This past weekend the UChicago men’s basketball team played on both ends of the spectrum. The team spilt the two games they played in the North Central Tournament. The South Siders suffered a loss to Mount Union (74–58), who is ranked seventh in DIII national rankings, this past Friday. On the other hand, they were victorious against North Central on Saturday (74–58). Chicago will look to follow up this win with a couple more this weekend. They will be playing a set of games in the Pacific Lutheran Thanksgiving Tournament.
In the loss to Mount Union, the Maroons played hard but couldn’t stop a very good Mount Union group. Chicago was only able to shoot 30 percent from the field, while Mount Union shot 47 percent. This was apparent in the second half when Mount Union pulled away, outscoring the Maroons 47–32.
After this disappointing loss, the Maroons were able to hop back on the horse thanks to great play out of their veteran players. Fourth-year forward Alex Voss scored 11 points and grabbed the seven boards in the win. Voss was awarded the tournament MVP honors for his stellar play over the weekend. In addition to Voss’s honors, fourth-year guard Jordan Smith was also named to the All-Tournament team.
Nothing says Thanksgiving more than college basketball. This Thanksgiving, the Maroons will head off to Seattle to play against Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound. Second-year forward Collin Barthel has made a good contribution for the Maroons so far this season averaging about seven points and five rebounds a game. He is ready for the chance to play in the tournament. “Team morale is pretty high and everyone is excited for the trip,” Barthel said.
Pacific Lutheran comes into the tournament with a record of 2–0. This will be a tough game for the Maroons, who are just 2-2 on the season. Pacific Lutheran is also hosting the tournament, which could prove to be an advantage.
Pacific Lutheran gets to eat Thanksgiving dinner with their families, while the Maroons will be celebrating on the road. The team, however, is looking at the positives of trip rather then the negatives.
“It is hard to not go home to see our families, but we’ll still have a good holiday,” Barthel said. Barthel didn’t forget to mention his favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving. “And of course turkey with gravy is my favorite thing to eat,” Barthel added. “I hope they will be serving it in Seattle.”
Chicago’s other opponent this week, Puget Sound, comes into the tournament with a record of 2–1. Puget Sound is coming off a loss in their last game and is sure to be eager to get back to their winning ways against the Maroons.
The South Siders will tip-off 10 p.m. on Friday against Pacific Lutheran. Then on Saturday, the team will tip-off against Puget Sound at 4 p.m. After the set of weekend games, the team will play at Wheaton on Wednesday, December 2.
