The
Clarion
Volume 82, Issue 14 Web Edition
clarion.brevard.edu
This week: The Clarion Year in Review
SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
December 14, 2016
Nottingham and the Tower of London. The Theatre class will be taking trips to see plays at the Globe Theatre, will have a private tour of Rose & Globe, and have professionals visit the classroom. All the offered classes have trips like these. Public Health, Photography and Graphic Design, Mass Communications and Global Education are just a few of the other classes available. Brevard College English professor Ken Chamlee will be teaching British literature with the program. In 2004 and 2007, Chamlee taught abroad through other programs. This is the third year that Midwestern State University and Brevard College have worked together in the consortium. In 2015, Smith taught the British Theatre class. It mainly focused on the impact that has been made on Western Theatre by the British. Smith first taught in London in 2011 as a teacher from Midwestern State University.
As a student, Smith participated in a study abroad program through the same consortium. “The experience opened my eyes to what method acting was capable of producing on stage, that styles other than realism and representationalism could be immediate and moving, and that I wanted to work in this field and learn the craft of acting,” said Smith. In 2015 the program had an average of 60 participants. The class sizes were small and averaged around 10 students per class. The classes run Monday through Thursday with different field trips taken in the evenings. The four-week class also offers a “mini-break” that allows the students to explore surrounding areas. Participants will need funds for food, personal travel money, and the tube (subway) pass. These are not included in the flat fee. They will also need a valid U.S. passport. Any questions can be directed to Chamlee or Curriculum Enrichment Coordinator Nacole Potts.
Deadline set for study abroad trip to London By Jeni Welch Staff writer
The deadline to enroll in the London Study Abroad course is March 1. The 2017 summer class with take place between July 6 and August 7. Brevard College Theatre professor Brandon Smith said, “I think it is one of the single most significant opportunities available to our students.” The entire program is $6,900, which includes roundtrip airfare from Charlotte to Heathrow, London, transportation from Heathrow to campus, six hours tuition and fees, a private dorm room, and the cost that is associated with each class. Some of the cost includes trips to Oxford, Wimbledon, Shepherd Neame and major business centers in London for the business class. The Criminal Justice class has trips to
President Joyce engages in festivities in annual ‘Joyce to the World’
Photos courtesy of Jordon Morgan
BC President David Joyce invited students as well as children of faculty and staff to his house on Saturday, Dec. 10, to help celebrate the annual “Joyce to the World,” where he read “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and served up holiday treats.
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Voice of the Rivers 2017
Campus News Service dogs come to campus to relieve pre-exam stress The Clarion
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December 14, 2016
By Florian Peyssonneaux
Staff Writer In May 2017, the experiential education trip Voice of the Rivers will bring its participants to discover the Savannah River. It is an opportunity for some Brevard College students to earn credits for a link class, while spending three weeks exploring one of the major rivers in the United States of America. “Voice of the Rivers is an interdisciplinary study of a river from its source to the sea. The VOR 2017 expedition will explore the Savannah River Watershed from its headwaters near Whitesides Mountain to its end at Tybee Island, GA,” said WLEE professor Robert Dye. The expedition will start after the conclusion of the Spring semester, on the Monday after graduation, and the students will return from the trip on May. 25. “Brevard students will explore a river, its history and culture, and the concerns of the people who live on, work with, and depend on it. Students and professors alike will spend their days paddling, exploring the watershed and its ecology, and building relationships with each other” as stated on brevard.edu. Some people might think that Voice of the River is only for WLEE majors, but it is actually open to all BC students, and “this trip can satisfies some course requirement in any academic program” as stated on Brevard.edu. Indeed, students from various majors will work together in order to accomplish the goals of the Voice of the River trip. This expedition reflects the mission statement of Brevard College by being an experiential education trip. Historically, 10 to 12 students are usually part of the trip with two professors to supervise the group. For the 2017 expedition professors Robert Dye (WLEE faculty) and Dr. Amy Stringer (EXSCI Faculty) will lead the group of students. Voice of the River has been one of the main field trips at Brevard College for many years, and is set to see it’s 20th anniversary with the next expedition. In the past, VOR also did different trips “from the Brevard campus to New Orleans via Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, from Henderson County to Charleston, SC, from Cashiers, NC to Savannah, GA” and some expeditions abroad. “The applications for Voice of the River 2017 will be accepted in January” said Robert Dye. To become a Brevard explorer and spend three weeks in the wilderness along the Savannah River, you will have to pay $3200 to be part of next year’s Voice of the River.
