Reep enjoying big role at Northwestern College

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By By Michael Cooper, Staff Writer 11:14 PM Saturday, December 17, 2011

Aaron Reep has plenty of teammates on the Northwestern College men’s basketball team who can score, which makes his role an easy one.

“My job is to set them up, move the ball and set screens for them,” said Reep, a senior.

This season, Reep, an Emmanuel Christian graduate, has moved into the starting point guard role at Northwestern, a Division III college in St. Paul, Minn., and he’s taking advantage of his opportunity. He was named the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 5 after tallying 13 points and nine assists in the Eagles’ 70-58 victory over Macalester College.

He’s averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Eagles (5-4) this season, teaming with leading scorers Wade Chitwood (15.7 ppg) and Tom Gisler (14.2 ppg) to help the Eagles get off to a fast start.

“It’s been fun to have more of a prominent role,” Reep said.

The goal is the same as always — advance as far as possible in the postseason. The Eagles won the NCCAA national championship in 2010, then made the NCAA D-III tournament last year in their first season after gaining NCAA affiliation.

They fell to eventual national champion St. Thomas 70-60 in the first round last season, but held a 1-point lead with three minutes remaining. They’re hoping to ride that momentum into another tournament run this winter.

“We had a nice run against them,” Reep said. “We were right there. We’re definitely looking to build upon that success.”

As his final season progresses, Reep understands he has to cherish every moment.

“You realize that it’s not going to last forever, and you try to enjoy every game, every practice, every weightlifting session and the bus rides with the guys,” Reep said.

Short takes

Football: University of Akron junior linebacker Brian Wagner, a Catholic Central grad, was named to the All-Mid-American Conference first team this season.

Wagner ranked second in the nation with 13.4 tackles per game, which was also the best in the MAC. He finished the season with 147 tackles, including 56 solos in 11 games.

In his career, Wagner has tallied 409 tackles in 35 starts, ranking him sixth on the NCAA’s active career leaders list.

Men’s basketball: Catholic Central graduate Hayden Hagerman, a freshman at Central Christian College of the Bible (Mo.), is averaging 17.5 points and four assists per game for the Saints (3-10).

Volleyball: Shawnee grad Macey Jennings, a freshman at Ohio State Newark, was named to the Ohio Regional Campus Conference first team this season. The Titans went 20-6 and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

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