playing well, it was no surprise that the game was decided by just four points. Fortunately for the Pioneers, they were on the victorious side of the ledger, holding on for an 87-83 triumph to improve their season record to 6-6. The way the game started, it appeared as if the outcome was going to be decided by the end of the first half, which ended with PSC in front 55-35. A key to the 20-point cushion was the Pioneers’ 11-0 run that increased their 37-25 advantage to 48-25. Prairie State still maintained a 20-point lead with 14:17 to play as it owned a 62-42 surplus, and the margin was 14 points, 78-64, at the 5:13 mark. But Illinois Valley charged back and cut the gap to 84-79 with 1:48 on the clock. After the difference got as close as three points, 86-83, freshman guard Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) capped off the scoring when he made a free throw with five seconds left to up the score to 87-83. Sprattlin concluded the contest with a game-high 28 points. He has reached that total in each of the last two games. Freshman center Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) followed with 25 points and a game- and career-best 22 rebounds. Also reaching double figures in scoring were freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) and freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.), who had 16 and 10 points, respectively. Like Pinckney, King also had a double-double after finishing with 12 assists. December 19, 2006 PINCKNEY ONCE AGAIN SELECTED AS REGION PLAYER OF THE WEEK For the second time this season, freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) of the Prairie State College men’s basketball team was selected as the NJCAA Region IV Division II Player of the Week. Pinckney earned the latest honor Monday due to his efforts in the Pioneers’ 89-87 victory over Milwaukee Area Technical College the previous day. That was PSC’s lone contest of the week. In the win, the 6-foot, 3 inch Pinckney led all players with 32 points. He also had seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks. In the NJCAA Division II rankings, Pinckney is fourth nationally in scoring (26.7 points per game) and ninth in rebounding (11.3 rebounds per game). Prairie State is 5-6 on the season. December 17, 2006 PSC WINS ON KING’S LAST-SECOND BASKET Without a doubt, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team picked the right time to take its one-and-only second-half lead Sunday afternoon against Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee. The Pioneers’ lone advantage in the final 20 minutes came when freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) scored at the buzzer to give PSC an 89-87 victory. Prairie State has now won four of its last five games to improve to 5-6 for the season. Besides King, freshmen guards Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) and Anthony Kleszczynski (Marian Catholic H.S.) also played a role in the winning basket. With just four seconds on the clock and the Stormers in possession of the ball, Sprattlin recorded a steal and dished off to Kleszczynski, who then found King open under the net. The Pioneers trailed by as many 11 points (52-41, 55-44) in the second half and were down by nine (73-64) at the 6:52 mark. But PSC evened the score at 85-85 with 2:04 to play after a field goal by freshman center Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale), who also deadlocked the game at 87-87 when he converted a pair of free throws with 41 seconds remaining. Prior to King’s game-winning shot, Prairie State’s last lead was 19-18 with 10:12 on the clock in the first half. The Pioneers’ largest surplus of the game came in the first 43 seconds when they jumped ahead 4-0. Despite the early deficits, MATC was able to go ahead 43-39 at the intermission. Pinckney scored a game-high 32 points, while Sprattlin contributed 28 points, of which 21 came in the second half, and three steals. King netted 19 points, a team-high eight rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) distributed a personal-best 10 assists after totaling just six in his first eight appearances of the year. December 9, 2006 PRAIRIE STATE’S ROAD WOES CONTINUE Winning on the road has been a difficult task this season for the Prairie State College men’s basketball team, which fell to 0-4 outside the confines of Pioneer Fieldhouse after losing 72-67 to Carl Sandburg College on Saturday in Galesburg. A Sandburg basket in the final seconds of the first half gave the hosts a 33-31 lead at the intermission. PSC, which had won its previous three games, would trail the entire second period. Prairie State (4-6) was led by freshmen forwards Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) and Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.), who scored 25 and 21 points, respectively. December 7, 2006 PIONEERS WIN THIRD CONSECUTIVE GAME The winning ways continued for the Prairie State College men’s basketball team, which won its third consecutive game after defeating College of DuPage 92-73 Thursday evening in Chicago Heights. Over the last three games, the