Photo courtesy of Kaelyn Martin
Service dogs in training from the Elite Crew at Pure Pets visited Brevard College on Tuesday, Dec. 7 and Friday, Dec 12. from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 pm. Hope Alwin, the night manager at Jones library, organized this event in the hope that it would be a way for students to de-stress during the week leading up to finals.
Check out information All you need to know before heading home this Winter By Kaelyn Martin
Managing Editor Checking out for winter break? Want to avoid a fine? Here are the requirements all students must meet before checking out, and heading home for the winter.
Clean up: - Make sure all rooms are clean and trash is taken out to the dumpster. - All students are responsible for making sure the common area is clean - Unplug ALL electronics, including the refrigerator. - Turn off any lights and make sure all faucets are in a closed and off position
Lock up: - Make sure all windows and doors are locked. - Blinds should be lowered and closed all the way
Sign out: - Residents must complete and sign a closing checklist taped to room door before Break - Remember to specify time and date of leaving campus All students are required to leave campus within 24 hours of their last exam. For students who have an exam on Friday Dec. 16., you are required to leave campus by 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17.
December 14, 2016 | The Clarion
Arts & Life
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14 years in, Annual WLEE cookie party still a hit By Jessica Wiegandt
‘Arrival’ is Clarion pick for best film of 2016 By Michael Heiskell Opinion Editor
2016 has been a hot mess of a year. Socially, politically, and even mentally. One would think the perennial wet blanket of a year would have sullenly draped itself over the film industry as well. However, 2016 has been a fun and eventful year in the film industry that has produced a lot of memorable and exciting features. I’ve watched a lot of movies this year, and there is one in particular that I think represents the best of 2016. When using blanket words like ‘best,’ one has to consider a lot. What exactly defines best? Isn’t the movie going experience supposed to be fun and subjective? Well, in my opinion, one just has to look a little back on the history of film to see why my choice can be called the best. The Lumière Brothers kicked the film industry off by startling audiences with a train barreling towards the camera. Films originally were meant to be a spectacle. It wasn’t long before they transitioned into an entertainment and moneymaking powerhouse. Films of the early Hollywood era were all about making money and making people happy. It was the birth of the arthouse cinema scene in Russia and France that truly convinced people that film could be a conduit into the human condition. Films really
could have something to say and people were starting to realize it. They could move us, inspire us, and even change our ideologies. Famous film critic Roger Ebert once referred to films as a great empathy machine. Giving us insight into a world and people we didn’t understand, but maybe now we could. Films can help us connect and understand each other. A film that can be categorized as the best in any given year has to embody all of these traits. In my opinion, the film “Arrival” has all of these unique qualities that make a film stand out. It is a spectacle film that truly moved and amazed me. It had some of the best writing of the year and a truly outstanding message. Film became an art as a byproduct of people starting to understand acting and film direction. “Arrival” was a powerhouse in both categories. It’s an exciting, smart, and powerful film that doesn’t remove itself from its audience. It helps that it’s incredibly entertaining and fun as well. I highly suggest that people go and see this movie because it could not have been more timely. We live in a world where people have prejudices and are suspicious of each other. This is a movie that shows the power of language and how it connects people. The beautiful message is only helped by powerful film making and stirring performances.
Arts & Life Editor Each year, WLEE professor Robert Dye hosts the annual department cookie party, inviting students, friends and alumni to spread some holiday spirit. This year was no different as about 50 people gathered at Dye’s house on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016. Dye has been hosting the cookie party for 14 years now, with the exception of last December, when he was in Hong Kong for the International Sea Kayak Educators Symposium. Each year, those invited are encouraged to make, bake or take favorite holiday cookies. Usually at the end of the evening, a competition is held to determine the best cookie of the night, however there wasn’t one this year due to the crowd. “It’s so great to see everyone again,” sophomore Kate Stephens said. “A lot of these people have been on Immersion or I just haven’t seen this semester. It’s a super fun way to catch up.” Dye had the Immersion team for next semester, Spring 2017, come half an hour early to the party to meet up and give updates for the start of the semester. The team next semester will be led by Dye and has nine students. “We’ve had a few changes,” Dye said to the group, “We’re going to push back our departure date for the 21-day excursion so we can attend BANFF Film Festival.” Originally, the group was going to leave the Friday before BANFF Film Festival, which is a popular outdoor film tour that Brevard hosts each spring. Dye chose to depart after the festival was over, meaning the group will return on April 9. The party was well attended with the current Immersion team represented, as well as many previous WLEE students from 101 classes and skills classes, such as rock climbing and whitewater kayaking. “It’s a great way to get people to mix,” freshman Sam Munson said, “As a freshman I get to meet a lot of the upperclassmen students and alumni. Plus there’s cookies and who doesn’t like cookies?” This tradition for eating cookies and building the community within the WLEE Department seems to be a popular one. “It’s my pleasure to host this,” Dye said. “We have a lot of fun here and it’s always great to see everyone connect, professors, students, friends and alumni.”
