From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — High-scoring Shelton State Community College of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is the opening test tonight for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M; College in the NJCAA Division I Men’s National Championships.
Tipoff between NEO (26-7) and the Buccaneers (24-10) is scheduled for 6:30 in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Shelton State, a member of the Alabama Community College Conference, is averaging 84.6 points and hurdled favored Wallace State-Hanceville 66-61 on March 6 to claim the ACCC.
“We feel good about facing Shelton State in the first round,” NEO coach Dustin Grover said. “We weren’t able to get any film on them, but we compiled a pretty comprehensive scouting report through phone conversations with coaches from the ACCC.
“Where we play in a much-more physical league (Region 2), their league is more athletic and run-up-and-down type style,” Grover said. “That kind of play tends to let you score a little more readily.
“What Shelton State will see at Hutchinson is a lot more like our style,” Grover said. “They will have a tough time taking their game down a couple of notches.
“Playing the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in the Region II semifinals was great preparation for Shelton State (NEO won 86-82),” Grover said. “We have to get back in front of them and prevent the ball from going inside easy.
“They have a real good post player in Jason Swanson,” Grover said. “He leads the team in scoring (a 16.8-point average) and rebounding (11.1). If we can’t prevent the ball from going into the post, then we’ll have to dig it out. We can’t let them have a clear path to the basket.”
Probable starters up front for the Buccaneers, coached by Barry Mohun, are veterans — the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Swanson (who turned in one game this season of 33 points and 20 boards), 6-5 Lucas Hall and, 6-6 Jeremy Harris. Probable guards are 6-2 frosh Lajay Sears and Brandon Williams.
Sears leads the team in assists (102) and steals (62). Williams is averaging 10.1 points, Harris 10 and Hall 9.5.
Grover, who’s assisted by Justin Barkley, plans to start 6-2 sophomore Dominique Gaines, 6-3 veteran Reggie Mathis, 6-4 freshman Lionel Green, 6-7 sophomore Cicero Gonzaga and 6-5 soph Tulio Cobos.
Gaines, most valuable player in Region II, paces the Miami-based Golden Norsemen in scoring (16.8) and is No. 1 in assists with 85.
Scoring averages also include 11.3 for Cobos, 11.2 for Gonzaga, 10.7 for Mathis and 10.4 for Green. Rebounding leaders are Gonzaga (6.5) and Cobos (5.5).
Notes: NEO and Shelton State will resume on Thursday. The NEO-Shelton State loser will play the Seward County (Kan.)-Chipola (Fla.) loser at noon in an elimination game. The winners of those games clash at 6:30 p.m. ... Rest of today’s schedule: Vincennes (Ind.) vs. Salt Lake (Utah), 10 a.m.; Paris (Texas) vs. Southeastern Illinois, noon; Three Rivers (Mo.) vs. Eastern Wyoming, 2 p.m.; Eastern Arizona vs. Wallace State (Tenn.), 4:30; Seward County vs. Chipola, 8:30. ... Tuesday’s games to complete the first round are South Plains (Texas) vs. Georgia Perimeter at 11 a.m. and Indian Hills (Iowa) vs. Itawamba (Miss.) at 1 p.m. ... South Plains is coached by Miami High School graduate Steve Green.
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