Tag: basketball

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Campus News Sports

Sports Update // Highlander Basketball Season Off To Strong Start

Photo courtesy of Jason Mucher

The Highlanders women’s basketball team came out strong in their first game against Alfred State. Led by captains Elle Reed ‘17 and Hannah Manwaring ‘17, the Highlanders beat the Pioneers 76-56. “We focused on details, especially on defense, which is great to see in the first game of the season,” said Reed.

Defense seemed to be a point of emphasis for the Highlanders who tallied 11 steals, and controlled the glass with 43 total rebounds. “Defense has always been top priority, as coach always says ‘defense feeds our offense.’ We have to be able to get stops in order to get the ball back to score and run our offense,” said Manwaring. Manwaring contributed 12 rebounds of her own to the winning effort.

After defeating Alfred State, he Highlanders then traveled to Buffalo State to take on the Bengals. It was a tightly contested game which featured seven lead changes, but unfortunately the Highlanders were beaten by a score of 64-59. “We need to limit our turnovers,especially ones that are unforced,” said Manwaring.  “If we can cut the number of turnovers in half, we should put ourselves in a much better position to win.”

One of the most encouraging aspects the Highlanders took away from the defeat was the emergence of freshman guard, Cori Beck. In her first collegiate start, Beck put up 12 points, two assists, and six steals in her 36 minutes of play. Beck took a total of seven shots, all from three-point range, and managed to hit four of them. “I just felt like I fit into the team as soon as I got here…I was a little nervous before the game but that’s usual for me,” she said.“[I] felt a little pressure before the game because I was scared to mess up, but when I started playing I just zoned into what I needed to do, and didn’t worry about anything else.”.

According to Reed, this is not the end for them. She said, “We know that we work harder in practice than any team we play, which gives us confidence no matter what the outcome of the games are.” The Highlanders will look to bounce back against Pitt-Brad at home on Tuesday, November 29.

Additionally, Coach Corky McMullen made his coaching debut for the Houghton College Men’s Basketball team, at home against Alfred State; winning by a score of 85-74, and then going on to beat Wells College by a score of 85-75. McMullen has earned nothing but praise from his captains. Captain Jonathan Stowe ‘17 said “Coach’s motivation” was key to the men’s 2-0 start. Strowe continued, “We started both games bad for the first 10 minutes, but Coach reminded us to play defense and to relax and let us run our offense smoothly”.

Fellow captain Phil Pellegrino ‘17 agreed, “He is a positive vibe to have around all the time.”He stated, “He not only impacts our lives on the basketball court but also in the classroom and in life in general…he brings a lot of experience and I am enjoying learning from him every day at practice.”

Unfortunately, Hilbert College proved too much, and  the Highlanders,  fell to the Hawks 84-69. “Rebounding and turnovers are the keys to success for us. If we can control the glass and not turn the ball over, we will be successful,” guard Jordan Scott ‘17 said.. The Highlanders accumulated  18 turnovers  in the loss.

The women will play at home on Saturday, December 3 to play the State University of New York (SUNY) Canton at 2 p.m. The men will resume home play on Tuesday, December 6 against Grove City College at 7 p.m.

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Campus News

Houghton Highlanders Welcome Three New Coaches to Athletic Department

This school year, Houghton will welcome three new coaches to campus. Two of the three coaches are Houghton college alumni. Corky McMullen ’07, took over as the new head coach for the men’s basketball and Andrew Lundeen ’09 was appointed as the new head men’s lacrosse coach. The women’s softball coach, Katie Sinclair, is an alumni of St. Bonaventure. “All three coaches are enthusiastic, passionate, committed to Christ, understand the ‘student-athlete’ concept, and understand what we are doing in terms of sports ministry” said Head Athletic Director Skip Lord.  

