Anthony Monson's message to his Kansas Wesleyan basketball team during the time was calm and measured.
KWU's 58-46 lead four minutes earlier had dwindled to 62-59 with 6½ minutes left in the game and it appeared Clarke might be on the verge of taking control with its late rush. That led to Monson calling a time out to settle things down.
"Just kind of a refocus message," he said, "just try to find a way to stymie that tide. We're trying to be very, very calm with this group because they can handle adversity pretty well so there's no need to yell and scream and do all that stuff.
"I told them we've got the lead and the ball, just relax."
It turned out to be the pause that refreshes.
The Coyotes responded with a dazzling 18-3 closing run that led to an 80-62 victory over the Clarke in the Coyote Classic on Saturday night Mabee Arena.
KWU improved to 3-0 thanks to a balanced offensive thrust and suffocating defensive effort.
AJ Range (SR/Junction City, Kan.) scored 17 of his team-high 21 points the second half, Cory Kaplan (SO/Merritt Island, Fla.) had 12 and Easton Hunter (FR/Colwich, Kan.) and Jun Murdock (SO/Wichita, Kan.) 11 each for Wesleyan, which shot 44 percent (29 of 66) and easily won the rebounding battle 54-41. Range and Trey Duffey (SO/Topeka, Kan.) each grabbed 10, and Murdock and Alex Littlejohn (FR/Newton, Kan.) had seven apiece. Murdock also had four assists.
On the defensive end the Coyotes limited Clarke (1-2) to 29.6 percent shooting (21 of 71). Keith Johnson led the Pride with 13 points while Chandler Dean had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"Tonight, we didn't shoot it well and still found a way to put 80 points on the board," Monson said. "We haven't taken a step back on the defensive end either. Usually when teams run as much as we do and shoot it much as we do and take quick shots you give up a lot of points. I have to give my guys a lot of credit, we're as focused on the defensive end as we are the offensive end."
KWU led 37-28 at halftime and was up 53-40 with 13½ minutes left before Clarke made its move.
Range, who scored six during the late run, said the timeout was a simple matter of getting back to doing what they'd done earlier in the game.
"Everybody just regrouped and we got back to what we're really good at," he said. "Transition is our best game and when we got stops and got out and ran is when we pushed out our lead. Just executing offensive plays. Coming down the wire we were able to hit tough shots."
Range, who's in his fifth season with the program, said the chemistry and talent this season is the best he's seen.
"I feel this collective group is more of a family and we're all closer than I've been with any other team in the in the past and that's saying a lot because I've been here so long," he said. "And also because we have so many weapons on the court, too. There's always somebody who'll step up when somebody is having a bad night."
Monson agrees.
"I just like that I have different options," he said. "Every night's been a different guy and even during the games it's different guys. There's a lot of weapons that are at our disposal, it's a luxury that I have this year and it's kind of fun."
The Coyotes play Manhattan Christian at 3 p.m. next Saturday in Manhattan in their next outing. It's their last game before starting Kansas Conference play against York on Nov. 17 in York, Neb.