Throughout the course of the 2011-2012 season, MVNU sophomore forward Caleb Williams will write a weekly blog about what is happening with the team.

"Finals and and Catching Up" (posted on December 9, 2011)

As I began to think about the material of this blog, it was hard to think of what I would talk about. Our program is in a tough stretch and it is in these times where our program will be truly tested. Frank A. Clark has a quote that says, "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." This quote can hold great meaning for our team. The lessons we are learning in this hard time will be the foundation of our success in the future.

The tough stretch I mentioned earlier consists of a five-game losing streak we are currently in. Since my last blog, we have lost all four of the games we played. Against Grace, ranked No. 9 in NAIA Division II at the time, we did not play well but we still were within striking distance until the last eight minutes where we were unable to finish the game. Against Madonna, we got caught overlooking a very good team. We started very slow, but battled back throughout the game. However, our slow start ended up costing us and we ran out of time in our comeback effort.

On November 29th, we traveled to Taylor University through a very treacherous wintry mix that made driving conditions less than suitable. Taylor is an extremely disciplined team and they executed their scheme perfectly. We played better and were in the mix the entire game, but we fell short in a tough road conference matchup. (Taylor is ranked No. 21 in latest NAIA Division II poll). On Saturday, we played our most consistent game of the year as we took No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan to the wire in a 60-55 loss. We outplayed them for 35 minutes. They took their first lead at 50-49 with just over minutes left in the game. We played this game without our leader and leading scorer Robbie Taylor, who sat out the game due to multiple injuries. Our effort in the game was outstanding and it was our best performance in staying together as a team. It was a tough loss for a team because we knew we out-played them and we let it slip away. Hopefully, this game will be the propelling point for our season and give us the confidence that we can play with the top teams if we play with the same focus, intensity, and effort as we did against IWU.

It is finals week here on campus and is a busy time for the student body. It is especially busy for student-athletes, who have to worry not only about the exams, but also our basketball responsibilities. Coach Moore does a great job of giving us some time off during this week so we can focus on our studies, but we also still get practice time in the gym.

Our team did get some great news on Monday, though. Austin Semple, our 6-6 sophomore forward from Zeeland, Mich., got his brace off of his wrist and is now able to return to basketball activities. We are not sure when Austin will be back in game action, but we are definitely excited to see #22 back in the swing of things. Marshall Crum, a redshirt freshman from Cleveland, Ohio, will also be joining our team in the near future as he has now been cleared to play. Marshall is a tough post player with great leadership qualities. He will be a great addition to our rotation.

The Weeks Ahead:

We are not in action until Friday evening this week due to finals, but this weekend we play in the Hope College Tournament in Holland, Mich. We play Purdue North-Central on Friday evening at 6 p.m. On Saturday afternoon, we play the host Hope College at 3 p.m. On Sunday morning, we fly out of Grand Rapids and make our way to Florida. We are going to spend a week in Florida where will get the opportunity to practice and play, but also enjoy the fact that we are in Florida during December (a.k.a. Ohio weather = terribly cold, Florida weather = BEAUTIFUL). On Friday, December 16th, we play Embry-Riddle University at 7:00 p.m. Embry Riddle is located in Daytona Beach and is traditionally a top program at our level. They always seem to be in the mix at the National Tournament every year. This is a great opportunity for us to go down to Florida and play a quality opponent. It will also be a great opportunity to relax and enjoy being around the guys on the team. We have a great group of guys and I can't wait to see what great stories come out of our time in Florida.

Continue to check out the MVNU Cougar Hoops YouTube Page for new uploads!

Peace be the Journey,
Caleb Williams #5

Feedback is always welcomed, so feel free to email me at cwilli10@mail.mvnu.edu or follow me on Twitter: @5CWill.

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