Danes hope victory builds momentum
ALBANY — The University at Albany men’s basketball team is still riding the high of Wednesday’s win over Long Island University.
“It definitely gives us a lot of confidence,” sophomore forward Tairi Ketner said. “Back to having fun, coming in with momentum.”
The Great Danes (4-8) ended a four-game losing streak and picked up their second Division I win of the season, and the impact was evident in Friday’s practice.
“Everybody has been a lot more energetic. We’re a lot more into it and I’d say ultimately it’s a lot more competitive. We see what we’re capable of and I think everybody is pushing each other two times harder just to be the best player they can be every day,” senior forward Gerald Drumgoole Jr. said.
“A lot of our competitive energy is actually starting to feed off of each other now,” Ketner added. “Coming off of a win, we want more of those. So everybody’s bringing the energy.”
UAlbany will try to take that momentum on a trip to Illinois, where they’ll face Loyola Chicago at 2 p.m. Sunday before traveling west to play Northern Illinois on Tuesday, the final game before a holiday break.
The Ramblers (5-5) are coming off two straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Division II transfer Philip Alston leads the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game, followed by redshirt senior Braden Norris with 10.5. Norris, a third-team preseason All-Atlantic-10 pick, is the team’s “glue guy,” UAlbany coach Dwayne Killings said.
“The most important message to our guys is, let’s be where our feet are and not start thinking about the holidays, going home to see family and friends. Let’s take advantage of a chance to take another step for our program, hopefully put a winning streak together,” Killings said.
Playing on the road is a mixed bag when it comes to keeping one’s mind on the game.
“I feel like it is a little bit harder because obviously we’re going to the other team’s arena and we have to play against the opposing fans, and we only have each other’s backs when we’re there. But in a sense I kind of think it’s easier to shift our focus, per se, because we don’t have as many distractions. We focus on basketball,” Drumgoole said.
Also key for the Great Danes is post play, which primarily comes from freshman forward Jonathan Beagle and Ketner, who goes by “Huss.”
“To establish our guys like Jonathan and Huss Ketner in the paint, we have to demand that, both of them and ourselves to make sure we get the ball to them,” Killings said.
The Great Danes have averaged just more than 28 points in the paint per game for 42 percent of their total points this season. They scored a seasonhigh 40 against LIU.
Beagle is averaging 11 points per game (behind only Drumgoole, who averages 14.3) with a teamhigh 7.5 rebounds. Ketner averages 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in just more than 10 minutes a game. He matched his season high of nine points against LIU and could have had more if not for at least two layups that rolled out.
Killings said after Wednesday’s game that he’s challenged Ketner to step up and be more consistent.
“I just need to keep trusting my mechanics, keep trusting in my process, keep going with my routine. Even the times where things aren’t falling, I got teammates to pick me up, just call me out when I’m not playing to my fullest. But I’ve been doing my part, especially more so for the team, because I know that’s what they need from me,” Ketner said Friday.