MUS Sports News

Wave Temporarily Halts MUS Dominance

To beat any team eleven consecutive times is a rare feat; however, to beat an athletic, talented rival eleven consecutive and thirteen out of fourteen times is nearly impossible. Yet, headed into the game Tuesday night, MUS was riding such a streak against their neighborhood rival, the CBHS Purple Wave. But led by balanced scoring that saw three Wave players reach double figures, CBHS hit their big shots and put down the Owls in overtime, 53-46, to end the MUS streak.

The two teams came out intense and energetic and both got after each other defensively, especially early on. MUS finally took their first lead late in the second quarter and took a two-point advantage into the break at 18-16.

The Owls extended that lead to eight as Ryan Baum got hot in the third while the Brothers only made one field goal in that quarter. However, after MUS shot too quickly trying to run the third-quarter clock out, CBHS got some momentum as Collin Fahrenkopf hit a three to cut the lead to 35-30 as the buzzer went off.

Then, the Wave got another three on their first fourth-quarter possession, and the game was tight from there. The Owls had a chance to win at the end, but a Derek Clenin shot fell awry as the buzzer sounded, and the game went into the extra period.

The Wave owned the overtime after a MUS mishap on the jump-ball. The Owls had no one back playing defense on the tip, and when Wave center John Winters tipped the ball to Bobby Daush, he hit the open layup as the Brothers never lost the lead from that point. MUS tried to cut the lead as Will Saxton, who finished with 6 points, hit a shot, as did Baum, who tallied 25 on 10-24 shooting; but the Owls never got closer than three points. The Wave went 9-11 on the free-throw line to salt away the important win.

With the loss, the Owls fall to 10-12, 3-3 in the region. They now fall 2 1/2 games behind region-leader Harding, whom MUS plays this Friday night in an away game. MUS is sitting in third currently, tied with Briarcrest at 3-3. Tipoff for the Harding tilt is 7:30PM.

Owls Pull Away for Homecoming Win

With three players reaching double figures in points, the varsity basketball team jumped out early on their homecoming opponent, the St. Benedict Eagles, and won going away, 57-38, last Friday night at MUS.

Ryan Baum led the Owls with 19 points, including 4-6 from the foul line, and added 3 rebounds. Will Saxton got a rare double-double as he tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds, while junior Philip Blackett continued his impressive play by contributing 10 points and 7 rebounds in just over 15 minutes of action.

MUS led only 27-20 at the break as the Eagles went on a small run to end the half by hitting 4-6 from the three-point line. Andy Garner led SBA with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

However, the Owls turned up their intensity defensively and held the Eagles to no threes in the second half on the way to the 19-point win.

The victory moves MUS (10-11, 3-2) into a second-place region tie with Braircrest and CBHS, the Owls' next opponent. Tipoff for the home JV game is at 6PM this Tuesday, while the varsity tips at 7:30.

Owl Wrestlers Headed to Clarksville

For those who like drama, intrigue, and pressure, the Ross M. Lynn Arena was the place to be last Saturday as MUS hosted the 2002 Region Dual Wrestling Tournament. For the top-two finishers in the tournament, a trip to the state duals in Clarksville, Tennessee, awaited. For all else, an early spring break lay in store.

The Owl squad, led by Coaches Harrison and Simpson, was determined to be one of those two teams. They knew that if they could take care of Saint Benedict early, the match with Briarcrest would be for a state berth.

After defeating the Eagles without problem, MUS got off to a bad start in their first three individual matches against the Saints. Three straight match losses, including two pins, had the Owls down 16-0, and Briarcrest was excited. Yet MUS put together a seven-match winning streak to take a seemingly insurmountable 38-16 lead. Noah Randall ended the Saints' streak as he pinned his opponent, and then forfeit wins by Joey Friend and Tom Sampson, point wins by Allen Humphreys and Wes Phillips, and pins by Matt Cohen and Nelson Rainey gave MUS the 22-point lead with four matches remaining.

However, the unthinkable occurred. The Owls lost their last four matches--three by pins--as Briarcrest tied the team score at 38 as the match ended. After going to the fourth tiebreaker-- technical falls--the Owls pulled off the victory and got the state berth.

Even after the emotional win over the Saints, MUS still had the opportunity to win the region outright as they took on CBHS. After losing to the Wave 70-7 earlier in the regular season, the Owls were hoping the Brothers were overlooking them. Though MUS was more competitive, CBHS won the region title with a 66-12 victory. A Preston Blankenship pin victory followed by a forfeit in the unlimited division accounted for the Owls' points.

MUS now advances to the state duals and will face Baylor this Saturday in Clarksville. After that match they take on Father Ryan for the opportunity to advance. Regardless of the outcome, a second-straight state berth gives this program some momentum for the future.

Long Weekend Has Owls Still Searching for Answers

The varsity basketball team played two region games sandwiched around a non-conference tilt last weekend that has left MUS still searching for a consistency needed to advance in the postseason.