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Year in Review
The Clarion
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December 14, 2016
EDITORS NOTE
2016: A year in review By Calum McAndrew Editor in Chief
It has been one hell of a year. On the whole in 2016 we all consumed news that tested our patience, morals and even in some cases our natural human condition to be a generally amicable person, and that’s even if we leave politics out of the equation. Plug that in, and it’s been one year from hell. The year started off with the death of David Bowie, and given his famed ability to predict upcoming trends, we really should have taken that as our first clue. Legend upon icon followed in his footsteps, and the very fabric that holds our universe together unsurprisingly began to tear. War rages on in Syria. Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. There were terrorist attacks in Orlando, Nice, and
multiple in Turkey. Hate crime against Muslims and the LGBTQ community are on the rise. Forest fires ravaged the South, leaving thousands without homes, and the town of Gatlinburg, TN in ruins. Even the world of entertainment appeared to be hell bent on hammering yet another nail into the coffin. Donald Trump and Kanye West were recently in the same room. The viral video on social media of a polar bear petting a dog turned out to be the bear’s pre meal preparation. There’s going to be another Transformers movie. Can this year really do no good? With this being the last issue for publication this calendar year, it seems like an appropriate time to look back on what happened these past twelve months at Brevard College. With all the tumultuous discrepancies of the real world, it can be hard to find any ‘good news’ whatsoever, and even when we do, it’s hard to let it cheer us up. Low and behold how-
ever, BC might just have that covered. Even in the year a dead body was found on our campus, this College has managed to provide the odd shining light in an otherwise dark abyss. Call me crazy, but I’d say in the grand scheme of things, that’s a victory. Our cycling team became DI national champions, and our mens soccer team defeated the number one outfit in the nation. A stylish new dorm was constructed, as was a state of the art Astroturf pitch. So for a moment, ignore the tirades of our politicians. Let your mind rest, and put the atrocities and ignorance of the world to one side for now. For just a minute, let us bask in what was good on our own doorstep, and for a little while forget what year it is, because this year, we had news worth reading. Over the next few pages is what Brevard College did well this year.
Stanback Hall officially opens
Photo courtesy of Kaelyn Martin
Stanback Hall (originally named Kings Creek Residence Hall) opened to students at the start of the 2016 Fall semester. It was officially renamed Stanback Hall in honor of longtime Brevard College trustee and financial supporters William C. Stanback and his wife, Nancy, in September, 2016.
December 14, 2016 | The Clarion
Year in Review
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Turf Field to soon reach completion
Photo Courtesy of Womens Lacrosse Twitter
By Alex Perri
Staff Writer - Sept. 9. “It’s lit!” was the first response of sophomore soccer player Megan Shina when asked about the new turf field being installed on campus. And she wasn’t just referring to the lights staged to illuminate the field, allowing night contests for the first time in BC athletics history. The turf field which is set to be finished Thursday will host five sports teams for the BC athletics department. Mens and Womens soccer, Mens and Womens lacrosse, and softball will all hold their competitions on the new field. According to Brevard College Athletics Director, Juan Mascaro, the turf field provides a solution to many problems in the most cost effective way possible. “We had two fields that were not at par for a collegiate program, so we needed to find a way to bring them up to par. The best way to do that was to have a turf field that can host five different sports.” Prior to the field’s installation the two natural grass practice fields for the lacrosse and soccer programs were chronically flooded due to the geography and weather of Transylvania County. By the end of the fall sports season, the soccer field adjacent to the gymnasium and the Village residence halls resembled a mud pit, with more brown spots than green. “It’s always raining here” said one Brevard soccer
player. “If we waited for the field conditions to dry out then we would never be able to use the field. What happens when you play on soft grass though, is eventually it gets trampled into mud.” The lacrosse field was even worse when it came to flooding. At certain points in the season, the lacrosse teams could be seen bailing buckets of water off of the grass to allow for field conditions to improve. For the softball team, a turf field is an interesting move, but one that Mascaro says may be the future for the sport at the collegiate level. “It’s a new thing. Anderson just did their field on turf. At Liberty [University] I saw a couple baseball and softball fields there on turf, too. It’s easier to upkeep” The current softball field will remain as the practice field for the Tornados. Junior softball player Paige Atkinson said, “Our team is very excited about the turf, and ready to see how the field plays. I personally have played on turf for years and love it, so knowing we have it is very exciting for us...and it is closer to the main part of campus so hopefully we have more fans that can come out and support Brevard softball this year.” According to Mascaro all athletic competitions at the turf field will remain free of charge, and like Atkinson he believes that the new facility will increase game attendance. The first game set to take place on the turf field will be Saturday Sept. 17 when the Mens and Womens soccer teams take on Coker College at 2pm and 4:30pm respectively.
