Evangel University - Lancer Yearbook (Springfield, MO)

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w .3 Ms task NP kt Tough season for men 's basketball team creates Impeccable characters W A ,... W y-y, v easons such as the one Sexperienced by the basket- ball Crusaders in 1980-81 are usually referred to by the wags as character builders. if that is the case, the virtues of Coach Andrae Curtis' charges were impeccable. Encountering perhaps the toughest schedule in the school's history, and plagued with disastrous personnel dif- ficulties, the team struggled to a season record of 3-24, but not without highlights. It all started on November 17, 1980, as the Crusaders played host to Harding Univer- sity. This was probably the most exciting game of the year as Evangel and Harding battled to the wire. A shot at the buzzer, however, spelled doom for Evangel as Harding won the game, 63-62. . Dan McNaughton, soph- omore, led all scorers with 19 7 points. McNaughton's 13.2 per game average for the season was followed by senior Shawn Kuhn's 11.9. After suffering a 77-69 set- back at Missouri Southern, the Crusaders were home for their own Thanksgiving Classic. In its first-round game against cross- town foe, Baptist Bible College, Evangel found victory as they shellacked the Patriots 90-76. The one game winning streak was quickly ended by Northwest Missouri State University as they pulled away in the second half to win 58-47. The Crusaders finished fourth. as they were defeated 91-66 by Arkansas College. The maroon and white team then'entertained Avila College in its opening district game. Evangel hung tough, but lost 82-71. a NQW lodged in a three game losing streak, Evangel found the going tough as they lost to National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA; Division II foes University and Central Missouri State University, 72-65, and 82-73, respectively. , Mounts! Tripp Pla ers' feet, seldom at a standstill, refhect the attention given to tradi- tional pre-game activities. The in- vocation, National Anthem, and introduction of the starting players preceeded all of the Crusaders' home games. Senior Shawn Kuhn attempts to dribble around at Southwest Baptist University player as Barry Smith, sophomore, tries to assist. The learcats defeated the Crusaders 55-48 in this January 22 meet. Front row: Rick DeVries, Byron Looney, Mark Engle. Second row: Gower Anderson, Shawn Kuhn, Greg Marquart, Keith Craft, Barry Smith, Scott Lewis, Mark leBeau, Dan Mosedale, Dan McNaughton, Joe Willis. 9 Men's Varsity Basketball 201 m aimstw:

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.21. Dan more, they 1980-81 Mens' Basketball McNaughton, . and Byron Harding University Missouri Southern Baptist Bible College Northwest Missouri State University Arkansas College Avila College Lincoln University Central Missouri Missouri Western Harding University Missouri Western Rockhurst College Quincy College Southwest Baptist University of Missouri- Kansas City Marymount College Drury College Avila College Rockhursl College Bethany Nazarene Drury College Southwest Baptist Marymounl College Missouri Southern University of Missouri- Kansas City Bethany Nazarene Quincy College sopho- Looney, sophomore, block a goal at- lempt from Quincy College as Shawn Kuhn, senior, and Mark Engle, freshman, prepare to grab the rebound. Though the Crusaders blocked this shot, were unable to Quincy's victory on January 19. Photo by Howard Tripp. stop 63 77 76 57 91 82 72 82 85 76 60 85 68 55 46 49 58 54 59 82 79 63 68 73 46 74 42 4 Tough II : ff easons SI expeHenc ball Crust are usually re wags as char that is the ca Coach Andra were impecc Encounteril toughest sc school's hiStt with disastroe ficulties, the a season rec not without It all starts 17, 1980, a played host t4 sity. This w most exciting as Evangel an to the wire buzzer, hc doom for Ev won the gan Dan Mch omore, led a Hr; ward Tripp

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Season creates impeccable characters T ffvar , f ' Howard Tripp In the first game against Quincy, Barry Smith, soph- omore, grabs a rebound while Shawn Kuhn, senior, and a Quincy Hawk react to the action. Smith was an important substitute for the Crusaders. 1 i 202 Men's Varsity Basketball The Crusaders then closed the 1980 portion of the season by losing to Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Missouri, 85-73. Mark LeBeau, senior, led all scorers with 29 points and 12 rebounds, but it was LeBeau's last game. At semester break, LeBeau and Scott Lewis, jun- ior, were declared scholastical- ly ineligible. Coupled with junior Gower Anderson's decision to quit the team, things looked bleak for Evan- . gel. The Crusaders opened their 1981 portion of the schedule by playing Harding University. Minus three players, plus the long Christmas break, resulted in a 76-57 loss. Next up was Missouri Wes- tern. The Crusaders, winless since Thanksgiving, were hungry for a win, and they got one as they jumped on the Griffons, 70-60. Kuhn was the sparkplug for Evangel as he led t , all scorers with 27 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. One of the new players starting was Greg Marquart, sophomore. His improved play added to Evangel's success over the Griffons. Marquart pulled down a game high 11 rebounds, plus added 19 points and six steals. The Crusaders then went on the road to face the district's number one team, Rockhurst. Evangel lost, 85-70, but not to be lost in the shuffle was Coach Andrae Curtis ponders his team's situation while manager Cary Van Kampen, senior, ' Keith Craft, junior, assistant coach Steve Jenkins, and Byron looney, sophomore, watch the game. McNaughton's career high 31 points. A personal record was again the story as Evangel lost to Quincy college, 68-55. Kuhn's 16 assists were the highlight of the game as he was on his way to becoming Evangel's all-time assist leader, with 411. The maroon and white suf- fered losses next to Southwest Baptist, 55-48, and the Univer- sity of Missouri at Kansas City, 46-43. The Crusaders' foes were some of the best in the country as witnessed by Marymount, ranked sixth; Rockhurst, ranked eighth; and Bethany Nazarene, ranked tenth-all in National Association of lnter- l collegiate Athletics lNAlAl Division II. As the season wore on, it soon became apparent that Evangel did not have a power- ful team. According to Curtis, it was a combination of things. llIt was our having to start four new, young sophomores, as well as a lack of any inside game, said Curtis. We are just trying to be as good as a team as we can be. If we play our best and put forth a good effort we can't be too disap- pointed 6 - lon Hippo Howard TriPP