“We have a lot to prove…we have to fight against the odds,” junior returner Dior Ford said before the season. Ford revealed he had the impression others didn’t think they’d do well after last year’s finish. He said the team would have to prove them wrong.

Last Thursday’s victory was the first step in that direction. The Pipers defeated Crown 74-67 at Hutton Arena to improve their record to 1-1.

The victory was also the first for Pipers first-year head coach Jim Hayes.

“I’m not sure if it really sunk in because as a coach you’re kind of focused on looking at things that we need to do to improve,” Hayes said. “[There isn’t] much time to dwell on it…but I’ll always remember that first one for sure.”

The first half was a slugfest as both teams traded shots. At halftime, the Pipers were down 40-37 as Crown was 9 of 14 from the perimeter.

Hayes cited the “the laws of averages” to his team during halftime, which meant things would balance out in the second half and Crown’s high three-point percentage wouldn’t last forever.

In the second half, their opponents’ hot hand cooled down and the Pipers began to separate from Crown as they capitalized on scoring points in the paint. One included a slam dunk by junior Ben Cooper, which amped the fans as they rose from their seat. Cooper finished the game with 14 points.

The Pipers went on to win 74-67. Junior guard Marshall Jesting finished with 11 assists, a personal best.

“The point guards were just giving it off to the bigs and we had a couple guys get double digits,” junior forward Austin Johnson said.

Johnson also achieved a collegiate career best as he was able to execute inside the paint and clear the boards. He had a double-double with 20 points, his career high, along with 10 rebounds.

“It was great, I mean the first win of the year, its great motivation going into the rest of the season,” Johnson said. “I felt like we got some of the kinks out.”

In their season opener on Nov. 16, the Pipers played UW-Eau Claire. The Pipers were in control of the game late in the second half as they held a 60-50 lead with less than seven minutes remaining. UWEC exposed the Pipers by forcing turnovers and came back to defeat the Pipers 70-66.

Senior Tyler Pannell explained what he thought would be key for the Pipers to close out games.

“What it comes down to is staying in control,” Pannell said. “Having control over the ball [and] limit turnovers.”

Pannell said the team is still adjusting to the offensive system the new coaching staff has implemented. He explained it’s a slower paced than what they’re use to, in attempt to try and get the players to play smarter basketball.

“It’s all effective stuff, we just have to run it right,” Pannell said. “We almost got the offense down, there’s a few times we have slip ups…but that will get worked out just with time.”

Ford explained the difference between the systems. He said last year’s scheme was up-tempo to create organized chaos as this year’s system is more structured and disciplined.

“We want to play intelligent basketball as much as anything else,” Hayes said.

Ford’s role has changed with the new additions to the roster. The Pipers have added taller players to the team. Ford will be used sparingly in post-up situations, but more frequently in situations where he will drive the lane and take outside shots.

This switch has allowed Ford to generate more scoring opportunities by allowing him to use his athleticism. In doing so, he was able to score 21 points in the season opener and 16 against Crown.

Ford said the only challenge with the roster is that they only have three seniors.

“We have a really young team. The only negative to having a young team is that they don’t have a lot of game experience in college,” Ford said.

Pannell said as a senior he gives the younger players tips and communicates with them.

“As a senior I try to keep them as composed as possible,” he said. “Keep their confidence up, keep them level headed.”

Hayes said he’s been impressed with the play from his underclassmen.

“Nick [Kampa] and Dylan [See-Rockers] especially, are the two freshmen that are playing a lot of significant minutes for us and they’re doing a nice job,” Hayes said.

Hayes also added their upperclassment Cooper has stepped up this season.

“[Cooper] does everything a coach would ever want on and off the floor,” Hayes said. “He’s a model guy for our program.”

Ford said in addition to the new scheme the team has been doing team bonding activities.

“We are basically all trying to get on the same page when we’re on the court,” Ford said. “We are trying to be more disciplined and be a real family on the court working towards the same goal.”

Pannell said he wants to see the team make a run for the MIAC conference championship.

“I want to win the conference, the conference is wide open this year,” Pannell said. “I think it’s possible especially with the talent we have. It’s definitely possible to win the conference but we just got to execute everything.”

He understands it’s a work in progress and that they have to focus on improving every day just as Hayes emphasizes.

“It’s just about building as a group and all 17 guys that we have trying to get on the same page and get better every single day,” Hayes said. “I like the progress that we are making. There’s things to work on, obviously after the first two games, but there are some things to build on as well.”

The Pipers will play tonight at 8:00 p.m. against Northwestern (MN) home at Hutton Arena.

“They’re a tough team,” Johnson said. “But I feel like we just got to practice hard and I feel like we can beat them. We have a lot of talent on the team. We just [have] to execute our stuff.”