the Clarion
Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Calum McAndrew Managing Editor . . . Kaelyn Martin Copy Editor . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . Michael Heiskell Arts & Life . . . . . . Jessica Wiegandt Sports . . . . . . . . Campus News . . . . Layout & Design . . . Emma Moore Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett Tucker Fry Jordon Morgan
Other Staff Alex Perri Jeni Welch Bryant Baucom
The Clarion is a student-run college newspaper produced by student journalists enrolled at Brevard College. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of the staff of The Clarion. Other opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff or administration of Brevard College.
All correspondence should be mailed to: The Clarion, Brevard College, One Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712, or send E-mail to
[email protected] clarion.brevard.edu
Letters Policy: The Clarion welcomes
letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for length or content. We do not publish anonymous letters orw those whose authorship cannot be verified.
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Year in review
The Clarion
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December 14, 2016
Cycling wins its first Division I national title Sarah Hill takes first place in individual omnium By Calum McAndrew
Editor in Chief - Oct. 26 The Brevard College Cycling team won the Division I USA Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship for the first time in their history, adding to a host of other national championship titles in recent years. After placing second in their first ever showing in the Division I National Championships last year, the Tornados managed to go one better this year in Showshoe, W. Va., thanks to the help of several inspired individual performances, and a historic team performance. Senior Sarah Hill claimed the individual title for women, finishing a tremendous 84 points ahead of second place, totalling 487 points over the entire weekend. Hill, who is in her final semester at Brevard College, was evidently delighted at both her individual success, and the victory for the team. “I am so overwhelmed,” said Hill. “Everything just went exactly right and I couldn’t think of a better way to end my collegiate career. Brevard is absolutely the best team in the entire country, and I am confident that I pass the baton onto some amazing riders.” On the men’s side, it was Junior Walker Shaw who provided the Tornados best showing over the weekend, riding his way to a runner up fin-
ish in the men’s individual championship. Shaw recorded 296 points in the individual omnium, 34 points behind eventual champion Stephan Devoust of Fort Lewis College. Also with impressive individual showings for the Tornados over the weekend were sisters Allison and Hannah Arensman, who placed fourth and fifth respectively in the women’s individual omnium. Freshman Carson Beckett also had a championship to remember, as he emerged from the men’s individual omnium with a total of 240 points. In addition to this, the Tornados also emerged as victors from the team relay national championship, meaning on Sunday Oct. 23, Brevard captured their first Division I title in this discipline. The four person team for this event consisted of Allison Arensman, Carson Beckett, Zack Valdez and Janelle Cole, who together led Brevard to the team relay national title, ahead of Fort Lewis College who placed second, and Savannah College of Art and Design, who finished third. Rounding off the weekend was the dual slalom event, where sophomore Kyle Grau finished one place ahead of teammate Shaw, placing in sixth and seventh respectively. Also competing in this event were juniors Callum McEwan, who
placed 13th, and Zach Hutelin, who finished in 16th place for the event. For the women in the dual slalom, it was once again Hill who provided the Tornados best performance, finishing in 12th place. Junior Samantha Miranda also competed in this event, finishing up the race in 18th place overall. The title that Brevard will find the most pride in however is the Varsity Omnium first place result, which hands Brevard their first Division 1 National Championship in their history. There has not been a shortage of championships and accolades for the cycling team in recent years, but this particular achievement is what years of work has been building up to according the head cycling coach, Brad Perley. “I’m floored and beyond proud of the efforts put in by our entire team and coaching staff this weekend,” said Perley. “It’s certainly the culmination of lots of hard work over the years, and it wouldn’t be possible without all the great people in this program.” After a weekend full of racing, Brevard found themselves over 100 points ahead of third placed Marian University, and 59 points ahead of eventual runners up Fort Lewis College, in what will go down as a historic weekend not just for the Brevard College Cycling team, but for the College as a whole.
