Men's Basketball
2007-2008 Men's Basketball Team
Top 10 ACCC Rankings - Individual Players:
Wallace State into the semis
By Bryan App, Staff Writer
Published: March 05. 2008 3:30AM
His team was gypped.
It happened less than three minutes into the second half of Marion Military Institutes's 95-85 second-round loss to No. 1 Wallace State-Hanceville in the Alabama Community College Conference Tournament Tuesday. That's when the Tigers' second-leading scorer Maurice Bolden picked up what should have been his third foul. Instead, the official scorer tagged Bolden with his fourth, forcing Thomas to sit the standout for all but the closing minutes of the second half before Bolden fouled out with 53 seconds remaining.
"That changed the entire atmosphere of the game," Thomas said. "The scoreboard was messed up, and the refs didn't catch it. I caught it, but I was catching a lot of things they weren't. Wallace State played a solid game, but we played better."
Bolden sat the final 3:05 of the first half after being whistled for his second foul, but the scoreboard showed that he had three. He finished with eight points in 22-plus minutes.
Even without one of their top scorers, the Tigers kept it close. Jermaine Mallet knocked down a 3-pointer with 13:56 remaining, cutting MMI's deficit to 52-49. But fueled by Chris Goodwin's hot hand, Wallace State surged ahead. Goodwin sank consecutive treys to give the Lions a 65-54 lead with 10:21 to play, and he seemed to answer every MMI run, sinking five 3-pointers in the second half.
"We don't win that game if he doesn't show up to play," Wallace State coach Allen Sharpe said. "We can't give up 80 points a game and expect to remain in this tournament much longer."
Wallace State (31-0) came into the game with the nation's third-best team defense. Gary Redus scored 20 to pace MMI (21-12). Eric Allen added 16 points, and Mallett had 16.
Goodwin and Brandon Moore finished with 21 points apiece to lead five Lions scorers in double-digits, while Cory Cooperwood added 14.
Wallace State will face Chattahoochee Valley in the semifinals today at 8 p.m. at Northwest-Shoals.
"I'd rather it not be that close," Goodwin said. "(MMI) said they were going to give us all we could handle, and they did. We've got to play better defense."
Marion to Host ACCC Play-In Game March 1st
Marion (3/1) - MMI will play host to Bevill State CC - Sumiton in a play-in game March 1st at 7:00pm for the right to advance to the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Tournament. After defeating the #3 ranked buccaneers from Shelton State CC last night in overtime, the tigers finished the regular season tied with Snead State CC for 5th place in the North Division. Marion won the tiebreaker and will play the #8 seeded bears from Jasper while Snead State will host the #7 seed, Bevill State CC - Fayette. The ACCC Tournament will start Monday, March 3rd at Northwest Shoals CC. The tournament will last through Thursday, March 6th when the Region XXII Champion will be crowned and earn an automatic bid to the National Junior College Athletic Association (Division I) National Tournament.
Men's Basketball Improves to 15-9
Marion (2/14) - MMI's men's basketball team improved to 15-9 overall with a home win against 3rd ranked Snead State CC Tuesday night. The win was Marion's second in a row against North Region teams and keeps the tigers in the hunt for post-season play. The tigers spotted the Parsons a two-point lead to start the game but went on a 9-point run and really were never threatened again. Midway through the first half the tigers had built an 11-point lead and took a 42-30 lead into half time. Eric Allen, the ACCC scoring leader, came off the bench to lead Marion's offense. He finished with 33 points on five-of-eight from behind the arc and five rebounds.
"That was probably the second most complete game for 20 minutes that we played all season," head coach Marcus Thomas said. "I thought the guys did a great job of executing in the first half."
Both teams started the second half slow but the momentum shifted to the home squad when the tigers went on an 18-6 run to take a 60-38 advantage. Snead was able to get back within nine points late in the game, but MMI was able to hold off the late rally and post the 91-82 victory. James Bolden collected 7 rebounds for the tigers, along with 7 points in an impressive defensive stint. Stetson Johnson scored 11 points with 4 rebounds. Gary Redus dished out 8 assists while scoring 8 and collecting 2 rebounds. Maurice Bolden finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds while Jermaine Mallett had 10 points and 6 rebounds, K.T. Hardy had 4 points and 2 assists, and Willie McGinnis scored 3 points.
