Taylor University Silent Night 2013
Chris Yingling | Echo
Thousands of people packed themselves into Odle Arena. Students dressed in wacky costumes. The extended pre-game ceremony was raucous as the crowd anticipated Taylor's biggest sporting event of the year.
The scoreboard lit up as the visiting team finally took the floor. The crowd adopted its traditional silence. Player's shoe squeaks could be heard as play began. Taylor took an early 7-5 lead.
Then-sophomore guard Kyle Stidom found Ben Raichel ('14) in the left corner. Raichel let go a high three-point shot behind the arc.
You know the rest.
With Raichel graduated, the Taylor men's basketball team will look for a new Silent Night 10th-point shooter tonight. Several players have made themselves viable candidates this season. Taylor features six players who score an average of seven or more points a game.
"We really don't care who scores the 10th point-it could be anybody," said senior guard Jesse Coffey. "We'll take the shots they give us and hopefully knock them down."
Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible for one to pinpoint exactly who will score that shot for the Trojans and how he will score it.
However, history leaves a few hints.
The bread crumbs of 10th-points past show the fact that the golden basket has been scored by a guard every year since 2004. In addition to Raichel's most recent three-point bucket, Casey Coons ('13) scored the final point in all four of his years with Taylor basketball. The trend extends back to Erik Ford ('06) when he sunk his shots in 2004 and 2005.
History also shows that the shot comes from one of two places. Of the past ten shots, five have come from behind the three-point arc, while another four came from the free-throw line, leaving fans with either a dramatic trifecta or a mood-killing attempt from the charity stripe.
So who are we looking for this year? A guard. One who can shoot three-pointers. And isn't afraid of shooting free throws.
Immediately, Coffey comes to mind as a player who fits comfortably into all three categories. The 6'3" guard has found his groove behind the arc this year, hitting 24 three-pointers this year in eight games (three-per-game average). He's also hit 10 free throws this year with a 71.4 percent mark from the line.
Junior guard Stidom also stands a good chance at taking the shot for the Trojans. The guard that plays like a forward has only six made baskets behind the arc but has been the most consistent free throw shooter for the Trojans. Stidom has 19/22 from the charity stripe this year, good for a team-best 86.4 free throw percentage.
"Our game plan will not differ because of the game or anything," Stidom said. "We want to enjoy the experience of the game, but at the same time, stick to what we do best."
Freshman forward Keaton Hendricks could throw a wrench into history. Hendricks has enjoyed a fantastic first season with Taylor, despite only starting three of eight games, Hendricks leads the team in points per game (14.5) and is second in minutes per game (26). He's a sharpshooter from the three with a 60 percent record beyond the arc. He's only missed one of his 20 free throws this year and has been a force inside this season as well.
Regardless who makes the big shot, he joins an illustrious rank of men. Scoring the tenth point puts a mark on Taylor history.
"Being part of such a valued Taylor tradition is something to feel good about," Raichel said. "Once the 10th point is scored, there's no better atmosphere to play in."
One thing's for sure: The team is excited for this game
"For our guys, breaking the silence means igniting the best home crowd in the nation," said head coach Josh Andrews. "So as the coach, I look forward to the 10th point and the support of passionate fans for the duration of the game."Photographs by Josh Adams
