The Lawrence University men’s basketball team took care of business with a weekend sweep of Grinnell and Lake Forest, and saw first place Ripon get swept this weekend to put LU back on top of the Midwest Conference Standings. The Vikings easily defeated Grinnell 112-85 and Lake Forest 70-51.
Friday night the Vikings took on Grinnell. The Pioneers have made themselves known throughout the basketball world by playing something known as “The System.” The system is shooting a lot of three-pointers, giving up easy lay-ups on the other end, and getting in high scoring, no defense affairs. It has worked for them in the past, but this season, with all their starts graduated, they are off to a rocky 1-5 start. It would get no better with LU in the house to open their new Darby Gym, the first part of a new $50 million athletic facility.
The game was all LU from the start. The Vikings have come across a successful way of playing Grinnell and they worked it to a “T” this Friday. The Vikings jumped on top early, and took advantage of all the easy lay-ups that the Pioneers were giving up. LU had as big a lead as 20 in the first half, and they settled in with a 19-point lead at the half. The second half was more of the same, with the Vikings stretching their lead to 30 for most of the second half, and trading baskets with the Pioneers. LU would easily cruse to 112-85.
The Vikings had one very high note for the Grinnell game. Jason Holinbeck, who had a magnificent night against Carroll in the Vikings’ last game, broke the LU single game scoring record with 47 points Friday night. He made 21 shots on 25 attempts. The record had been 45, which was held by Chris Braier and two others. For his performance in that game, and the rest of the week, Holinbeck was named the MWC player of the week. He averaged 28 points and shot 75 percent for the week.
The Vikings then went to Lake Forest, which after a win against Ripon the night before was in a first place tie with the Redhawks and the Vikings. However, this did not look like a first place battle at all, with the Vikings completely dominating the Foresters and taking sole position of first place with Ripon falling at Knox.
The Vikings continued their hot shooting, as they shot 53 percent for the game Saturday afternoon. The Vikings made the big shots when they needed to as well. LU led by as many as 11 in the first half before Lake Forest cut it to 8 at the half to 32-24. The Vikings kept the pressure on in the second half, and dominated the Foresters inside. Braier who had 20 against Grinnell the night before added 19 Saturday to pace LU. He was 9-11 shooting. Holinbeck and Brendan Falls each added 14 apiece.
The Vikings get to see the system again, and they will also play host to a hot Monmouth team this weekend. Monmouth will play the Vikings Friday night at 7:30, and the circus comes to town Saturday at four. The hype has already begun for the biggest rematch of the MWC season when the Viking’s archrival Ripon comes into town next Tuesday night. The Redhawks knocked off the fourth-ranked Vikings at the time with a 74-70 overtime victory in the Storzer center. That game will tip off at 8 Tuesday night, and will most likely determine the MWC Championship. The Vikings are currently ranked 12th overall in the nation, while Ripon is currently 23rd.
Men glide into first place, Holinbeck breaks scoring record -jcr -dlh