McMullen, who graduated with a degree degree in physical education, played basketball under Coach Brad Zargess, who is now the athletic director at Quincy College in Massachusetts. McMullen said, “Houghton is a special place to me because of the impact it had on my life.” He was recruited out of high school to play basketball for Houghton,  but didn’t give it a chance. After a successful athletic and academic year at Lockhaven University in Pennsylvania, he felt something was missing in his life and visited Houghton, which he said changed his life. McMullen said, “The people were so warm and welcoming, unlike any other college visit I had ever been on.”

Upon graduating, he spent a number of years as a member of the coaching staff at various institutions, such as Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Hofstra University, and Rutgers University. He worked in various roles such as player development and scouting. McMullen, whose father coached high school for 35 years and currently coaches at the college level, said his father impacted his passion for coaching. “I always knew I wanted to coach. I saw the impact that he had on the players’ lives and saw a lot of his players come back 10, 15, 20 years down the road and thank him, which was really meaningful for me” said McMullen. His coaching philosophy, which is centered on people and relationships, is part of the reason Johnathon Stowe ‘17 thinks McMullen will do well in Houghton.  “I believe he is a great fit for Houghton, his strong spiritual leadership is needed here, and I like the way he cares for his players,” Stowe said.

Women’s softball coach, Sinclair, graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in sports management. While there, she played softball and started working with players through clinics and camps to refine their skills. “I fell in love with helping people get better and reach their goals athletically,” said Sinclair. Her first year, with the help of two of her teammates, she started Bonnies Athletes for Christ. Similar to Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA), it started with five student athletes having weekly bible studies. It eventually grew into about 25-30 athletes, and in her senior year became a chapter of FCA. Last summer, she coached on a travel team out of Binghamton, New York, where she the focus was on-field coaching and running through game situations. Taylor Sile ‘19, believes these skills will be an asset to the team. “I believe that Coach Katie will push each and every member of the team to new levels of play and I am very excited to see our growth” said Sile.

Lastly, the men’s head lacrosse coach, Lundeen has been living in southern Maryland teaching  middle school social studies teacher for seven years, while service as the assistant men’s lacrosse coach and offensive coordinator at the College of Southern Maryland (CSMD). Although he never played lacrosse at the collegiate level, he has coached at all levels. Lundeen also has experience with lacrosse as a new program, as he worked closely with  head coach for the CSMD started the lacrosse program for the school. While Lundeen is currently at CSMD, he will become a full time coach on campus for the first week of October. Lundeen is excited to join Houghton and stated, “As the coach, I am excited about leading the members of the men’s lacrosse team as they grow physically, mentally and spiritually during their four years at Houghton.” Paul Chapman ‘17, is also excited for Lundeen to start coaching,  “I truly believe he will be successful as the new head coach. We are all beyond excited to get this new era of Houghton lacrosse underway.”

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Stories In Focus

Athlete Profile: Stephany Ellison

Recent addition to the women’s basketball team, Stephany Ellison, brings both athletic skill and a competitive attitude to the court.

Ellison began her college career at Eastern Kentucky University where she had been recruited by their Division I women’s soccer team.  In hopes of “coming closer to home and in need of a change,” Ellison transferred to Houghton last year as a sophomore.

Ellison has continued in playing soccer but also competed on Houghton’s field and track team, running the 100 and 200.  She had first joined track to become faster for soccer season and was struck by the rigor of the program.  Ellison attributed track for “improving her running technique,” which has translated to all the sports she participates in.

Although her first love is soccer, Ellison has found motivation through basketball as well. She acknowledges that something particularly enjoyable about basketball is the proximity of the fans.  Ellison “feeds off the crowd and the close atmosphere,” she says. Coming into the season Ellison was unsure what to expect but has found the “chemistry to be so much better than anticipated and has come to know the team so well.”

Courtesy of Houghton.edu
Courtesy of Houghton.edu

Captain Kristen Moose, senior, likewise identified an intimate dynamic on the team.  Moose and Ellison played basketball at rival high schools and now as teammates look to each other for intensity on the court.  Moose said that, “Stephany makes people better and it is an advantage to have her around.”

Ellison plays the position of point guard but is also a “key defender . . . hustles and works hard,” says Women’s basketball coach, Alicia Mucher.

