Sports Story Sample

Here is a pretty good sample of a sports coverage article to study as we prepare to write sports stories--it's from the Tuesday, November 2 Times-Union. Note the use of language particular to the sport (such as "perimeter players," "charity stripe," etc.). Note the structure of the story, including the way quotes are handled. Good example.

Grace Men Open Season With Win

Dale Hubler
Times-Union Sports Editor

WINONA LAKE - Grace College's perimeter players didn't shoot the ball particularly well in Monday night's season opener against the Andrews University Cardinals.

The frontcourt duo of junior Duke Johnson and freshman Greg Miller certainly made up for it, however, as the NAIA Division II 17th-ranked Lancers beat the Cardinals 72-53 in men's basketball action at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.

On a night the Lancers were just 2 of 15 from three-point range, the 6-foot-11 Johnson and 6-6 Miller were a dominant force in the paint, combining for 48 points on 21-of-25 shooting.

"We went to them and they responded," 34th-year Grace College coach Jim Kessler said of Johnson and Miller. "That's what they need to do. We didn't shoot the ball well tonight, but Duke and Greg were very productive inside."

Against an Andrews University team that had just one player as tall as 6-5, the Lancers scored 54 points in the paint and outrebounded the Cardinals 44-23.

Johnson scored Grace's first 12 points and finished the game with 30 points and 16 rebounds, while Miller came off the bench to add 18 points and six rebounds.

"Eighteen points and six rebounds in his first game as a freshman, and to do it in 20 minutes, that's pretty good production," Kessler said of Miller, a highly-touted player who came to Grace as North Miami High School's all-time leading scorer.

Johnson and Miller were the only double-digit scorers for the Lancers, who were 31 of 60 from the field.

Junior Jacob Peattie scored seven points off the bench, while sophomore Bruce Grimm Jr., and junior Dayton Merrell scored five points each.

Grimm, who started five games last season for Division I program East Tennessee State, dished out a team-high six assists and made two steals.

"It was our first game, we sputtered at times," said Kessler. "We lacked the continuity that I think we'll see. It'll find itself as the season plays out. We found some things we need to work on."

Grace was just 8 of 16 at the free throw line and committed 21 turnovers.

Behind 30 first-half points from Johnson and Miller, the Lancers led 38-31 at the intermission.

The Cardinals closed the gap to two, 41-39, with 18:02 remaining in the game, but Grace went on a 25-9 run that put the finishing touches on the win.

With Grace up 52-42, Miller made a steal and dished it to sophomore guard Elliot Smith for an easy layup. Two minutes later, Peattie made a steal and turned it into a two-handed dunk.

Defensively, Grace made 12 steals in the game and held the Cardinals to just 22 points in the second half.

Andrews University finished the game 23 of 58 (40 percent) from the field, 6 of 23 from three-point range, and 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.

After shooting 56 percent from the field in the first half, the Cardinals shot just 27 percent in the second half.

"They're a scrappy team," Kessler said of the Cardinals. "They shot well, especially in the first half. I thought we were able to do some things defensively in the second half. We held them to 22 points in the second half, that's pretty good."

Ryan Little led Andrews University with 17 points, while Matthew Little added 15 points. Thomas Jardine and Ben Weakley chipped in with seven and six points, respectively.

The Lancers are in action again Saturday when they host Ohio-Eastern University for Homecoming.

The women's game is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by the men's game at approximately 3 p.m.

GRACE COLLEGE 72, ANDREWS UNIVERSITY 53

AU 31 22 - 53

GC 38 34 - 72

Andrews - Jerome Murray 1-6 1-1 3, Matthew Little 7-15 0-1 15, Ryan Little 7-12 0-0 17, Tyler Wooldridge 2-7 0-0 5, Thomas Jardine 3-8 0-0 7, Joshua Faehner 0-2 0-0 0, Brandon Garrett 0-1 0-0 0, Ronaldo Green 0-1 0-0 0, Chris Goulding 0-0 0-0 0, Clifford Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Weakley 3-5 0-0 6, Jason Garrett 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 1-2 53.

Grace - Dayton Merrell 2-3 0-0 5, Tannan Peters 0-5 0-0 0, Duke Johnson 13-16 4-4 30, Elliot Smith 0-4 0-0 0, Bruce Grimm Jr. 2-10 1-6 5, Lee Ross 0-1 0-0 0, Michael Humphrey 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Long 0-0 0-0 0, David Henry 1-4 0-0 2, Jacob Peattie 3-5 1-2 7, Benjamin Euler 1-2 0-0 3, Greg Miller 8-9 2-4 18, Jared Treadway 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-60 8-16 72.

Three-point goals - Andrews 6 (R. Little 3, M. Little, Wooldridge, Jardine), Grace 2 (Merrell, Euler). Rebounds - Andrews 23 (Jardine 4), Grace 44 (Johnson 16). Assists - Andrews 18 (R. Little 7), Grace 18 (Grimm 6), Turnovers - Andrews 22, Grace 21. Fouls - Andrews 12, Grace 12. Fouled out - none. Records: Andrews 1-1, Grace 1-0