Pioneers (4-5) have won by an average of 17.7 points. In the DuPage victory, PSC shot a torrid 61.9 percent from three-point range, connecting on 13-of-21 treys. Freshman forward Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.) was 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, while freshman guards Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) and Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) were 4-of-6 and 3-of-5, respectively, from long distance. The three-point precision enabled Connie to finish with 26 points, Sprattlin 18 and King 16. For the second time in as many games, and for the third time this season, Sprattlin produced a double-double after his personal-best 11 assists against the Chaparrals. King, who led all players with four steals, nearly had a double-double as well thanks to his nine assists. Prairie State didn’t rely solely on its outside shooting as freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) scored a game-high 29 points from his post position and pulled down nine rebounds. Freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) led all players with 13 rebounds. The Pioneers never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 14 points (39-25) in the first half before DuPage closed out the opening period on a 15-6 run to cut the difference to 45-40. But that would be as close as the guests would get. PSC regained the momentum at the start of the second half when it scored six straight points to make it a 51-40 game. The difference would eventually swell to 84-57 with 6:39 to play. December 2, 2006 PRAIRIE STATE DEFEATS ANCILLA BY 24 Two weeks after losing 88-85 to Ancilla College (Ind.), the Prairie State College men’s basketball team got its revenge on the Chargers by coasting to a 95-71 win Saturday in Chicago Heights. The 24-point victory was the largest of the year for the Pioneers, who won their second consecutive game to improve to 3-5 on the season. PSC, which led by as many as 39 points (84-45), established season bests for field goal percentage (.590; 36-for-61), three-point percentage (.647; 11-for-17), three-pointers made and turnovers (12; tied season best). In the first half, Prairie State shot 70 percent (21-for-30) from the field and connected on all six attempts from beyond the arc to construct a 54-37 lead at the intermission. A 3-2 deficit early on marked the only time the Pioneers were behind all game. PSC opened the second half on a 13-0 run to pull away 70-37. The differential would remain 30 points or above until the final minute. Freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale, Ill.) scored a game-high 29 points, while freshman forward Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.), who was 4-of-5 from three-point territory, added 23 points and five steals. The five steals are the most by a Prairie State player this year. Freshman guards Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) and Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) both were 3-of-5 in their three-point attempts en route to finishing with 19 points and 13 points, respectively. Sprattlin authored a double-double after dishing out 10 assists. November 30, 2006 DEFENSE LEADS PIONEERS TO VICTORY OVER KISHWAUKEE The best defensive effort of the year helped lift the Prairie State College men’s basketball team to a 73-63 victory over Kishwaukee College on Thursday in Chicago Heights. Heading into the contest, the Pioneers were allowing an average of 93.5 points per outing and had yielded 88 points or more in each of the first six games. Turnovers played a key role in the outcome as PSC forced 23 miscues – its second-best showing of the campaign – while committing a season-low 12 on the offensive end. Although Prairie State (2-5) kept its turnover count down, it had a difficult time with its shooting accuracy in the first half, connecting on just 8-of-31 (25.8%) shots from the field, enabling Kishwaukee to build a 33-20 lead at the break. The Kougars went ahead 35-20 when they opened the scoring in the second half. The 15-point differential was the largest of the evening for either team. The Pioneers put an end to their 6:17 scoring drought that began with 4:26 to play in the first half after a layup by freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) at the 18:09 mark. King’s basket sparked a 19-4 PSC run that deadlocked the game at 39-39. After another tie at 47, Prairie State took its first lead since it was in front 9-8 with 14:51 remaining in the first half when freshman guard Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) connected on a three pointer to give the hosts a 50-49 advantage with 6:48 to play. Over the next 1:54, the lead would change hands four additional times, but another Sprattlin trey put the Pioneers on top for good, 55-54. Including Sprattlin’s basket, the Pioneers made seven of their last 10 shots to help them finish 21-of-38 (55.3%) from the field in the second half and tally 53 points. The 10-point difference at the conclusion of the game equaled PSC’s largest surplus of the game. Prairie State also led by 