The IUS men’s basketball team beat cross-river rivals Spalding University 81-67 on Jan. 24, in the Activities Building, to improve their record to 16-6. Junior guard Craig Bryant, who finished with 10 points, also scored his 1,000 career point as a Grenadier.
Bryant, who hasn’t missed a game since playing for IU Southeast, acknowledged his achievement.
“[Scoring 1000 points] a pretty big accomplishment, but couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Bryant said. “I can’t just take the ball up the court and score by myself. My teammates help me get good shots and find me when I’m open.”
Junior guard Dejon Gary commented on Bryant’s achievement.
“It speaks for itself. Craig is a scorer,” Gary said. “Sometimes he’s silent, but he’ll end up in double figures just about every game and we count on him for that.
Sophomore guard Jazzmar Ferguson agreed.
“It’s big. A lot of players have a full [four-year] career and not reach a 1,000 points,” Ferguson said. “It’s a milestone that shows off his hard work, leadership and what he’s able to do.”
While Bryant reached a landmark and the Grenadiers sent Spalding back to Louisville with another loss, the game didn’t start as well as players and coaches would have liked. The Grenadiers found themselves in an aggressive first half and started the second with just a seven-point lead.
Still, assistant coach Alvin Thomas was happy with the teams’ seventh win in a row.
“I was wondering when [the Grenadiers] were going to show up,” Thomas said with a smirk after the game. “They didn’t have a good practice all week.”
Ferguson elaborated.
“The starters weren’t focused or mentally prepared. We overlooked our opponent,” Ferguson said. “We did have some key guys from the reserve show up. We really utilized our depth with players like Alex Gravelle, Josh Lowery, Dejon Gary and James Thompkins.”
Senior forward James Thompkins, who had missed the previous four games, stepped up with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Thompkins went seven of nine from the field.
Junior center Charlie Gonzalez also proved to be a presence in the post adding 18 points and six rebounds.
Despite 17 turnovers, the Grenadiers managed to finish the game shooting 51 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arch. The Grenadiers, undefeated in the conference, improved their record to 16-6.
By HUNTER EMBRY
Staff Writer
ahembry@ius.edu