Last Friday night, the ECS Eagles came to Ross M. Lynn in the first meeting of the year between the two schools. Despite shooting just 26% from the field for the game, the Owls took a 26-21 lead into the break and slowly extended that advantage in the second half to claim the 46-37 win. Ryan Baum led MUS in scoring as he tallied 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Will Saxton added 10 points and 5 more rebounds. The win was big to get the Owls to 2-1 in the region and give them some momentum headed into the next game, the River City Classic, against a powerful, talented White Station squad.

However, that momentum did not carry over to Saturday's game at the Spartan Palace as the Owls were overwhelmed from the tip-off. The Spartans played 14 players, and no one played more than 17 out of the 32 minutes. White Station got the Owls down 32-2 midway through the second quarter and then just cruised to the 59-36 win. Baum once again led the Owls in scoring with 13 points and added 11 rebounds, but MUS looked timid early and missed several easy shots against one of the best high-school teams in the country. Spartan guard Quinton Marion knocked the Owls out in the first quarter as he hit 5-6 from the three-point line as White Station never looked back to improve to 20-1.

This past Tuesday, MUS hoped to put the Spartan loss behind them as they returned to region play with a road game against Briarcrest. In a game that featured good shooting and excellent offensive execution, MUS overcame an early 27-16 deficit only to see Briarcrest score 13 out of the last 18 points and take the 65-62 victory.

With MUS up 57-52 midway through the fourth quarter, the Owls had control and momentum. Yet Saint's leading scorer, Atiba Alexander, stepped up to get Briarcrest back in the game. Alexander scored four of the Saints' next six points as Briarcrest pounded the ball down low, regained the lead, and held on.

Baum once again put up some good scoring numbers as he had 28 points and added 7 rebounds. Junior Phillip Blackett also had a breakout game as he logged significant varsity minutes and contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, and some much-needed toughness; however, Briarcrest's 53% shooting from the field allowed them to put up enough points to down the Owls.

MUS (9-11, 2-2) next faces St. Benedict as Homecoming Week has arrived. The JV game starts at 6PM while the varsity tips at 7:30PM.

Wrestlers Gear Up for Postseason

After posting a 6-3 regular-season record, the MUS wrestling team looks forward to the region dual matches where the top two teams advance to the state duals in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Led by coaches Tommy Harrison and Jonathan Simpson, this young team has battled some good competition and gained much experience as it heads into the region duals, which take place January 26 at MUS.

The Owls only have one senior starter, Wes Phillips, who actually did not begin the season at his 125-pound class until mid-January because of a kneecap injury. Sophomore Andrew Hoff filled in for him and participated in several matches before Phillips' return.

The remainder of the team is underclassman, including seven freshman starters. Juniors include Matt Cohen at 112 pounds, Preston Blankenship at 171, Noah Randall at 189, and Blake Lindsay, who finished a solid fifth in the prestigious Black Horse Invitational, at 215 pounds.

Sophomore starters include 130-pound Matt Rutherford and Andrew Hooser, who competes in the unlimited-weight division. Hooser had a sixth place at the Black Horse and followed that performance up with an outstanding third place in the Coca-Cola Tournament at CBHS, one of the toughest and most competitive invitationals in the South.

But the freshman class is really remarkable with their skill level and savvy at such an early age. Tom Sampson comes in at 103 pounds, while Nelson Rainey (119), Josh Hall (135), Preston Dennis (140), Sloan Abernathy (145), Hays Doan (152), and Warren Grimm (160) make up the other starters. The coaches love the participation and growth of these young guys as they have fit in well with the older members of the team.

The six victories include a win over Germantown, a team that the Owls have not defeated in many years. The losses have come against CBHS, Houston, and Kirby -- teams which will contend in their respective state duals.

Yet Coach Harrison remains so optimistic that this team not only will reach their goals but also exceed them.

"Our goal is to go to the dual state championship," says Harrison. "We have had a fun season-- lots of youth--a very close-knit team with a great deal of locker-room leadership."

To reach that goal of going to state, the Owls need to finish in the top two positions in region. With CBHS fielding a very strong team, MUS and Briarcrest look like the two teams to be competing for that second spot. If MUS gets one of the two spots, the state duals come one week later in Clarksville.

Regardless of the outcome, the coaches have been pleased with this season. Some youth and depth have emerged, and those two aspects are necessary to produce enthusiasm and get the program where it needs to be--competing for state titles.

Lions Prevail as Owls Go Cold

In the lowest point production in over two years, the MUS basketball team could only muster a paltry 25 points as the Harding Lions came to MUS and defeated the Owls 41-25 last Tuesday.

MUS took only 28 shots for the game and shot 35.7% as they didn't hit the 20-point mark until midway through the fourth quarter. The Owls' leading scorer, junior Ryan Baum, did not come close to his 17-point average as he missed some early shots and never got untracked. He went 1-7 for the game and scored only 3 points before drawing a technical foul early in the fourth quarter and sitting for the remainder of the game.

With Baum having a cold night, other players had to step up offensively against the Lions, and none emerged effectively. Both Will Saxton and Webster Cannon tallied 6 points each, but none were significant threats.

The Owls did stay close because of their defense. They held Harding's leading scorer, Trey Williams, to 2-13 shooting and 8 points. But with the inability to score, MUS never made a run as Harding's guards, particularly Jan Williams, controlled the ball, ran their offense, and took disciplined shots in the second half to post the win.

