A few minutes into the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, Augustana (S.D.) trailed by six points to Western Oregon and needed a spark. The Vikings turned to their first-team All-American senior forward Daniel Jansen (6'9''-F-94). By scoring eight quick points, Jansen got the Vikings on track and it was smooth sailing from there on out on the way to a 74-55 victory over Western Oregon Thursday evening at the Dr. Pepper Arena. 'It was a funny beginning for us, but I thought a little of that had to do with last night's game,' Augustana coach Tom Billeter said. 'It was a very difficult game against a talented team in Tarleton State. 'I didn't think were sharp at the beginning tonight and then we got it going. I really liked how we started the second half. Our defense all night was pretty stingy.' The stage is now set for two, first-time participants in the NCAA Division II championship game. Augustana, 33-2, will take on Lincoln Memorial, 34-2, at 3 p.m. ET Saturday. It will mark the second all-time match-up in Division II championship history that the No. 1 and No. 2 team will meet in the national championship. The last time was 1975 when Old Dominion defeated New Orleans 76-74. 'We didn't come here just to be in the national championship game,' Jansen said. 'We want to win it.' The only true intrigue in Augustana's semifinal win occurred in the first 5 minutes. Jansen missed the Wednesday's quarterfinal game with a foot injury. He didn't start against Western Oregon. The Wolves started well, opening an 8-2 lead. Jansen entered the game to a loud ovation from the spirited Augustana fans. Jansen definitely lifted the spirit of the team. 'For sure,' Augustana junior Beyer said. 'We weren't sure he was going to be able to play. He came out with that splash and gave everybody a boost of energy.' It didn't take long for Jansen to show why he earned first-team All-American honors. He immediately contributed, scoring a basket and he followed that with a 3-pointer that brought the Vikings to within one. 'I thought we got off to a good start,' Western Oregon coach Jim Shaw said. 'When Jansen came on the floor, the whole energy of the game changed. For guys old enough, he did that Willis Reed deal. He wobbled out there and banged in a couple of threes and the whole personality of their team changed. I thought they fed off him. Their energy went up.' After Western Oregon scored, Jansen hit a 3-pointer that tied the game. The Vikings didn't slow down. They increased their lead to 18-10 before the Wolves scored again. Augustana continued to play well the rest of the first half, extending its advantage to 34-16. The Wolves managed to garner just a little momentum heading into the locker room when senior Devon Alexander (6'1''-PG) hit a long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, making it 34-19. But in 13 minutes, Jansen was too much to handle for Western Oregon. He led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 13 points on four of six shooting. Jansen only played four minutes in the second half, because the Vikings held a big lead and didn't need him. 'Not playing yesterday was very, very tough,' Jansen said. 'Being on the court and telling the coach I couldn't go was heartbreaking. I was crying, but I had to get my composure back and do something for the team even if it was not playing. 'I can't say enough about our training staff. They are amazing. They did a lot of stuff the past few days. They tried something new today. The second they did it, I felt better. I was feeling good before warm-ups. I felt good during warm-ups. I gave the coaches the green light. It wasn't about me. It was about our team and our staff.' At the start of the second half, Augustana made sure Western Oregon wasn't going to build off its halftime buzzer beater. Beyer drove inside the 3-point arc and hit a 10-foot jumper to make it 36-19. 'I just have to let the game come to me,' said Beyer, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. 'If I score a bunch of points, that's fine. If I don't, that's fine, too. I do what I got to do, but my role on team is to defend.' Western Oregon closed to 36-24, and then Augustana put the game away. It started with a 2-point field goal from senior Casey Schilling (6'6''-F-94) followed by a 3-pointer from Schilling. Senior Alex Richter (6'5''-G-92) continued the Augustana run with a corner 3-pointer and Schilling finished the 10-0 run with two free throws, giving the Vikings a commanding 46-24 lead with just under 15 minutes left. 'You have to give them credit,' said Alexander, who finished with 12 points. 'They are a good team. They don't make mistakes down the stretch. We fought our way back as best we could, but when you don't put the ball in the basket, it makes it difficult.' Courtesy of: ncaa.com
Cedarville University welcomes two to basketball staff - 2 hours ago
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Cedarville University men's basketball Head Coach Pat Estepp has added Matt Matoh and Terry Futrell to his staff as assistant coaches. Matoh joins the Yellow Jackets after having spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division I Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Futrell returns to Cedarville after serving as the head coach at nearby Wilberforce University. 'I am excited with the coaching staff that we've had come together,' Estepp said. 'Matt's experience under Ri... [read more]
Cedarville University men's basketball Head Coach Pat Estepp has added Matt Matoh and Terry Futrell to his staff as assistant coaches. Matoh joins the Yellow Jackets after having spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division I Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Futrell returns to Cedarville after serving as the head coach at nearby Wilberforce University. 'I am excited with the coaching staff that we've had come together,' Estepp said. 'Matt's experience under Rick Byrd, who is one of the most well-respected coaches in the country, will be invaluable. 'And, it's good to have Terry back with us. He brings with him even more experience after doing such a great job as head coach at Wilberforce.' Matoh will be involved in all facets of the program especially recruiting, player development, and video. The Cleveland, Ohio native gained valuable experience at Belmont under longtime head coach Rick Byrd. He was a team manager for the Bruins from 2011 through 2015. Matoh was a video coordinator and assistant trainer under Drew Hanlen with Pure Sweat Basketball. He was also a coach and director of boys programming with Upward Stars Basketball in Nashville. Matoh is a 2015 Belmont graduate with a degree in journalism and earned his master's in sport administration from the University in 2017. Futrell is a familiar name with Yellow Jacket fans, who previously was an assistant coach on Estepp's staff during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 campaigns. Along with his duties helping with the varsity program, he will coach the JV team. For the past six years, the product of Ottawa Lake, Michigan served as the head coach at Wilberforce. Futrell took a program that won just five games the winter before his arrival and posted three years of double digit victories. His 2016-17 squad finished 13-12 - the first winning season the NAIA school had experienced in 19 years. Futrell assembled a decorated playing career at Defiance (Ohio) College. He earned three letters in four years of basketball and was an All-Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference performer. Futrell was voted Team MVP of the 1980 club that won the NAIA District 22 championship game, ironically at Cedarville, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. He was inducted into the Defiance College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Terry and his wife, Anita, have four children. Courtesy of: hoopdirt.com
