College Notes: Simons shines for Drake

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Drake's Ben Simons (34) is averaging 16.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. Special to the Record-Eagle/Chris Donahue

January 31, 2012

Schuba ties record at Madonna with nine 3-pointers

BY JAMES COOK jcook@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Tue Jan 31, 2012, 07:23 AM EST

TRAVERSE CITY — Ben Simons scored a career-high 29 points in Drake's 93-86 triple-overtime thriller against Wichita State Saturday night at the Knapp Center.

The Cadillac native was 11-of-22 from the field, hit 3-of-6 from behind the 3-point line and sank all four of his free throws.

He played a team-high 53 minutes (out of 55), adding eight rebounds, an assist and one block. The Shockers (18-4) had not lost on the road this season and entered the game with a 15-2 road record since the start of last season.

In the Bulldogs' other game this week, Simons played 39 of 40 minutes in a 77-69 loss to No. 13 Creighton (20-2) on Wednesday. He had 18 points and three rebounds.

Drake is 13-9 overall and 6-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

The junior is averaging 16.2 points — second on the team — and 3.5 rebounds a game for Drake. He also leads the team in minutes played.

• Sophomore Travis Schuba (Kalkaska) tied a 19-year old school record with nine 3-pointers as part of a 27-point game in Madonna University's 82-57 road win Saturday over Michigan-Dearborn. Schuba's nine triples tied Shawn Branum's record set on Nov. 29, 1993 — the first year of the MU men's program. Schuba finished the game 9-of-13 from behind the arc and 0-for-1 inside it. He had nine points in an 82-80 win Wednesday that gave the Crusaders their first season sweep of Cornerstone.

• Maria Blazejewski (Benzie Central) broke out for a game-high 27 points, five assists and five rebounds in Lake Superior's 67-61 win Friday over Ohio Dominican. She added 23 points, seven blocks, five assists and eight rebounds in a 71-67 win over Tiffin the following day, playing all 40 minutes.

• Holden Greiner (TC St. Francis) put up double-digit efforts in a pair of wins over military academy teams last week. He had 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in an 83-64 win Sunday over Army, coming on the heels of a 10-point, four-steal, four-rebounds effort in a 71-60 victory Thursday by the Mountain Hawks (17-6) against Navy.

• Michigan State freshman Jasmine Hines (Central Lake) played a career-high 22 minutes as the Spartans fell 67-49 to No. 13 Purdue last week. She had seven points and four rebounds. In an 83-77 upset over No. 18 Penn State on Sunday, Hines had two points, three rebounds and a steal in nine minutes.

• Michigan Tech's Jesse Smith (TC Central) was second in the 10-kilometer classic race and fifth in the 20-kilometer freestyle to help the Huskies dominate the Super Tour event in Lake Elmo, Minn. Six Tech skiers finished in the top 10 of the 20K event, with Smith completing the course in 53:10. The Huskies had seven top-10 skiers in the 10K race, with Smith rebounding from an early crash to finish in 27:40, just 27 seconds out of first.

• Hope's Erin Holstad (TC West) won the 200 freestyle by 0.23 second and the 100 butterfly by 0.21 in 147-122 win over Alma College on Saturday as the Dutch completed the dual meet season. She was also part of the second-place 400 medley relay team. Hope's dual record finishes at 5-3. Alma's Jordan Newhouse (TC West) placed second in the 100 backstroke and third in the 200 back and 100 butterfly. Newhouse is a senior captain for the Scots. Kendall Cox (TC West) was third in diving.

• Freshman Shelby Newhouse (TC West) was part of Oakland University's fifth-place 200-yard medley relay team in a 142-96 win over IUPUI. She also finished fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke.

• Taylor Nugent (Benzie Central) helped Albion to a 51-42 victory over Adrian on Saturday. She hit a 3-pointer to help Albion erase a 37-31 deficit. Nugent, who produced eight points, three rebounds and two steals off the bench, sank a pair of free throws to put Albion on top, 39-37, with nine minutes to play. The sophomore guard led Albion in scoring with 13 points in a loss to Calvin on Wednesday. She canned a trio of 3-pointers.

• Concordia (Mich.) University's Aaron Olsen (TC West) started three time as the Cardinals posted a 2-1 record, including a pair of games against schools with the same name. He had four points and seven rebounds in a 71-61 win over Michigan-Dearborn, then 10 points, five rebounds and a block in a 88-74 setback to Concordia (Neb.) and nine points and seven boards in an 80-74 win over Concordia (Chicago).

