// Create arrays of articles
syndicate.article_title = new Array;
syndicate.article_url = new Array;
syndicate.article_date = new Array;
syndicate.article_summary = new Array;
syndicate.article_content = new Array;
// This section of the script is published by the software
syndicate.index = 0;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Former Men\'s Soccer Standout Inks With Pro Organization in Texas';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/msoccer/park_006275.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 6, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park University’s 2002 NAIA Men’s Soccer Player of the Year and NAIA All-Tournament Team performer Eric Ongao has signed to play professionally with the Galveston Pirate Soccer Club of the NPSL. Onago played one season for Park, helping the Pirates to the 2002 NAIA national tournament championship game, scoring eight goals with four assists and registering four game-winners as a senior. The Galveston Pirates’ announcement of the signing is below.
Galveston Pirate Soccer Club went international on Friday with the news that yet another ex-internationalist signed for the professional soccer side. It\'s just before the HFA player transfer deadline kicked in. This is also in time for the player to get himself bonded with the current crop of players in time for the upcoming NPSL kickoff in May.
Kenyan Eric Ongao is the man and with 24 international caps for his country, there can be no questioning his ability.
Ongao\'s experience afforded him the chance to also play in world cup qualifiers in 2007, unfortunately losing the chance to participate in the outright tournament after his country lost 4-2 on aggregate to fellow African nation Nigeria.
"It was a great experience," said Ongao. "But we lost over all and never qualified for the World Cup which was the goal."
"Playing for my country was a dream, one that I will never forget and I wouldn\'t change a thing, well, apart from not reaching the World Cup that year against Nigeria," he joked.
"I have played soccer since I was seven years old so it\'s in my blood and since coming to the U.S I have played with Pittsburg Riverhounds in the USL before moving to this area where I have been playing locally. When Coach Keyes approached me to play, I jumped at the chance," said the towering 6-foot-6 defender.
"I have been watching the Pirates progress, not with any expectation but with intrigue,\' said Ongao. "To sign with them for the remainder of the HFA season and into the NPSL season at my, ahem, experienced age of 34, shows a great deal of faith on Coach Keyes but I shall repay him in kind with my experience of the game and hopefully I can pass on some of my knowledge to some of the younger players."
THE ERIC ONGAO FILE
Eric Ongao 6\'-4" (Defender)
originally from Nairobi, Kenya
Played at Park University (NAIA)
2002 NAIA Player of the Year
Park University was 2002 NAIA Runner-Ups
2002 NAIA All-Tournament Team
20 points (8 goals & 4 assts) senior year with 4 GW goals
MCAC All-Conference
NAIA All-Region IV
NAIA Region IV Def. Player of Year
NAIA 1st Team All-American
24 caps for Kenya
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Holcomb Earns AMC Player of the Week Award';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006276.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 6, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nST. LOUIS, Mo. – After leading Park to a 2-0 record last week with wins over Hannibal-LaGrange University on the road, 75-58, and (RV) Columbia College at home, 67-45, sophomore guard Vivian Holcomb was named this week’s AMC women’s basketball player of the week.
\nThe Indianapolis, Ind. Native dropped 15 points and grabbed three rebounds with three assists against Hannibal-LaGrange and scored nine points with seven rebounds and four assists against Columbia.
\nHolcomb averaged 12 points per game in those two contests while shooting 61-percent from the floor.
\nThe Pirates improved to 15-5 on the season and 5-4 in conference play with the victories. Holcomb is averaging almost 12 points and just over two assists per contest this season to lead her team.
\nOTHERS NOMINATED FOR AMC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Andrea Seabaugh, Missouri Baptist University; Miranda Loesch, William Woods University, Heather English, Columbia College; Kala Tyus, Williams Baptist College; Mariah Fleming, Harris-Stowe State University; Ashleigh Spencer, Hannibal-LaGrange University.
\nPark takes on No. 23 ranked William Woods University this Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in Fulton, Mo.
\n-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Stays at No. 2 in NAIA Poll';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006274.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 6, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – No. 1 ranked St. Ambrose rolled through the competition this weekend at the Lindenwood University Tournament with four wins over ranked teams including No. 2 Park University, No. 4 Graceland, No. 5 Missouri Baptist and No. 8 Missouri Valley and posts a perfect 11-0 record on the year. The Fighting Bees have been ranked No. 1 in all five polls this season.
\nGrand View University picked up five wins last week and jumped from outside the Top 10 last week all the way to No. 5 this week. The Vikings defeated No. 4 Graceland, No. 3 Warner, Rust College, NCAA Division II Lindenwood University and No. 7 ranked Cardinal Stritch.
\nThe Vikings are 6-3 on the season and 4-3 in MAMVIC West action and takes on No. 2 Park University this Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in Parkville.
\nPark stays at No. 2 this week and went 3-2 also at the Lindenwood tourney, with wins over No. 7 Cardinal Stritch, No. 10 St. Xavier and No. 9 Clarke University, but dropped its match against No. 1 St. Ambrose in three sets and lost to host school Lindenwood in four.
\nThe No. 3 spot this week goes to Graceland University. The Yellowjackets jumped up one spot this week after defeating St. Xavier, Warner and Clarke but lost to No. 1 St. Ambrose and host school Lindenwood. Graceland is 7-4 overall on the year and 2-2 in conference play.
\nNo. 4 ranked Missouri Baptist had a stellar week posting a 4-1 record with two wins over No. 3 ranked Warner University and No. 7 Cardinal Stritch and Rust College. Mo Bap’s only loss last week came to St. Ambrose in four sets (27-25, 17-25, 22-25, 18-25).
\nNo. 6 Missouri Valley also made a nice jump from No. 8 a week ago. The Vikings took out No. 9 Clarke, No. 10 St. Xavier and Rust College at the LU Tourney and its only loss came to No. 1 St. Ambrose is three sets (32-34, 27-29, 25-27). Under interim coach Brett Holt, Mo Val is 9-2 overall and 1-1 in MAMVIC West play.
\nNo. 7 ranked Hope International fell just one spot this week after losing a five set match to the University of California-San Diego (25-22,13-25,25-18,13-25,12-15).
\nWarner fell five spots from No. 3 to No. 8 with its 2-4 week. The Royals defeated No. 7 Cardinal Stritch in five sets and took just four sets to beat Hannibal-LaGrange.
