December 16, 2011
King to Host No. 3 Lincoln Memorial on Saturday
|
King Tornado
(8-2, 1-0 Conference Carolinas)
vs.
No. 3 Lincoln Memorial
Railsplitters
(10-0, 2-0)
|
|
Game notes
Live Stats
Live Video |
Game 11 | Dec. 17,
2011
Student Center Complex | Bristol, Tenn.
|
|
LAST TIME OUT
King held on to a 66-61 win against Augusta State one
week ago that went to the wire. The Jaguars took a seven-point lead
into the half and immediate responded with a swing that tied the
game at the 16-minute mark and took their first lead since the
middle of the first. King accumulated a 10-point lead with nine
minutes to go before ASU went on to a 12-2 run to tie the game once
more. King again built up a lead of seven points before
relinquishing it with 1:40 to go. King's Eddie
Piccinini had three key assists and hit 3-of-4 free throws down
the stretch to build a three point advantage, leading to the Jags
last possession. After a miss three and a big Brian Hewitt
rebound, a technical foul was assessed to ASU before the final horn
sounded. The win marked the fourth straight 'W' for the
Tornado.
KING v. LMU -- PART ONE RECAP
The Tornado and the Railsplitters met earlier this season
in game two of the year at the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge
held in Harrogate, Tennessee (Nov. 12). Lincoln Memorial took away
a 75-69 victory, though leading with under five minutes to go. The
Railsplitters finished the game on a 15-8 run after scoring nine
unanswered points when trailing 61-60 with 4:40 to go. Michael
Fortune led all scorers with 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting
(4-of-5, 3pt) while freshman Logan Lyle
exploded for a season and career-high 17 points. The Splitters
hosted a pair of 15-point scorers in Vincent Bailey and Cam Carden
while Justin Allen and Brandon Armstrong team up for 10
points a piece. King shot better than 40 percent from the field and
three while LMU bested the Tornado, shooting above 50 percent in
both areas in their win.
WHATS THE DEAL ON LINCOLN MEMORIAL?
Lincoln Memorial enters this game as the third-ranked team in
the country (behind No. 1 Metro State and No. 2 Southern Indiana)
and received one first-place vote in the latest NCAA Division II
Coaches Poll. As a team, they are third in the nation in fewest
points allowed (55.2 ppg) and are 15th in the country in points
scored per game (86.5). Vincent Bailey (POS) is ranked in the
top-10 nationally in field goal percentage (69.3) and leads the
Railsplitters in both scoring (12.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.7) while
playing an average of only 15.6 mpg. LMU hosts four
double-digit scorers and a fifth just half of a point away from
reaching the mark. In the first half, LMU opponents are averaging
only 22.3 points.
THREES-AWAY
King has made it a habit to live and die by the three pointer,
as shown by the their statistics through nine games. They lead the
league in total three-point attempts (318) and makes (114) by a
wide margin. They have the fifth-highest three-point percentage in
the league (.358). On an individual level, Brian Hewitt sits 11th
in the league in three-point shooting percentage (min. 30
attempts), hitting 42 percent of his deep shots. He current is
third in the league with 69 attempts and is tied for second in
total makes (30). Freshman Logan Lyle has put up the fourth-most
three-point attempts (67) and has hit 44.8 percent of those shots,
good for sixth in the league. Michael Fortune has also made a
splash hitting 27-of-63 threes (.429), good for the eighth-best
shooting percentage.
FRESHMAN FACES
Logan Lyle (Unicoi, Tenn.) has been a big bright spot of the
freshman class this year. The local product is one of four - and
the youngest - to score in double digits this season, averaging
13.6 ppg. He is shooting north of 40 percent both from the field
and from distance. He has hit a team-best 30 threes. Lyle is also
second on the team in rebounds (4.7 rpg) and shares the team lead
for blocks (3). Freshman
Keenan
Froedden has also seen his minutes go up recently, serving as
the No. 2 point guard and a tenacious defensive threat at the top
of the key. First-year player
Brandon
Crompton has played in all 10 games and started one so far,
averaging just a shade over three points per game but contributing
3.8 rpg and three blocks.
ORLANDO'S MAGIC IN KING
Orlando's own, Eddie Piccinini, has returned from injury in a
big way for King. He serves as team captain for the Tornado but
also gets it done on the court, averaging 14.6 ppg as a full-time
starter.Piccinini is fourth on the team in FG% (.412) and has the
most floor time, playing 32.3 minutes per game. He has posted
double-digit point totals in all but one game (vs. Mountain State,
Nov. 25), totaling nine games and four straight.
TORNADO FORTUNE-ATE TO HAVE HIM
Beckley, W.Va. native Michael Fortune has been a great asset
to the Tornado team being the team's second-leading scorer (15.2)
and accounting for 14 steals. He is shooting better than 40 percent
both from the field goal and from three-point range. He also leads
the team in free throw percentage (.914) becoming a triple threat,
offensively. Fortune has started nine games but left the game
versus Milligan with an injury, leading him to miss the team's win
over Augusta State. He is likely to return against LMU (Dec.
17).
THE FIRST EIGHT...CATCHING UP!
To the chagrin of many around the program, King has overcome a
decent sized roster turnover from a year ago and started their
season with a commanding 6-2 record. Their losses include a tightly
played game with Lincoln Memorial (Nov. 12), ranked fourth in the
country at the time, and to Mountain State (Nov. 29), the defending
NAIA Division I runners-up. They won five of their six games from
Nov. 15 to Nov. 29, including a big upset win over Limestone
College who was ranked as the preseason favorite to finish atop the
conference.
PRESEASON RANKINGS TAB KING FIFTH
King College Men's Basketball was voted to finish fifth in
Conference Carolinas, according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll
taken in mid-October. They were selected to finish second in the
West Division, behind preseason favorite Limestone College. Ahead
of King in the overall rankings are Limestone, Queens (N.C.),
Barton and Mount Olive.
NEW ADDITION TO THE STAFF
The Tornado welcomed a new member to the coaching staff this
offseason. Damon Johnson was named assistant coach in August,
joining Nick Pasqua and Head Coach George Pitts on the staff.
Johnson played for Pitts at Science Hill High School in Johnson
City, Tenn. before he played three seasons at the University of
Tennessee. He enjoyed a 10 year profession career playing overseas
playing in various European leagues making stops in Spain and
Iceland. He spent the last two years coaching in the Johnson City
school district.
