Published: January 02, 2009 11:58 pm      

Tough stretch begins today for No. 2 Mountain State

Cougars’ next three games are against ranked opponents

After a couple of easy tune-ups to start the second half, NAIA Division I No. 2 Mountain State’s schedule gets increasingly tougher.

Over the next eight days, MSU will face No. 21 Lindsey Wilson and No. 1 Cumberlands (Tuesday night) before traveling to No. 13 Lee (next Saturday).

The testing starts today when MSU hosts Lindsey Wilson at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.

The Blue Raiders are 11-1 and have won 11 straight games after a season-opening 85-82 loss to Mid-Continent University.

“It’s a big, big, big game,” MSU coach Bob Bolen said. “Any time you’re going against a team that has won 11 straight (and) is nationally ranked, you know it’s a tough opponent. And Lindsey is plenty tough.”

And plenty big, according to Bolen.

The Blue Raiders have a height advantage inside, led by 6-foot-10 Paki Brown and 6-8 Andrija Tintor.

“It’s our toughest game to date,” Bolen said. “They have size and their big men are good shooters and they are athletic. At 6-10 and 6-8 they have a size advantage. And with Lindsey, they always execute well.”

Brown is averaging 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds and Tintor is averaging 8.4 and 4.4 rebounds for balanced-scoring Lindsey Wilson.

The Blue Raiders are led by 6-3 guard Eric McPherson, who averages 13.7 points per game.

Though they are not a high-scoring team per se (80.2 points per game), the Blue Raiders have eight players scoring more than six points per game and they are holding teams to just 54.6 points per game.

By contrast, MSU is averaging 95.6 games and has not been held below 100 points in nine games in Beckley. MSU gives up 70.4 points per game.

“They execute well and they will run when the opportunity is there,” Bolen said. “We have to control the tempo on the defensive end.”

Last year, Lindsey Wilson handed MSU one of its three losses. The other losses came to Lee and Oklahoma City in the NAIA national championship game.

MSU is coming off a pair of easy wins (127-32 over outmanned Ohio State Marion and 99-65 at Virginia Intermont) to start the second semester.

“I thought we played a tremendous second half at Intermont,” Bolen said. “I think we are starting to get our legs back under us. But this is a big test.”

Six players are averaging in double figures for MSU, led by guard A.J. Pigram who averages 18.7 points per game. Bo Harris is averaging 14.8, Andrew Lee 14.7 and Tony Brown 12.4. The fifth starter, Ermin Tarcin, is averaging 9.3.

Nick Aldridge is averaging 12.5 and Marcus Hunter 10.8 off the bench.

Greg Grimes, who injured an ankle in practice but is available for today’s game, is averaging 9.9 per game.

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