Elsah, ILL. -- The Principia College Panthers hosted the Spalding University Golden Eagles in the final game of the season and Senior Day. Spalding was able to win the first matchup and the Panthers looked to protect home court and win the final game of the year. Principia played a complete game but a dominant second half offensively secured the 80-63 victory over Spalding.
The game started off very slow for both teams as they tried to get a feel for each other. Spalding took the early advantage going up by 7 in the first 8 minutes of play. The Panthers played excellent first half defense and stayed in the game. With 5 minutes left in the first half, the Panthers took control of the game off of three consecutive layups from three different players. Just before the half,
Micah Paulson hit a 3 pointer to give Principia a 5 point lead going into the locker room.
After an extremely defensive first half by both teams, Principia came out on a mission in the second half.
Micah Paulson picked up right where he left off, starting the second half with a layup and a three pointer to get things going for Principia. With 10 minutes left in the half the Panthers put their foot down with excellent offensive play.
Micah Paulson continued his hot offensive night with back to back three pointers to open a 15 point lead. Senior
Jeff Ross then followed that up with consecutive monster two hand dunks to put the stamp on a great final home game. The Panthers dominated the second half blowing the game out with 70% shooting and 15 assists.
Micah Paulson led all scorers with 36 points 8-12 from 3 point land and
Parker Davidson had one last double-double with 15 points 10 rebounds as well as 7 assists. The Panthers dominated for the majority of the game and came out with the 80-63 victory in their final home game.
Senior Spotlight:
SENIOR DAY
Our first Senior that we are honoring today is
Jeff Ross. He is accompanied by his parents Debbie and Peter Ross. Jeff hails from Glen Rock, New Jersey and he will never…ever let you forget that. From the moment Jeff set foot on campus, we knew that he would be a game changer for the Principia Men's Basketball program. In his first week as a Panther, Jeff won SLIAC Player of the Week, setting the tone for his outstanding 4 year career. While predominantly playing post for Principia, Jeff has guard like abilities that have proved invaluable, as his court vision and ball handling is something not often seen from a man of his height. Jeff comes into his final game with 729 points, 420 rebounds, and 195 assists in his Principia career. However, if you know Jeff, you know that BLOCKS are his favorite statistical category. Jeff is 2nd in Principia's NCAA history with 134 blocks for his career, and we know he certainly hopes to add to that total tonight. For all his work on the court, it is actually off the court that Jeff will be missed the most. He is a constant source of positive energy and fun who helped change the overall course of this program with his team first attitude. Jeff is also an extremely hard worker in the classroom, as he is a triple major in Business Administration, Economics, and Sustainability. Where he finds the time to do all of this, we do not know, but we are certainly grateful for everything that you have given to the basketball program. As you close your basketball career and enter into the twilight of your baseball career, we wanted to say Thank You for a tremendous 4 years. Jeff…We will miss you tremendously!!
Our second Senior that we are honoring today is
Parker Davidson. He is accompanied by his mom, Melissa Cathcart, and his dad and step-mom, Chan and Melanie Davidson. Parker hails from Amarillo, Texas…and just like Jeff, he will never let you forget it. Parker truly came to Principia College to change this program, and his efforts were certainly rewarded. Making the SLIAC Tournament was a pipe dream before Parker and Jeff came along, but they accomplished that goal last season. Parker's legacy on the court is remarkable. In his Freshman Year, Davidson won SLIAC Newcomer of the Year. In the year's that followed, he has been named SLIAC All Conference as well as SLIAC All Defensive Team. He holds the Principia NCAA Record with 960 rebounds…345 more than second place. He is 1st overall in defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, and minutes played. Parker's career numbers are 1,430 points, 960 rebounds, and 197 assists. He has averaged a double double for his career, and earlier this season he broke the NCAA Principia Men's Basketball single game records for points and rebounds…in the same game, with 46 points and 22 rebounds against Greenville University. However, just like Jeff, Parker will be missed most off the court. The idea of Brotherhood is something that Parker embodies, as his devotion to creating lasting bonds and memories with his fellow teammates will be missed dearly. As a 3 Year Captain, there is no simple replacement for his leadership, but Parker certainly helped set the foundation for Principia Basketball in the years to come. Parker is majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Economics. Whatever you decide to do, we know you will be successful. Thank You for your 4 years of devotion to this program. Parker…We will miss you dearly!!