One need only to look at Ellison’s statistics to see that she has “made the transition to basketball really well,” commented Mucher. Ellison is number one on assists and number two in the categories of points, 3-point FGs, free throws, and steals.

Mucher says that Ellison has not only showed initiative on the team but also “effort towards managing academics while contributing athletically.”

Ellison similarly comments that her “competitive edge” even follows her into the classroom and into her major, Inclusive Childhood Education.

In looking towards the future, Ellison has tried out for the Charlotte Eagles, a professional women’s soccer team in North Carolina and will be receiving a decision shortly. Yet in the meantime, Ellison is “really glad” to have been able to have the experience of playing on the women’s basketball team while being at Houghton.

Contemplating the past season in coaching Ellison, Mucher said that the “fact that we have her in our program is an asset, Stephany shows no fear and provides a fire to those around her.”

 

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News

Men’s Basketball to Play Against Division I

This winter break the men’s varsity basketball team will be up against a competitive rival, Radford University, in their upcoming game on Monday, December 30th. Radford, a Division I school, will be the first Division I school the team has played since their game against SUNY Buffalo in 2010. Although Houghton is currently a Division III school, athletics faculty are quick to point out that this is not necessarily a discouraging fact. “The perception that Division III is not serious is an incorrect perception,” said Skip Lord, executive director of athletics, stating that the top 15-20 schools in Division III are competitive against bottom-tier schools in Division I. “Of course, they want to bring in someone where there’s a higher probability to win,” he added, but maintained that this is still an opportunity for the men’s team.

Courtesy of houghton.edu
Courtesy of houghton.edu

The chance to play against a Division I school is considered a beneficial and constructive one. “There are a lot of reasons to go into it,” said Drew Hannan, head coach of the men’s basketball team. “Generally speaking, the reason for us to go is the opportunity to play against that level of competition. …[I]t’s an opportunity to really test yourself against a very good team, a very good program….”  Lord described it as a “unique opportunity … to play a game that you probably wouldn’t get to play otherwise.” Chris Enlow, junior and a member of the team, sees the game as an opportunity to show a moral victory to any spectators. “If we come away from it together and just stick together through it, we can sort of make a statement to the Empire 8 that ‘Hey, we can actually play basketball; don’t just look down on us,'” he said.

In addition to providing a substantial challenge to players, the college also benefits from financial compensation from competitors. The practice of scheduling “guarantee games” between a higher-ranked school and a lower-ranked one is not uncommon amongst institutions of higher education. Each game a pair of schools plays is contracted for a certain time and place and financial consideration is often included in such contracts. Talks for such a game between Radford and Houghton began last April even though the men’s team had already filled its schedule at that point. The decision to play against Radford was made in June after a space opened up.

In Houghton’s case, a “modest sum,” as Lord described, was provided to the college by Radford to cover travel and lodging expenses. As the team boasts 20 members, this allows them to travel with a bigger roster. “We’re not able to get any frills or extra stuff with it, but we are able to then travel with a bigger squad then we’d normally be able to carry,” said Hannan. In previous years, extraneous funds have been used for other team expenses. “Even if there is money left in the budget, it goes right back in the institutional kitty,” explained Lord. Added Hannan, “I know one year we were able to use the money to buy uniforms, at least partially. It’s not a huge amount that doubles our budget or anything, but it’s enough to help some.”

Occasionally upsets do happen; Houghton has won guarantee games against colleges in higher divisions before. The chance of winning is still present. Overall, players remain optimistic, albeit anxious. “[O]ur guys are excited about it,” said Hannan. “There are some nerves coming in terms of playing a team that you know is going to be extremely talented. …[G]enerally the first few minutes are very difficult in that game; then you just adjust to that style, that level of play.” “Anything can happen,” said Enlow. “Like they say in football, ‘Any given Sunday.’ Really, if we go down there and play our top game… who knows?” When asked about the possibility of an upset, he laughed. “If we end up winning, we better get a freakin’ parade when we get back here.”