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MMI EXPLODES IN SECOND HALF TO DEFEAT WALLACE CC –
Coming out of the locker room for the second half, head coach Marcus Thomas had his squad fired up and ready to compete. Freshman swingman Gary Redus II tied the game on the first play of scrimmage and from that point on the tigers never relinquished the lead. The trio of Redus, Eric Allen and Maurice Bolden helped
Eric Allen led MMI with 22 points, hitting 4 for 6 from behind the 3-point line. Maurice Bolden added 21, Gary Redus and Willie McGinnis each collected 12, and Jermaine Mallett had 10. Roman Tubner scored nine, Stetson Johnson five, Tyrell Hardy and Langston Williams each had four, and Richard Harper finished with two points.
Wallace CC was led by Justin Williams who led all scorers with 25 points. Alfred Smith added 10 for the Patriots. Phillip Johnson scored nine, Chris Walker eight, Benjamin Burroughs five, Jeremy Russell and Michael Acoff four each, Deundre Hubbard and Billy Marcus Byrd each had three, and Sidney McNeary finished with two points.
MEN'S BASKETBALL DEFEATS FAULKNER STATE CC
MARION-- The MMI men's basketball team was able to hold off the Faulkner State Sun Chiefs who staged a late rally but fell just short 84-81 last Friday night in ACCC action. Playing before a rowdy home crowd at the William R. Ireland Athletic Center, the tigers built an 11 point lead at the half. The Sun Chiefs rallied and took a one point lead late in the second half before Marion's Gary Redus solidified the win, going 7 for 7 from the free throw line. This improves Marion' record to 10-2 on the season.
Eric Allen led MMI in scoring with 17 points. Richard Harper and Gary Redus each added 15 points for the home team. Jermaine Mallett had 10, Maurice Bolden and Roman Tubner eight apiece, Tyrell Hardy scored four, Langston Williams, Thomas Orr and James Bolden each contributed with two, and Willie McGinnis had one point.
Faulkner, coached by MMI alum Jack Robertson, was paced by Terrance Mitchell's 16 points, while David Johnson added 12 and Cedric Freeman had 10 for the Sun Chiefs. Tubner had three steals for the tigers who were led in rebounding by Maurice Bolden who finished with nine. Faulkner outrebounded MMI in the contest 46-29.
Marion returns to action Wednesday, December 12th when they host Wallace State CC - Selma in the Ireland Athletic Center. A 7:00pm tip is scheduled.
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MMI PICKS UP BIG WIN AGAINST GADSDEN STATE CC
Marion - Last Thursday night the MMI men's basketball team finally got a win in the tough North Region of the ACCC after starting conference play 0-4 with a 91-88 victory against Gadsden State CC. Marion jumped out early against the cardinals to take a 37 to 32 lead into halftime. Gadsden was able to keep the score close throughout the second half but freshman guard Gary Redus II sank two free throws with just seconds remaining in the game to help record the victory. Leading ACCC scorer, Eric Allen, led all scorers with 23 points. Freshman Maurice Bolden finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists while Jermaine Mallett added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Redus finished with 10 points and 5 assists with 4 steals. MMI, 12-6 overall, will host Lawson State next Monday (1/28) at the William R. Ireland Athletic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.
MMI NAMES MARCUS THOMAS HEAD COACH
Marion Military Institute recently named Marcus Thomas as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Thomas’ most recent coaching duties were as an assistant coach at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. While at Millsaps, Coach Thomas served as the head coach for the men’s junior varsity team, assisted in budgeting travel and meals, implemented skill enhancement drills, recruited student-athletes, oversaw student-athlete academic progress, developed the strength and conditioning programs and assisted with on-the-floor coaching. Coach Thomas served as an assistant coach at both Jackson State University and Tougaloo College before coming to Millsaps in 2005.
Coach Thomas’ playing career started as a walk-on at the University of South Alabama. In 1994 he joined the United States Army where he played on the Army All Post Team from 1994-1998. While enlisted in the Army, Coach Thomas also served as an Assistant Basketball Coach at both Fort Carson and Fort Bliss. After leaving the military, Coach Thomas accepted an athletic scholarship to play point guard for Belhaven College. His 2001 team participated in the NAIA National Tournament. Coach Thomas graduated from Belhaven in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine and then completed a Master’s Degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Jackson State University in 2004.
Coach Thomas is married to the former Brownya Abram and has three children; Aaron, Elijah, and Nathan