\nWarner takes nearly a month off before hitting the floor next, when they travel to Davenport, Iowa to take part in St. Ambrose’s Fighting Bee Classic for five matches.
\nCardinal Stritch fell from No. 7 to No. 9 this week after a 1-4 showing at the Lindenwood Tournament. Despite last week’s record, the Wolves are still in a great position in the MAMVIC East with a perfect 6-0 conference record and overall record of 10-6.
\nThe final spot this week again goes to No. 10 St. Xavier. The Cougars are 4-7 on the season and defeated Hannibal-LaGrange in four sets for its lone win on the week. St. Xavier takes on Lourdes University this Friday, and Carthage this Saturday.
\n2012 NAIA Men’s Volleyball Top 10 Poll (Feb. 6, 2012)
\n1. St. Ambrose University (Davenport, Iowa)
2. Park University (Parkville, Mo.)
3. Graceland University (Lamoni, Iowa)
4. Missouri Baptist (St. Louis, Mo.)
5. Grand View University (Des Moines, Iowa)
6. Missouri Valley (Marshall, Mo.)
7. Hope International (Fullerton, Calif.)
8. Warner University (Lake Wales, Fla.)
9. Cardinal Stritch (Milwaukee, Wisc.)
10. St. Xavier University (Chicago, Ill.)
\n-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Ends Lindenwood Tourney with Two Victories';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006270.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 4, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Park University men’s volleyball team went 2-1 in day two of the Lindenwood University tournament on Saturday afternoon with wins over St. Xavier and Clarke and a four set loss to Lindenwood.
\nPark rolled past St. Xavier in three sets, winning (25-15, 25-15, 25-19). Zach Penolio led the charge with 11 kills, while Matheus Roham slammed home nine kills and freshman middle blocker Paul Bilanzic had seven of his own.
\nNAIA Libero of the Week Kalani Rose led Park with 12 digs and Vinicius Baigan and Rob Cordero split time at setter, as Cordero led Park with 20 assists and Baigan added 14.
\nThe Pirates played tournament host Lindenwood University for the second time in six days, they defeated LU in five sets last Sunday but couldn’t make it two in a row on Saturday, losing to the Lions in four sets, (25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 21-25).
\nBilanzic had a great match against the Lions with his 13 kills, while Roham had 12 kills and Penolio knocked down 10.
\nFor the first time this season, Baigan led Park in assists with 33 and Cordero had 11. Baigan recorded a double-double as well, posting 10 digs and Rose had 15.
\nPark defeated Clarke in four sets, (23-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-22). This marked the second victory for the Pirates over the Crusaders, the other came on Jan. 28 in a tough five set match.
\nRoham heated things up for the Pirates with 20 kills and Cordero had a match high 40 assists.
\nSenior Raphael Vieira had three big service aces for Park and Cordero had three of his own.
\nThe Pirates will open up its home portion of the schedule this Wednesday, Feb. 8 as they host newly added MAMVIC West member Grand View University at the Breckon Sports Center at 7 p.m.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Pirates Can’t Overcome Shooting Woes in 69-58 Loss to No. 18 Columbia';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006268.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 4, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\n
PARKVILLE, Mo. – Columbia College scored 50 points in the paint, including a game-high 16 from Jordan Dressler and another 14 from Hal Payne, and Columbia built an early double-digit lead by holding Park University without a field goal over the first eight minutes Saturday night in the Pirates’ 69-58 loss to the 18th-ranked Cougars at Breckon Sports Center in Parkville.
Park (9-13, 3-5 AMC) shot 36.7-percent in the game, getting 15 points from Reco Anderson and 10 from Melvin Gatson, but the Pirates weren’t able to overcome 17 turnovers, despite outrebounding Columbia 37-33, led by a career-high 10 boards by Montrell King, who also added nine points.
Columbia (19-6, 6-1 AMC) built its lead by outscoring Park 9-2 over the first seven minutes, and with 12:09 in the first, Tanner Sutton hit the second of two-straight shots for Columbia, giving the Cougars a 13-2 advantage. Park’s first field goal came on the Pirates’ next possession when Tyler Price buried a top-of-the-key three to make it 13-5, but over the next three minutes, Columbia constructed its largest first-half lead with a 10-2 run, taking a 23-7 lead on two foul shots by Dressler.
Park chipped away, getting Garrett Sandbothe’s baseline jumper with 4:19 left in the half to get back within 11, and Gatson scored the final three points of the first half, all in the last minute, cutting the Cougars’ lead to 37-27 at intermission.
The lead would later extend to 18 with 10:44 left in the game when Devin Griffin attacked the basket to make it 53-35, and the Cougars enjoyed a double-digit lead until there were just 40 seconds left in the game, when Juston Hairston sank two foul shots to get the Pirates within nine, 67-58.
Griffin put the game back to double digits and out of reach 12 seconds later, though, scoring the game’s final field goal with a lay-up to make it 69-58, as Columbia regained first place in the AMC men’s basketball standings by half a game over second-place Harris-Stowe. The Hornets were idle Saturday.
Park’s loss kept the Pirates in the league’s fifth position, half a game behind Hannibal-LaGrange University, as the Trojans fell in overtime Saturday to Park’s next opponent, William Woods University.
The Pirates and Owls get together Thursday night in Fulton, Mo., with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Log on to www.parkathletics.com for information on live broadcasts and live statistics from the Pirates’ final regular-season road game of the 2011-12 season.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Upsets Columbia in 67-45 Rout';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006267.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 4, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nGAME STATISTICS
\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – The third best scoring defense in the country came through again for Park University on Saturday afternoon, as the Pirates held Columbia College to its second lowest point total on the year in a 67-45 rout of Columbia at the Breckon Sports Center.
\nThe Pirates have now won four straight games and sport a 15-5 overall record and AMC mark of 5-4.
\nWhile Columbia falls to 16-8 and 6-2 in the conference, Saturday marked the first time the Cougars fell to Park since Dec. 17, 2008 in a 69-68 contest.
\nThe game went back-and-forth in the first few minutes as both teams traded baskets and the score was tied 9-9 with 15:01 to go.
