As Men’s Basketball continues to dominate the early season, strong looks into the athletic performances the team has showcased throughout the season so far have led to the excitement of many in the fandom.
In a season opener against Northwestern St. Paul ended in a win for the Pipers with an astounding starting performance, the team finished with a score of 99–84. Then, going against North Central in a nail-biting game with a double overtime win, having an end score of 102–99, this game showed why our Pipers might be a conference-winning program.
“[T]o come away with wins against quality opponents is a great start to the year,” Head Coach Jim Hayes said via email. “North Central and Northwestern are picked to finish first and second, respectively…”
This information was based on a preseason poll. This just shows that our Pipers can beat some amazing teams in their respective conferences.
They faced Augustana on Nov. 16 at home, falling short and losing 62–59 points, but still putting up a respectable game against the Augies. On Nov. 19, the Pipers had their game against Martin Luther Center, beating them by 39 points. The final score for that game was 49–90.
The team’s grit in their game against North Central was particularly impressive, showing that, as well as winning by a large margin like in their game against Martin Luther College, they can also close out a game when it is down to the wire.
“I think that it shows that we are resilient… we continue to dig in and play solid basketball to get us back in it,” senior guard Braden Ebel said via email.
This seems to be the consensus for the team, showing their ability to keep calm, cool and collected even when it comes to close games.
“[I] think that was just good to get some confidence underneath our belt to, in a way, show that we still got it… It doesn’t matter who we have on the floor. We can build on the fly,” junior forward Dane DeDominces said.
This comes as a surprise due to the fact that there is a new roster with a whopping seven first-years on the team. The chemistry of this team seems to be on a fast incline and will continue to grow as the season goes on.
“I mean, it’s really just getting the first couple games, especially for the freshman, first couple of experiences underneath their belt,” DeDominces said.
As the team continues to grow, their mindset is focused on forward-thinking, showing that this team is prepared to trudge on and improve their craft.
“We always celebrate any victory for a day, but we quickly turn the page and focus on what we need to do to improve and prepare for our next opponent,” Hayes said via email.
As the Pipers look ahead on the season and their upcoming opponents, they are remaining level-headed and optimistic.
“Next game mentality. We celebrate the win, but the next practice we have to turn the page and focus on our next opponent,” Ebel said via email.
