LaPorte spoils Swan coaching debut, home opener for Bulldogs, 64-58

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith
12-2-2006

Friday, 12-1-2006 at Crown Point, IN - Duneland Athletic Conference opener

LaPORTE (64)  Tim Knickerbocker 2-2-6, Colby Kus 4-1-9, Matt Dunfee 5-0-13, Rich Leslie 1-7-10, Austen Kesling 6-4-17, Trent Krentz 1-0-2, Juwaan Marshall 0-2-2,  Ricky Dunfee 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 19 (14-18) 58.

CROWN POINT (58)  Kyle Hanaway 8-0-17, Aleks Alavanja 2-0-4, Zach Cecich 9-0-18, Andy Krumwied 2-0-4, Ben Derks 1-2-5, Mitch Robinson 1-0-2, Stephen Albrecht 3-2-8, Billy Cox 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 26 (4-9) 58

FREE THROWS:  LaPORTE (14-18, 79.7%) Knickerbocker 2-3, Kus 1-2, Leslie 7-7,  Kesling 2-4, Marshall 2-2,;   CROWN POINT (4-9, 44.4%)  Hanaway 0-4, Cecich 0-1, Albrecht 2-2, Derks 2-2.

ASSISTS:  LaPORTE (9) Dunfee 4, Leslie 2,  Kesling 2, Krentz;   CP (14) Hanaway 8, Derks 5 , Albrecht.

TURNOVERS:  LaPORTE  (6-7-3-5) 21; CROWN POINT (3-4-5-5) 17.

FOULED OUT:  Aleks Alavanja (CP) 4th Q - 1:19 left.

CROWN POINT, IN (12-1-2006) - Since LaPorte hit eight three-point shots to two for Crown Point and the Slicers won by six points 64-58, it was logical to say that LaPorte's shooting beat CP.  New CP coach Clint Swan altered that only a touch.

"It was out inability to cover the shooters," Swan said, disappointed to lose his debut as CP coach. "We got lost on the shooters and it wasn't the guys guarding the shooters.  It was the guy guarding the ball.  The guy guarding the ball would get beat and the guy guarding the shooter would have to help out."

On paper, it wasn't a bad season opener for Crown Point.  But on the floor, LaPorte's 14-6 run at the start of the third quarter gave the visitors a lead they never relinquished.  The Slicers (3-0, 1-0 DAC) had four players score in double figures and they sank 14 of 18 from the foul line to hold off CP in the final quarter.

LaPorte's senior Colby Kus #34 at 6-foot-6 was a dominating factor on the inside, along with fellow 6-6 senior Tim Knickerbocker.	LaPorte's Rich Leslie #32 is only a freshman, but is a starter and scored 10-points at CP.  (All photos by Mark Smith.)
Junior guards Ben Derks (left) and Stephen Albrecht (right) were held to 13 points between them in Crown Point's 64-58 loss to LaPorte, 12-1-06.  (All photos by Mark Smith.)
In the battle of point guards, CP's junior Kyle Hannaway #24 had 17 points and 8 assists, while LaPorte's junior Matt Dunfee had 13 points and 4 assists, 12-1-06.
Crown Point varsity head coach Clint Swan visits with LaPorte coach Tom Wells during pregame warmups at CPHS, 12-1-06.  (All Photos by Mark Smith.)

"That's the way it's going to be," said LaPorte coach Tom Wells.  "You're not going to come see us because you want to see one player.  It's just a bunch of hard-working kids who so far, have got the job done."

Both sides played hard, but Crown Point (0-1) simply could not string baskets together.  They led 7-3 before a scoring drought lasted four minutes and created a 12-7 LaPorte lead.  CP led 29-25 with 7:11 left in the third quarter, but a 12-2 run including three baskets by 6-1 senior Austin Kesling made it 37-31 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

Down 46-39 and 49-41 early in the fourth quarter, CP made a move as guard Ben Derks and Kyle Hanaway were able to find post man Zach Cecich on give-and-go plays for four fourth period baskets that edged the home team closer to the lead.  Hanaway scored nine fourth quarter points, but Stephen Albrecht, who averaged 12 points a game last season, could not make shots fall all night and ended up with eight points, maybe feeling the pressure of being expected to lead the team in scoring again.

"Maybe," said Swan, who was in Lebanon last year and is learning his team.  "But he'll bounce back.  He's a tough kid."