\nThe score was again tied at 14-14 as Nicole Wilhite swished a three-point field goal with 9:17 left, then Columbia took a 16-14 lead with a bucket by Julie Teeple. That was the final lead of the night for the Cougars.
\nPark entered halftime with a 23-18 lead and came out of the break on a 17-10 run to take a 40-28 lead, its biggest of the game at that point and didn’t slip up from there.
\nPark held Columbia to just 23.6-percent shooting on the night and the Cougars almost matched its lowest point total of the year with its 45 points. Columbia’s lowest scoring night came against Ashford University on Dec. 19 when they lost 55-43.
\nDanila Fabbri continued to play well in the paint with 17 points to lead all Pirates and grabbed a team high eight rebounds.
\nOasha White also scored in double figures with her 15 points, she also had three blocks. Joanna Matthews lit up from three with three baskets from behind the arc, the junior finished with nine points.
\nThe Pirates shot well from the free-throw line as well, shooting 11-of-14 and Vivian Holcomb went 5-of-6.
\nPark will now take a few days off before traveling to face No. 23 ranked William Woods University on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. William Woods is in a tie for first-place in the AMC with Columbia at 6-2 in the conference.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Men\'s Volleyball stops No. 7 Cardinal Stritch but can\'t get by No. 1 St. Ambrose in St. Charles';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006265.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 3, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Second-ranked Park University put an end to No. 7 Cardinal Stritch University\'s seven-match winning streak to begin the 2012 Lindenwood University Invitational, downing the Wolves in four sets, but the Pirates weren\'t able to complete a day-one sweep against top-ranked Saint Ambrose University, falling to the Bees in straight sets at Lindenwood\'s Hyland Arena in St. Charles.
Park (4-1) stretched its winning streak to four matches in its first match of the day, getting 48 assists from Rob Cordero, who set up three double-digit offensive performers, led by Zach Penolio\'s 17 kills, 15 more from Matheus Roham and 10 more from Paul Bilanzic.
Defending NAIA Libero of the Week Kalani Rose captained Park\'s defensive effort with 15 digs in the win over Cardinal Stritch (10-3), which went on to beat Hannibal-LaGrange University after falling to the Pirates 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19.
Cordero tacked on 25 more assists in a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Saint Ambrose a few hours later, setting up a trio of offensive leaders - Bilanzic, Roham and Matt Rogers - who each finished with six kills. Rose finished the loss with seven digs, as Saint Ambrose improved to 9-0 by also beating Missouri Baptist University.
Park\'s weekend continues with three matches on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m., when the Pirates take on Saint Xavier University, followed by a 3:30 match against tournament-host Lindenwood that will be streamed live at www.lindenwoodlions.com. The Pirates finish the weekend at 5:30 p.m., taking on Clarke.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Men Host No. 18 Columbia Saturday at 4 p.m. to Celebrate Coaches vs. Cancer, White-Out';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006264.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 3, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
Game Notes\n(PDF)
\n\n
The Park University men’s basketball team will look to hand No. 18 Columbia College back-to-back losses for just the second time this season when the Cougars visit Breckon Sports Center at 4 p.m. Columbia (18-6, 5-1 AMC) is in a first-place tie with Harris-Stowe State University after falling to the Hornets Thursday night in St. Louis, and the Cougars haven’t dropped back-to-back games since late November in a non-conference classic at Trinity International University. Park (9-12, 3-4) will look to redeem its own loss from Thursday night when Columbia visits after falling to Hannibal-LaGrange University at HLG’s Porter Gymnasium, 66-62. During Saturday’s game, Park and Columbia will celebrate Coaches vs. Cancer, and no season passes will be used for admission. Fans are asked to pay regular gate and the Park spirit squad will also collect donations for Coaches vs. Cancer. The Park Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has organized a white-out, and fans are invited to wear white to the games, which can also be watched live on the Pirate Sports Network at www.parkathletics.com.
SECOND-STRAIGHT COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT
Park tried to make it two-straight come-from-behind wins on Thursday, but after regaining the lead momentarily in the second half, the Pirates were unable to overcome timely Hannibal-LaGrange shooting and a late turnover that handed the Trojans their ninth win in the 24-game all-time series between the two schools. Reco Anderson, Park’s leading scorer at better than 15 points per game, scored a game-high 20 points for the Pirates and also led the team on the glass with seven rebounds. Leon Carswell led HLG, matching Anderson’s game-high 20 and adding eight rebounds.
THURSDAY’S GAME BY THE NUMBERS
• One career high for scoring was established as Montrell King found double figures for the first time in a Pirate uniform, pouring in 11 points on a career-best four field goals, three of which (also a career-high) came from outside the 3-point arc.
• Melvin Gatson was the only other Park player in double digits, scoring 15 despite an 0-for-6 night from above the arc. Both Gatson and Anderson knocked down seven shots from the free-throw line. Gatson is averaging 13 points per contest in 2011-12, and Juston Hairston is also in double figures at 10 points per game.
• Of Park’s 10 turnovers, five came in the first 10 minutes, leading to HLG’s biggest lead of the game at 14 points, 19-5.
• Park and HLG each grabbed 33 rebounds in the game, and for the first time this season, every player to touch the floor for Park recorded at least one board. In all, 18 of the 19 players to enter the game between the two teams had at least one rebound.
ABOUT COLUMBIA AND THE SERIES...
The Cougars are coming off of their first conference loss since a 57-55 loss to McKendree on Feb. 10, 2011. It was also the Cougars’ first loss to Harris-Stowe since Jan. 28, 2010, when HSSU knocked off a CC team that finished sixth in the AMC 55-47. The 2011-12 Cougars are led by an NCAA Division I transfer in Columbia-native Jordan Dressler, who had a double-double 21 points and 10 rebounds against HSSU. Dressler averages 15.2 points per game and is the conference’s third leading scorer, adding an AMC best 38 blocked shots. Earlier this season, Columbia handed Park a 76-59 loss in the Arena of the Southwell Complex, giving the Cougars their 18th win in the 46-game all-time series between the schools. Park leads the all-time series 28-18.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park & Columbia Take the Court in White Out Saturday';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006262.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 3, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nGAME NOTES (PDF)
\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – In one of the marquee match ups in the AMC conference schedule this Saturday, Feb. 4, the Park University women’s basketball team hosts first-place Columbia College at 2 p.m. as fans “White Out” Breckon Sports Center.
