Win Streak Continues For JWU Wildcats With Bigger Goals In Mind

February 11, 2016 9:23 pm

By Nick Coit

ncoit@abc6.com

The most impressive streak in local college basketball teams is still going in Providence. Johnson & Wales is now 14th in the country in division three after winning its last 21 games, and it’s putting bigger goals in the minds of the Wildcats.

"We had high expectations coming in, but what we were able to do is kind of unreal," said Tom Garrick, JWU Senior Guard.

Unreal and actually real. The Johnson & Wales men’s basketball team is 21 and one on the season after winning 21 strait games. So, naturally, one of the first questions you have is–what happened in the first game of the season?

"You know, just defensively, it was the first game. We weren’t really clicking like we wanted to," said Garrick.

"We made some mistakes, you know defensively. We really think we have grown as a team defensively. That seams to be our bread and butter," said Coach Jamie Benton.

This, despite JWU owning the highest scoring margin in the country in division three, with around 29 points per game. For Coach Benton, though, that loss to Linfield to start the year had something more to it, possibly a little superstition on the bench.

"I sat down the first game at the beginning of the year against Linfield State and we lost that game and we played Louis and Clark the next night… and I stood up the whole game, and it was a close game, and we won–and I haven’t sat down since," said Benton. "I don’t plan on sitting and I listen to my body. Like I told you, I have bad hips."

So, some good health, too, for Coach Benton, and though the 14 ranked team in division three have this incredible streak going, the more important goals are winning the conference championship and getting into the NCAA Tournament.

"It’s something that is in my heart that I wanted to do, that I’ve always wanted to do," said Garrick.

For Tommy Garrick, it would be special to get to the NCAA’s, following in the footsteps of his dad, Tom, who helped lead the Rhody Rams to the D1 Sweet Sixteen in 1988.

"He just told me that it was special, it’s completely different. A different environment and you’re really on a big stage, he said, when you get there," added Garrick.

"I’ve known Tommy before he was born and I’m sure he has heard a lot of my war stories from the Big East and his dad’s war stories from URI and in the NBA," said Benton. "There’s nothing like NCAA Tournament and I would just love for these guys to have that experience. It would be something that sticks with them for the rest of their lives and it’s amazing."