Photo Courtesy of BC Athletic Media Relations
December 14, 2016 | The Clarion
Year in Review
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BC presents new climbing team By Florian Peyssonneaux
Staff Writer - Nov. 30. For the first time in Brevard College history a climbing team will compete as a collegiate sport after recent approval from the Board of Trustees. The team was already competing in the Appalachian Division, but now raise to a higher level of acclaim by becoming the newest officially recognized team on campus.* For the time being, nearly a dozen students are part of the team, and are looking forward to competitive competition. The Tornados climbing team will compete against other schools under three different categories such as sport, speed-climbing, and bouldering. In sport climbing the anchors are permanently on the rock, while bouldering is a more simple form of climbing without a rope, that requires short and strong moves. In the speed category, the climber has to scale a 10-meter wall. Brevard College Vice President for Strategic Planning and Athletics Juan Mascaro com-
mented on the new addition to the athletics department, saying “Rock climbing will be an exciting addition to our athletic program here at Brevard.” The climbing team follows the route that Brevard’s cycling team took few years ago when the team made the switch from a successful club to an officially recognized team. Similar to cycling, BC climbing team has the geographical advantage over other schools. Indeed, Brevard has an ideal location for rock climbing with spots like Looking Glass Rock located in Pisgah National Forest, or Brevard Rock Gym if the climbers want to practice inside. Travis Gray who is an alumni of Brevard College, and sponsor of the team, as of Monday, Nov. 21 assumes the role of head coach of the climbing team. “This magnificent group of students are true champions on this campus, and the potential for each of them is endless. There is truly no height that each of them cannot reach on and off the wall. I am truly honored to help mentor
Photo courtesy of Audrey Ashburner
Members of the Climbing Team pose in front of the “Welcome to Tennessee” sign as they head to one of their competitions.
Senior goalkeeper Heath Turner saved a penalty kick in the SAC Quarterfinal victory versus eventual National champions Wingate.
them to many more accomplishments as their coach” said Gray. BC student Audrey Ashburner who is also the president of the climbing club contributed to make this transition from club to competitive team. “I have been working towards turning the climbing club into a competitive sports team for the past two years of my college career, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life,” she said. Ashburner also added, “I am so proud of what the club has accomplished, and overjoyed with all of the support I received from Brevard College and the Brevard community in order to make this possible.” *Article includes corrections from Dec. 7 issue
Tornados stun #1 Bulldogs
The BC men’s soccer team stunned the No. 1 Wingate Bulldogs by a final of 1-0 in South Atlantic Conference quarterfinal action Tuesday night in Wingate, N.C. “Absolutely brilliant effort by this team tonight,” head coach Shug Shinohara said. “We dreamed this, believed in that dream and made it happen.” The Tornados jumped on the scoreboard early in the first half as junior midfielder Gabriel Garcia netted the goal that would prove to be the game-winner at the 5:10 mark, capitalizing on a Bulldog miscue to give Brevard the early 1-0 lead. Brevard then turned the game over to a brilliant defensive performance by senior goalkeeper Heath Turner and a solid back line. Turner ended the evening with one of the alltime greatest performances as a Tornado. Turner turned in the play of the evening on a Wingate penalty kick by Callum Ross at the 62:15 mark, as the netminder dove to his right to turn away a game-tying scoring attempt. Turner would make three incredible saves to close out the second half and give the Tornados their biggest win in NCAA Division II history. The Tornados will move on to the semifinal round of the SAC tournament as they prepare for the #5 Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters. Action is schedule for Friday, Nov. 4 in Rock Hill, S.C.
