Struggling USIU Feels a Bit Better After Putting Away Cornell
Gary Zarecky, the U.S. International University basketball coach, picked up an eraser and attempted to wipe a chalk board clean in the middle of the clamor of the winning locker room Tuesday night.
Zarecky didn’t get far.
“Hey, don’t do that,” a high-pitched voice screeched from a pack of celebrating Gulls.
Written on the board was: “Victory is oh so sweet when it’s an Ivy League team you beat.”
It’s hard to blame the USIU players if they wanted to gaze at the words a little longer. For a team that has recently been struggling with mediocrity, their 95-86 victory over visiting Cornell was much needed.
USIU did everything it needed to do against Cornell, putting together a scoring spurt when it trailed early and hitting nine of 10 free throws in the closing minutes to clinch the game. That was in sharp contrast to recent weeks, when USIU (5-10) seemed to do everything in needed to lose.
“These guys have invented the newest ride at a state fair with all the ups and downs we’ve had this season,” Zarecky said.
Lately, it has mostly been down. In the past two weeks, the Gulls lost to previously winless Colgate and a Winthrop team it easily could have beaten to drop to 2-3 on their nine-game home stand and virtually guarantee their ninth consecutive losing season.
“We’ve been in pain,” Zarecky said. “The team has been trying to get away from that pain.
“My athletic director came to me and said ‘Maybe we should take our concentration away from that pain.’ We’ve been wallowing in self-pity and heartbreak.”
The Gulls were feeling no pain when the season started with five returning starters, guard Kevin Bradshaw and 17 games at home.
That quickly changed when USIU was routed by Oklahoma and Arkansas and then began losing games at home to teams it should have beaten.
“Our schedule stripped us early on and took with it some of our confidence,” Zarecky said. “We’re still trying to get that confidence back.”
Tuesday, the Gulls beat a team it should have by showing an intensity that had all but disappeared the past two weeks.
Cornell took a 9-6 lead behind three consecutive baskets and a free throw by center Bernard Jackson. But 6-foot-11 center Mike Sterner came in off the bench and shut Jackson down as the Gulls went on a 13-0 run and took a 17-9 lead. USIU never trailed again.
Bradshaw scored seven points and freshman Issac Brown added six in USIU’s scoring run. The Gulls led, 36-27, at halftime and began to spread the lead early in the second half.
The Gulls had their biggest lead, 73-57, with 8:31 remaining. Cornell (3-7) chipped away to trail by just 84-79 with 1:37 left, but four USIU players combined to make seven of seven free throws in the final 1:32 to clinch the victory.
Bradshaw scored 28 points, and Demetrius Laffitte added 25 for USIU. Jackson had 32 points for Cornell. Steve Smith, having his finest year at point guard, had 11 points for USIU and also had 11 assists to give him 110 for the season. Smith should easily break the single-season record of 127 he set last year.
The Gulls play host to Central Connecticut State, which lost to SDSU Saturday, tonight at 7:30 at Golden Hall. USIU will close out its home stand against Sacramento State Tuesday and Point Loma Nazarene next Thursday.