10 two additional times in the final minute. Sprattlin and freshman forward Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.) both paced the victors with 15 points and seven assists. Connie also had three steals. King followed with 14 points, while freshman forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) added 12 points and game-high four steals. Those four players did the majority of their scoring in the final 20 minutes as Connie had 12 points while the other three had 10 markers in the second period. Freshman center Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) led all players with 12 rebounds to complement his nine points. November 25-26, 2006 PSC GOES 0-2 AT BLACK HAWK EAST TOURNAMENT Both games for the Prairie State College men’s basketball team at the Black Hawk East College Tournament over the weekend ended with identical scores of 88-72. But unfortunately for the Pioneers, they were on the losing end of the two decisions. Earning the victories over PSC were Clinton Community College (Iowa) on Saturday and Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) on Sunday. In the opener, the game was tied at 33-33 at the half before Clinton claimed a 16-point scoring advantage, 55-39, in the final 20 minutes. The Cougars did the bulk of their damage in the final nine minutes of the contest. The Pioneers were ahead 56-54 with 8:44 on the clock when Clinton began its surge by authoring a 10-0 run to go in front 64-56. The closest PSC would get after that was six points, 72-66, at the 3:49 mark. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) led a trio of PSC double-digit scorers as he finished with 20 points. Freshman forwards Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.) and Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) followed with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Besides scoring, King also had four assists and two steals. Pinckney, meanwhile, contributed nine rebounds. The Ellsworth game followed a similar script as Prairie State (1-5) was outscored by 16 points in one half and played even in the other. The Panthers raced out to a 48-32 lead after 20 minutes of play before the teams netted 40 points apiece in the final period. In the second stanza, the Pioneers pulled to within six points, 78-72, with 2:00 on the clock after a 13-2 rally in a span of 3:59. Ellsworth answered that threat with 10 unanswered points to end the game. Pinckney led all players in both scoring (31) and rebounding (12) to give him his third double-double in six games. Connie supplied 18 points and three steals, and King accumulated 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. November 18, 2006 FIVE PRAIRIE STATE PLAYERS REACH DOUBLE FIGURES IN LOSS All five starters on the Prairie State College men’s basketball team reached double figures in scoring Saturday evening against Ancilla College in Donaldson, Ind, but that effort wasn’t good enough to lift the Pioneers to a victory as they were defeated 88-85 in their first road game of the year. Freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) led PSC (1-3) with 32 points. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) added 20 points, while sophomore forward Anthony Jackson (Chicago) along with freshman guards Harastan Boyd (Crete-Monee H.S.) and Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) each had 10. Pinckney, Jackson and Sprattlin all inked double-doubles. Pinckney grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds, and Jackson had 10 boards. Sprattlin distributed 10 assists. Boyd, meanwhile, led all players with four steals. Prairie State had an opportunity to tie the game at the end of regulation, but a three-point attempt at the buzzer rimmed out. The way the game started, it appeared as if the Pioneers would have no chance of coming close to winning. The Chargers used a 13-0 run to wipe out a 7-6 deficit and race out to a 19-7 lead with 12:43 remaining in the first half. PSC, however, eventually knotted the game at 32, and after falling behind 41-36, scored the final five points of the half to even the score at 41 heading into the intermission. A Pinckney free throw 14 seconds into the second half gave Prairie State a 42-41 lead. Ancilla regained the advantage 18 seconds later on a basket and upped the surplus to a comfortable 11 points, 65-54, at the 12:13 mark. Prairie State was able to chip away at the difference and turn an 80-76 deficit into an 84-80 lead with 1:58 to play. The hosts answered with six consecutive points, making it 86-84. During that stretch, the Pioneers turned the ball over three times and missed one field goal. With seven seconds left, Pinckney made a free throw to close the gap to one point. Two seconds later, the Chargers converted two from the charity stripe to produce the 88-85 score. November 14, 2006 OFFENSE ON TRACK, BUT PIONEERS HINDERED BY DEFENSE Despite an offense that is averaging 87.7 points in the first three games of the season, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team finds itself with a 1-2 record. The Achilles heel for the Pioneers in the