ULV leaves Life Bible without prayer
Campus Times
December 11, 1998
Freshman guard James Morrison runs past Life Bible's forward Ryan
Decrona and guard Aaron Heath during La Verne's home game last Saturday.
His successful layup helped add to the Leopards' lead. The Leopards won,
90-49. The men's basketball team hosts La Sierra University in the Supertents
tonight at 7:30.
University of La Verne men's basketball coach Dan Mulville did not rely,
nor did he need to, on his usual starters Saturday night in defeating visiting
Life Bible College, 90-49, in the Supertents.
"It was a good opportunity to play all the freshman and all last
year's redshirts who haven't seen that much of the floor," said the
head coach.
"They need to get some game experience because they may need to
contribute this year. And if not this year, they will definitely contribute
next year."
In the game, La Verne's starting players had an average playing time
of seven minutes.
The victory was the first of the year, after La Verne suffered three
losses to UC San Diego, and Division II schools, Cal Poly Pomona and UC
Riverside to open the season.
"It wasn't a fantastic win," said senior Chad Wells. "They
were not as talented or as skilled of a team that we are, but it's a win
and we will take it."
Wells, a starting forward for the Leopards, did not play because of
a one-game suspension he received as a result of a technical foul he committed
in the previous game against UC Riverside.
In addition, the team lacked the efforts of guard Ken Cauley and point
guard Richard Reed. Cauley and Reed, both among the nine seniors on the
team, were suspended from the game by Mulville as a disciplinary action
for minor conduct offenses they had committed.
"That situation is straightened out," said Mulville. "Everything
is cool."
Life Bible had difficulty handling and controlling the ball for the
most part of the game while the Leopards were accompanied by a solid defense,
which had a total of 16 steals.
Troubles for the Warriors came right away, however. They were unable
to score successfully in the first four minutes of the opening half. By
then, the La Verne team was able to accumulate 12 points for its own advantage.
By the end of the first half, the Leopards had achieved a 55-17 lead
over Life Bible. This 38-point lead was the biggest point gap of the entire
night.
The Warriors, however, did manage to score 32 points in the second half
of the game. Their offense was sparked by three consecutive three-point
shots from sophomore guard Andy Brown, who ended the night with six out
of seven attempts.
"We played a good game all together, but we didn't think it would
be as easy as it was," said sophomore Charleton Charles, who assisted
the La Verne team with a team high of 14 points and nine rebounds.
Freshman guard Matt Alley also had a good game, scoring 12 points and
six rebounds against Life Bible.
The Leopards' efforts were impressive, as their overall performance
left the Warriors with unanswered prayers. La Verne shut the book on Life
Bible with a 41-point victory.
The team was not done with its journey, however. They ventured to the
city of Orange to face off against Chapman University on Wednesday.
In the fierce competition, the Panthers managed to score a win, as they
held off a late La Verne run to defeat the Leopards, 88-86.
Chapman, now 6-1 this season, withstood a late La Verne scoring run.
With four minutes remaining in the game and the Panthers ahead by 10 points,
La Verne closed the gap with a number of three-pointers.
Sophomore forward Kevin Gustafson achieved a game high of 24 points
against the Panthers. Other key performances for the Leopards included senior
guard Ryan Burchfield's 15-point contribution, as well the accomplishments
of Cauley and Wells, who each scored 14 points.
The Leopards host La Sierra University tomorrow night at 7:30 in the
Supertents and will not resume play again until after the winter break.
