COUGAR NEWS SPORTS... 2-13-2008

The following are by Sports Editor J. Justin Boggs

Jackets still clawing for the playoffs

Some might consider the past week a glass half full kind of week; others might consider the week as a glass half empty. Either way, the Columbus Blue Jackets ride a four game point streak into tonight’s game with Chicago; however they are losers two in a row.

Thursday the team won a goaltending duel in San Jose 2-1, followed by a 2-1 overtime loss at Phoenix Friday night. Both nights, Jackets starting goaltender Pascal Leclaire was injured and was unable to make the trip. Fredrik Norrena played well in his absence and the team picked up three of a possible four points on the quick west coast road trip.

Los Angeles came into Nationwide Arena on Sunday with the worst record in the NHL and the Jackets were bringing back Leclaire. Anze Kopitar opened the game’s scoring just 43 seconds into the game for the Kings. Columbus responded later on in the first with a power play goal from defenseman Ron Hainsey who benefited from Jason Chimera screening Kings goaltender Dan Cloutier.

Leclaire said after the Los Angeles game that he was feeling good despite the recent injury.

“I felt good out there,” Leclaire said. “It was good enough to play. It didn’t bother me at all
tonight so there is no issue.”

Kopitar added his second goal nine minutes into the second on the power play. Los Angeles had the first 10 shots of the second period even though Columbus was able to come back and get nine of the final 11 shots in the second. Jackets forward Rick Nash scored his 29th goal of the season on the power play. The Blue Jackets finished the game 2-4 on the man advantage. Los Angeles almost scored the game winner with 1:18 to go in the second period when Patrick O’Sullivan kicked a puck past Leclaire. The goal was allowed originally but video review negated the goal.

After a scoreless third period and overtime, the game went to a shootout. On the second round of the shootout, Nash and Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown both scored. In the first sudden death round, Chimera’s shot was stopped by Cloutier and O’Sullivan would avenge his waved off goal with the game winning shootout goal.

“I thought the first two were not the best two periods,” Nash said. “We didn’t play too well, and to have a chance to win in the third – lucky for us, and we came out just didn’t bury our opportunities.”

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock thinks the team needed to turn the recent stretch of overtime/shootout losses into victories.

“We’re getting singles when we should get doubles,” he said. “We can’t live on one points, it is not going to be enough at the end of the day. We have to find a way to get two points in these type of games.”

Columbus still remains on the outside looking in for the playoffs. If the season ended Sunday, Nashville would have gotten the last spot in the West, and Columbus is three points behind the Predators. Columbus begins a rough stretch after finishing the two game home stand tonight against Chicago. They will travel to Detroit and St. Louis in the coming stretch.

“They’ve (Chicago) got five or six forwards who are really skilled and have strong dynamics
offensively,” Hitchcock said.

Cougars pick up big conference wins


Redemption is always sweet. Last time the Columbus State men’s basketball team played the Owens Express, the Cougars blew a late double-digit lead as Owens won the game on a lay-up at the buzzer. That was January; this is February.

Columbus State won the game in Toledo against Owens 78-71 Saturday afternoon, as well as picked up a key home win against Lakeland last Wednesday 91-72. With the pair of wins, Columbus State is 5-6 in OCCAC action and 16-8 overall.

Columbus State head coach Patrick Carlisle said that him and team were looking for payback after a “heartbreaker” at home in January.

“Huge game; small word but huge,” Carlisle said about playing Owens. “Just playing Owens at a playground is tough.”

Columbus State forward Mariano Bowles said before the game he was also looking for payback.

“We’ve got to pay them back, we had them by nine points with four minutes left and had four turnovers in the last three minutes of the ballgame… we defiantly need to pay them back,” he said.”

In Columbus State’s home win last Wednesday, Lakeland’s backcourt duo of Jahmil Rippy and Bryan Wright combined for 44 points, but Columbus State held the rest of the team to just 28 points. The Cougars also out rebounded the Lakers 43-37.

“It wasn’t drawn up that way, they got theirs and you held everybody else,” Carlisle said. “We’re second in the league in defense besides one game last week against Cuyahoga, we have played phenomenal d the whole way through.”

In the home win against Lakeland, six Cougars scored double digits, with Bowles leading the way at 19. Cyrus Smith added in with 10 points and five rebounds.

“It gets us some confidence,” Smith said about the win. “We have really been struggling lately we have been losing close games lately and gets us going and ready to play.”

Columbus State travels to play the Edison State Chargers tonight followed by a home game against the highly ranked Cincinnati State Surge Saturday. Cincinnati State comes into Saturday’s game ranked in the top 10 nationally and will be looking to clinch their third consecutive conference championship in Delaware Hall.

Cougars’ road to Toledo difficult


Long time Columbus State women’s basketball head coach Randy Crites said he does not remember the last time his team won a game in Toledo against the Owens Express. Cougar guard Nyesha Watson thought the team has never won at Owens. Two years ago, Columbus State lost by 65.Last year, they lost by over 30.

Arguably the most important game of the women’s basketball season for both the Columbus State Cougars and Owens Express was on Saturday afternoon in Toledo. The winner of the game would be in great shape for the top seed out of Ohio in the NJCAA Regional Tournament in early March. Unfortunately for the Cougars, they were unable to pull out a win as Owens won 93-80. The loss did follow a hard fought 20 point home win last Wednesday against Lakeland.

“I don’t know what it is about their place up there but it is difficult to play,” Crites said. “It has been a while (since the Cougars have won at Owens). Even when we played well and had good teams, we couldn’t win up there.”

The last week was not all bad for Columbus State. The Cougars were able to shutdown a shorthanded Lakeland team dressing only seven players. Lakeland jumped out early with a 19-7 lead, but Columbus State dug deep and ended the first half on a 36-12 run. Led by Watson’s 22 point and five assist effort, Columbus State was able to go on the road with a win.

Cougar Kassie Glispie scored 13 points in the first half and three rebounds. Glispie was a non-factor in the second half for the exception she took an elbow from Lakeland’s Caprita Bell on a loose ball in front of the Lakeland bench. Glispie was charged with the foul, but had to leave the game briefly due to the elbow. The play was an example according to Crites on the type of game Lakeland played.

“I looked up at the scoreboard and fouls are 10-4 – we had the 10,” Crites said. “They’re beating us to death and 10 fouls called on us and four on them. I didn’t think (the Glispie foul) was a good call. I thought that girl turned herself into (Glispie) and knocked her out of bounds on purpose.”

“We knew it would be (a physical game),” Glispie said.

Columbus State is still in good shape going into the postseason. They’re 7-4 in OCCAC action and 15-6 overall. Two of their remaining three games are at home where in the last two seasons, the team is 10-1 in Delaware Hall in conference matches. Even though the Cougars are in fourth place in the conference, half the teams get split up during Regional’s. Columbus State is on pace for the two seed out of Ohio, but that could be bumped to a one seed if Owens losses.

“If we go in with a two seed, we are still good,” Watson said. “Edison went in (last season) with the last seed and still won the whole thing.”

The Cougars travel to Piqua to play Edison tonight. Edison is also 7-4 in conference action and Columbus State barely won their game against them last month thanks to a late game comeback by the Cougars. Columbus State returns home for the final two games Saturday. They will play Clark State which the Cougars defeated by 33 on Jan. 19 in Springfield.