Despite four players scoring in double figures, and scoring 87 points, the Park University Gilbert men's basketball team fell in their opener 97-87 to Ottawa University Arizona at the ACU Events center on day one of the Fultz Memorial Classic.
"We have to shore things up on the defensive end," said Bucs Head Coach Gordon Stubblefield. "All credit to Ottawa, they played well today, knocked down their open looks and made us pay."
The Spirit shot 59 percent) from the floor, including 68 percent in the second half. They also knocked down 44 percent (12-27) of their three-point shots. The Buccaneers shot well themselves, making half of their shots from the floor (34-67, 50.7%) and shot 77 percent from the charity stripe (10-13).
The Bucs outrebounded the Spirit 31-29 including an 8-4 advantage on the offensive glass, but it did not turn into enough second chance points (11) to overcome the hot shooting of Ottawa.
Offensively the Bucs were led by senior forward Eric Patten who had 19 points and six rebounds on 7-10 shooting from the floor and was perfect from the free throw line. (4-4). Newcomer John Norsworthy III added 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-5 3PFG) in his Park Gilbert debut. Senior guard Jake Ellis poured in 12 points as did sophomore Martin Simon (12 pts, 5 reb) who had half of the team's offensive rebounds (4) and turned those into points.
This game looked as though it would be a barnburner to the finish as the two teams exchanged the lead throughout the first half. The Bucs held a seven-point lead midway through the first stanza, never trailed by more than three points and ended in a 42-all tie at the intermission.
The second half started just as the first half ended, back and forth scoring no one really able to grab a stranglehold on the game until about three and a half minutes in, with the Bucs trailing 48-46, the Spirit went on a 14-4 run which open up a lead the Buccaneers could not recover from.
"I like our offensive possibilities," said Stubblefield. "If we can correct our lapses on the other half of the floor, I like our chances most nights."
Game Notes:
-Freshmen John Norsworthy III and Kylan Shorts made their debuts scoring 14 and 5 points, respectively. Norsworthy III's 14 points was only two behind the freshman debut record set by Carson Mittun (16) last year against Embry-Riddle. Fourteen points tied the mark set in the same game by Martin Simon.
- Nine of the 11 Bucs to hit the floor found the scoreboard today.
- The Park Gilbert bench outscored OUAZ 39-23.
- This game was dominated in the half court as the Bucs scored the only two fast break points on the day as Jake Ellis stole a Spirit pass and went coast-to-coast for a layup.
- This was a pretty clean game in terms of taking care of the basketball, both teams only turned the ball over 12 times each. But the Spirit shared the ball a little better with 12 assists to the Buccaneers six dimes.
