Monday, March 08, 2010
Brand’s big night
Kellen Brand, the most veteran player on Appalachian State’s team with 126 games played, did not get off to the start he wanted for his senior season.
Midway through the season, Brand was averaging 8.9 points a game – well below his junior-season and team-leading average of 14.8.
He was having a difficult time find his offensive rhythm and getting shots to fall. He was barely at 40 percent by mid season.
But things turned for Brand, and for his team.
The Mountaineers, once 7-7 overall and 1-2 against Southern Conference opponents, are 15-4 and 14-3 since.
And Brand’s numbers are up dramatically as well. Since his early-to-mid-season slump, Brand has shot 48 percent, nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, and has averaged 13.8 points a game.
Those numbers are more in tune with the ones that earned Brand All-SoCon honors last season.
Nearing the end of his collegiate career, Brand turned in his finest performance last night in the Mountaineers’ romp over College of Charleston in the SoCon Tournament semifinals.
Brand, a guard from High Point dubbed “KB” by his coach, scored a career-high 37 points. Far from the way he began the season, he made 14 of 19 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 6 3-point tries.
“It feels great to just finally explode,” Brand said after leading the Mountaineers to tonight’s championship game. “I felt really good out there. I was kind of shocked myself. I just kept feeling a boost from somewhere. It’s a blessing to be able to come out and play that way.”
Coach Buzz Peterson said: “He’s a young man that has worked hard for us every day in practice, never complained. He’s really given it all. For him to step up and have 37 points…I’m happy for KB.”
TONIGHT’S FINAL
The Mountaineers will try for their first Southern Conference championship and berth to the NCAA Tournament since 2000 when they play Wofford at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.
The teams met just once in the regular season – way back on Dec. 7. The Mountaineers won 77-76 in Spartanburg, S.C.
Both teams had similar-type victories in the semifinals last night.
Wofford romped past Western Carolina 77-58. ASU rolled over College of Charleston 77-54.
Post play was central to both team’s success. The Terriers outscored Western 40-22 in the paint, and won the rebound battle by 10. The Mountaineers outscored Charleston 40-16 inside, and had a 20-rebound advantage.
“You want to let them know early you’re going to dominate inside,” said Ike Butts, a 6-10, 285-pound center for the Mountaineers who totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds against Charleston last night. He had 11 points and 13 rebounds against the Terriers earlier this season.
“I think me, Hunter and Andre did a pretty good job of that. We came out, rebounded and scored the ball when we got it down in there. When we can do that it allows our guards to do things like KB did.”
Peterson said of Wofford: “We are facing a team we have not played in a long time. We were fortunate to win that (first game). I’m sure they’re hungry for us. They’re very physical. They’ve got good inside play, and good perimeter play to go with it.”
ASU CROWD
A crowd of 5,440 was on hand for last night’s semifinals at Time Warner Cable Arena, and most in attendance were ASU fans.
“We appreciate the support,” Brand said. “It felt just like a home game out there. We fed off the energy of the crowd.”