Page 24 • Thursday, November 6, 2003 Sports The Pendulum
Nestor says exhibition loss may prove lielpful
Colin Donohue guard Carlos Moreira. “We Eton’s Gary Marsh led all SctlGClUle
Editor in chief definitely got beat a couple of scorers with 15 points and nine „
Athletes in Action left Elen’s
men’s basketball team and coach
Ernie Nestor with a clear idea of
where the Phoenix is now and
where it must be Nov. 17 when
the season opens. The Phoenix
dropped its first preseason
scrimmage 73-62 Saturday
night, but Nestor said the loss
will ultimately help cure some
ills.
“We knew we were going to
get exposed,” said Nestor, in his
first year as men’s basketball
head coach. “That’s why you
play a team like (Athletes in
Action). They’re the kind of
team that if you make a mistake,
they’ll kill you. It wasn’t
chopped liver we were playing
against.”
A point made all the more
evident after six minutes of play.
After Chris Chalko’s layup,
which gave the Phoenix an 11-10
lead, Eion’s offense stalled for
six minutes, effectively putting
the game out of reach before the
end of the first half.
The Phoenix made a slight
run at the open of-the second
half, pulling to within 36-32. But
Elon could get no closer.
“Our effort was pretty good,”
said guard Carlos Moreira. “We
definitely got beat a couple of
times. It was basically a learning
experience. A couple of times we
were playing not to make mis
takes. We were a little out of
sync.”
The Phoenix received strong
minutes from Moreira, quite
possibly the quickest player on
the floor. On several occasions,
Moreira (seven points, two
steals) was able to beat his man
to the basket, only to see his
layup attempt fall short.
“Carlos came with some good
energy there,” Nestor said.
Nestor said defensively,
Moreira and the rest of the guard
corps will be asked to utilize
their speed and quickness to play
a more in-your-face, up-tempo
style.
That style, though, led to sev
eral easy back-door opportuni
ties for Athletes in Action, a con
tributing factor to their soaring
field goal percentage (57.8 per
cent).
“One-foot shots up your per
centage,” Nestor said of the
repeated Athletes in Action
layups. “We need to work on ball
pressure.”
Athletes in Action placed four
players in double figures, includ
ing Ryan Sears, who scored 14
points and seven assists.
Phoenix notes ...
Athletes in Action’s rosier is
compriseil of former college
ba.skctball players, including Joe
Crispin, formerly of The
Pennsylvania State University,
and Ryan Scars, who led
Creighton University to the
NCAA Tournament while he
was in college ... Eion’s Jackson
Atoyebi sal out Saturday's game
due to a cut to his hand. He fell
on his hand two days before the
scrimmagc and had to receive
seven stitches hctwetn his pinky
and ring fingers ... Guard and
three-point specialist Scan
Newton has left the Phoenix per>
inanently, ammling to Nestor
... Point guard Steve Harvin did
not start Saturday’s scrimmage
due to lingering problems with
his shoulder, which he had sur
gery on during the offseason.
Montell Watson started in
Harvin’s place and .scored two
points and dished out five assists
... Redshirt freshman Chris
Chalko, who former head coach
Mark Simons lauded last season,
saw his first in-game action
Saturday, coupling his low-post
abilities with his outside game to
score 10 points in 25 minutes.
Nestor said he has no plans of
confining the 6-foot, 8-inch
Chalko to the low post. “He’s an
iitside, outside player,” Nestor
said.
Eion’s Gary Marsh led all
scorers with 15 points and nine
rebounds. Rasmi Gamble and
Chalko added 10 apiece for
Elon.
Scottie Rice, last season’s pri
mary offensive weapon, went
scoreless, as a stout Athletes in
Action defense cued on him all
game.
Nestor also said the scrim
mage provided a unique oppor
tunity for him to play and assess
the four freshmen new to the
team.
“The best thing about fresh
men,” Nestor said, “is we can get
them experience.”
Experience may not come in
the form of exhibition games,
though. Elon doesn’t have anoth
er tune up scheduled. But that
doesn’t bother Moreira.
“(Saturday night) is not really
the way we’re going to play,”
Moreira said. “As the season
goes on, we will get better.”
Contact Colin Donohue at pen-
dulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
Tim Rosner / Photo Editor
Rasmi Gamble (above, 5) and Steven Han/in (30) take the ball to
the hole against Athletes in Action during the team’s loss Saturday.
11/17/2003
vs. Idaho
11/18/2003
Gardner-
Webb or South Carolina
11/22/2003
Wake Forest
11/28/2003
Bluefield
12/2/2003
Methodist
12/4/2003
American
12/13/2003
Georgetown
12/17/2003
Mercer
12/20/2003
Chattanooga*
12/28/2003
Xavier
12/30/2003
Cincinnati
1/5/2004
App. St.*
1/8/2004
Fairfield
1/10/2004
Carolina*
Western
1/14/2004
Eastern Shore
Maryland -
1
1/17/2004
Charleston*
College of
1/19/2004
St.*
East Tenn.
1/24/2004
Davidson*
1/26/2004
App. St.*
1/31/2004
Wofford*
2/2/2004
Furman*
2)7/2004
UNC-G*
2/9/2004
The Citadel*
2/14/2004
East Tenn. St.*
2/16/2004
Chattanooga*
2/21/2004
Carolina
Western*
2/23/2004
Southern
Georgia*
2/28/2004
UNC-G*
-Home games in bold
*Southem Conference
Game
\