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Sports
The Clarion
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December 14, 2016
Mens Basketball Bob Winch named as suffer narrow next Mens Soccer Coach defeat to Coker By Joseph Swanson
Athletic Media Relations Director
Photo Courtesy of BC Athletic Media Relations
By Joseph Swanson
Athletic Media Relations Director
BREVARD, N.C. – Bob Winch has been tapped as the next head men’s soccer coach at Brevard College, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Athletics Juan Mascaro announced on Friday. Winch, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, will inherit a program fresh off of its best season in the program’s history at 8-8-3 — including a South Atlantic Conference quarterfinal win over No. 1 Wingate University and a trip to the SAC semifinal against Lincoln Memorial University. “We are excited to have someone with coach Winch’s experience, reputation and passion for the game,” Mascaro said. “He is a true professional in the coaching community; we look forward to his leadership and the continued success of our men’s soccer program.” Winch began his coaching career with a one-year stint at Central Connecticut State University, where he served as the assistant men’s soccer coach. Winch would then move on to Manchester Junior College for a year as the head men’s soccer coach, before taking his talents to the Division I level at Clemson University from 1990 to 1993, where he served as the assistant men’s soccer coach. Following his time at Clemson, Winch began a 13-year stint (1993-2005) as the head men’s soccer coach at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., where he was selected as coach of the year on four separate occasions in 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2004. During his time with the Knights, Winch compiled a 31-8-3
conference record from 2001-2004, including four conference championships and three Division I National Tournament appearances. After a successful stretch at UCF, Winch served for one year as the assistant women’s soccer coach at Auburn University, before moving on to coach The Citadel from 2006-2016. While at The Citadel, Winch was named the Southern Conference Women’s Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2010. For the past year, Winch has been the assistant women’s soccer coach at Division III Brandeis University in Boston, Mass., where his team finished the year at 13-3-3, earning a trip to the NCAA Final Four Tournament. “I would like to thank Mr. Mascaro for the opportunity to become the next head men’s soccer coach at Brevard College,” Winch said. “It is my goal to continue the success and further develop the solid foundation established by coaches Shigeyoshi Shinohara and Bradley Morrison.” With their most successful season at the NCAA Division II level in the books, the Tornados will return to the pitch in 2017 in their first season at the NCAA Division III level. As part of the transition, Brevard will move from the SAC to the USA South Athletic Conference, where they will join both Pfeiffer University and Berea College as three Division II programs making the switch to Division III for the 2017-18 calendar year. “It is an exciting time to be associated with Brevard College Athletics as it enters into NCAA Division III competition,” Winch added. “We will work very hard in all aspects of the program each day to be competitive right away.”
Despite a 20 point outburst by junior guard Stevie Williams (High Point, N.C.) and three other Tornados posting double-digit point totals, the Brevard College Tornados (1-9, 0-4 SAC) were unable to overcome a Coker College Cobras (5-4, 2-1 SAC) run in the second half, falling by a final of 78-67 Saturday evening. Williams would lead the Tornados on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 20 points on 5-11 shooting, while fellow juniors Shelby Parris (Burlington, N.J.) and D.J. Bostick (Marietta, Ga.) posted 16 and 13 point totals, respectively. Senior Omar El Diraoui (Beirut, Lebanon) added 13 points on 3-6 shooting from the floor as the senior pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and dished out a team-best five assists for the game. The Beirut, Lebanon native also posted two blocks for the game, tying freshman Levi Lamb (Atlanta, Ga.) who came off the bench to finish with three points and seven rebounds on the evening. Coker’s Nathan Lemke overcame a slow first half start to finish with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, finishing 10-11 from the floor and contributing two blocks. In addition to Lemke, the Cobras’ finished with three other players with double-digit point tallies. Brevard would finish the evening with a slight 11-10 assist advantage over Coker, while also controlling a 4-2 block discrepancy, while Coker claimed a 35-27 rebound lead and a 12-9 advantage on steals. The Tornados would come out hot to open the first half Saturday night, shooting 45 percent from the floor, to the Cobras 32 percent, taking a 33-28 lead into the 15-minute halftime, as Williams posted a first half high of 12 points, converting six first half free throw attempts. Despite the Tornados shooting 50 percent for the second half, Coker managed to convert on 14-19 free throw attempts down the stretch to take the game 78-67. The Tornados will return to the floor this coming Saturday, December 17 as they travel to Wingate, N.C. to battle the Wingate Bulldogs at 4 p.m. before closing out the first half of the 2016-17 season at home, December 30 against North Greenville at 4 p.m.
