BLOG 23: Ferris men drop two; show promise

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State University guard Austin Randel protects the basketball as he dribbles against Hillsdale (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – Entering last weekend’s action, Ferris State University men’s basketball coach Bill Sall understood his squad was up against tough competition.

The Bulldogs had to face a good Hillsdale team and then the No. 1-ranked NCAA Division II team in the nation, Findlay. It was one of those weekends in which Ferris wanted to realistically come away with a split – hoping to escape with a win over Hillsdale in the first of rare games on back-to-back days. The Oilers, ranked No. 1 in the country, will have a significant edge over most competition they will see this season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

So, what did Ferris (3-5 overall, 2-3 in the GLIAC) learn from last weekend? One thing the Bulldogs discovered is that they can compete with the top teams in the GLIAC (although Findlay appears to be in a league of its own). Ferris found that out in a heartbreaking 79-77 loss on Saturday to the Chargers – a day prior to an 83-60 loss to the powerful visiting Oilers on Sunday. Near the end of the Hillsdale game, the Bulldogs put up quite a fight and rallied to tie the score at 77 – before the Chargers scrambled back down to the other end and put in a shot (a second-chance basket) to earn the win in thrilling fashion.

The Bulldogs now have to muster that fight and intensity and a sense of desperation from the beginning until the end. The good news is the squad is moving in that direction. Some days shots will fall and some days they will not, but effort and intensity are the constants Ferris can rely on to steal wins and not allow opportunities (the Hillsdale game) to slip away.

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