Go Roadrunners!By Bob Beavers, Dalton State Sports MediaKansas City, Mo – A lot of hard work and dedication on the part of extremely talented athletes, coaches, boosters and fans have our Dalton State Roadrunners set to compete for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I Men's Basketball National Championship in the first season of eligibility and only the second season since tintercollegiate athletics were discontinued int he 1970s. Then known as Dalton Junior College, Tony Ingle, the player, was a part of that program too.
The No. 6 Roadrunners (30-3) play second seeded Talladega (AL) (31-4) tonight in the semi-finals of the oldest collegiate basketball tournament in the world. The NAIA calls tonight's round the Fab Four and, as a Roadrunner fan, there is no better place to be. If you can't make it, WDNN-TV 10 in Dalton will broadcast tonight's contest live. It can also be seen on the station's website.
After Saturday, the Roadrunners had played three games in four days. Coaches decided to skip the allotted hour of Sunday morning practice. Instead, they opted to give weary legs time to recover.
Head Coach Tony Ingle also opted for a day of not having to use his voice any more than he had too. The media, however, did keep him talking more than he perhaps would have liked.
The affable coach talked Sunday night to various media sources between doses of honey used to help his throat recover. That many games, practice sessions, and strategy meetings have taken a toll. "My wife tells me I need to go to the doctor," he told more than one reporter.
Coaches met in a lengthy session Sunday night, not starting until around 9:00 p.m., to go over a few last minute details that will be taught to the players during a Monday morning practice.
Meanwhile, you have to eat. Players, coaches and a delegation of support personnel loaded up a couple of Dalton State Athletics vans driven here by our trainers. We headed up the interstate a couple of exits to Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, a small but famously delicious example of one of Kansas City's best known treats to the taste buds. It was one of the few times that we had gone somewhere not within walking distance of the hotel and arena.
Feeding this many people is quite an undertaking, but Arthur Bryant's personnel were ready for us. When we arrived, our space was reserved and the food was out in a jiffy. Plates, silverware and cups were already on the tables. Bread was distributed still in the packages. Sliced beef and pork barbeque, slaw, French fries and baked beans were passed down the table much the same as Sunday dinner at home.
I feel a need to remind folks back home that we are on Central Daylight Time. The 6:00 p.m. tip-off tonight is 7:00 p.m. in Dalton. The following is a recap printed in today's Kansas City Star newspaper.
Key Players In The NAIA Fab Four No. 6 Dalton State (Ga.), 30-4, vs. No. 2 Talladega (Ala.), 32-4, 6 p.m. Monday
No. 1 Hope International (Calif.), 31-2, vs. Westmont (Calif.), 24-10, 8 p.m. Monday
Jordan Bowling, Dalton StateHe's the leading scorer left in the tournament, averaging 21.7 points per game. Bowling scored 32 in a first-round win over Wiley (Texas) and has hit six of 12 from three-point range in three games, tops among players from the four semifinalists.
Matt Green, Hope InternationalGreen is averaging 19 points per game as a long-range specialist, shooting 12 for 33 from three-point range. He hit four threes vs. Montana Western in round two and five vs. Martin Methodist in the quarterfinals.
Cory Blau, WestmontBlau is averaging 18 points per game. He's perfect from the free-throw line in his last two games (11 for 11). Shot eight of 13 from the floor in his team's quarterfinal win over Mid-America Christian (Okla.).
Brandon Peters, TalladegaHe's made eight steals in three games, the best percentage of any player in the semifinals. He shot 10 of 16 from the floor and scored 22 points in a second-round win over Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) and is averaging 14.3 points per game for the tournament.
