Bulldogs win 2nd consecutive Sectional Title, 59-54 over Valparaiso in Double Overtime

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
03-06-2016

Team /Record 1 2 3 4 OT1 OT2 Final
VALPARAISO (20-5) 11 15 8 15 2 3 54
CROWN POINT (18-8) 17 11 11 10 2 8 59

Saturday, March 5, 2016 - Class 4A Sectional 2 Championship game at CROWN POINT, Ind.

Valpo's first year coach Barak Coolman and CP coach Clint Swan talk over the
scene before Saturday's Class 4A Sectional 2 championship. (All photos by Mark Smith)
The CP student section sends their regards as Valparaiso's Steve Helm (10) eyes CP's Blake Bonin (10) early in the sectional championship game. CP was 13-0 at home this season.
Crown point senior Blake Bonin (10) is surrounded by green shirts in the sectional title game. CP and Valparaiso battled through two overtimes.
CP junior Dominic Tomich (12) knows his head fake may have worked as Valparaiso's Steve Helm (10) and Trace Ramsey (20) are high off the floor during Saturday's sectional title game.
Crown Point's Kenny Decker (42) and Valparaiso's Baker Harris wait at the scorer's table. Decker scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds in just 14 minutes of the semifinals against Chesterton.
Crown Point's Leo Zdanowicz (25) gets high to grab the rebound against Valpo's Jay Bisacky (34) in Saturday's championship game. Zdanowicz scored seven points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots in less than 17 minutes of play.
Crown Point's Leo Zdanowicz (25) Andrew Kenneally (44), Tommy Sanborn (31) and Blake Bonin (10) all keep their eyes on Valpo top scorer Steve Helm (10) in
Saturday's championship game.
Valpo's Conner Ten Hove (44) blocks out Ken Decker (35) in Saturday's final game. Ten Hove scored 17 in his final game for Valparaiso.
Crown Point's Sasha Stefanovic (33) gets some extra encouragement from the 'Kool Aid Kid' before he inbounds the ball in Saturday's championship game. The crowd was estimated at 3,500 fans.
Crown Point's cheerleaders stand for the national anthem before Saturday championship game. CP was 13-0 at home this season.
Valpo's Conner Ten Hove (44) tries to block out CP's Leo Zdanowicz (25) in Saturday's sectional game. Zdanowicz grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the 59-54 Bulldog win.
It was all good after the game as CP's Blake Bonin, Kenny Decker, Sasha Stefanovic and Dominic Tomich celebrate the Bulldogs' second consecutive sectional championship. (All photos by Mark Smith)
 

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Revised: March 06, 2016 .

 

VALPO (54) Evan Walls 0-0-0, Baker Harris 2-0-4, Trace Ramsey 1-0-2, Patrick Kelly 1-1-3, Jay Bisacky 0-1-1, Conner Ten Hove 4-8-17, Steve Helm 10-6-27. TOTALS: 18 (16-19) 54.

 

CROWN POINT (59) Kenny Decker 0-0-0, Blake Bonin 1-5-8, John Sakaleros 1-1-3, Dominic Tomich 0-1-1, Sasha Stefanovic 5-4-18, Grant Gelon 3-5-12, Andrew Kenneally 5-0-10, Tommy Sanborn 0-0-0, Leo Zdanowicz 3-1-7. TOTALS: 18 (17-26) 59.

 

FREE THROWS: VALPO (16-19, 84.2%) Helm 6-6, TenHove 8-8, Kelly 1-1, Bisacky 1-4. CROWN POINT (17-26, 65.4%) Stefanovic 4-6, Gelon 5-6, Tomich 1-2, Bonin 5-6, Zdanwoicz 1-4, Sakaleros 1-2.

REBOUNDS: VALPO (35) Bisacky 9, Ten Hove 8, Walls 6, Harris 4, Helm 3, Ramsey 3, Kelly 2.
CROWN POINT (34) Zdanowicz 11, Kenneally 8, Stefanovic 7, Gelon 6, Sakaleros, Tomich.

ASSISTS: VALPO (5) Walls 3, Helm, TenHove CROWN POINT (11) Bonin 5, Tomich 3, Gelon 2, Zdanowicz.

BLOCKED SHOTS: VALPO (1) Ramsey; CROWN POINT (6) Zdanowicz 3, Kenneally 2, Stefanovic.

