MVC – Two Game Sweep of the Atlantic Ten

What does the Sweep Mean?

(St. Lous, MO) – While looking for upward mobility this weekend’s Missouri Valley Conference headline might be ‘MVC Two Game Sweep of the Atlantic Ten’. Belmont’s Saturday road win at Richmond and Illinois State’s home victory against Saint Louis turned the trick.

Coming into the weekend the Atlantic Ten Conference ranked seventh in the national evaluation tool (NET) and eighth at kenpom.com. The Valley was tenth and eleventh. While many more factors and other games factor into those rankings, winning two, head-to-head games against a higher ranked league may be significant.

Neither Richmond, nor Saint Louis is among the top tier of A-Ten teams, but neither Belmont nor Illinois State are ranked in the top three of Valley teams (per kenpom.com or the NET).

Jonathan Pierre scored a career-high 28 points and Belmont defeated the Spiders in Richmond by a score of 93-86. Chase Walker dropped a career-high 27 points and the Redbirds protected their home floor with a 81-77 victory over Saint Louis.

Belmont has won five straight games including wins over American Athletic Conference foe Tulane, Conference USA opponent Middle Tennessee and Illinois State. The AAC and CUSA are each leagues ranked higher than the Valley.

While these two teams were completing a two game sweep of the Atlantic Ten, Belmont has been blowing through teams from the more highly rated leagues. An earlier win over Air Force gives the Bruins a fourth win over teams from more highly ranked conferences.

Belmont (9-2) has a huge game against UC Irvine on Thursday. The Anteaters have been the top team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and are currently thirty-ninth in the NET.

Completing the Two Game Sweep of the Atlantic Ten

Illinois State (6-4) burst out of the gate Sunday making ten of its first 12 shots on the way to a 22-point first half lead. Saint Louis fought its way back into the game, but the Redbirds held on for the win.

The Redbird win was their second straight and third victory over a higher ranked conference team this season.

Redbird head coach Ryan Pedon says the win over SLU was significant and that his team is continuing to improve.

Pedon starts three sophomores and Walker and fellow sophomore Johnny Kinziger (20 points) led the way Sunday. The third-year coach says Walker’s development has come from a great deal of hard work by his 6’9, 270 center.

Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz says Walker is developing into a top notch player.

Both ILS and SLU have been battling injury issues, but Illinois State’s depth was on display at CEFCU Arena as ten players participated in the game with eight scoring points. Key crunch time plays were made by reserves Jordan Davis and Malachi Poindexter.

ILS is still playing without Boden Skunberg and Brandon Lieb and Saint Louis can only utilize Kellen Thames Jr for limited minutes. Josiah Dotzler is out for the season, they are missing A.J. Casey and Larry Hughes Jr just left the team.

After a season of struggling to make three-pointers, the Redbirds are converting .406 of their long-distance attempts, second in the Valley to Bradley. ILS is also second (to Valpo) at the free throw line (.798).

The Huskies of Northern Illinois visit Illinois State on Wednesday.

During this transitional season for MVC basketball, these are important milestones.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo of Chase Walker courtesy of goredbirds.com.