Bobcat Men's Basketball Falls to Clayton St; Conference Play Continues vs. Georgia Southwestern

This past Saturday at the Centennial Center, men's basketball head coach Terry Sellers and his Bobcats hit a speed bump in the 2010/2011 season against Peach Belt Conference foe Clayton State.

The Bobcats (7-3, 1-1 PBC) dropped a 65-62 decision to the Lakers. Georgia College was led by the 14 points of junior forward Ryan Aquino. The Bobcats led for much of the second half, but Clayton took the lead back late and never relinquished it.

Now, after a snow day and a quick practice on Tuesday, the 'Cats hit the floor to face a highly talented Georgia Southwestern squad. The Hurricanes (8-3, 1-1 PBC) are much improved from last years team that saw head coach Mike Leeder's crew finish at 7-20, along with a 3-13 conference mark.

Get ready to see some prolific scoring. The Hurricanes average six players in double figures, led by Philip Brown's 17.3 each outing. Almost as impressive is the rebounding numbers for the Hurricane crew. Georgia Southwestern holds opponents to just 27.7 rebounds per game.

The task is tough for a young, but athletics Georgia College team. Here are some keys to get back on track tonight:

1) DO NOT SETTLE FOR THREE POINTERS: What was once the calling card for Georgia College in the past has now gone astray. Georgia College is shooting below 30 percent at a team from downtown. But, the Bobcats are talented off the dribble penetration. If the Bobcats can execute their offense and not settle for outside jumpers, the team will have a chance to win.

2) DEFENSIVE INTENSITY: After the loss to Clayton State, Coach Sellers said multiple times that he thought his team was not energized enough to play. It's important for the seniors and team captains to get the guys focused, excited and ready to play with a sense of urgency. Conference play is the most important part of the year and going by in a flash, a team can find themselves in a deep hole if they are not ready to play each and every day.

3) AGGRESSIVE POST PLAY: Senior Reece Wiedeman has been outstanding for the most part over the past four games. Along with senior Josh Hurst and Aquino, the Bobcats present a rare three-forward attack. I'd like to see Georgia College use the interior more often as a main option against the Hurricanes.

4) ENJOY THE HOMECOURT: Students are back in town and a big crowd is expected to show up. Feed off the energy of the "6th man," and things should be just fine.

Hope you decide to join us on www.gcsu.nmtvsports.com for the live telecast! Grab a cup of coffee to stay warm and cheer on the Bobcats!

Talk to you at 5:25 for the women's game and at 7:25 for the men's first tip.

Here's to hoping we can weather the storm against Georgia Southwestern!