CROWN POINT, IN (2-25-2005) - As a playoff preview, it was okay. As a spectator show, it got better as the night went along.

But as the final home game in the careers of seven Crown Point seniors, it was everything they could have hoped for.

Senior Sam Henderson, who had scored just three points through three quarters, scored 14 fourth quarter points including nine (three three-point baskets) in the last 70 seconds, to give the Bulldogs a come-from-behind 49-44 win over sectional rival Chesterton.

For CP coach Tom Johnson, the game was only the first shoe dropping. CP and Chesterton both dew a quarterfinal bye in the six-team Class 4A Sectional 2, meaning they will meet in the second semifinal game of the Merrillville Sectional Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

“It's going to be a knock-down, drag-out, typical Duneland Conference, 'get after you' game. Both teams. There's no place out there for the timid or the weak.”

“I think you're going to see that in all the games at Merrillville.”

This was a decent game with a timeless finish.

Crown Point ran off 11 points in a row for a 13-2 first quarter lead before Chesterton scored 12 straight to lead 14-13. The Bulldogs, who were slowed by a couple of different pressing defenses, did not score for the final 5:12 of the first half and were lucky to lead 20-18.

The third quarter featured more good defense and bad shooting before Chesterton freshman Jordan Lewis scored a breakaway layup for a 32-28 lead after three periods.

Sam Henderson hit a three-point goal from the left corner, his first points since the first period, to open the fourth quarter scoring with 6:45 left. There was no indication of what was to come.

Trojan scoring leader Zack Novak (17 ppg.), defended well all night by CP's 6-5 Brian Maloney, scored on a driving layup for a 37-35 Chesterton lead with 3:39 left. Novak split two free throws to make it 38-35 with 2:40 to play but Seth Henderson got the ball in the middle of the 2-2-1 press and delivered it to Sam Henderson in the right corner. Sam's three-point shot tied the game with 2:10 to go. In the closing moments of the final home game, CP guards Chachi Albrecht and Mark Patrick broke Chesterton's sticky full court press and Sam Henderson, ran to his 'spot' beyond the three-point line on the right wing.

Three consecutive 20-foot three-point shots went down, the first giving CP a 41-40 lead, the second putting the Bulldogs ahead 44-42, and the third breaking a 44-44 tie with 15 seconds to play.

After a three-point miss by Trojan scoring leader Zack Novak (17 ppg.), Henderson, a 6-2 senior left-hander, was fouled and sank two foul shots to ice the game, CP's fourth win in a row.

The dramatic finish to a game that had featured physical defense and poor shooting for three quarters, had the majority of the crowd of about 1,200 on their feet in the final minute. The '3-ball' and CP's freedom to shoot the long range shot in any situation, can do that to you.

“It's not just Sam,” said Johnson. “I really would have felt comfortable with any of our kids shooting that shot. Our kids work very hard on that aspect of the game and I felt confident, especially with a guy who shoots them well. How can you say no?”

“I knew they were going in,” said Sam's twin brother Seth. “I don't know why he kept shooting the 3s (instead of driving for a layup), but they kept going in. I think we came together at the end of the year. We just began to play together. We're anticipating each other's moves now.”

Coaches anticipate all state tournament eventualities, which means that the CP's Tom Johnson and Chesterton's Tom Pellar both have game plans ready for potential championship games against Valparaiso or Merrillville next Saturday night. But Johnson is aggressively trying to maintain his players' focus on the semifinal game and not even discuss a potential sectional title matchup on Saturday night. This final regular season game should make that task somewhat easier.

“We have split with Chesterton and they have been almost identical games,” Johnson closed. “We've got one, they got one. Records are out the window. We have Chesterton in front of us and we all know how difficult that's going to be.”

Albrecht said the familiarity both teams have with each other is hard to deal with.

“It is,” he said. “But it's something we all have to get used to with the double-round robin (14 league games). They have a great press. I was up against it all night and it was hard for us. It seemed like a 2-2-1 but I'm not sure. It was a very good press.”

Crown Point will certainly work on breaking the press all week and Chesterton will certainly change it. I saw at least five different defenses played by the Trojans, who will have to find a way to get Novak free of Maloney, who helped hold the Chesterton scorer to just 12.

