NAIA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Scruggs, Defense Spark SCC’s Rout of Washburn

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  Bill Reynolds stood in the Kemper Arena tunnel Tuesday night, fretting over the physical play going on down on the court.

“These Midwest teams are very physical and the officials seem to be letting them play,” the Southern California College coach said. “We’re more of a finesse team. We’re going to have to take it up a notch to be competitive.”

A couple of hours later, the Vanguards (26-8) elevated their level of play several notches in the second half of a 102-82 victory over Washburn University of Topeka, Kan., in the first round of the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics men’s basketball tournament.

Washburn (20-12) won the tournament title in 1987 and although it was unseeded, the Ichabods are moving up to the NCAA’s Division II next year. Nine of their previous 11 losses this season were to Division II schools.

The 15th-seeded Vanguards, who meet second-seeded Wisconsin Eau Claire on Thursday in the second round, shot 63% from the floor in the second half to turn a 44-44 halftime tie into a rout. Forward Terry Scruggs made 12 of 17 field goals, including five of seven three-point shots, to lead SCC with 32 points.

The difference in the game came in two Vanguard bursts. SCC outscored Washburn, 14-2, early in the first half to turn a 7-2 deficit into a 16-9 lead. Then, five minutes into the second half with the scored tied 55-55, the Vanguards went on a 20-2 run that turned the game into a romp.

Washburn Coach Bob Chipman said the turning point came when 6-foot-7 Ichabod center Jeff Markray, who finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds, picked up his fourth foul with 14:48 left to play.

“His fourth foul really hurt us,” Chipman said. “We’re not very deep and we’re not a very good team with him on the bench. But you have to give credit to Scruggs. He put on a hell of a shooting performance.”

Reynolds says Scruggs is a “Division I shooter” and anyone in the crowd--even the 1,000 or so Washburn fans--would have to admit that after Scruggs made all seven of his mostly long-range shots in the second half.

“We just seem to get to those spots where we’re unstoppable,” said Scruggs, a senior forward. “Our defense really picked us up in the second half.

“Any game could be my last and I’m not ready to quit yet.”

Reynolds and center Jeff Bickmore figure the Vanguards are going to have to find a way to raise their game even higher to stay with Wisconsin Eau Claire.

“I think we were a little awed by the arena,” Bickmore said. “I’ve never played in a place like this before and we were kind of slow in the first half. But the defense got us going and then all of a sudden we sort of went crazy.”

Reynolds said the solid defense in the second half was the biggest factor, but he also thought his players turned the hostile crowd into a positive.

“We usually don’t play in front of more than a thousand or so, but the kids seemed to get up for what has to be considered a road game for us,” he said.