Rochester College avenges Huntington

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

ROCHESTER HILLS — Playing a schedule that features five NCAA Division I schools, Klint Pleasant still expects and demands effort when his Rochester College men’s basketball team takes the floor against any opponent, regardless of affiliation and governing body.

That effort was not there when the Warriors visited Huntington University back on Dec. 6 in a non-conference game in Indiana.

That effort returned Thursday afternoon.

DRIVING PAST: Rochester College's Brad Norman dribbles past Huntington University's Nick Teeter during Thursday's non-conference game at Rochester High. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

The Warriors snapped a six-game skid by avenging Huntington, 59-49, in first of a three-day college series as part of the Rochester Holiday Classic at Rochester High.

Rochester College (10-6) will host George Brown University Friday and St. Clair (Ont.) College Saturday to cap the series, which was showcased with a boys and girls high school tournament that featured varsity, junior varsity and freshman games over a four-day period.

“We wanted to player harder than they played. We wanted to harder than when we did down at their place,” said Pleasant, who is in his first season as head coach. “We wanted to play tougher than the last time we played. We really wanted to focus on the little things. Our toughness defensively showed. That is a very good basketball team that is ranked 33^rd in the country right now (in the NAIA).

“I just don’t think our effort was there when we played them last time,” recalled Pleasant of his team’s 80-64 defeat to Huntington. “We came out flat in that game and Huntington made a bunch of shots. We didn’t get after them defensively in the game. We switched that this time. We did a much better time guard their shooters. We held them to (31) fewer points than last time.”

Trailing 27-23 at the half, Rochester College came out in the second half with a 19-10 run, turning the four-point halftime deficit into a 42-37 advantage with 10:57 to go.

UP FOR TWO: Rochester College's Evan Walker lays in two of his 11 points in the Warriors' 59-49 triumph Thursday over Huntington. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

The Foresters could not trim the deficit down to under three points the rest of the way.

Rochester College closed with an 11-4 spurt over the final 3:03 of the contest, kickstarted by a three-pointer by senior guard Stephen Henning, plus a dunk and a lay-up by 6-foot-8 senior Ricky Doran, both coming off feeds by Henning.

Doran powered his way for a season- and game-high 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Doran scored 12 of his points after halftime, where RC outscored the Foresters, 36-22.

“Our shots weren’t falling the way we wanted them to (in the first half),” said Doran. “But we pulled through and got them to fall (down the stretch).”

Huntington (9-6) was missing 6-foor-5 sophomore starter TJ Short and 6-10 freshman backup center Alec Peterson.

“We were missing a starter, who is one of our best shooters, and one of our big guys, our 6-10 guy, who is our sixth man, and that obviously hurt some,” said Huntington coach Ty Platt. “But that isn’t an excuse. I thought Rochester College just outplayed us in the second half.

“We did a good job on them defensively, holding them to 57 points. We didn’t foul much and we didn’t turn the ball over much,” continued Platt. “We just didn’t shoot the ball all that well. It was one of those games.”

Huntington only had six turnovers in the game but finished the night just 19-for-54 from the floor (35.2 percent). The Foresters only made three of their final 10 field goal attempts in the final five minutes of the contest.

Huntington opened up a 27-23 lead at the half, closing out with a 5-2 run over the final 2:59. The Foresters could not hold on to the momentum in the second half.

RC shot a horrid 37.9 percent in the first half and made only 1-of-12 three pointers in the first 20 minutes. The Warriors began to attack the basket more in the second half, which fueled their comeback.

Rochester College finished 11-for-29 from the floor in the first half and 25-for-60 in the contest (41.7 percent). RC outrebounded Huntington, 41-33.

“We still didn’t shoot very good from three-point range,” admitted Pleasant, whose team 4-for-22 from outside the arc in the game. “We shot only 18 percent from 3-point range in the game. If you would have told me that we would beat that team after shooting only 18 percent from outside, I wouldn’t have believed it. Huntington is a very good team. They are normally ranked in the top 25. They have been to the NAIA Final Four a couple of times.”

Rochester College, ranked No.1 nationally in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, has suffered recent losses to Oakland, Austin Peay, Eastern Michigan and Tennessee-Martin, all Division I schools, within the past month. The Warriors also lost in November to Kent State, another D-I college.

The strength of schedule aided the Warriors, who won’t see a team of D-I caliber the rest of the regular season.

“We did that to prepare us,” said Pleasant.

The Warriors held Huntington to its second-lowest shooting night of the season.

“I don’t think Rochester College did anything different since the last time we played them. We just struggled to knock down shots,” added Platt. “We didn’t convert down the stretch when it was a close game.”

Caleb Kenney, who was averaging 27.5 points a game during the month of December, was held in check with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Shane Merryman led the Foresters with 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tyler Ault added nine points.

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