CCU Men's Basketball Falls in NAIA Opening Round
CCU Men's Basketball Falls in NAIA Opening Round
The Eagles took on #7 St. Xavier of Illinois in the first round of the NAIA DII Men's Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, MO. While they fought hard, bringing the gap to within 4 points, a string of fouls gave St. X lucky points to overtake the Eagles 87-71.
The team was lead in scoring by Senior Mike Hill, who added 19 points to the scoreboard. Hill shot 50% from the field and 100% from the free throw line. Kenny Gaynor added 16 points, shooting 7-11 from the field and 2-2 from the line. Junior Willie McKinney added another 15 points and 8 rebounds.
CCU loses two seniors at the conclusion of the season. Mike Hill was an all-star this season, averaging 18.39 points a game. Hill is ranked #10 in the nation in total steals with 70, #18 in steals per game with 2.12, #26 in total scoring with 607, and #44 in points per game with 18.39. Hill scored a personal best 35 points this season against UC Clermont. CCU's other senior, Jeff McClintic, had a late start to the season due to surgery to repair a knee injury, but was an asset late in the season. McClintic added 47 points for the Eagles, shooting 100% from the free throw line for the season. In 4 seasons at CCU, McClintic had a total of 641 points and was 72% from the free throw line overall. McClintic had a season high 11 points this season versus Point Park.
The Eagles fought hard all season long, despite a string of injuries that took out some key players. Head Coach Kellen Zawadzki, who transitioned from the role of Assistant Coach late in the season when former Head Coach Ken Tracy transitioned into the role of Interim President of Cincinnati Christian University, had this to say about the team: "The team gave a valiant defensive effort in the second half, picking up our intensity and taking St. X out of plan. We crashed the boards hard. I was very impressed with the character they showed. This team has a lot of heart. I'm excited about the future and being a part of Cincinnati Christian University."
-- article courtesy of Cincinnati Christian University, http://www.ccuathletics.com/article/187.php