PARSONS, Kan. - Attempting to close out the first half of the regular season, Northeastern A&M's Golden Norsemen travel to Labette Community College Thursday for as 7 p.m. non-conference showdown with the Cardinals.


Last Wednesday coach Dustin Grover's Golden Norse dropped an 80-60 decision to 11th-ranked Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in the NEO Fieldhouse. The Norsemen are 7-7 on the season.
"This is a game that we would like to win just for the fact that we need to feel good about ourselves heading into the Christmas break," Grover said. "As the head coach I would like to be able to say that we are playing relatively well and are making progress.
"But to be quite honest, I'm not sure at all about where we are," Grover said. "We still seem to be struggling quite a bit trying to learn to play together as a team."
First-year head coach Jonathan Raney has guided the Labette Cardinals to a 6-5 season record. Last season the Cardinals finished 2-29 and were winless in 19 Kansas Junior College Collegiate Conference games.
The two teams have not played each other since a two-game series during the 2006-07 season. Labette defeated NEO 72-66 in the NEO Fieldhouse before the Golden Norsemen earned a 93-79 win in Parsons, Kan.
"We're hoping that taking 19 days off will give us a chance to refocus our goals," Grover said. "We'll have eight practice sessions between when we come back Jan. 2 and when we host Connors State College on Jan. 8."
Averaging 82.7 points per game, the Golden Norsemen are led by freshmen guards Frederico Santos and Jeff Newberry.
Santos (6-5 from Rio de Janerio, Brazil) leads the Norse with a 12.6 scoring average and a 10.4 rebounding mark. He has recorded 17 assists and 14 steals.
Newberry (6-2 from Atlanta, Ga.) has a 12.3 scoring mark while leading NEO with 52 assists and 19 steals.
Freshman forward Ja'Mill Powell (6-6 from Bridgeton, Conn.) averages 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while making 14 assists and 12 steals.
Also joining Newberry on the perimeter is freshman Luther Thomas (6-5 from Fort Worth, Texas). Thomas has a 7.8 scoring average and a 3.1 rebounding mark while posting 24 assists and 14 steals.
Sophomore Gerardo Isla (6-8 from Valdivia, Chile) starts in the post position for NEO. Isla is averaging 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds with 13 blocked shots.
Labette features five returning sophomores and is led by veteran shooting-guard Eddie Williams (6-4 from Chicago, Ill.). Williams averages 14 points with 48 assists and 17 steals.
Joining Williams at guards are sophomores Travis Gantt at point and Cedric Pledger on a wing.
Gantt (6-2 from Wichita, Kan.) averages 6.4 points with 11 assists and six steals. He leads the Cards with seven blocked shots.
Pledger (6-8 from Kansas City, Kan.) has a 6.3 scoring mark and a 5.1 rebounding average with six blocked shots.
Freshman Anthony Elechi and sophomore Keshaun Hamilton start in the blocks for the Cardinals.
Elechi (6-8 from Valley Stream, N.Y.) averages 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Hamilton (6-10 from Palatka, Fla.) scores 8.6 points and grabs an average of 6.1 rebounds per contest.