The Grenadiers welcomed in the number 2 seed Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats, to the Activities building Wednesday Nov. 13 for a highly anticipated match-up between two of the top five teams.
In a high-flying battle between two of the top scoring teams in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Atheletic Conference the Grenadiers reigned supreme.
The teams traded fast break punches early on as the Grenadiers kept them at arms-length, before adding some distance on a break-away-dunk by Jake Simpson, which put the Grenadiers up 39-31 with 4:03 left in the first half.
Wesleyan didn’t get much closer, as the relentless defense and quickness of the Grenadiers finally got to the visiting Wildcats. The large and loud home crowd reached its apex at the 10:49 mark of the second half, when Greg MaGee,senior, swatted a shot off the glass, sparking a fast break and then sprinting down the court and slamming home a missed shot, pushing the score to 68-57.
That was the beginning of the end for the Wildcats. IU Southeast got its largest lead of 74-58 with 8:00 to go in the game. The Wildcats never gave up though as they closed the gap to 12, 93-81as the final horn blew.
Cameron Mitchell,senior, led the way in scoring with 26 points, and junior Jake Simpson was right behind him with 25.
This Grenadier team went to the Final Four last season, and have only one thing on their mind this year, “Our whole goal is to win a National Championship,” Cameron Mitchell said.
Their chances are pretty good with Wiley Brown, the head coach that knows what it takes to win a national title. Brown was a starter on the Louisville Cardinals 1980 national championship team. He is in his seventh season and has won six straight conference championships.
He has won those titles by playing a fast and furious style of basketball. He has a message for the fans: “If you’re a fan and want to see some great basketball, come see us play. You will see some true athletes that can run up-and-down and dunk the basketball; exciting type of basketball.”
Kevin Mitchell, senior point guard, has really proven that he understands the fast and furious style of basketball that Brown preaches. Mitchell is the twin brother of leading scorer Cameron Mitchell. The two make a great team together and said that they have really motivated each other on the court.
Cameron Mitchell, with a smile, talked about what it’s like playing with his twin brother, “I love playing with my brother. I know what he’s going to do, and he knows what I’m going to do.”
Photos by Joel Stinnett