3-GOALS: VALPO (2-20, 10%) Steve Helm 1-10, Evan Walls 0-4, Patrick Kelly 0-3, Conner Ten Hove 1-2, Trace Ramsey 0-1; CROWN POINT (6-22, 27.3%) Sasha Stefanovic 4-6, Grant Gelon 1-8, Blake Bonin 1-6, Dom Tomich 0-2.

FOULED OUT: VALPO (1) Conner Ten Hove (2nd OT) :40 left.

 

Team /Record 1 2 3 4 Final
CHESTERTON (16-9) 10 13 20 20 63
CROWN POINT (17-8) 14 13 19 32 78

Friday, March 4, 2016 - Class 4A Sectional 2 Semifinal game at CROWN POINT, Ind.

CHESTERTON (63) Niles Dilosa 3-4-11, RayYagelski 2-0-5, Austin Peterson 2-1-7, Rhyss Lewis 9-8-27, Antwan Beeks 0-3-3, Tony Gilyan 1-0-3, Jack Mullen 1-0-2, Jake Weber 1-0-3, Brayden Cortwright 1-0-2, Erik Ralph 0-0-0. TOTALS: 20 (16-20) 63.
 
CROWN POINT (78) Kenny Decker 3-2-8, Blake Bonin 0-2-2, John Sakaleros 1-2-4, Dominic Tomich 4-3-13, Sasha Stefanovic 3-8-15, Grant Gelon 6-4-20, Andrew Kenneally 3-10-16, Tommy Sanborn 0-0-0, Leo Zdanowicz 0-0-0, Zach Stewart 0-0-0. TOTALS: 20 (31-35) 78.

FREE THROWS: CHESTERTON (16-20, 80%) Lewis 8-9, Dilosa 4-5, Beeks 3-4, Peterson 1-2; CROWN POINT (31-35, 88.6%) Kenneally 10-12, Stefanovic 8-8, Gelon 4-5, Tomich 3-4, Bonin 2-2, Decker 2-2, Sakaleros 2-2.

REBOUNDS: CHESTERTON (29) Lewis 8, Peterson 6, Dilosa 5, Yagelski 3, Beeks 2, Weber 2, Mullen, Gilyan, Ralph.
CROWN POINT (32) Stefanovic 10, Gelon 6, Decker 6, Kenneally 5, Sakaleros 3, Zdanowicz, Tomich.

ASSISTS: CHESTERTON (10) Lewis 4, Beeks 4, Dilosa, Peterson; CROWN POINT (14) Bonin 8, Tomich 2, Stefanovic 4.

3-GOALS: CHESTERTON (7-24, 29.2%) Austin Peterson 2-8, Tony Gilyan 1-2, Ray Yagelski 1-2, Rhyss Lewis 1-3, Niles Dilosa 1-3, Jake Weber 1-2, Antwan Beeks 0-4; CROWN POINT (7-19, 36.8%) Grant Gelon 4-7, Dominich Tomich 2-3, Sasha Stefanovic 1-5 Keny Decker 0-4.

 

FOULED OUT: CHESTERTON (2) Antwan Beeks (4th Q) 1:36 left; Jake Weber (4th Q) 3:27 left.

 

Team /Record 1 2 3 4 Final
MICHIGAN CITY (12-11) 11 11 14 16 52
CROWN POINT (16-8) 10 14 17 19 60

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - Class 4A Sectional 2 Quarterfinal game at CROWN POINT, Ind.

MICHIGAN CITY (52) Jaronde Boyd 2-2-6, ShanQuan Hemphill 5-1-11, Robert Howard 3-0-6, Cevin Crawford 4-0-8, Troy Jones 1-0-2, Dante Combs 7-5-19, Matt Westman 0-0-0, Mikiyah Smallwood 0-0-0, Orson Eckwood 0-0-0. TOTALS: 22 (1-3) 52.
 
CROWN POINT (60) Blake Bonin 3-1-10, John Sakalerios 1-0-2, Dominic Tomich 2-4-8, Sasha Stefanovic 2-5-9, Grant Gelon 6-2-17, Andrew Kenneally 3-4-10, Leo Zdanowicz 1-2-4. TOTALS: 18 (18-31) 60.

 

FREE THROWS: MICHIGAN CITY (1-3, 33.3%) Hemphill 1-2, Crawford 0-1 CROWN POINT (18-31, 58.1%) Tomich 4-4, Gelon 2-4, Stefanovic 5-8, Bonin 1-2, Kenneally 4-11, Zdanowicz 2-2.

