College basketball: Kishwaukee keeps Harper cool
On an abnormally warm November evening, the offense for the Harper College men's basketball team was cold as ice.
After a free throw from Kyle Nwogu, the Hawks went scoreless for the next 9:47 and ended up dropping their season opener 88-74 at the Sports and Wellness Center in Palatine.
The Hawks shot 33.3 percent from the field in the first half. Freshman guard Marquis Woodard (Schaumburg) attributed the offensive struggles to the defense played by Kishwaukee (1-0).
"The pressure made us play too fast," Woodard said.
First-year Harper coach Sean Stochl said his team's inability to take care of the basketball was a problem.
The Hawks committed 17 first-half turnovers and trailed 40-31 at the half.
They improved in the second half, committing 8 turnovers. "We made some adjustments," said Stochl.
Woodard, too, adjusted. After scoring just 5 points in the first half, the 6-foot guard finished with 16 in his Harper debut.
Last year's Mid-Suburban East player of the year, Joe Gatziolis of Elk Grove, ended his night with 12 points, and Marcus Dover had 11.
Harper travels to Elgin Community College Thursday before hosting schools from St. Louis and Texas over the weekend.