All fans are asked to wear white to Saturday’s women’s and men’s doubleheader this Saturday as the Student-Athlete Advisory Council hosts the “White Out Breckon” event.
The men’s squad takes on No. 18 ranked Columbia at approximately 4 p.m. after the women’s game.
Saturday also features the annual Suits and Sneakers Coaches vs. Cancer game.
Fans will be asked to pay regular admission (no season passes), and Park University students will be admitted by making a donation of any amount and showing Student ID.
In addition to donations at the gate, the Park University spirit squad will collect donations throughout the doubleheader, and a ceremony will be held between games to honor cancer survivors, as well as friends and family of cancer survivors in attendance.
Columbia enters Saturday’s contest with a record of 16-7 and a first-place tie with William Woods with its 6-1 conference record.
The Cougars defeated Park last time the two hit the hardwood together on Jan. 12 in Columbia, Mo., 83-74.
Park enters the game on a hot streak after winning three straight conference games and posts an overall record of 14-5 and 4-4 in the AMC.
The Pirates are looking for its first win over Columbia since Dec. 17, 2008 in a 69-68 victory.
In Park’s last three victories, its opponents have failed to score more than 50 points and the Pirates average margin of victory has been 18.6 points.
The Pirates are a perfect 10-0 in games when its opponents score 50 points are less.
Columbia has been a scoring machine this season averaging 70.9 points per game and shoots 34.9-percent from behind the arc as a team going 165-of-473 from down town. Those 165 three-point field goals made ranks them No. 10 in the nation.
The Pirates give up just 52.3 points per game and ranks No. 3 in the NAIA in scoring defense.
Fans can catch the game online via live video webcast at www.parkathletics.com.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Men Can\'t Complete Comeback at HLG, Falling 66-62';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006260.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 2, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
HANNIBAL, Mo. – Tyler Price landed a three from the top of the key with 22 seconds to play and Park University had a chance to tie with 19 seconds left, but a Jurgen Lico steal with three seconds to play preserved a 66-62 win for Hannibal-LaGrange University, who beat the Pirates for a second-straight time at Porter Gymnasium in Hannibal, Mo., dropping Park to 3-4 in the American Midwest Conference and into fifth place in the AMC men’s basketball standings.
Hannibal-LaGrange (10-11) was led by Leon Carswell II’s game-high 20, a total that was matched by Park’s Reco Anderson, and Chris Smith added 19 for Hannibal-LaGrange, moving the Trojans into fourth in the AMC standings a 3-3.
For the Pirates, Melvin Gatson added 15 points and Montrell King scored a career-high 11, but Park was unable to overcome 35.3-percent shooting and 10 turnovers.
Park (9-12) took its first lead of the game with less than six minutes to play when Anderson scooped up a steal and floated a jumper in transition to make it 54-53, and with 3:30 left, King regained the lead for the Pirates after falling behind by two, drilling a left-wing three to go up 57-56, but with 1:30 left, Lico delivered a clutch three from the left side for HLG, putting the Trojans up four, 61-57, and the Trojans earned consecutive defensive stops on Park’s next two possessions, preserving the lead with less than a minute to play.
The Trojans opened the second half much like they did the first, scoring the second 20:00’s first seven points to build a second double-digit lead, and with 14:16 remaining, the Trojans were up 13 when Smith caught a floating pass five feet from the basket in mid-air before bending the rim to make it 47-34.
Park chipped away at HLG’s lead over the next four minutes, getting back within five with 10:02 left on Gatson’s free throws after a steal, and with 9:23 left, another steal was followed by another bucket by Gatson, who scored at the rim to make it a one-possession game, 48-45.
After the run and a Trojan timeout, Gatson went back to the free-throw line with 8:48 left, sinking both to make it a one-point game.
Hairston’s four-point play with 2:31 left in the first half helped erase a double-digit advantage for the Trojans after the opening tap, cutting a 28-20 lead to 28-24, and after a defensive stop, Anderson attacked in transition, scoring four-straight points for the Pirates to get back within two (30-28). The Trojans regained a four-point advantage three seconds before the break, though, when Drew Jefferson struck from the right block, sending HLG to intermission up 32-28.
The halftime lead came after Hannibal-LaGrange began the game’s first four minutes on a 12-2 run, getting six points from Carswell, to build an early 10-point lead, and with 11:30 remaining, Carswell struck again, this time from the middle of the paint, putting HLG up 19-5 through the game’s first nine minutes.
King answered for Park, cutting the lead back to 10 with 9:52 in the first by burying a right-side triple to make it 21-11, but after Park cut it to seven with a 7-0 run, Arii Meuel drained a top-of-the key trey near 7:00 in the half, returning the HLG lead to 10, 24-14.
Both teams grabbed 33 rebounds in the game and HLG finished the game shooting 42.9-percent.
Next, the Pirates return home Saturday afternoon for the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game, hosting Columbia College at 4 p.m. The game can be watched live on the Pirate Sports Network by visiting the gameday information page at www.parkathletics.com, and the Park University Student Athlete Advisory Committee is encouraging fans to white out Breckon Sports Center. Fans are asked to wear their white apparel to the game against the nationally ranked Cougars, who enter the game in first place in the American Midwest Conference men’s basketball standings.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Runs Past HLG for Third Straight AMC Win';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006257.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 2, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nGAME STATISTICS
\nHANNIBAL, Mo. – Park University shot 57.7-percent from the field in the second half and outscored Hannibal-LaGrange University, 44-24, also in the second to run past the Trojans for a final score of 75-48 at the Porter Gymnasium.
\nThe Pirates improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in AMC action, while the Trojans fell to 13-10 and 3-4 in AMC play.
\nPark has now won three straight games and its 75 points were the most since Jan. 6 when they defeated Williams Baptist on the road, 78-52. It’s 27 point victory is the largest since Nov. 26 when they rolled past Grinnell College 82-41 at the Breckon Sports Center.
\nPark’s defense was stellar on the night and shutdown two time defending AMC Player of the Week Ashley Wilson. Wilson came into the night leading the conference in scoring at 15.6 points per game and the Pirates held her to four points on 2-of-8 shooting.
\nHer four points tied a season low on the year, she also scored four points on Nov. 4 against Manhattan Christian College.