REBOUNDS: MICHIGAN CITY (25) Hemphill 5, Howard 5, Crawford 5, Boyd 4, Combs 4, Smallwood, Eckwood;
CROWN POINT (33) Stefanovic 11, Tomich 7, Kenneally 6, Gelon 4, Sakaleros 2, Zdanowicz 2, Bonin.

 

ASSISTS: MICHIGAN CITY (11) Hemphill 5, Boyd 2, Westman, Jones, Combs, Crawford CROWN POINT (16) Bonin 6, Tomich 5, Kenneally 2, Gelon, Stefanovic, Sakaleros.

3-GOALS: MICHIGAN CITY (7-24, 29.2%) Dante Combs 5-12, Boyd 2-7, Wetsman 0-2, Underwood 0-1 CROWN POINT (6-24, 25%) Gelon 3-12, Bonin 3-6, Stefanovic 0-4, Tomich 0-2.

 

FOULED OUT: None.

CROWN POINT (03-05-2016) You go to 1,000 high school basketball games to see one like the Crown Point-Valparaiso Class 4A Sectional 2 championship game last Saturday night. Late in the night with everything on the line and anything still possible, the stars shined everywhere and heroes came from nowhere in CP's 59-54 double-overtime triumph.

Crown Point faces East Chicago (18-5) in next Saturday in the second Michigan City Regional semifinal after Warsaw (23-1) takes on defending regional camp (South Bend) Riley (22-5). But no matter how those games come out, they won't play out like the CP-Valpo classic.

At the end of four quarters where neither side led by more than eight points, Valparaiso held the ball the final two minutes of the game until guard Steve Helm scored on a 10-foot jumper and was fouled, giving the Vikings a 49-46 lead with five seconds to play. Crown Point called time out and inbounded the ball to Sasha Stefanovic, their leading scorer. Valparaiso could have fouled the CP guard, giving the Bulldogs two free throws. But they didn’t and Stefanovic pulled up for a 25-foot shot that swished perfectly at the CP student section end of the big CP gym, igniting a celebration that lasted almost a minute.

“He wasn’t even squared up,” said Swan later. “I took a couple of steps towards the Valpo bench (to shake hands with VHS coaches and players) because I didn’t think it was going in. I should have known better. Just an amazing shot by him. He let me know, ‘I want to be the one who takes the shot.’ What an incredible play. Great play by a great player.”

Stefanovic said there wasn’t a lot of thought that went into the game-tying shot.

“I just dribbled up the floor and tried to make a play,” Sasha said. “I just shot it and hoped it went in. I knew we have five seconds once I got it so I knew I could take a couple of dribbles to create something. No time to pass. Just had to do something. I remember it going in, but I don't remember much else.”

But Stefanovic, who scored 13 of his 18 points after halftime, was not alone in standing out for the home team.

Leo Zdanowicz, a 6-foot-3 senior, who played just 230 minutes (10 per game) during the regular season, came into the game late in the first quarter and stayed in as Stefanovic picked up this second foul and sat down with 6:51 left in the half.

In the finest game of his CP career, ‘Z’ grabbed 11 rebounds, scored seven points and blocked three shots in 16 minutes and 25 seconds on the floor. After the game, everybody said they knew he could do it.

“He’s just a tough kid,” said assistant coach Kyle Hanaway, who was a player the last time CP faced EC in the regional.
“He’s a gamer. He hasn’t gotten much time this year, but we called his number and that’s what seniors do. They step up. He really bothered Helm when he got in there. Helm’s a great player. We just made one more play than they did.”

Swan added. “Leo’s good. He’s got great range defensively. He can rebound the ball.”

“Helm’s a great player,” said Zdanowicz, who didn't play in any of CP’s three sectional games (he had a concussion) last year and has started just two games in his career. “I just tried to do my best. Just do what my coaches asked me to do. I just always try to stay ready. Coach knows what he’s doing with subs.”

“Leo’s our hustle player,” said Junior Andrew Kenneally. “He does the dirty work. Real good defender usually. He’s always ready. He was huge for us tonight.”

This was easily the best game I’ve ever seen at Crown Point high school. Valparaiso came in with 39 wins in their last 49 games and a legacy of 51 sectional championships. The Vikings were 16 of 19 from the foul line, hit the go-ahead shot with five second left in regulation and committed just nine turnovers in 40 minutes.
 
Crown Point, playing their 19th winning team in 27 games, trailed 7-2 and went on a 14-4 run over the next seven minutes in front of an ‘old school’ crowd of about 3,500 ‘friends of the programs’.

