Cougars end losing streak

Rick Crossin
Assistant Sports Editor

The SIUE men's basketball team was riding a three-game losing streak going into Saturday night's matchup against St. Joseph's College, but Nick Hartwig made sure that number didn't reach four.

Hartwig scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Cougars to a 78-74 win homecoming night at the Vadalabene Center.

"He had a career night tonight," head coach Jack Margenthaler said. "He was our player of the game."

The Cougars started the game with a bang as center Dion Perkins slammed home SIUE's first two baskets.

After Perkins' dunks, SIUE began to play ragged. This was due primarily to the full-court pressure put on by the Pumas.

"Against the press, our plan was to attack the basket," Margenthaler said.

SIUE had trouble getting the ball in bounds and was constantly being trapped in the corners by St. Joseph's. When the Cougars did break the pressure, they scored easily.

St. Joseph's leading scorer, Romano Dees, did not start the game, but when he did come in, he made an immediate impact.

The Cougars were down 14-12 when Dees began his personal highlight show. Dees scored the next three baskets for the Pumas, the last of which was an alley-oop dunk the home crowd admired with "oohs" and "ahhs."

SIUE fought back to tie the score at 20 on a give-and-go layup from Ryan Sexson to Travis Wallbaum.

The Cougars continued to struggle with the press by St. Joseph's. Margenthaler believes this was due to the fact that point guard and primary ballhandler Ty Moss wasn't in the lineup.

"He's our starting point guard, and without him, we are going to struggle against presses," Margenthaler said.

The score was once again tied at 22 when SIUE tried to match Dees' alley-oop with one of it's own, but Perkins' couldn't handle the errant pass from Wallbaum.

SIUE took a four-point lead midway through the first half on a fast-break layup by Sexson. That lead would not last long as Puma guard Brent Mason buried a three-pointer to cut the lead to one.

With SIUE clinging to the lead and the first half winding down, Hartwig took over. He scored the Cougars' next seven points as SIUE regained the lead.

The lead once again evaporated quickly as Mason dropped two three-point bombs for the Pumas to tie the score at 35.

SIUE finished the half with a buzzer-beating layup by sophomore forward Marty Perry as the teams went into the locker room tied at 37.

It took the Cougars two minutes to score their first basket of the second half. Fortunately, it took St. Joseph's even longer to get its first basket as SIUE took the lead 39-38.

The Cougars built their lead to 43-40 on consecutive baskets by Wallbaum and Antonio McKinzie, but Dees hit a fadeaway jumper with the shot clock running down to keep the game close.

Puma guard Jason Hallenbeck used every part of the rim to notch his first three-pointer of the night to once again tie the score at 47.

The teams continued to trade baskets until St. Joseph's guard Hodges Smith scored to give the Pumas a 55-52 lead.

No player from either team was in foul trouble during the course of the game, but both teams were in the double-bonus with six minutes remaining.

SIUE was ahead 64-61 when Wallbaum caught the Pumas napping and zipped a backdoor pass to McKinzie to give the Cougars a five-point lead.

The Cougars would never trail again as Perry made four clutch free throws in the final minute of the game to secure the win.

"Marty's one of the better free-throw shooters on our team," Margenthaler said.

With the win, the Cougars improved their record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference to 5-8 and 9-10. The Cougars will begin a key five-game road trip with a 7:30 contest Thursday against Lewis University in Romeoville.