COURT SESSION: COACH LEARNS ABOUT HIS INDIANS IN RUGGED TOURNAMENT

I said last week that I would know a lot more about our team after the Energia Systems Thanksgiving Tournament in Kansas City.

We went to Kansas City to win the title and we didn't accomplish that goal, but we did go 2-1 in a tournament that was loaded with good basketball teams and I feel good about the progress of our squad.

Only one team can leave the tournament 3-0 and that was a very good Toledo squad that I feel could compete in the Big 10 or Big 12 conferences. Our team, Auburn and Creighton were 2-1. Providence, Cleveland State and UMKC went 1-2. Robert Morris, the only squad that wasn't a real good basketball team, went 0-3.

I think the tournament was a very positive experience for our team. We improved each game in the tournament and we were able to identify areas that we really need to work on. We need to work on our rebounding and playing defense so that we don't foul.

Against Toledo, the Rockets shot 34 free throws and we only shot six. If we had been about equal in the number of free throws, we would have had a good opportunity to beat an excellent team. Toledo also outrebounded us 47-28. In the other two games we rebounded much better but still committed way too many fouls.

Two of our three games were against very talented teams. Toledo and Cleveland State are talented squads that are as good or better than the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference.

I was happy that Emmanuel McCuthison was named to the all-tournament team. To be named as one of the top six players in a tournament with the talent in Kansas City is quite an accomplishment.

Emmanuel continues to be a very steady force for us. In the three tournament games he averaged over 15 points while shooting 61.3 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-point range and 85.4 percent from the line.

Veteran guards Michael Stokes and Antonio Short played their best games of the season and are starting to play the way we know they can play. They were more aggressive taking the ball to the basket and they made good things happen.

At the post position, Nyah Jones and Terry Rogers combined to give us good production scoring and rebounding. Against Robert Morris, they combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds while against Cleveland State they combined for 12 points and nine rebounds.

Terry had the game-winning free throw against Cleveland State. He went to the line with seven seconds remaining with a two-shot free-throw opportunity. Veteran coach Rollie Massimino called time to ice Terry. During the timeout I told the team that I knew Terry would make the free throws and I really did feel like he would hit them. He missed the first but got all net on the second and we had the one-point lead that held up for the win.

Terry is one of the three new players on the team and we got good production from all three in the tournament. Monte Gordon got two big offensive rebounds in the final minute in the consolation final against Cleveland State and freshman Joel Shelton had a couple of passes to Nyah for dunks that really brought the crowd alive. Both Monte and Joel play with great confidence.

Tonight we have a tough road test at Mississippi Valley State. We have gotten a couple of wins on a neutral court, now we need to prove we can win on an opponent's court. It will be a hostile environment and we will have to be able to handle all the elements.

We will have our fourth game in six days tonight, so it will also be a big test of our endurance. Hopefully we can get a win and then get some rest and practice time before the talented Salukis of Southern Illinois come to the Show Me Center Dec. 5.

Gary Garner is the head men's basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University