• Defenseman Will Weber (Gaylord) helped No. 17 Miami shut down No. 19 Northern Michigan's offense in a 6-0 victory Saturday. The Wildcats claimed a 2-1 win the previous evening. Weber wad a +2 rating and blocked a shot in the victory.

• Ferris State and freshman forward Garrett Thompson (TC Central) posted 4-3 and 3-2 victories over No. 10 Michigan State over the weekend. The Bulldogs (17-8-3, 11-6-3 CCHA) are ranked No. 16.

• Sean Burke (TC West) assisted on the tying goal that enabled Finlandia to eventually score a 4-3 overtime win over Marian. Burke set up Alex Heinonen's with 19 seconds left in regulation to knot the contest at 3-3 before Clancy MacNeil scored 2:19 into overtime. The Lions (5-13) scored the game's final three goals.

• St. Mary's University (Minn.) will be honoring Nate Peterson (Cadillac) Friday as one of four graduating seniors on the team.

• Allison Shrift (TC West) had a goal and an assist in each of Wisconsin-Superior's hockey wins over Wisconsin-Stevens Point this weekend. She scored one goal and set up another — both on the power play — as the Yellowjackets downed Stevens Point 3-2 on Friday, and assisted another in a 6-2 win Saturday, capping off the win with an empty-net goal.

• Jenna Corbin (Indian River) had a goal and a +2 rating as Adrian defeated Finlandia 5-0 on Friday. The Bulldogs are 7-8-2 this season, 5-6-2 in NCHA play.

• Freshman Caleb Morgan (TC Central) scored a goal in Hope's 4-3 loss to Saginaw Valley. The Dutch are 20-2-1 this season.

• Matt Zaremba (Gaylord) had a goal in Adrian's 5-0 win over Kent State. The freshman — who had several stints with the Traverse City North Stars — has four goals and 10 points in 14 games this season for the ACHA Division 1 Bulldogs (19-12-2), who have won five straight. Zaremba also had an assist in a 14-3 win over Western Michigan. Andrew Adams (Harbor Springs) has 16 points in 19 games for Adrian's ACHA Division 3 team.

• Bailey Gooding (Gaylord) had eight points and Mary Schlicher (Johannesburg-Lewiston) six to help Alma College beat Adrian 63-46. Each had three rebounds and a steal.

• Freshman Stephanie Berreth (Kinglsey) came off the bench put up six points and six rebounds in Jackson Community College's 113-90 win over Grand Rapids CC on Wednesday. The Jets (16-3) used 15 players against GRCC, which had only six players due to an injury and a suspension. The Raiders finished the game with three players on the court after three fouled out.

• Weston Bryan (Charlevoix) had three points and three rebounds in just six minutes in Alma's 104-77 loss to Hope on Saturday.

• Tim Jensen (Manistee) came off the bench for seven points in 18 minutes in Aquinas' 81-57 setback to Cornerstone on Saturday. He was 3-of-6 from the field.

• Jim Boylan (Grayling) started and played 12 minutes in Ferris State's 65-57 win over Grand Valley on Saturday. Boylan finished with two points and two rebounds, hitting the only shot he took for the Bulldogs (11-7, 8-3 GLIAC).

• Zeke Famiano (TC West) placed 10th in the 400 at the Jack Jennett Invitational at Northern Iowa University on Saturday. Famiano finished in 51.87 seconds. He was also 14th in the 55-meter dash in 7.18 and 12th in the 200 in 22.86.

• Ashley Bauman (Manistee) had six points and five rebounds in Hope College's 77-73 win over Saint Mary's. The Dutch also beat Kalamazoo College 75-32. Next for Hope (17-3) will be undefeated rival Calvin at home on Saturday.

• Dustin Dibble (Petoskey) had five points in Missouri-Kansas City's 57-47 setback to Southern Utah. The senior is averaging 4.7 points a game for the Kangaroos.

• Freshman Dylan Roe (TC Central) matched his season high with four assists in a pair of losses for Olivet. He had five points and two steals in a 93-65 loss to undefeated Calvin, and four points and two thefts in a 79-67 setback to Albion. He started both contests.

• Sophomore Loren Wagner (TC West) had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench as the University of Rochester lost to Chicago 75-59. She had six rebounds in a 72-70 win over Washington.

• Dan Loney (Benzie Central) had two points and three rebounds in Western Michigan's 56-51 loss to Ohio University.

Know of other area student-athletes performing at the collegiate level? Email jcook@record-eagle.com.