BLOG 31: Men’s basketball team kicking it into higher gear

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris’ Josh Young looks for a teammate to pass the basketball to during a home game against Ashland on Saturday (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – The Ferris State University men’s basketball team clearly has gotten the memo from head coach Bill Sall and his staff: You have to play hard to win.

Since a stunning 86-80 loss to Grace Bible (Jan. 3), the Bulldogs have been a very different team. Ferris is 5-1 since that loss to Grace Bible – a stretch that includes victories against Kuyper (Jan. 5), Lake Superior State (Jan. 8), Grand Valley State (Jan. 12), Tiffin (Jan. 15) and Ashland (Jan. 17). The only loss during the stretch was a 93-84 setback against Saginaw Valley State (Jan. 10).

The big game during the stretch was against a good Lake Superior team – at the time one of the hottest in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (and a team still hanging onto first place). The players had indeed gotten the Sall memo and cranked it up, from a defensive standpoint, and came roaring out of the gates against the Lakers. Ferris grabbed a large early lead and held on, impressively, to grab a decisive 86-59 victory (a victory by a stunningly wide margin).

The Bulldogs have rededicated themselves to defense and that defense has sparked the team’s offense and created some easy looks at the basket. Thanks to a renewed defensive focus, following the Grace Bible result, Ferris has seen its offense come to life as it has scored 115, 86, 84, 74, 98 and 100 points.

The improved play on offense and defense has given opponents fits as proven during the Bulldogs most recent win, a 100-74 triumph over Ashland.

“You like to get to the point where you’re dictating the way the game is played so your opponent has to adjust to what you’re doing rather than you having to adjust and make substitutions to what your opponent is doing,” Sall said. “I think, in that sense, we’ve made progress.”

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