The game slowed down as both teams were playing their third game of the week and defenses got physical. Valpo was 9-of-31 at the half and CP was only 10-of-25. Helm, who scored 21 in Valpo’s 66-53 win over CP on February 12, scored all eight Valpo points in the third quarter as the Vikings held on until they could mount a fourth quarter run.

Valpo’s 6-foot-7 Conner Ten Hove was 4-of-4 from the foul line in the final quarter as the Vikings erased a 5-point deficit.

Helm, who averages 16 a game, scored three fourth quarter baskets including the one that tied the game at 46.
In the first overtime. Valparaiso held the ball the final 2:30, but called time out with 10 seconds to go. CP inserted Zdanowicz to guard the 6-foot-1 Helm, who finished with 10-of-27 from the floor for 27 points. The Vikes did not get off a good shot and the game went to the second overtime.

In the second overtime, CP’s 6-foot-7 junior Andrew Kenneally scored back-to-back baskets to give the Bulldogs a 55-52 lead. With CP leading 57-54, Stefanovic drew an offensive foul from Helm, ending the Vikings’ last chance.

As Valpo’s players left, eliminated by CP for the second year in a row, the student section of about 300 red-clad teenagers rushed the floor to celebrate the Bulldogs first home court sectional win since 1969.

“I just come in and try to score,” Andrew said. “Do my job when I can.”

Kenneally hasn't taken a three-point shot all season so even though he was on the floor, he wasn't looking for a pass from Stefanovic in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter.

“No,” Andrew smiled. “I was just thinking. It's all you. He’s a great player and he made a great play.”

DOG NOTES: Crown Point’s Grant Gelon was 8 of 27 from 3-point range in the three sectional games. Gelon is 93 of 224 (41.5%) for the season and he is nine 3s short of the 103 3-point shots he made last year.

Crown Point won sectional championships in 1985 and 1986, but the last time they won a sectional at home was 1966. The Bulldogs only boys basketball regional championship was won in 1998.

CP junior Dominic Tomich was 8-of-10 from the foul line in three sectional games making him 41 of 47, 87.1% for the season.

Valparaiso was the 19th winning team CP has faced this season in 26 games. The Bulldogs faced five 20 win teams in Lowell (20-6), Merrillville (22-2), Griffith (22-3) and Valpo (20-5) twice.

Crown Point’s Leo Zdanowicz played 229 minutes this regular season (23 games) and only 25 varsity minutes (24:11) all last season. He played five minutes total as a sophomore. Some boys might have given up on the sport.

“There’s definitely times when I want to play more, but I trust the coaches and my teammates,” Leo said in the post game celebration last Saturday. “But we have a great team and my seniors are my brothers so I would never have quit, I would never have left them.”

The crowd at CPHS, which has a listed capacity of 3,800, was the largest for boys basketball since the new school building opened in 2003. The student sections stood throughout the game, but many of the parents were also standing late in the fourth quarter and at the end of the overtimes.

Estimates of the four nights of basketball at the CP sectional easily had the total week attendance over 10,000 fans.
Junior Kenny Decker came off the bench to score eight points and grab six rebounds in Friday’s 78-63 quarterfinal win over Chesterton. Decker, who was slowed by injury, played just 143 minutes during the regular season, but he contributed significantly at both ends of the floor in just 14 minutes of playing time. Grant Gelon had 20 points and six rebounds in what coach Clint Swan called ‘his best game of the season.’

