Sat., Nov. 5, 2011[box score]
Irvine,
CA- The Tim Cook era in the San Diego Christian College Basketball Program kicked off on Saturday night in an exhibition
at UC Irvine. The Hawks played a balanced game and hung in for much of the
first half. The coaching staff was pleased with the output and the total defensive
effort.
"I couldn’t be
more pleased with the way we are playing defense right now,” said Head Coach Tim
Cook. “We were technically sound and played well.”
The Hawks started
strong behind a Johnnie Delbene three pointer on the second possession of the
game. The game went back and forth and SDCC cut the lead to 14-11 on a dunk by
Xavier Mylleville at the 10:24 mark.
UCI responded
with a 14-3 run over the next 4:00 to extend the lead to double figures. SDCC
was able to cut the lead to 9 with just under 3:00 left in the first half after a Tony Cali jumper. The Anteaters
then converted three free throws before half to stretch the lead to 12.
“In the first
half, we got into foul trouble and they went on a run,” said Cook. ”Late in the half, we gambled
and played some guys that were in foul trouble and the gamble paid off; we
cut the lead down without a cheap foul.”
SDCC had 10
second chance points in the first half against a tough Anteater attack.
The Hawks fought early
in the second half and cut the lead to 9 on a pair of Benji Arvizu free throws.
The Anteaters kept slowly adding to their lead throughout the second half
before opening it up late and taking the game 84-63.
“We had a good offensive
rhythm with good movement and shot selection. Overall, the ball just didn’t
fall for us tonight,” said Cook.
The Hawks were
led by Kevin Dawson with 15 points while Johnnie Delbene added 10 points.
Overall, the Hawks received contributions from a variety of players, with all
12 players playing significant time.
“I am very proud of
how hard we are working," added Cook. “This was a tremendous
opportunity to play a Division I program and see where we are. There were a lot
of good things to take from the game and make adjustments for the long run.”
SDCC travels to
Phoenix for an exhibition contest with Grand Canyon University on Tuesday,
November 8th.