\nPark caused 24 turnovers and outrebounded HLG, 35-25 with 10 offensive boards, five of those coming from senior Dominique Hayes.
\nThe Kansas City, Mo., native grabbed a game high 10 rebounds and finished with a double-figure night with 14 points.
\nBrianna Beridon led the Pirates in scoring with 18, her third straight game scoring in double figures and Vivian Holcomb dominated in the second half with 12 second half points and finished with 15 with three assists and three rebounds.
\nNicole Wilhite had nine points and shot 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, and Park shot a solid 74.1-percent from the charity stripe on 20-of-27 shooting.
\nThe Pirates had 18 steals on the night, Beridon led that charge with five, while Wilhite had four and Halima Ramsey also collected four, Oasha White finished the night with three steals and seven points with six rebounds.
\nHannibal-LaGrange managed to shoot just 31.5-percent from the floor and Thursday marked the 10th time this season the Pirates have held an opponent to under 50 points. The Pirates are 10-0 in those contests.
\nFans don’t forget to wear your white to the Breckon Sports Center this Saturday, Feb. 4. As the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) is hosting the “White Out Breckon” event for the men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader against Columbia College.
\nThe women tipoff at 2 p.m., while the men get started at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday’s doubleheader will also feature the annual Suits and Sneakers Coaches vs. Cancer game.
\nFans will be asked to pay regular admission (no season passes), and Park University students will be admitted by making a donation of any amount and showing Student ID.
\nIn addition to donations at the gate, the Park University spirit squad will collect donations throughout the doubleheader, and a ceremony will be held between games to honor cancer survivors, as well as friends and family of cancer survivors in attendance.
\n-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Pirates and Trojans Face Off Thursday in Hannibal';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006252.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 1, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nGAME NOTES (PDF)
\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – Two teams that look to take a step forward in the AMC standings with a victory will do battle on Thursday night, as Park University travels to Hannibal, Mo., to take on Hannibal-LaGrange University at 5:30 p.m.
Park (13-5, 3-4 AMC) stands alone in sixth-place in the conference standings, while the Trojans hold true in fifth-place with a 13-9 overall mark and 3-3 conference record.
The Pirates have won two straight, the first coming at home against Stephens College, 65-43, the other came just last Saturday on the road at Missouri Baptist, 57-50.
The Pirates are 2-3 on the road in conference play this season and swept the Trojans in 2011, winning at Hannibal on Feb. 19, 59-54.
Nicole Wilhite led the Pirates in scoring that night with 14 and Dominique Hayes led the team in rebounding with eight.
This season, the Trojans feature one of the best players in not only the conference but the country.
Ashley Wilson leads the AMC in scoring at 15.5 points per game and has scored in double figures in all six of HLG’s AMC games.
Wilson also averages 8.6 rebounds per game and shoots 58.2 percent from the field which ranks her second in the nation.
Ashleigh Spencer is also having a fine season for Hannibal-LaGrange, Spencer averages 13.9 points per game and shoots 82-percent from the free-throw line.
Hannibal-LaGrange has won three of its last four games, but lost its last contest to Columbia College, 72-67, on the road.
The Pirates defense is still one of the tops in the NAIA, giving up just an average of 52.2 points per game and ranks them No. 3 in the country.
Wilhite still ranks No. 1 in the country in three-point field goal shooting at 45-percent. She has nailed 36 three-pointers out of 80 attempts.
Vivian Holcomb leads Park in scoring at 11.7 points per game and Wilhite averages 9.9 per contest.
Defensively Park has caused 432 turnovers on the year good for an average of 24 per game.
Fans can catch a full recap and stats from Thursday night’s game at: www.parkathletics.com.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Men\'s Basketball Travels to HLG Thursday Night With Top Half of AMC Standings on the Line';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006248.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Feb 1, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
Park University will attempt to move over the .500 mark in the American Midwest Conference Thursday night on the road, traveling to Hannibal, Mo., at 7:30 p.m., to take on Hannibal-LaGrange University at Porter Gymnasium. The game can be heard (audio only) on the Pirate Sports Network. Check www.parkathletics.com for live-audio links and information on radio-station coverage.
PIRATE NOTEBOOK...
• Park is 9-11 with a 3-3 mark in the American Midwest Conference, sitting in fourth place, half a game behind Missouri Baptist (3-2) and 1.5 games behind Harris-Stowe (4-1). Columbia leads the conference at 5-0.
• Juston Hairston recorded his first-ever double-double on Saturday at Missouri Baptist, scoring 21 points and adding 10 rebounds to boost his scoring average to 10.7 points per game. He is also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game, half a board off the team lead, held by Reco Anderson, who averages 5.3 rebounds per contest.
• Anderson is the team’s leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, followed closely by Melvin Gatson, averaging 12.7 points per contest. Anderson had 14 at Missouri Baptist, while Gatson matched Hairston’s game-high 21 in the 75-67 win over the Spartans.
• Park has won two of its last three games, two of which have been on the road.
• The Pirates are averaging 69.1 points per game, and Saturday’s 67-point defensive effort dropped Park’s opponents’ scoring average to 73.3 per contest. The Pirates give up 38.8 rebounds per game and grab 32.9, and in Saturday’s win at Missouri Baptist, the Pirates outrebounded the Spartans 34-33.
• Tyler Price has been nearly perfect at the free-throw line, knocking down 28 of his 29 attempts on the year, including a 6-for-6 effort Saturday at Missouri Baptist. He is also the team’s top 3-point shooter, burying 27 triples from above the arc in 2011-12.
• Park’s lone NAIA Top 50 statistical mark is its turnover margin, where the Pirates rank No. 40 in NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball, forcing 1.15 more turnovers per game than opponents in 2011-12.
NOTES ON HANNIBAL-LAGRANGE...
• HLG enters Thursday’s game on a three-game losing skid, including an 81-59 loss Saturday afternoon at Columbia College.
• The Trojans have two double-digit scorers, led by Gerrell Wells at 13.4 points per game, followed by 11.1 points per game from Arii Meuel. Jurgen Lico is near double digits at 9.8 points per game, and Chris Smith averages 9.4 points per game with 12 blocked shots on the year. Wells is the team’s leading shot blocker with 17.
