Feb. 3, 2008

DeKALB, IL --- Northern Illinois University Intercollegiate Athletics scheduled its Eighth Annual Varsity Club Men's Basketball Alumni Game Saturday (February 2) morning when the American Basketball Association All-Star Game broke out instead.

   All that was missing was the old ABA trademark red, white, and blue basketball.

   Otherwise, the Huskie alumni managed great impersonations of vintage ABA stars such as Julius Erving, David Thompson, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, etc., with windmill dunks, finger rolls, and "wow!" plays, The game featured at least five players with 20 points or more, 10 double-digit scorers, 20 dunks, 25 three-point bombs, and a Northern Illinois Alumni Game record 224 combined points, plus a stirring extra session comeback finish. Eighteen of the 20 players on both Huskie alumni rosters scored at least two points.

   Rallying behind forward Marcus Smallwood (2000-04) and guard Ephraim Eaddy (1998-2000), coach Bill Finucane's Cardinal quintet overcame a 62-53 deficit at halftime, tied the game at the end of regulation on a Smallwood bucket, and outlasted the Black alums, 124-120, in overtime at the Convocation Center.

   The 6-foot-5 Smallwood topped all scorers with 30 points---all in the paint and many over the rim on dunks. The former two-time Northern Illinois Most Valuable Player rallied the Cardinal troops with 18 second half points. Smallwood executed tip-in slams, alley oops, and arm-length-over-the-rim dunks. Eaddy finished with 24 points---including 18 after halftime and hit back-to-back buckets in the OT to push the Cardinal to a 120-116 margin with 50 seconds left.

   Coach Mike Korcek's Black unit jumped off to a 8-0 margin and led most of the contest, thanks to the Big Three---center Johnathan Byrd (2003-05) with a team-best 27 points, guard Jay Bates (2001-03) with 25 points, and guard "Argo Al" Sewasciuk (2000-04) with 20 points. Despite canning 17 three-pointers to the Cardinal team's eight, the Northern Illinois Black alums got outscored 60-51 in regulation and 11-7 in OT.

   In fact, the NIU Blacks hit the 90-point barrier and a 12-point lead with 11:50 left on a trey by guard Dave Pygon (1987-88). Korcek's team held the lead for 39:45 of the 40-minute game until Smallwood's tying bucket.

   Center T. J Lux (1995-2000) added 16 points on his first campus visit since 2000 for the Cardinal, followed by guard Rey Jones (1996-2000) with 15 points, forward Shawn "Skee" Thrower (1977-81) with 11 points, and guard Phiffney Dukes (1997-99) with 11 markers. For the Black, guard Andre Williams (1997-98) scored 16 points and swingman Todd Peterson (2002-06) collected 14 points.

   The previous record for combined points in an NIU Alumni game was 220 markeers when the Cardinal posted a 125-95 triumph in 2005.

   "It was fun, win or lose," said Lux who played pro ball in Europe during 2000-06. "I almost feel like a little kid, seeing the new Convocation Center and all the former players. It's (Convo) big, the colors, the floor. It's a beautiful facility.

   Added Cardinal teammate Thrower: "It is fun coming back. Seeing guys like Marcus (Smallwood) jump out of the gym reminds you what you could do years ago. I mean Marcus defied gravity all game long. It's just great to be with some of your former teammates and meeting the other guys."

   "This is what this is all about," added Eaddy. "I keep up with a few of the guys.

   It's great to see everybody and their families. Nothing beats the `old stories' and the bus trips. And it was great to see T. J. Lux back. Best of all, it was a great, uptempo game. The guys were making dunks, threes, you name it. This was one of the more skilled alumni games that I've played in."

   Sewasciuk summed up the attitude for the Black alums. "Great game," he said. "Tough one to lose, but it was up and down and great for the fans. It was not a yawner."

Eighth Annual Northern Illinois University Varsity Club Men's Basketball Alumni Game Boxscore:
NORTHERN ILLINOIS CARDINAL (124) --- Jay Bryant 1 0-0 3, Phiffney Dukes 5 0-0 11, Ephraim Eaddy 11 0-0 24, T. J. Lux 8 0-0 16, Art Rohlman 0 0-0 0, Marcus Smallwood 15 0-0 30, Walter Thompson 2 0-0 4, Shawn Thrower 5 0-0 11, Stephen Jones 4 0-0 8, Brad Waller 0 0-0 0, Rey Jones 6 2-2 15. TOTALS 57 2-2 124.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS BLACK (120) --- Jay Bates 11 1-4 25, Johnathan Byrd 13 0-0 27, Joe Parys 1 0-0 3, Todd Peterson 5 0-0 14, Dave Pygon 3 0-0 8, Al Sewasciuk 8 0-0 20, Andre Williams 7 0-1 15, Will Smith 1 0-0 2, Chuck Schramm 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 51 1-5 120.

Three Point Baskets: Cardinal (8)---Rey Jones 3, Ephraim Eaddy 2, Jay Bryant 1, Phiffney Dukes 1, Shawn Thrower 1. Black (17)---Al Sewasciuk 6, Todd Peterson 4, Jay Bates 2, Dave Pygon 2, Johnathan Byrd 1, Joe Parys 1, Andre Williams 1.

Score by Halves:
                                                1st 2nd OT Final
Northern Illinois Cardinal  53  60  11 124
Northern Illinois Black      62  51   7  120