The Western men’s basketball team jump-started their 2009-10 season by taking home the Disney Division II Tip-Off West Coast Classic title Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Western went 2-1 for the tournament, winning the first game over Grand Canyon University but falling to Kentucky Wesleyan University on the second day of action.  The Vikings shook off the loss and closed out the tournament with a win over San Francisco State University, locking up first-place honors for Western.

“It is still very early in the year, but we definitely found out a lot about our team over these three games,” head coach Brad Jackson said.  “I was pleased with our job defensively and we played with balance on offense going inside and outside.”    

Western senior forward Michael Duty was named the MVP of the tournament, averaging approximately 14 points and six rebounds a game in the three contests.  Duty won the honor without leading the Vikings in scoring in any of the three games.

“I didn’t think I really deserved the honor when I found out because it was overall a team effort and they got the ball in the right spot,” Duty said.  “We were all working hard out there and played with a lot of composure.  We know what it feels like to win and lose now so we are ready for the season roll, but we definitely have some momentum coming off these games.”

The Vikings opened their season with the first game of the tournament against Grand Canyon University, whom the Vikings will play three times this upcoming season.  Western defeated Grand Canyon 94-70, led by Western senior guard Derrick Webb’s game-high 23 points and eight rebounds.

The tournament games were Webb’s first since the 2007-08 season, due to a broken wrist that kept him out of action last season.  Webb was named to the all-tournament team, averaging 11 points a game and shooting a nearly perfect 18 of 19 from the free-throw line throughout the tournament.

“It felt great to be out there and these games were a good confidence-builder for me personally,” Webb said.  “I didn’t really know what to expect, but at the same time I have really high expectations for myself and for this team.  All of us believe we have the talent to do big things, and these games showed us that we can go out there and live up to that.”

Duty and Western senior guard Morris Anderson both added 19 points for the Vikings in the win.  Anderson, the tournament leader in average assists and steals, had nine assists and three steals in the contest.  Western senior forward Zach Bruce added nine points and nine rebounds in the game.  Bruce was the leading rebounder of the tournament with eight per game.

Western shot approximately 45 percent as a team for the tournament, but was only able to shoot 25 percent from 3-point range.  Western hit only 13 total 3-pointers over the three games and only six in the last two games of the tournament.

“There were definitely points in this tournament where we saw major areas we need to work on, especially our shooting,” Jackson said.

Western rebounded from their first loss of the season and closed out the tournament with a win in the final game 71-52 over San Francisco State.  Western sophomore guard Cameron Severson came off the bench and led the Vikings with a game-high 19 points, shooting 5-8 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line.

“This game was a big step for us as a team because we did not let the first loss affect us and we bounced back nicely, playing with a lot of energy, especially on defense,” Severson said.

Western only allowed one San Francisco State player to reach double-figure scoring in the game.  The Vikings also held San Francisco State to 29 percent shooting in the second half while they shot more than 40 percent for both periods in the game.

Duty finished out the tournament with 13 points and eight rebounds in the final game.  He reached double figures in scoring and had at least six rebounds in all three games of the tournament.

“Michael was dominant at times in this tournament, and played an overall great tournament in every part of the game,” Jackson said.  “He is hard to handle for other teams, and a key for us this season will be to get the ball to him on a consistent basis.”

Webb said the team cannot afford a let down against these teams just because the games do not count toward the team’s record.  He said the team must use these games as learning tools to keep improving mentally and physically, and must strive to win every game they play.

“I was very pleased with our team’s performance this weekend, but we have to take the time to work on the things we saw in these games in the little time off we have to keep progressing as a team,” Jackson said.  “We have to use these next couple weeks wisely.”

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