BLOG 17: Ferris proves it can compete, but has to work on finishing wins

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State University’s Darien Gay (right) tries to smack the basketball away from Grand Valley State’s Jerret Smith (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

ALLENDALE – One of the many things we’ve learned, at least early in the season, is the Ferris State University men’s basketball team is driven to compete against all comers.

We know a Bill Sall-coached team will always play hard and compete. Ferris showed that again on Monday night in a big rivalry game against Grand Valley State University, the ninth-ranked NCAA Division II team in the nation, in the Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale. The Bulldogs had their moments, against Grand Valley, in what ended up as a hard-fought battle from start to finish in the heart of West Michigan just outside Grand Rapids, but fell on the short end of a tough 72-62 decision to the No. 9 Lakers.

“I thought we competed real hard in the game but you’ve got to be able to figure out things a little better than we did and make the adjustments,” Ferris head coach Bill Sall said before he later spoke of how his team needs to respond to this tough early-season schedule. “We need to find better consistency. That is the thing I’m going to be looking for down the line.”

The Bulldogs did have some positives to dwell upon – beyond even the close score. Ferris’ point guard play performed solidly against the Lakers’ changing defenses (a 1-3-1 trap, man to man and a normal zone). Although freshman Dontae Molden did get some minutes, running the show, the bulk of the duties from the point-guard position were handled by sophomore Darien Gay, who totaled 12 points with six assists. That point-guard play is going to continue to be important for the Bulldogs over the balance of the season. It was also good to see junior guard Josh Young enjoy his best game as a Bulldog with 22 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore big man Justin Keenan, targeted all night by the Lakers’ swarming defense, totaled 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor. His eight shot attempts were not enough, however, for Sall’s liking.

Ill-timed turnovers and missed opportunities plagued the Bulldogs throughout the game. On the road, trying to win in the GLIAC, missed opportunities can be killers.

“They played that 1-3-1 against us and that surprised us and we really weren’t prepared for it,” said Sall, who lamented his team’s ability to contain GVSU’s sharpshooting Pete Trammell, who exploded for a game-high 28 points. “That’s on us as coaches. We turned the ball over a few times against it and every time we did they scored and that really hurt us.”

Ferris has to also work to minimize its cold stretches, in terms of shooting the basketball, as they progress through the grueling 22-game league schedule. Considering this is the first of three road games in a row for the Bulldogs, it will be of even greater importance for Ferris to capitalize when chances present themselves.

The Bulldogs (1-3 overall, 0-1 GLIAC) has proven themselves to be competitors, but now they must prove to be finishers to win these kinds of contests.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com