Cyclones #2 in nation, finish trailblazing season

Finishing second in the nation at the NJCAA Division II Championship Tournament is quite a feat. The Cyclones were in control all season-long, but after four intense games they came up short of taking the national title home (March 23). Losing 87-69 to Rend Lake College was a tough blow, but it was the first time the men’s basketball team had advanced that far in the programs’ existence and the first time two teams from the same state played in the Division II championship.

“It was a great run, and I enjoyed every step. This was great for Moraine Valley. It was the chance of a lifetime for these guys,” said Dedrick Shannon, in what was his final game as the Cyclones’ head coach. “After the game there was no holding our heads down. These schools we played have big scholarships for players. They have recruits from all over the country. We have local kids, and our biggest guy is 6’7”. Rend Lake had five guys over 6’7”. But we played impressively.”

Despite another double-double, his fourth in the tournament, by Karrington Ward (11 points, 11 rebounds), who was named to the All-Tournament team, and a couple of strong point totals from All-Tournament player Darryl “DJ” Hervey (17) and Dave Williams (13), the Cyclones couldn’t stop the shooting barrage by Rend Lake. Moraine Valley was shut down in the first half, shooting just 23.5 percent from the field, going 3-for-18 in 3-pointers. By halftime the Cyclones were down 48-26.

The Warriors’ defense and energy continued to halt the “94-feet-of-heat.” Although the Cyclones did outscore their opponent in the second half, it wasn’t enough to make up a significant first half deficit. After three consecutive games in the national tournament, the Cyclones just ran out of gas. “Playing four games the way we play is tough. We were fatigued. Normally we’d get the ball right back, but we were dead. We couldn’t press like we usually do. Rend Lake ran us down,” Shannon said. “It’s a tough task for anyone to win four back-to-back games, but we gave it a good try.”

Being down by nearly 30 points at one time, the Cyclones pushed back, nearly doubling their point total from the first half. In every game during the tournament, Moraine Valley was down at one point and fought back. “We kept playing hard, kept fighting no matter what,” Hervey said. “But Rend Lake shot well. They were up 19-3 at the start and we couldn’t come back that day. It was their day.”

Like most of their tournament experience, the Cyclones came in as the undersized underdogs. “Every game we played everyone penciled us out. They thought we were too small and weren’t shooting well. Then we won and did it again and then did it again,” Shannon said.

The Cyclones had supporters in the stands, including former players and college president Dr. Sylvia Jenkins. Between the crowd and enthusiastic bench players, the support helped the collective winning effort, Hervey said.

Despite a loss at the highest level [NJCAA Division II] of ball, the Cyclones made the community, school and region proud, and the players were like celebrities for the week in Danville, Shannon said. “At first I was disappointed we lost. It hurt to see Rend Lake cut down the net, but the next day when you look at the whole journey, it was great to see how we made history,” said Hervey, who is looking to transfer to a four-year university. “I’m happy all the hard work paid off.”

In addition to making school history by going further in the national tournament than any previous team, the Cyclones also won more games in a season than any other Cyclones men’s basketball team, finishing up with a 31-6 overall record. They also were Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference co-champions and NJCAA Region IV champs. Throughout his coaching career at Moraine Valley, Shannon worked toward playing in the national tournament and said it was the team’s destiny. He tried to build the program back up, evidenced by two consecutive runs in the national tournament. “The standards are higher, that’s what I wanted, and we turned some heads. It was a team, no, a family effort for many years,” he said.

Shannon is stepping down as the head coach, but is confident the winning legacy will continue. “I had a blast. The first game I coached we lost 129-75. To be there and then coach this last game at the national championship, we did some things right. It’s exciting. The next coach will have good support,” he said. “I’m happy it’s over, and I can start a new chapter. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my sons, and I’m going back to school.”