• Hannibal-LaGrange averages 33 rebounds per game and gives up 29, led by 5.2 rebounds per game from Abraham Arinyakono.
UP NEXT...
Park returns home for the first time since Jan. 14 on Saturday afternoon, hosting Columbia College at 4 p.m. The game is the Pirates’ annual Coaches vs. Cancer day and will be streamed live on the Pirate Sports Network.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Coaches vs. Cancer Scheduled for Saturday’s Men’s and Women’s Doubleheader Against Columbia College';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/news/park_006233.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 30, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
PARKVILLE, Mo. – The Park University men’s and women’s basketball teams will join forces Saturday afternoon when Columbia College visits Breckon Sports Center in the Pirates’ annual Suits and Sneakers Coaches vs. Cancer game. The women’s game gets underway at 2 p.m., followed by the men’s contest at 4.
Fans will be asked to pay regular admission (no season passes), and Park University students will be admitted by making a donation of any amount and showing Student ID. In addition to donations at the gate, the Park University spirit squad will collect donations throughout the doubleheader, and a ceremony will be held between games to honor cancer survivors, as well as friends and family of cancer survivors in attendance.
Park’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee is also planning a white-out for the games, and fans are asked to wear their favorite white Park University apparel to help white-out Breckon Sports Center.
The women’s game will feature a first-place Columbia College team that is tied with William Woods University atop the league standings at 5-1 taking on Park’s 13-5 (3-4 AMC) women’s squad, led by sophomore guard Vivian Holcomb, averaging 12 points per game. Park looks to answer Columbia’s 83-74 in early January over the Pirates in Columbia.
On the men’s side, Columbia is undefeated in league games and ranked No. 21 in the NAIA at 18-5 (5-0 AMC), including a 76-59 win over Park earlier this month in Columbia. Park is 9-11 (3-3 AMC), led by the double-digit trio of seniors Reco Anderson (15.1 ppg), Melvin Gatson (12.7 ppg) and Juston Hairston (10.7 ppg).
The games are the first at home for the Pirates since Jan. 14, when both teams took on William Woods University, and Thursday, the Pirates play a final set of conference road games before Saturday’s event, traveling to Hannibal-LaGrange University at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. The games at HLG can be heard live on the Pirate Sports Network at www.parkathletics.com, and Saturday’s game will feature live video at the same gameday link.
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Holds No. 2 Spot in Latest NAIA Poll';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006237.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 30, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – With wins over No. 9 Missouri Valley and No. 4 Missouri Baptist last Week, Graceland University jumped up two spots to No. 4 in this week’s NAIA Men’s Volleyball Top 10 Poll, announced on Monday afternoon.
\nThe Yellowjackets are now 4-1 on the year and 2-1 in MAMVIC West play, as they defeated Missouri Valley in five sets and swept Mo Bap in three.
\nNo. 1 ranked St. Ambrose has kept the top spot for the fourth straight week. Under head coach Bill Gleeson, the Fighting Bees defeated No. 10 Grand View and St. Xavier in three sets to improve to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the MAMVIC East.
\nNo. 2 ranked Park University began its 2012 season over the weekend and came home with three victories, defeating Hannibal-LaGrange University on the road in three sets and took down No. 8 Clarke University in an epic five match thriller.
\nThen on Sunday afternoon, the Pirates made the trip to St. Charles, Mo., to take on NCAA Division II Lindenwood University and defeated the Lions in five sets.
\nNo. 3 ranked Warner University will open its season Feb. 2 at Missouri Baptist then competes in five matches on Feb. 3-4 at the Lindenwood University Tournament.
\nMissouri Baptist dropped to No. 5 this week after going 1-2 last week, losing to Lindenwood in three sets, defeating Grand View in three and dropped its conference match to Graceland in three.
\nThe No. 6 spot this week goes to Hope International. The Royals fell one spot this week despite winning both its matches against MAMVIC National foe Johnson and Wales University. They took down the Wildcats in three sets in both matches.
\nNo.7 ranked Cardinal Stritch may be one of the hottest teams in the country after winning seven straight matches and sport a 9-2 record and a perfect 6-0 mark in the MAMVIC East.
\nNo. 8 Missouri Valley has also began the 2012 season on a hot streak, posting a 5-1 record. Its only loss came last week at the hands of Graceland University in five sets.
\nClarke University holds the No. 9 spot this week, one spot below its ranking a week ago. The Crusaders dropped matches to St. Xavier and Park over the weekend, but did defeat Hannibal-LaGrange in four sets. Clarke is 2-3 on the year and 1-2 in MAMVIC East play.
\nFinally, the No. 10 spot goes to St. Xavier this week. This is the first time this season the Cougars have been ranked in the Top 10 poll. SXU went 2-1 last week with wins over Clarke and Grand View and dropped a three set match at No. 1 St. Ambrose.
\n2012 NAIA Men’s Volleyball Top 10 Poll (Jan. 30, 2012)
\n1. St. Ambrose University (Davenport, Iowa)
2. Park University (Parkville, Mo.)
3. Warner University (Lake Wales, Fla.)
4. Graceland University (Lamoni, Iowa)
5. Missouri Baptist (St. Louis, Mo.)
6. Hope International (Fullerton, Calif.)
7. Cardinal Stritch (Milwaukee, Wisc.)
8. Missouri Valley (Marshall, Mo)
9. Clarke University (Dubuque, Iowa)
10. St. Xavier University (Chicago, Ill.)
\n
\n-MAMVIC-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Rose Earns NAIA Libero of the Week Award';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006236.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 30, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – Three players that led their respective teams to perfect records on the week, earned the NAIA Men’s Volleyball Players of the Week awards announced Monday afternoon.
\nHayden Grove of St. Ambrose University, Ricardo Ferrer of Graceland University and Kalani Rose of Park University were named the NAIA’s Player, Setter and Libero of the Week.
\nGrove led the Fighting Bee’s to victories over Grand View and St. Xavier in three sets last week. The senior slammed home an average of 4.3 kills per set in those two matches and posted a hitting percentage of .400.
\nFerrer averaged 11.75 assists in Graceland’s wins over Missouri Valley and No. 4 ranked Missouri Baptist.
\nThe Maracaibo, Venezuela native also collected 1.2 digs per set and the Yellowjackets are now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in MAMVIC West play.