But those are details for Friday night's playoff game. Years from now, all the CP boys will remember is how they rallied in the final time they played for real in the big bright Bulldog ballpark.

“It hasn't really sunk in that this is my final home game,” Albrecht said. “I'm sure in the middle of the night it will. But it was a great game. And I expect the same next Friday night.”

DOG NOTES: Sam Henderson finished the 20-game regular season with 51 three-point baskets. Chachi Albrecht ended the regular 20 games with 41 three-point goals. Henderson's two foul shots at the end gave him 21 of 25 for the season, an 84 percent pace.

Albrecht was impressed by the point totals of Chesterton's 15-year-old freshman forward Zack Novak.

“He's going to be a great player,” Albrecht said. “He's just a freshman? Are you kidding me? I cant even imagine scoring all those points as a freshman.”

The age old question about Crown Point is why they have such good distance shooters. Before the Henderson twins and Chachi Albrecht, there was TJ and Chad Pruzin and Kevin Sparks. Before that there was Kurt Klepsch and Damean Clinton. And before that there was Angelo Grecco and Chad Rucinski. Scott Sparks. Chip Pettit. Under different coaches, CP has always excelled at shooting from distance.

“We're just like everybody else,” said Albrecht. “We just practice shooting a lot. I learned how to shoot from my dad. I didn't watch Grecco. I watched Damean Clinton and Kurt Klepsch. Those guys were awesome. They were my idols when I was growing up. I don't shoot like them.”

“Our guards have the green light to shoot. I'm sure other teams' guards do, too. But even our big guys have the green light.”

“I don't know,” said Seth Henderson. “At practice, Brown, Maloney and I are all doing post moves while everybody else is at the other end doing shooting drills. But when we shoot, we seem to make them anyway.”

Merrillville finished at 17-3 with a 78-54 rout of Portage (8-12). Merrillville plays Portage in the Merrillville Sectional quarterfinals on Tuesday March 1. Valparaiso finished at 18-2 with 62-45 blowout of Michigan City. Valparaiso and Merrillville tied (with records of 12-2) for the 2005 Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) title, something that matters until the two co-champs meet, as it is expected they will, in Friday's Merrillville Sectional semifinals.

Lake Central (11-9, 9-5) finished third in the DAC with a 60-46 win over LaPorte. Crown Point (12-8, 7-7) finished in fourth place in the eight-team DAC.

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CROWN POINT (12-8)

Coach: Tom Johnson, 113-82 in 9th year at school, 146-113 in 12th year overall

DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/ TIME	USA-365.com Broadcast Time
Nov. 27	at Griffith {3A}	W, 66-36
Dec. 3	LaPorte {4A}‡	W, 69-57	7:15 PM
Dec. 10	at Lake Central {4A}‡	L, 61-64
Dec. 14	at Valparaiso {4A}‡	L, 35-55
Dec. 17	Michigan City {4A}‡	L, 51-55	7:15 PM
Dec. 28	Merrillville {4A}‡	L, 53-67	7:15 PM
Dec. 30	at Hammond Gavit {3A}	W, 47-35
Jan. 4	Portage {4A}‡	W, 56-47	7:15 PM
Jan. 7	at Chesterton {4A}‡	L, 36-45
Jan. 14	Lake Central {4A}‡	W, 59-38	7:15 PM
Jan. 15	at South Bend Adams {4A}	W, 36-35
Jan. 21	at Michigan City {4A}‡	W, 67-60
Jan. 24	East Chicago Central {4A}	W, 68-63
Jan. 28	Valparaiso {4A}‡	L, 62-65	7:15 PM
Jan. 29	at Munster {4A}	L, 45-53	7:15 PM
Feb. 4	at Merrillville {4A}‡	L, 45-47
Feb. 10	at LaPorte {4A}‡	W, 41-38
Feb. 18	at Portage {4A}‡	W, 72-48
Feb. 19	Lowell {4A}	W, 75-33	7:15 PM
Feb. 25	Chesterton {4A}‡	W, 49-44	7:15 PM
Mar. 4	Chesterton at Merrillville Sectional semifinals	7:30 PM	6:00 PM
Mar. 5	Merrillville Sectional Championship	7:30 PM	7:15 PM
‡DUNELAND CONFERENCE GAME

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Revised: February 27, 2005 .