Big Lou comes up big for Raiders down the stretch
as the conference’s preseaA radio broadcaster asked son player of the year. He’s Love about playing against already won All-Horizon McDonald, who, he said, “is League first team honors considered the league’s NBA two years in a row, has had 12 prospect.” double-doubles this season, Love sort of laughed and and over his four-year career leaned back in his chair as if has scored 1,949 points and to say: ‘Whoa, wait a minute!” grabbed 1,029 rebounds. One day Love will almost
It was with all that in mind certainly have a pro career, that Ernsthausen, WSU’s too, but he quickly caught FAIRBORN — After Loudon 6-foot-11, fifth-year senior, himself:
Love pu l led down t he said he went to work on “Big “Playing him is a great rebound with one hand Lou,” as the team calls Love, challenge. He’s a very good because Northern Kentucky’s in a timeout huddle with 2:50 player. Coach Nagy said it Drew McDonald had hooked left in the first half: earlier this week. He brings his other arm and was hold“I looked at Big Lou and a lot of energy to the proing it down, after the refersaid ‘I need the player of the gram, to NKU and the fans.” ee’s whistled a flagrant 1 foul year Big Lou for the rest of Love does the same at and the large, revved-up Nutthe game!’” Wright State and you saw ter Center crowd cheered Other Raiders tried differ- that as joyous Raiders ran wildly and Love responded ent tactics. off the court. with a biceps-bulging mus“I try to push the right That’s when Ernsthaucle pose, Parker Ernsthau- buttons for him so I’ll yell sen wrapped an arm around sen knew his job was done. and shove him,” Wampler Love’s neck and chatted him
At that moment — with grinned. “That’s the best way up most of the way back to 23.5 seconds left and Wright for me to get him going. I try the dressing room while State about to muscle aside getting in his face and amp- giddy WSU fans leaned down NKU, 81-77, for its eighth win ing him up as much as I can.” from the stands up above, in nine games and a share Nagy admitted: “I kinda got reached out with their hands of the Horizon League lead on him at halftime about it.” and showered them with with the Norse — Love did But nobody has Love’s ear cheers. look like the Horizon League like Ernsthausen. “I think he showed why player of the year. Call him the Big Lou Whishe’s one of the best players
But early in the game, the perer. in the league and that’s why 6-foot-9, 270-pound sopho“He was yellin’ on my free we need him to continue to more center looked noth- throws at the end, too,” Love play like that if we’re going ing like a player worthy of laughed. “We went from my to do what we want to do,” a pedestal. redshirt year where he was Ernsthausen said. “And I
“I think Loudon would tell taking a charge from me think he’s OK with that. He you himself,” Raiders coach almost every time I went in just needs to be reminded Scott Nagy said. “Honestly, there. It’s that kinda deal. We sometimes and I’m happy he did not play great. There fight each other every day in to do it.” were a lot of times early in practice, then we go back to After the game Nagy was the game where he was just what we had tonight. He’s happy, too. After he had kind of floating around. He the 4 and I’m the 5 and we talked about Love’s momendidn’t have great focus.” just go and it works.” tary lapses, he had glanced
Raiders guard Bill Wampler Love played inspired bas- at the box score and saw the — who came off the bench to ketball down the stretch and double-double, along with a score a game-high 29 points, finished with 20 points and couple of assists, a steal and including 13 in a row late in 11 rebounds, his 11th doua blocked shot. the first half — agreed: “He ble-double, which ties him “That tells you how good Another OSU-MSU was kind of lulling around for 21st in the nation. he is,” Nagy said. “He had 20 matchup a lso means in the first half.” W hen he a nd McDon- and 11 and he didn’t play that another chance for the Later, Love tried to explain ald had battled for that late well. When Loudon wants Ahrens brothers of Verwhat was going on during rebound and he snagged it to go get it, it’s hard to stop sailles to face off. the first part of the Horizon one-handed, Love said that him from doing just that.”
Kyle Ahrens is a junior League showdown with the muscle pose had just been a With a smile he added: “I forward at Michigan State, Norse: spur-of-the-moment reaction: wouldn’t trade him.” Justin a freshman guard/ “Sometimes it just takes “My teammates’ energy And on this night that left forward for the Buckeyes. a second to adjust. I think came through me. Everyone us with just one more thing.
The elder Ahrens has I was a little hesitant at first was playing hard and I felt As Love huddled with his started eight of 22 games because the last time we my teammates around me.” mom and sister on the edge for the Spartans, scoring played them I was in foul McDonald was whistled of the Nutter Center court 5.8 points and grabbing trouble in the first half. Then for the flagrant foul and that after the game, you noticed 2.8 rebounds in 19.8 min- tonight I made my first roll gave Love two free throws the faint moustache above utes per game. and got a questionable — he made one — and WSU his upper lip and the small,
He had nine points in the charging foul.” also got the ball to help seal blond thatch of whiskers on first OSU-MSU game while That came less than three the game. his chin.
Justin did not score. minutes into the game and McDonald finished with 23 He admitted he’s trying to
The younger Ahrens, who Love said it bothered him: points and nine rebounds, grow a goatee but said his broke the Midwest Athletic “I was kind of worried and but Love exerted himself teammates aren’t so quick Conference career scoring it kind of stayed with me down the stretch and that with the embrace as they record and was MVP of the through the first half.” prompted Wampler to praise are out on the court: league twice, has played in As Love floated, the Raidhis big man: “So many people talk bad 15 games, logging 98 miners failed and with 5:50 left in “I think he’s the best player about it,” he said with a little utes and scoring 25 points. the half, WSU trailed 40-24. in the league.” laugh, then a shrug.
“He’s been great in pracWright State needed its big Wampler didn’t say that But that was OK. tice, and I think like any man to rise to the moment, lightly. He knows McDonald By the end of this night, freshman you get knocked especially on this night as he well. The two toured Brazil everything else people had around a little bit and yelled went up against McDonald, this summer with an Athto say about him was good. at by the coaches,” Holt- who at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds letes in Action team: mann said this week. “It’s is of similar size and came “He’s a heck of a good a long season and that can in with much more billing. player. It’s hard to pick, but get the best of you at times, For the second straight seaI think Big Lou is probably but if we’re not correcting son, McDonald was picked the best.” you, that’s when you start to worry.”
Although Ahrens has made just 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range,
Holtmann called him an asset to the program.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound younger Ahrens can play on the wing but also has seen time at power forward. to the NCAA Tournament last season and started this campaign 12-1, there is no magic wand to wave at this point.
Tiger brothers tangle