\nThis is the first Libero of the Week award for Park’s Rose. The San Diego, Calif., native averaged 2.4 digs per set and on 58 passing attempts had just one error.
\nRose helped lead Park to three wins over the weekend over Hannibal-LaGrange, No. 8 ranked Clarke University and NCAA Division II Lindenwood University.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Ends Road Trip with Five Set win over Lindenwood';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006232.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 29, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\nGAME STATISTICS
\nST. CHARLES, Mo. – Park University kept its record perfect through three matches with a thrilling five set win over Lindenwood University, (30-28, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13) on Sunday afternoon.
\nPark improved to 3-0 with the victory, while the Lions fell to 3-2. The Pirates came out firing from the beginning of the match running out to a 5-2 lead forcing a quick time out by Lindenwood.
\nThe Pirates kept the lead from that point all the way up until Lindenwood finally tied it up 18-18 with an attack error by Fray Luis Fajardo Arteaga.
\nAfter that point, both teams went back-and-forth but won the set when Matheus Roham came up with a big block against Jack Mitchell.
\nThe Pirates hit .319 as a team on the afternoon and Zach Penolio led the team in kills with 20. Arteaga added 19 and Roham had 18 with seven digs and two solo blocks.
\nAs a team, Park had 14 team blocks and Arteaga had two solo blocks and three block assists.
\nRob Cordero set up the Pirates all day with 59 assists and freshman Jan Johannson had a season high five kills.
\nLindenwood spread the wealth on offense, as Mitchell led the Lions with 17, Michael Adams had 15, Scott Siwicki slammed 11 and JM Plummer had 11.
\nIn the fifth and final set, neither team led by more than one point, until the scored on back-to-back plays to finish off the Lions, 15-13, with a service error on Chris Cox and a kill by Roham.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Volleyball Opens 2012 with Two Victories';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006228.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 28, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nHANNIBAL, Mo. – The Park University men’s volleyball team opened up its 2012 season with two victories, the first coming against MAMVIC West foe Hannibal-LaGrange in three sets, (25-20, 29-27, 34-32), the other came against No. 8 ranked Clarke University in five sets (25-19, 24-26, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13).
\nMatheus Roham had a monster game against his former team, leading the Pirates with 22 kills and 2010 AVCA NAIA All-American Fray Luis Fajardo Arteaga had 10 kills along with teammate Zach Penolio who had 10 of his own.
\nAll-American Rob Cordero picked up where he left off last year with 52 assists and collected two aces. Junior libero Kalani Rose led Park in digs with 12.
\nAgainst the No. 8 ranked Crusaders in Saturday’s finale, Roham again led all Pirates in kills with 16, but freshman middle Paul Bilanzic knocked home 12 of his own. Cordero had 49 assists in the five set match and 15 digs to lead all Pirates.
\nRoham also had 11 digs and two service aces and Bilanzic provided the defense with three solo blocks.
\nPark will return to action tomorrow afternoon in St. Charles, Mo., to take on NCAA Division II opponent Lindenwood University at 1 p.m.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Survives Road Test at Missouri Baptist';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/wbasketball/park_006227.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 28, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '\nGAME STATISTICS
\nST. LOUIS, Mo. – Park University held Missouri Baptist to 31-percent shooting and picked up its second AMC win with a 57-50 road victory over the Spartans at the Petty Sports Complex.
\nDanila Fabbri was nearly perfect from the field, shooting 7-of-8, and finished with 14 points and four rebounds. Fabbri and the Pirates improved to 13-5 on the season and 3-4 in conference play, while MBU dropped its eighth straight and falls to 6-14 overall and 0-6.
\nDown the stretch Park put the game away with stellar free-throw shooting, knocking down 9-of-11 free-throws and Vivian Holcomb, Nicole Wilhite and Brianna Beridon made six straight to finish off the Spartans.
\nThe Pirates shutdown American Midwest Conference scoring leader Andrea Seabaugh, before Saturday’s game, Seabaugh averaged a conference high 15.4 points per game and the Pirates frustrated her all day allowing just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.
\nThe Spartans managed just 4-of-14 from the three-point line and shot 50-percent from the charity stripe, shooting 14-of-28.
\nFor the second straight game, Beridon scored in double figures pouring in 13 and NAIA three-point leader Nicole Wilhite added 12 on 2-of-4 shooting from downtown.
\nOasha White led Park with seven rebounds and added four points, while Holcomb scored nine and pulled down six boards.
\nIesha McDaniel led MBU in scoring with 14 and Janelle Hensold scored 10. Missouri Baptist had 14 turnovers on the day and will return to face the Pirates on Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
\nPark hits the road again next Thursday, Feb. 2 to Hannibal, Mo., to take on Hannibal-LaGrange University at 5:30 p.m.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Gatson, Hairston lead Park, overcoming double-digit disadvantage to beat Missouri Baptist 75-67';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006226.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 28, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\n\n\n
\nST. LOUIS, Mo. – Juston Hairston and Melvin Gatson poured in a \ngame-high 21 points each and Reco Anderson added 14, helping Park \nUniversity overcome a 10-point first-half disadvantage in a 75-67 \nAmerican Midwest Conference win at Missouri Baptist University Saturday \nin St. Louis.
\n
\nThe Pirates (9-11) improved to 3-3 in the AMC, fueled by 58.3-percent \nshooting in the second half, and after Missouri Baptist (12-10, 3-2 AMC)\n blistered the net for 53-percent in the first period, the Spartans were\n held to just 25-percent in the second, getting 21 points from LeAndre \nJohnson and 12 from Dezmon Hickman in the team’s second loss in its last\n three games.
\n
\nPark opened the second half on a 6-0 run and forced a Missouri Baptist \ntimeout by taking a 40-39 lead on Mike Anorue’s jumper with two seconds \non the shot clock and 17:07 left, and after a stop, the Pirates \ncompleted the run when Gatson scored to make it 42-39.
\n
\nAfter Missouri Baptist scored the next four to regain a 43-42 lead, Park\n scored the next five points, going up 47-43 with 10:23 left when Gatson\n cut to the basket, scoring to make it a four-point advantage.