CP might have taken a large first half lead when the play was ragged, but LaPorte could say the same thing.

"The first half was so slow," said Wells.  "It looked like two heavyweight boxers pushing each other around the ring.  Then both sides got going in the second half."

LaPorte didn't press, but CP's full court traps forced some turnovers and started a series of aborted late comebacks by CP in their season debut.  But, possibly because it was their first game, the Bulldogs could not put any streaks together that overcame a solid LaPorte starting five, who made plays at the end.  The game was never out of reach for Crown Point, but LaPorte never trailed after the 12-2 run early in the third period.

"No doubt about it," said Wells.  "When the ball goes through the basket, there's a little flow to the game and everyone plays better.  It certainly looks a lot better."

"I thought we lost them defensively in that third quarter where they scored 20 points," said Swan.  "We know they can shoot the ball.  That's no secret.  They've been that type of team since before I was born."

Crown Point will need more from Albrecht and Aleks Alavanja, a 6-6 junior who had just four points.  The DAC is a big kid league this year.  Almost everybody has tall players and guard play will not be able to overcome lack of production close to the basket.

"I don't have any problems with our effort tonight," said Swan.  "But we've got to get better defensively against shooters.  We work on that a lot."

Wells wasn't thrilled with Cecich scoring 18, but he said the Slicers' inside defense was better than LaPorte's first two games, wins over South Bend Riley and New Prairie.  

"We gave up 28 points in the lane against New Prairie (a 55-54 win on Nov. 25) and I was depressed with our defensive effort," he said.  "We thought about playing a zone.  But we were getting the job done so we stayed with it.  We've got to get better but this was our best defensive effort of the year.

CP was 25 of 60 from the floor and most of the shots they made were close to the basket.  It's fair to assume they will shoot better as the season goes on, and as Wells said, the making of shots makes your team play better overall.  Still, Swan saw the game as winnable.

"We have got to make plays defensively as well," he said.  Our effort was good, but I'd feel better if we'd have won."

CP NOTES:  The season-opening crowd at Crown Point was slim.  Less than 1,500.  There might be some football hangover (both teams had highly successful seasons) at both schools.  But the small turnout was somewhat surprising, because LaPorte usually brings the largest following in the Duneland Athletic Conference.  The CP-LaPorte girls game, held simultaneously in LaPorte certainly hurt the audience total.  Another factor was the weather.  Large snow totals were predicted for Friday in Lake and LaPorte Counties and they simply didn't materialize.  Predictions of two feet became a reality of two inches.

"I wish I was a weatherman," said LaPorte coach Tom Wells after Friday's game. "Then I'd only have to be right 10% of the time."

Crown Point was the last Northwest Indiana team to begin the basketball season.  LaPorte, which advanced further in the football playoffs than CP did, began on Nov. 22.  CP's season debut has been delayed two years in a row.

Usually when there's a blocked shot, the team that got blocked complains a lot.  LaPorte's Tim Knickerbocker had five blocked shots Friday and there truly was no complaint.

"He's 6-6 but his wingspan is 6-10, 7-foot," noted Swan.  "Some of the things he does don't show up in the scorebook."

Kyle Hanaway was credited with a career-high eight assists and five steals.  He was very strong handling the basketball.  Most of his five turnovers came on passes under the basket as opposed to losing the ball in the back court.  Hanaway and Derks both were starters (with Aleks Alavanja, Zach Cecich and Stephen Albrecht).

Junior Jacob Burkholder, who has had back problems throughout his CP career, was not in uniform and is not expected to be able to play until late in the season.

There are storm clouds on the horizon for both CP and LaPorte.  Both will play Valparaiso twice and Valpo (3-0, 1-0 DAC) totally dominated Lake Central 52-34 Friday, leading 37-10 at the half.  East Chicago (3-0), another future CP foe, blasted South Bend Clay 80-56.  EC has won every game by 25 points or more so far.

Crown Point has seven more games this month including three Tuesday night games.  And that's not counting Crown Point's game on New Year's Day at Valparaiso University against tradition-rich Washington, from south west Indiana's Daviess County.  The schedule for that day has Wheeler (6-0) against Attica (3-1) in a 3:15 girls matchup.  Then CP plays Washington, which features 6-foot-10  Valparaiso University recruit Bryan Bouchie at 5:45 p.m.  Valparaiso plays Washington high of Chicago at 7:30 p.m.

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Revised: December 04, 2006 .