MUS (8-9, 1-1) will try to recover this Friday night as ECS comes to MUS. Tipoff is again set for 7:30PM. The next evening, the Owls will step out of region play for the final time as they travel to the Spartan Palace to battle White Station at 8:00PM in the River City Classic.

MUS Continues Dominance Over Rival

Led by 20 points and 12 rebounds from junior Ryan Baum, the Owl basketball team extended their unbelievable mastery over an outstanding and talented CBHS squad as MUS defeated the Purple Wave 42-38 last Friday night at CBHS.

The win not only got the Owls off to a good 1-0 start in the region but also was the 11th straight over the Brothers as CBHS has not beaten the Owls since 1996.

MUS showed early that they would not be intimidated by the rowdy and enthusiastic crowd. Using their 1-3-1 zone, the Owls stymied the bigger Wave and forced them to shoot outside shots, a tactic that worked as the Brothers only shot 39% from the field for the game.

However, the Owls never could get any distance because of their own offensive troubles. Besides Baum's 20 and Will Saxton's 9 points, no other Owl took more than 4 shots as the game turned defensive. Not until Webster Cannon stepped up to sink 4 straight free throws and Baum got 1 of 2 in the final minute could MUS breathe easily as they had beaten the Brothers again.

The Owls (8-8, 1-0) tackle two more region opponents this week as Harding comes to MUS Tuesday night, and ECS plays here on Friday. Both tipoffs start at 7:30PM for the varsity and 6:00PM for the JV.

MUS Gets Big Win Before Region

The Owls basketball team faced one final non-conference opponent Tuesday night before embarking on their region schedule as the Brighton Cardinals came south to battle MUS. The Owls jumped out quickly on Brighton and never let the Cardinals into the game as MUS improved to 7-8 with the 54-27 victory.

Ryan Baum had free reign down low as the visitors did not have a low post presence to counteract him. Baum finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds in just under 25 minutes of play. The Owls had 8 players score as 10 players logged significant minutes in the rout. MUS held Brighton to 25% shooting and out-rebounded the Cardinals by 7. The Owls also shot a blistering 58% in the second half to post the win. Brighton falls to 1-12.

MUS goes on the road this Friday night to hostile CBHS to open up region play. Varsity tipoff is set for 7:30PM.

Owls Suffer Through Tough Break

The varsity basketball team completed the holiday break by losing three of four games as it limps toward the region schedule that starts later this week. This team still seems to be searching for the right chemistry and used the four games as a learning experience in that process.

The day after Christmas the squad left for the annual holiday tournament in Carbondale, Illinois, in which the Owls had never lost a first-round game. However, that streak abruptly ended as DuQuoin beat MUS 59-53 in double overtime. The Owls had several opportunities to win the game in regulation, including some last-minute free throws, but could not take advantage. Then, Derek Clenin hit a last-second three-pointer to send the game in the second extra period. Yet in the second overtime, DuQuoin guard Nick Hill, who was averaging 30 points per game, hit 17-20 free throws to seal the win and send the Owls into the consolation bracket.

MUS had to wait until 10PM the next evening to play their second game against Johnston City. In a game that featured nine lead changes, the Indians took a 23-20 lead into the half. The Owls just never seemed to get any offensive momentum as the Johnston-City zone stiffled MUS. Ryan Baum led the team with 12 points, while Andrew Hanover added 11, and Will Saxton dropped in 8; but the Owls shot only 38% from the floor and shot only 3 free throws compared to the 25 shot by the Indians. The discrepancy in foul shooting provided the 11-point margin as Johnston City won 52-41 to send the Owls home and drop their record to 5-7.

MUS was glad to be back home after the performance in Carbondale as they prepared for last Friday night's game against Lausanne. The Lynx brought an experienced squad to Ross M. Lynn as well as a large crowd, and they took the game to MUS. The Owls had to feel good after Lynx leading-scorer Marc Gasol picked up his second foul in the first 1:40 and sat out the remainder of the half. With the 6' 10'' Gasol on the bench, MUS figured to use their height advantage to wear on Lausanne. However, sophomore Carlos Taylor and senior Mladen Mrkiac, arguably the best point guard in the city, steadied the Lynx and kept their team comfortably in front throughout. Taylor led all scorers with 24 points, while Mrkiac added 12 points and 4 assists. Ryan Baum scored 19 points, but no one else contributed more than 5 as Lausanne beat the Owls 50-36 in the lowest offensive output of the year.

MUS got an opportunity to end their losing streak the next night as Elliston Baptist came to MUS. The outmanned Raiders tried to keep the game close as they trailed only by 13 at the break, but the Owls eventually wore down their opponent to claim the 66-37 much-needed win. Baum again led the Owls as he poured in 26 in only 25 minutes of action, while Will Saxton contributed 14 points. MUS held Elliston to only 29% shooting in route to the win.

The Owls face one final non-conference opponent before the region season starts next Friday night. MUS will battle Brighton tonight before going to CBHS Friday. Both tip-offs are set for 7:30PM for the 6-8 Owls.