Dan Hays Joins Central Oklahoma Men's Basketball Staff - 2 days ago
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The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team has added coaching legend Dan Hays to its staff ahead of the 2017-18 season, head coach Tom Hankins announced Tuesday. Hays will serve in a volunteer assistant role. 'We are extremely excited to have Coach Hays join our team,' Hankins said. 'He brings a great wealth of experience and knowledge to our program. Coach Hays is highly respected in the basketball world as well as the Edmond/Oklahoma City community. Our coaches and players... [read more]
The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team has added coaching legend Dan Hays to its staff ahead of the 2017-18 season, head coach Tom Hankins announced Tuesday. Hays will serve in a volunteer assistant role. 'We are extremely excited to have Coach Hays join our team,' Hankins said. 'He brings a great wealth of experience and knowledge to our program. Coach Hays is highly respected in the basketball world as well as the Edmond/Oklahoma City community. Our coaches and players are looking forward to all that Coach Hays will add to our program.' That wealth of experience includes more than 700 wins as a head coach at the college level. He won 653 games at nearby Oklahoma Christian University, which stands as the most wins at one school in state history. Hays is in the NAIA Hall of Fame, and this year was awarded the prestigious Guardians of the Game Award, a national award given by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to a coach making a considerable impact on players and their communities. It's widely considered to be one of the highest coaching honors given by the NABC. Central Oklahoma begins its season this November, opening with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/Great American Conference Crossover in Alva, Okla. on Nov. 10-11. UCO will play at Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The Eagles play their home basketball games on Dan Hays Court. Courtesy of: bronchosports.com
Michael Maczko Named Head Men's Basketball Coach at Mercy College - 7 days ago
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Mercy College Director of Athletics Matt Kilcullen Jr. has announced the hiring of Mike Maczko as the new head Mercy College men's basketball coach. 'We are tremendously excited about Mike joining the Mercy College Athletics family,' stated Kilcullen. He comes from a great basketball background and has a great future ahead of him here at Mercy in building a championship basketball program.' 'I would like to thank President Hall and Director of Athletics Matt Kilcullen for the tremendous o... [read more]
Mercy College Director of Athletics Matt Kilcullen Jr. has announced the hiring of Mike Maczko as the new head Mercy College men's basketball coach. 'We are tremendously excited about Mike joining the Mercy College Athletics family,' stated Kilcullen. He comes from a great basketball background and has a great future ahead of him here at Mercy in building a championship basketball program.' 'I would like to thank President Hall and Director of Athletics Matt Kilcullen for the tremendous opportunity to lead the men's basketball program at Mercy College. I am looking forward to get to work, to talk with the student-athletes and to meet the community. Mercy is a terrific college, in an excellent conference, and located in a beautiful area with great basketball talent. I am very excited to join the Mavericks family,' stated Mike Maczko . Mike Maczko brings a wealth of experience to the Mercy sidelines, having coached at various levels since 2011 after an impressive playing career. The native of Bel Air, Maryland joins the Mavericks after serving as the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach and JV Head Coach at Post University during the 2016-17 season. Mike Maczko assisted the head coach in all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scheduling, scouting, player development, academic progress, travel arrangements and practice plans. Prior to his stint at Post, Mike Maczko was the Graduate Assistant for Men's Basketball at Georgia Tech during the 2015-16 season. While at Georgia Tech, Mike Maczko assisted the coaching staff in the breakdown of film for team and opponents, the preparation of scouting reports and for working out student-athletes in the offseason. During the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Mike Maczko was the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Johns Hopkins University where he assisted the head coach in all aspects of the program. During the 2014-15 season, Mike Maczko was part of the staff that led Johns Hopkins to a regular season conference championship and an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, ending the season with a record of 25-5. Mike Maczko also was an assistant for the Baltimore NIKE Elite 16U team from 2012-14 and was a Volunteer Assistant Coach at his alma mater Salisbury University during the fall of 2012. Mike Maczko has also served and currently serves as a camp counselor at the HoopGroup Skills and HoopGroup Elite basketball camp. Mike Maczko brings an impressive playing resume as well to Dobbs Ferry, having starred in high school, college and in a semi-professional league. Mike Maczko played three years of varsity basketball at the John Carroll School before heading to NJIT on a full athletic scholarship. While at NJIT, Mike Maczko started three games and averaged 12.5 minutes per game as a freshman. After playing a year at NJIT, Mike Maczko went on to Salisbury University where he started every game (77) in his three years, serving as team captain during his junior and senior year. He was a Capital Athletic Conference All-Conference selection in 2011-12 and ended his career with 11.3 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. After graduating from Salisbury in 2012, Mike Maczko played for the Bay Area Shuckers in the American Professional Basketball League (APBL) from 2013-15. Coaching runs in the family for Mike Maczko with his father Terry Mike Maczko currently the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Baltimore City Community College. Mike Maczko graduated from Salisbury in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Business Administration before earning a Master of Science in Sports Management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2016. Courtesy of: mercyathletics.com
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