\n
\nHairston scored back-to-back buckets to extend the lead to 57-52 near \nthe 6:00 mark, and after the Spartans rallied, getting within one at \n57-56, Hairston drained a three from the top of the key, capping 5-0 run\n that was all Hairston and had Park up 62-56 with 3:47 to play.
\n
\nGatson held the lead at six for the Pirates with 1:50 to play, getting a\n third-chance score at the window to make it 64-58, and after Tyler \nPrice drained two free throws with a minute left to make it 66-59, the \nPirates hit five of their final six at the line to ice the game, marking\n the second road win for Park in the 2011-12 American Midwest Conference\n season.
\n
\nThe Spartans led 39-34 at intermission after Anderson hit the back end \nof two shots with 1.3 seconds left in the period, bringing the Pirates \nback within four points after Missouri Baptist built a 10-point, 25-15 \nfirst-half lead.
\n
\nPark chipped away and got back within one point when Mark Halsell fed \nHairston, who scored in the paint to make it 30-29, but Missouri Baptist\n withstood the Pirates’ first-half run, getting a three from Kalvin \nJohnson, one of his three in the first half, helping the Spartans score \nseven in-a-row to go up 37-29.
\n
\nThe Pirates return to the road Thursday night, taking on \nHannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal, Mo., a game that can be heard \nlive on the Pirate Sports Network at www.parkathletics.com and on 90.5 \nFM KGSP.
\n
\n';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Park Men\'s Volleyball Opens 2012 Season Saturday';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mvolleyball/park_006223.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 27, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '
\n2012 Schedule | 2012 Roster
\nPARKVILLE, Mo. – After a final four berth in the 2011 Tachikara NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Invitational Tournament, the returning Park University men’s volleyball team has its eyes set on taking its 2012 season one step further towards a potential national championship, the third in the tradition rich history of Park men’s volleyball.
\nThis year’s squad will have a new leader at the helm in first year head coach Mike Talamantes. Talamantes also serves as the Park women’s volleyball head coach, and took his women’s squad to new heights this Fall with a 22-11 overall record and third-place finish in the American Midwest Conference with an 11-5 AMC mark.
\nThe Pirates advanced to the conference tournament semifinals and lost to eventual tournament champion Missouri Baptist in five sets.
\nCoach Talamantes has proven he can win in his first year in a program and feels comfortable with the time he has spent with his team in preparation for the 2012 season.
\n“I had the luxury of working with the team in the Fall and having some workouts with them in the pre-season gave me a feel of what we would look like once the season began, so that was very beneficial,” said Talamantes.
\n“My goal for this team is to max out our potential. We have to become more cohesive as a group and once we get a few matches under our belt and get the season going, then I feel like it will be a good time to set some goals that we feel we can reach.”
\nIf Park is to join the 2003 and 2008 national championship squads they will have to accomplish it with eight returners and four newcomers.
\nThis year’s squad features three seniors including Vinicius Baigan, Fray Luis Fajardo Arteaga and Raphael Vieira.
\nThe junior class consisting of Kalani Rose, Luis Zepeda, Zach Penolio and Matheus Roham brings with them a ton of talent and sophomores Rob Cordero and Matt Rogers are hungry to return to the NAIA National Invitational Tournament.
\nFinally, the three freshmen on this year’s roster are Paul Bilanzic, Jan Johansson and Fabricio Toledo.
\nBaigan enters his third year with Park University after playing collegiately at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., his freshman season. The Libero appeared in 75 sets for Park last season including all 11 sets in the 2011 National Tournament.
\nVieira is an outside hitter who was second on the squad in service aces with 26 and knocked down 118 kills as a junior.
\nArteaga returns to Park after sitting out the entire 2011 season and hopes to return to his 2010 form when he was the only Pirate named to the 2010 AVCA NAIA Men’s Volleyball All-America Team. Arteaga is also the only Pirate left on the active roster who won the 2008 NAIA National Invitational Tournament championship.
\nPenolio heads up the junior class after leading the team in kills in 2011 with 467. For his stellar play he was named to the 2011 MAMVIC West first-team all-conference. Roham is a transfer student from Hannibal-LaGrange University and led the Trojans in kills in 2011 and joined Penolio, on the 2011 MAMVIC West first-team all-conference squad.
\nRose helped the defense tremendously his sophomore season with 127 digs and was second on the team in digs per set at 1.40. Zepeda returns for his third season in a Pirate uniform, after collecting 162 kills and 65 digs with 33 total blocks.
\nCordero is the second AVCA NAIA All-American on Park’s 2012 roster, after an incredible freshman season, the Yaracuy, Venezuela native was the only freshman named to the 2011 AVCA NAIA All-America team after posting 1131 assists and an average of 10.67 per set.
\nCordero was also selected the Co-Setter of the year in the MAMVIC West, and was named to the MAMVIC West second-team all-conference.
\nRogers enters his sophomore season looking to compete for a spot in the middle hitting position against freshmen Johansson and Bilanzic.
\nRogers collected eight total blocks as a freshman in 19 sets played and in his 11 matches last season, Park posted a record of 10-1.
\nJohansson is a 6’8 freshman out of Vernberg, Austria, while Bilanzic is the first 7’0 player to ever wear a Park University uniform. Both will fight for a spot in the middle hitter position.
\nFinally, Toledo comes to Park from Sao Paulo, Brazil., and is a versatile player that will see the floor mostly from the right side hitting position.
\nNo. 2 ranked Park University will begin the 2012 season this Saturday, Jan. 28 in Hannibal, Mo. The Pirates will face MAMVIC West opponent Hannibal-LaGrange University at 1 p.m., then will take on No. 8 ranked Clarke University Saturday at 3 p.m.
\nThen the Pirates travel to St. Charles, Mo., to take on NCAA Division II Lindenwood University Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
\nFans please visit www.parkathletics.com this weekend for a full recap of all the action.
\n
-PARK-
';
syndicate.index++;
syndicate.article_title[ syndicate.index ] = 'Familiar Road: Men\'s Basketball Travels Back to St. Louis Saturday to Battle Missouri Baptist';
syndicate.article_url[ syndicate.index ] = 'http://www.parkathletics.com/mbasketball/park_006222.shtml';
syndicate.article_date[ syndicate.index ] = 'Jan 27, 2012';
syndicate.article_summary[ syndicate.index ] = '