2017-18 men’s basketball season concludes
Tyree Coe, senior guard, defends against players from Tiffin University during their Feb. 15 game.
The PNW men’s basketball team finished last in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The 2017-18 season marks its first appearance within the GLIAC.
On Feb. 24, PNW wrapped up the season against Lake Superior State University at Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Strong efforts were made by senior Torrance Johnson, center, and sophomore Franklin Nunn, guard, scoring a combined 27 points, but the team dropped its season finale, 92-84.
Following the game against Lake Superior State, the Pride would place last in both the North Division and the entire conference, missing the playoffs by seven wins. Two notable games included conference victories over Northwood University, 55-52, and Tiffin University, 60-59.
The season’s frontrunners include Johnson and senior Tyree Coe, guard. Johnson finished the season with 27 games played and 390 points, averaging 14.4 per game. He led the team overall in scoring, recording 140 regular field goals and 109 free throws.
Coe, on the other hand, held the team title for most 3-point field goals scored, 69. He would finish second in points collected, 360, with a full 28-game season played. Coe finished off strong against Lake Superior State, tallying 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor.
Nunn reflected on the season, highlighting the importance of playing against highly-ranked teams.
“I learned a lot from seeing how the leaders on those teams were usually the most vocal and hard to stop because of their longevity at playing at this level,” Nunn said.
The young star said a memorable moment during the 2017-18 season was the win against Tiffin University. Nunn said an injury on his right wrist limited his scoring touch, but he powered through the rest of the game, contributing to the team’s win.
“It took some time getting used to it, and it was not easy changing my shot in the middle of the season; however, I was able to get into a rhythm and score some decent numbers in games. I was even able to lead our team in scoring in our second win of the year versus. Tiffin,” said Nunn.
