The Maharishi International University Pioneers opened their men’s basketball preseason on October 3rd with a strong road showing at Creighton University, earning victories with both the varsity and junior varsity teams against the Creighton University Men’s Basketball Club, according to a press release from MIU Athletics.
In the varsity matchup, the Pioneers overcame a 21-point first-half deficit to rally for an 82-66 victory. After a slow start, MIU found its rhythm defensively, with that intensity completely shifting the momentum of the game and creating opportunities on the offensive end. Tyler Smith led the Pioneers with 20 points, while John Mozele contributed seven points and 11 rebounds to help power the comeback. Head Coach Romel Bryant offered a brief but telling assessment of the effort. “Today we grew as Pioneers. I’m proud of these guys,” Bryant said.
The MIU junior varsity team also came away with a win, defeating Creighton’s JV squad 41-38 in a game that came down to the final moments. Julius Terrell delivered the deciding shot to seal the victory. Mekhi Wilson said the experience was exactly what the young team needed. “It was an absolute great experience. It was our first time all playing together in a real game situation, so we started off a little slow, but when we got going we turned those rockets on and took off!”
The MIU varsity roster for the outing included Isaiah Earnest-Flowers, Zachy Qader, Brandon Lowe, Kyle Woods, Ronald Ellis, Piere Ware, John Sutton, Tyler Smith, Marlin Jenkins, KeeMaryon Hargrow, Cephas Johnson, John Mozele, and Joshua Scott. The junior varsity roster included Joshua Rodgers, Mekhi Wilson, Julius Terrell, Marlon Johnson, Jose Navarro, Davon Simpson, and John Sutton.
The Pioneers’ next scrimmage is scheduled for Friday, October 10th at home, giving Pioneer fans their first opportunity to see the team compete on the home court. MIU is hoping the community will come out to support the team as they continue building toward the regular season.
