Saturday, November 6, 2010

Basketball: Small College Syle

Jamestown College is a small NAIA school in North Dakota, but the Jimmies captured a big win on their opponent’s home floor Friday night.

It was coach Matt Murken’s first victory as a head man as the Jimmies destroyed Northwestern of Iowa, 80-64.

Jamestown kept the game close in the first half but exploded in the second half with deadly shooting including a number of three-point baskets.

I made the journey to Orange City to watch my friend Murken. Murken and I were teammates on an Athletes in Action basketball project to East Africa last summer.

“Murk” looked pretty dapper with his orange tie, white shirt and dark suit. He definitely looked like a coach and sounded like one too. He had several conversations with each of the three officials during the night.

He had a big smile on his face when the game ended. He will remember that first victory and hopes for many, many more in the future.

Murken has a long climb to chance one of our other coaches on the Africa trip, however. Oregon Tech’s Danny Miles has garnered over 600 wins. Murken joked with the African coaches that he and Miles had won over 900 games between the two.

Nice going, Murk. Keep it going and go Jimmies.

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