Coyotes ready for West regional opener in Alaska

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Now that the famed Itidarod dogsled race is over, another sport will be taking center stage in the sprawling wilderness of Anchorage, Alas.

The top eight Division II men’s basketball teams in the West Region will square off at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex at University of Alaska-Anchorage starting today with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line. Jeff Oliver’s Cal State San Bernardino squad will be trying to advance to the national tournament for the fourth time.

It is the first time the Seawolves have hosted the event.

The No. 2 seeded Coyotes (22-7) face No. 7 Brigham Young-Hawaii (18-7) in the second of four quarterfinals today at 3:30 p.m.

The Coyotes changed their travel plans and left from Ontario Tuesday night, rather than from LAX Wednesday morning which helped in the preparation.

The team practiced at a local high school Wednesday and Thursday, then attended a banquet held to honor the participating teams Thursday evening.”

“I’m really glad we had that extra day. Humboldt came in Wednesday late and had the first practice Thursday. That couldn’t have felt good,” Oliver said. “We have had good practices. We’re healthier than we have been all season. We’re ready to go.”

Oliver said his team seems to be acclimating to the conditions. It was snowing when the Coyotes arrived but had warmed up to a balmy 33 by Thursday afternoon. There hasn’t been much time for sightseeing but Oliver said athletic director Kevin Hatcher and trainer Laura Watkins took a side trip in search of wildlife.

“We actually saw the sun today and were able to open the sunroof on the rental car,” he quipped. “When we got here it was kind of flat. you couldn’t see much because of the fog but it is quite scenic.”

The Coyotes, who claimed a share of the CCAA title for the ninth time in seven years, may be enjoying their surroundings but the mood has been all business. Last year the Coyotes emerged as the regional champion, beating host Humboldt State in a dramatic title tilt.

This year’s quarterfinal is a rematch of one last year in which the Coyotes beat the Seasiders 81-78.
The Coyotes, ranked No. 14 in the most recent NABC poll, play the same style but have tweaked their defense since the last meeting and Oliver hopes that pays off. Cal State’s senior ackcourt of Marlon Pierce and Lance Ortiz have combined for 133 steals with Ortiz (76) ranking first in the conference in that department and Pierce (57) third. Ortiz was slowed by a sprained ankle recently but is back to full strength according to Oliver.

Senior center Michael Earl, a native of Pomona, has also figured prominently on defense with a conference high 56 blocks which set a school record.

“This is what we have been working for all season,” said Earl, a graduate of Diamond Ranch. “It’s a long season. We had some stumbles along the way but we’re still where we want to be.”

Junior forward-guard Philip Jones and senior forward Jason Gilzene round out the starting lineup. Jones hasn’t factored much into the offense but is one of the team’s best on-ball defenders.

The unsung hero has been junior Renardo Bass who has done what Oliver dubs the “intangible things” that have contributed to the team’s success.

BYU, the runner-up in the weak Pacific West Conference, will pose a formidable threat because of its inside presence in 6-foot-9 sophomore forward-center Lucas Alves (20.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg), a first-team All-Region selection.
Other key players are senior guard Paul Peterson (15 ppg, 3.7 apg) and junior guard Trenson Akana (11.7 ppg).

Despite the overall success, the Coyotes have come up empty in a lot of close games this season. They are 1-3 in overtime and six of their seven losses have been by a total of 20 points.

“It has been little things,” Pierce said. “We’ve been in every game we just haven’t been able to finish them off. Now we have to do it because there are no second chances.”