February 2, 2001

By Gary Rubin

Regis' Porter gathers 400th career victory with close win over Western

One of the Deans of the Division II basketball coaching ranks reached an impressive milestone toward the end of January. Regis University head men's basketball coach Lonnie Porter won his 400th career game as the Rangers beat Western State College 78-76 on Jan. 20 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball action.

"This is an exhilarating evening for me," said Porter, who now owns a 400-256 record in his 24th season. "Winning this RMAC game is a tremendous boost for our team. Being able to enjoy this occasion in front of the home crowd makes winning number 400 that much more special to my players."

After the two teams went into halftime tied at 34-34, Regis built a 54-47 lead midway through the second half. Western State proceeded to tie the game six times after that point, but the Mountaineers were never able to take a lead.

With only six seconds remaining in the contest, the Rangers' Corey LeDuff hit a long two-point jumper in the left corner to give Regis the 78-76 advantage. Cortez Washington was credited with the assist on LeDuff's game-winner.

LeDuff led Regis with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point land. Washington (12 points, 11 rebs.) and Randell Nelson each came away with double-doubles for the Rangers, as well.

Race for No. 1

The Great Lakes Valley Conference is home to three of the top teams in the country. Whichever team comes out of this powerhouse league might hold the inside track to a national title. When Bruce Pearl's top-ranked Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles went to Kentucky Wesleyan and lost 97-86 on Jan. 27 in front of 5,000 fans, it marked the end of USI's 16-game winning streak. Southern still leads the Great Lakes Valley Conference by a game over Ray Harper's Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers and Ken Shield's Northern Kentucky Norse.

With the USI loss, Jim Ferry's Adelphi Panthers moved into the top spot in the NABC/Division II Bulletin Top 25 for Jan. 29, 2001. According to the school, it's the first time a Division II school on Long Island has ever been ranked No. 1. Adelphi, along with Division I Stanford, are the only unbeaten NCAA men's basketball teams remaining. The Panthers are in the midst of their longest winning streak in school history and have won 21 straight New York Collegiate Athletic Conference games. Ferry, a Long Island native in his second season at the school, Ferry is 63-15 overall in three seasons as a collegiate coach and 41-7 at Adelphi.

More milestones

In West Virginia, Charleston head coach Jayson Gee won his 100th career game as a head coach on Jan. 20 with a victory over Shepherd. The fifth-year mentor of the Golden Eagles is 100-36 at UC.

Brian Beaury's Saint Rose squad upended former NYCAC rival Southampton 105-71 on Dec. 29, and then upended provisional Div. I Binghamton 95-85 the next night. The victory over Southampton marked the 500th victory in the program's 26-year history. The math computes to an average of 19 wins per-season.

Presbyterian head coach Gregg Nibert captured his 200th career win on Jan. 17 when his Blue Hose beat Mars Hill 69-52. Nibert is only the second active South Atlantic Conference head coach to reach the 200-win plateau.

Tip-ins

Head coach Joe Esposito's Angelo State Rams took sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference last week when it upended Texas A&M Commerce 85-77 on the road. The Rams are off to their best conference start in history. Esposito has his team dialing in from long distance. They hit 10 of 21 treys in the win.