Reigning Division II Champions South Suburban Bulldogs Defeat Rams in Home Opener

The rams weren't able to bounce back after their opening night defeat, losing their second game of the season to the South Suburban College Bulldogs.

Opening tipoff

Taking on a team like the Bulldogs who are coming off of a historic season – one that saw them finish with a perfect 33-0 record and an NJCAA Division II National Championship – is not an easy task for any team this early in the season. The rams gave it all they could but couldn't stop South Suburban's consistent play.

On the first four possessions of the game, Rams forward Adrian Pelszynski and the rest of his teammates were playing good aggravating defense and controlled the boards. This strong defensive start led to a 3-point field goal from Payton Branch to put the Rams up 3-0 early.

After just a few minutes into the game, the South Suburban head coach was furious at his team and called a timeout. While it seemed like the coach was just screaming for no reason, his timeout was looked on as a huge changing point later in the game. Moments after the timeout the Bulldogs came out playing swarming defense, forcing turnovers and converting those turnovers into points.

Forward Damontae Taylor was the driving force behind the Bulldogs' offense in the first half, scoring 9 of his team's first 23 points. He was able to score at all three levels; 3-point range, midrange, and close range.

Wright's head coach Carlos Thomas was looking for a spark off his bench and got a small jolt from Guard Bryson Yarbrough. As soon as Yarbrough checked in he got the energy up, scoring a quick 3-pointer, and getting to the free-throw line making both attempts at the line. He also had a very nice save after diving out of bounce, which then led to a 3-pointer from Wesley Woods.

Rams on offense

The momentum was only short-lived for the Rams, as the Bulldogs locked back in defensibly and remained in control after a steal and tomahawk dunk from Damontae Taylor, who continued his strong play as the Bulldogs led the Rams at halftime 47-21.

The second half began with the head coach of the Bulldogs calling two timeouts after David Lucas made his way to the paint with nice post moves, and a 3-point field goal from Payton Branch cut the lead to 21. After the timeouts, the Bulldogs scored six quick points to move out in front 61-34.

Throughout the game, the Bulldogs were dominant on the boards, after every miss it seemed as if someone was always there to clean it up for them. Their team was constantly moving without the basketball and cutting to the hoop.

Wright pushing the ball in transition

Although Wright did not have the outcome they wanted and were handed a convincing 97-69 defeat, Coach Thomas may have found something to work with going into the next game. A huge bright spot for the Rams in the second half was the strong play from reserve point guard Don McCurdy. After not playing many minutes in the first half, Don made the most of his opportunities in the second and scored 11 points, three of which were 3-pointers.