Same ol' situation
Tigers find ways to give away wins
Issue 10 - 02.09.06

BY DAVID DEJMAL
Staff Writer

Close games have fallen far from Cowley’s favor. In the 10 close games decided by eight points or fewer, the Tigers have lost seven of them. The Tigers’ record heading into Wednesday night’s game at Independence was 10-12.

With a few shots falling here and there, they could have a winning record. Although it’s too late to change those games, it’s not too late to figure out what needs to be fixed for the team to improve.

When it comes to the close games, “We’re always in the game we just screw up when it comes to crunch time,” said freshman guard Joe Harvey.

There are three factors that have hindered the Tigers. First is that they lack a consistent scorer who wants the ball in close situations. At times, Marcus Watts and Julio Anthony will put up numbers well into double figures, but in other games they barely score.

The second factor is intensity. There have been times when the Tigers’ opponents have climbed back into games and picked up momentum. Against Jayhawk East leaders Coffeyville and Independence, the halftime score was close, but in the second half the Tigers let their guard down and ended up getting blown out.

The third and final piece to the puzzle is luck. If it weren’t for bad luck this Tiger team wouldn’t have any luck at all. Sometimes the ball falls one way instead of the other, and Johnson County, Allen County, and Fort Scott all seemed lucky to hit long last-second shots that beat the Tigers.

Cowley will host Allen County on Saturday hoping to get revenge on one of the teams that beat them with a last-second shot earlier in the year. The men’s game begins at 8 p.m. in W.S. Scott Auditorium.