Holy Family Loses Home Opener

-By Jeffrey Kruczynski, 12/10/2003

The game did not end the way Alfred Johnson had envisioned, as the Tigers lost 71-66 to the Caldwell College Cougars. Coach Johnson, who is in his first year at Holy Family, was looking to make a good impression in the Tigers' home opener. Going into the contest, Holy Family was on a two game winning streak. Both teams had difficulty shooting the ball, as the basket seemed to be the size of a donut hole. Holy Family shot 32.9 percent (24/73) as a team compared to Caldwell's 37.7 percent (26/69). In addition, the Tigers shot a dismal 19 percent (4/21) from beyond the arc. At half-time, Holy Family was losing 31-28 and was down by as much as 14 in the second half. Despite their shooting troubles, the Tigers continued to battle and nearly regained the lead. Junior Bob Presner led the way with a double-double (17 points, 15 rebounds) and 2 blocks. Sophomore Ryan Haigh had 15 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Senior Mike Wild had 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block. Sophomore Chris Kozole contributed 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Senior Steve Szychulski provided a spark off the bench with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. The loss snaps the Tigers' 2-game winning streak and drops their record to 3-3 on the season.