CP, which was 18 of 31 shooting free throws in the 60-52 quarterfinal win over Michigan City, was 31 of 35 from the line against Chesterton. CP was credited with only 30 turnovers in the entire three-game sectional.
CLASS SECTIONAL JOHNHARRELL.NET TOURNAMENT HISTORY PAST SEASONS
4A 2 E-MAIL CORRECTIONS MAP TO SCHOOL 18-8
RED, WHITE GYM SIZE: 3,800
CROWN POINT
BULLDOGS
Coach: Clint Swan, 135-93 in 10th year at school, 273-165 in 19th year overall
DATE OPPONENT RESULT / CT OA 63.6, DA 56.0
Nov. 25 at Lafayette Jeff {4A}   L   64-  71  
Dec. 5 Penn {4A}  W   85-  57  
Dec. 12 †Warren Central {4A}   L   45-  47  
Dec. 18 Munster {4A}  W   53-  38  
Dec. 19 at Pike {4A}   L   60-  83  
Dec. 29 †Lawrence North {4A}   L   61-  64  tournament
Dec. 29 †Avon {4A}  W   90-  64  tournament
Dec. 30 †Columbus East {4A}  W   83-  66  tournament
Jan. 2 South Bend Washington {4A}  W   68-  60  
Jan. 8 at Michigan City {4A}‡   L   55-  58  
Jan. 15 Merrillville {4A}‡  W   55-  50  
Jan. 16 at Griffith {3A}   L   51-  54  
Jan. 22 Chesterton {4A}‡  W   61-  55  
Jan. 23 Bowman Academy {2A}  W   82-  61  
Jan. 29 at LaPorte {4A}‡  W   53-  42  
Jan. 30 Boone Grove {2A}  W   40-  31  
Feb. 4 Portage {4A}‡  W   56-  29  
Feb. 6 at East Chicago Central {4A}   L   73-  80  
Feb. 9 Andrean {3A}  W   71-  51  
Feb. 12 at Valparaiso {4A}‡   L   53-  66  
Feb. 19 Lake Central {4A}‡  W   60-  44  
Feb. 23 at Hammond Morton {4A} W   69-  54  
Feb. 26 at Lowell {4A} W   68-  61  
Mar. 2 Michigan City {4A} W   60-  52  sectional
Mar. 4 Chesterton {4A} W   78-  63  sectional
Mar. 5 Valparaiso {4A} 2 ot W   59-  54  sectional
Mar. 12 †East Chicago Central {4A} 11:00 am  regional
‡DUNELAND CONFERENCE GAME    †NEUTRAL COURT

CLASS SECTIONAL JOHNHARRELL.NET TOURNAMENT HISTORY PAST SEASONS
4A 2 E-MAIL CORRECTIONS MAP TO SCHOOL 20-7
GREEN, WHITE GYM SIZE: 5,000
VALPARAISO
VIKINGS
Coach: Barak Coolman, 20-7 in 1st year at school, 122-69 in 8th year overall
DATE OPPONENT RESULT / CT OA 64.8, DA 54.6
Nov. 25 at Boone Grove {2A}  W   50-  42  
Nov. 28 Hobart {4A}  W   69-  57  
Dec. 8 at Lowell {4A} ot  L   71-  76  
Dec. 12 at South Bend Adams {4A}  W   68-  60  
Dec. 19 Elkhart Memorial {4A}  W   70-  41  
Dec. 22 Penn {4A}  W   58-  40  
Dec. 28 †Indianapolis Herron {3A}  W   91-  53  tournament
Dec. 29 †Bedford North Lawrence {4A}   L   55-  58  tournament
Dec. 30 †Hamilton Heights {3A}   L   71-  76  tournament
Dec. 30 †Fort Wayne North {4A}   L   53-  60  tournament
Jan. 8 at Portage {4A}‡  W   60-  41  
Jan. 9 †Zionsville {4A}  W   85-  68  
Jan. 15 Michigan City {4A}‡  W   62-  48  
Jan. 16 at New Prairie {3A}  W   64-  43  
Jan. 22 at Lake Central {4A}‡  W   66-  53  
Jan. 23 Lafayette Jeff {4A}  W   55-  37  
Jan. 29 at Merrillville {4A}‡   L   71-  75  
Jan. 30 Munster {4A}  W   68-  49  
Feb. 4 LaPorte {4A}‡  W   61-  53  
Feb. 6 Hammond Noll {2A}  W   48-  46  
Feb. 12 Crown Point {4A}‡  W   66-  53  
Feb. 19 at Chesterton {4A}‡   L   57-  58  
Feb. 20 at Concord {4A}  W   60-  49  
Feb. 26 at South Bend Clay {4A} 2ot W   86-  83  
Mar. 1 †Merrillville {4A} ot W   66-  59  sectional
Mar. 4 †Portage {4A}  W   64-  37  sectional
Mar. 5 at Crown Point {4A} 2ot  L   54-  59  sectional
‡DUNELAND CONFERENCE GAME    †NEUTRAL COURT
 
CROWN POINT SECTIONAL BRACKET
1 Tue. Valparaiso 66, Merrillville 59, overtime
2 Wed. Crown Point 60, Michigan City 52
3 Wed. Chesterton 74, Hobart 47
4 Fri. Valparaiso 64, Portage 37
5 Fri. Crown Point 78, Chesterton 63
6 Sat. Crown Point 59, Valparaiso 54, 2 overtimes
REGIONAL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A [BRACKET]
MICHIGAN CITY
South Bend Riley [22-5] vs. Warsaw [23-1]
East Chicago Central [18-5] vs. Crown Point [18-8]