The Big Blue remain undefeated.
Millikin’s Men’s Basketball played its first home game of the season and won 76-62 over Concordia University Chicago in a convincing showing.
“Gris is our home. Every time we play here, we have to protect the home court, it is our job, and it is great to play in front of these fans that we know and love,” Junior Guard Lane Thomann said.
Millikin was able to capitalize on the 2nd chance opportunity with over 15 points from offensive rebounds.
“We’ve really emphasized going to the glass this season. We had 11 [rebounds] in the first half and ended up with 21 offensive rebounds. It makes a huge difference,” Head Coach Kramer Soderberg said. “There was a stretch in the game where we were getting open shots, but they weren’t falling. You can either be frustrated about going to get the miss, and we got the miss, and that made a big difference in the game.”
Millikin’s offensive rebounds and defensive presence kept Concordia at bay throughout, with Senior Tionne Spates Jr. taking credit for 13 rebounds. He added 12 points with a block and a steal to go with it, recording his first double-double of the season.
“Coaches gave me the game plan, and I just followed through with it, and my teammates helped me crash. We went heavy to the glass, and it just fell in my lap. My teammates put me in positions on offense and we executed,” Spates said.
Offensively, the team was able to move the ball around, allowing everyone to score at will. Millikin had four players with double-digit points, and leading the push was Thomann, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes.
“[Thomann] has earned it. He is one of the most conditioned, strongest guys I’ve ever coached,” Soderberg said. “You don’t just play 38 minutes cause you’re excellent, you have to have the ability to be conditioning wise, and it’s no question for me. I tell him all the time that if I can keep him on the floor I’m going to keep him on the floor. He’s earned the right to be on the court a long time.”
The team also played over 10 players tonight, allowing players to get ready and come back into the game with full energy. Millikin has been able to play well with all the depth they have, proving it is not a starter-heavy team.
“We do have excellent depth, and we have more depth than that. I feel we’ve got 13-15 guys that I can count on to put in the game and that is a huge asset,” Soderberg said.
The team is now 2-0 on the season and is locked in and focused on keeping morale up and maintaining intensity in practice.
“Winning fixes a lot. It brings the whole mood up, the whole morale up, so just bringing this energy every day into practice, this helps us get better each day,” Thomann said.
The Big Blue showed its full support tonight, with a very large crowd on opening night in Decatur, and Soderberg appreciates the fans.
“I’ve been here now five years as the head coach, and we’ve had some good crowds here and there, but to see this first one to see our student body come up,” he said. “It really makes a difference. I hope we can give them an exciting environment where they want to keep coming back.”
Millikin’s Men’s Basketball team plays this Saturday, November 15th, at 3 P.M. at Earlham College. The team looks to keep the win streak going and remain undefeated early on in the season.
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