Fri, Mar 19 2010
|
|
Published November 27, 2009 12:33 am - Every year this is Robert Corn’s favorite weekend of the nonconference basketball season. Missouri Southern is the host for the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic, slated tonight and Saturday night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Tucker Classic remains favorite of Lions' coach By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com Every year this is Robert Corn’s favorite weekend of the nonconference basketball season. Missouri Southern is the host for the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic, slated tonight and Saturday night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. “Mr. (Harvey) Tucker is coming back, and a lot of the Tucker family will be here,” said Corn, the Lions’ head coach. “It’s always been a very special event, and no matter how many years we continue doing it, it will be a special event. It brings back a lot of great memories.” Chris Tucker, a 6-foot-9 center, played for the Lions from 1990-94 and earned first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior and second team All-America honors his final season. He still holds the Lions’ records for blocked shots in a game (9) and career (179). He ranks fourth in MSSU history in career points (1,520) and second in career rebounds (952). After his senior season, Tucker stayed in Joplin to attend summer school and complete the final six hours to earn his degree. But on July 8, 1994 — just a few days after signing a professional contract to play in a European league — Tucker was killed in an automobile accident in Joplin. “The lives he touched are better because of our association with Chris,” Corn said. “I remember a proud parent showing me a drawing of Chris playing basketball that his grade school daughter had done one day at school. A grade school teacher told my wife that Chris had been to her class a couple of times. ... The class worked on reading assignments by following Chris in the newspaper.” The Lions play Mid-America Christian tonight at 8 and Southwestern (Kan.) on Saturday night in the classic. Pittsburg State plays the opening game both nights at 6. MSSU is off to a 3-0 start after Tuesday night’s 72-51 victory over Central Bible College. A balanced scoring attack has nine players averaging at least four points, led by forwards Jason Adams (15.0) and DaRell Crittendon (14.3) and guards Mariun Price (13.0) and Skyler Bowlin (12.7). Mid-America Christian, in its third year as a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference, is 4-2. A 71-68 decision over Sterling is the Evangels’ only victory by less than 17 points, and both losses have come against bigger schools on the road — 74-69 to Division I TCU and 94-72 Tuesday night to Drury. Charlie Shorter, 6-0 sophomore guard, had 20 points against the Panthers. Southwestern is 3-4, including a season-opening 84-57 loss to Mid-America Christian. Marcus Batiste, 6-6 senior forward, leads the Moundbuilders at 15.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Seniors Spencer Magana and Rodney Grace are the top two scorers for Pittsburg State (3-1). The Gorillas are coming off a 68-46 loss Tuesday night at Newman — a game that saw the Gorillas lead 20-12 before going scoreless for 19 straight possessions during the final 9:58 of the first half and the first 3:18 of the second half. Newman, meanwhile turned the eight-point deficit into a 20-point lead. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Sports section
Mount Vernon girls gain championship game
Hogan’s blazing start subdues Mountaineers |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
Search for and watch the day's top sports stories unfold
 |
 |
"2010 Spelling Bee Sponsored by: Tamko Building Products." 
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
