Teamwork is Judson basketball's forte

Posted March 12, 2008 11:00 pm

By Mike Miazga Daily Herald Correspondent

When everybody is on the same page in a team-charged environment, good things tend to happen.

The Judson University men's basketball team has embraced that philosophy this season and the results have spoken for themselves.

The Eagles will make their first-ever appearance today in the 17th annual NAIA Division II men's basketball championships at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

Judson (19-8), which did not receive a top 16 seed in the 32-team tournament, opens play at 10:15 a.m. in Keeter Gymnasium against No. 4 seed Walsh (Ohio). The winner advances to the second round of the single-elimination tournament Friday at noon. Walsh brings a 25-4 mark into the contest.

Judson reached the NAIA tournament after winning its first-ever CCAC regular-season and tournament titles. This is Judson's first appearance in a national tournament since 1984 when it played in the National Christian College Athletic Association Tournament and finished third in the country.

Judson senior Justen Boyd, a Batavia product, said the team laid out a specific goal at the beginning of the season.

"Everybody was in this for a common goal," said Boyd, an all-CCAC first-team selection this season. "Everybody came together. This means a lot. A goal was set that we wanted to achieve at the beginning of the season. It's nice to complete a goal."

The Eagles have been paced by a core of 5 seniors, including Chris Oates, Boyd, Ilija Bojanic, Steffan Williams and Joe Gonnam. Bojanic is second on the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game, while Oates is third (12.9), Boyd fourth (12.6), Williams fifth (11.3) and Gonnam sixth (8.5). Bojanic was also a first-team all-conference pick.

Junior DeWayne Robinson, the CCAC player of the year, leads the team in scoring at 21.4 points per game. Robinson, Boyd, Oates and Gonnam have all scored over 1,000 points in their Judson careers.

"We've got five seniors and nobody had been to nationals before," said Boyd. "This was one common goal. We played to complete that goal and now here we are."

Judson will encounter a Walsh team that leads the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage (44 percent). This is Walsh's eighth trip to the NAIA tournament. The Cavaliers are led by American Mideast Conference South Division player of the year Brandon Reems.