early going has been the defense, which is yielding 99 points per game. Tuesday’s defensive effort didn’t help matters as PSC allowed its highest point total of the year in a 104-85 loss to Kankakee Community College. The Cavaliers (3-2), who led the full 40 minutes, jumped out to a 28-19 lead, but seven consecutive points by Prairie State made it 28-26 with 7:52 to play in the first half. That would be as close as the Pioneers would get. They trailed 48-39 at the half and fell behind by as many as 24, 75-51, in the final 20 minutes. PSC freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) led all players with 35 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman forward Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.) netted 23 points, while freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) had 13 points. Pinckney and Connie have been providing the bulk of Prairie State’s scoring thus far, averaging 31.3 and 27 points per game, respectively. Pinckney also is pulling down a clip of 10 rebounds a contest. November 13, 2006 PINCKNEY CHOSEN AS REGION IV PLAYER OF THE WEEK In his first two collegiate games, Prairie State College freshman forward Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) totaled 59 points and 17 rebounds while converting 24-of-35 (.686) shots from the field. As a result of that production, Pinckney was selected Monday as the NJCAA Region IV Division II Player of the Week. Pinckney helped the Pioneers split their first two games of the season. He finished with 32 points and nine rebounds in a 101-81 loss to South Suburban College in the opener before tallying 27 points and eight boards en route to a 97-92 win over Black Hawk College. Pinckney shot 14-of-19 (.737) against South Suburban and 10-of-16 (.625) in the Black Hawk game. November 11, 2006 STRONG FINISH BY PSC LEADS TO FIRST VICTORY A 7-0 run by the Prairie State College men’s basketball team to close out its game Saturday night against Black Hawk College paved the way for its 97-92 victory in Chicago Heights. With the win, the Pioneers improved their season record to 1-1. All seven of PSC’s points during that final stretch came in the final 29 seconds. Freshman guard Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood) erased a 92-90 deficit and put Prairie State ahead for good when he scored on a layup and added a free throw after getting fouled on the play.Freshmen forwards Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) and Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.) each converted on one free throw to make it 95-92. The Braves had a chance to deadlock the game but missed a three-point attempt with two seconds on the clock. Freshman forward Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.), who retrieved the rebound, was fouled and sank two free throws. Connie led all players with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Pickney netted 27 points, and Sprattlin contributed 21 points and nine assists. Roberts pulled down 10 rebounds, while freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) had a game-high 11 assists. Connie, Pinckney and Sprattlin combined to shoot 34-of-52 (.653) from the field, helping the Pioneers finish 38-of-68 (.559) as a whole for the game. Along with the 7-0 spurt, PSC also had a 15-0 run in the first half, enabling it to wipe out a 26-18 deficit and pull away 33-26. Prairie State would hold on to the lead until a Black Hawk basket gave it a 57-55 advantage with 18:30 to play in the game. The lead would change hands another seven times before Sprattlin’s basket and free throw at the 29-second mark put the Pioneers in front 93-92. November 7, 2006 PIONEERS FALL TO SOUTH SUBURBAN IN SEASON OPENER Despite having the game’s top-two scorers, the Prairie State College men’s basketball team lost 101-81 to South Suburban College in the 2006-07 season opener Tuesday (Nov. 7) night in Chicago Heights. PSC freshmen forwards Maurice Pinckney (Riverdale) and Dwight Connie (Bloom H.S.) scored 32 and 22 points, respectively, to lead the Pioneer offense. Freshman guard Ronald King (Crete-Monee H.S.) also reached double figures in scoring as he finished with 11 points. In addition to leading all players in scoring as a result of his 14-of-19 shooting from the field, Pinckney also had a game-high nine rebounds. South Suburban, meanwhile, countered with four double-digit scorers en route to its 20-point victory. Prairie State grabbed an early 8-4 lead, but 11 consecutive points by the Bulldogs put them in front 15-8. The guests would not trail the remainder of the game. South Suburban led 57-41 at the half and increased its surplus to as many as 21 (70-49) before PSC responded with a 17-9 run to cut the difference to 79-66. Five unanswered points by the Bulldogs, however, extinguished that threat. In addition to Pinckney, Connie and King, freshmen making their collegiate debut Tuesday were guard Bobby Reese (Illinois Lutheran H.S.), guard Harastan Boyd (Crete-Monee H.S.), forward Shantrell Roberts (Rich East H.S.), forward Leon Davis (Bremen H.S.) and guard Gerald Sprattlin (Glenwood). |