2008-09 Men's Basketball Season Review
HOWE
EARNS HONORABLE SELECTION ALL-NWC NOD: For the second straight
season, Pacific leading scorer Garold Howe was honored by the conference
with his selection to the All-Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Team.
Howe was among seven selections to the honorable mention list.
"Garold carried a lot of weight for us this year with all of the injuries and did a good job," said Pacific Head Coach Jason Lowery, "especially considering that this is as deep as the conference has been in both quality teams and players in quite some time."
Howe ranked as one of the conference's top scorers and rebounders all season. He finished second in the NWC in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.9 points and eight rebounds per contest. Howe also continued to be one of the league's top outside threats, finishing eighth in three-pointers made and ninth in three-point shooting at 38.8 percent.
A starter in all 25 Pacific contests, Howe scored in double figures in all but three games and finished with four double-doubles (points and rebounds). He posted season highs of 32 points, 22 rebounds and nine assists against Multnomah on Feb. 14. The 22 rebounds set a Pacific single game record, surpassing the old record of 18 set by Brett Jefferies in 1996 and equaled by teammate Ross Bartlett in 2006.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: As the 2008-09 season commenced, Pacific looked poised for a year full of promise and potential. With an experienced frontline that included Garold Howe, Ross Bartlett and Todd Hinderman and a promising up and coming guard in Carson Bartlett, the Boxers appeared headed to at least a repeat of their fourth place finish from the season before.
The season began very strong as the Boxers went 4-2 over their first six games, which included Corban, Whittier and defending SCIAC champion Cal Lutheran. It was then that the injury bug hit Pacific hard. Carson Bartlett was lost to the season in December with a torn ACL. Once the conference season began, both Ross Bartlett and freshman guard Jonathan Jury sat out games with injuries. At times in January, the Boxers found themselves without three of the five players slated to start at the beginning of the season.
The NWC season proved to be rough as the Boxers adjusted to life without some of their key players. The Boxers finished the year 9-16 and amassed a 3-13 conference mark. Pacific picked up conference wins early in the season over George Fox, Willamette and Pacific Lutheran. Their last win of the year came in a non-conference tilt, a 96-81 Valentine’s Day victory over Multnomah.
WELCOME
BACK ROSS: After spending a year away due to a knee injury, Ross
Bartlett returned to the Pacific lineup as potent and as strong as ever.
Bartlett appeared in 18 games for the Boxers, finished third for the team
in scoring at 13.1 points per game and second in rebounding at 7.4 boards
per contest. He was quite proficient as a scorer, hitting 49.7 percent
from the field and 72.5 percent from the free throw line. Bartlett would
have ranked in the NWC top-10 in rebounding and top-15 in scoring, but
did not meet the conference minimum of appearing in 75 percent of the team’s
games due to injuries in January.
Bartlett scored in double figures in 15 of his 18 games and posted double-doubles in four contests. His best scoring performance was a 20-point effort at Whittier on Nov. 28. He posted an outstanding double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds against Portland Bible on Dec. 2. While Bartlett will be enrolled in Pacific’s School of Graduate Psychology in the fall following his May graduation, he does not expect to play his potential senior season.
OLD
GUARDS: When it cam to shooting guards, Jason Lowery relied upon
a pair of experienced players, one with familiarity in the Lowery system
and another who was learning the ropes.
A.J. Gaulton moved into a full-time starting role after two seasons as a role player. Gaulton performed well in his 25 starts, averaging eight points per game while dishing out 76 assists. He played a key role in Pacific’s 70-62 victory over Willamette on Jan. 16, scoring a game-high 22 points on 7 of 16 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Gaulton finished sixth in the NWC in free throw shooting at 81.3 percent and ninth in assists at 3.04 per game.
Micah Mooney found himself pressed into a starter’s role in his first year of the program after the season ending injury to Carson Bartlett. A senior transfer from Cal Baptist, Mooney finished as the team’s fourth leading scorer with a 9.2 points per game average. Mooney started 17 games for the Boxers and played in all 25 games in his one and only season.
NEW
GUARDS: At the point guard position, meanwhile, Pacific worked
to develop a pair of point guards for the future. Jonathan Jury saw the
bulk of time for the Boxers at point guard, starting in 15 games. Jury
averaged eight points per game and gave out 52 assists, third most among
the Boxers. Jordan Carter made 10 starts at the point and averaged 5.3
points in 21 total contests. Jury finished 12th in the NWC in assists,
while Carter ranked 15th.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE: Once again, Pacific excelled when it came to shooting the three-pointer. Pacific finished second in the league in outside shooting at 36.9 percent, finishing behind only Whitworth. The effort also ranked 72nd among NCAA Division III programs.
Micah Mooney led the league in three-point acuity, connecting on 48.4 percent (31-64) from beyond the arc. Mooney sent much of the season above the 50 percent line. Reserve Marcus Kienlen finished tied for third at 45 percent, punctuated by a 5 for 8 effort against Pacific Lutheran on Jan. 27. Garold Howe finished ninth at 38.8 percent and finished seventh in three-pointers made with 1.80 per contest.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: The 2009-10 season stands to be a bit of a rebuilding season with the departure of five players from the program. Todd Hinderman, Garold Howe and Micah Mooney all completed their senior seasons in 2009. Randy Bolick, a junior transfer from Bellevue Community College, also completed his final year of eligibility. Ross Bartlett, who still has a year of eligibility, is expected not to play next season while a first year student in Pacific’s School of Professional Psychology.
Season Summary
Overall Record: 9-16
NWC Record: 3-13 (9th)
Home Record: 5-6 Away Record: 2-10
SEASON HONORS
Honorable Mention All-NWC: Garold Howe (G)