PORTAGE, IN (2-18-2005) - You almost don't want to make too much of this. Crown Point's 72-48 victory at Portage Friday night was only one game.

But less than two weeks before the start of the 95^th Indiana State Tournament, Crown Point looked 99 and 44/100% ready, with what was easily their best game of the season.

“I was very pleased with how we played,” said veteran Crown Point coach Tom Johnson. “With how we've been playing.”

That's the relevant point. The Bulldogs' win gave them a very modest two-game winning streak after consecutive losses to Valparaiso (17-2), Merrillville (14-3) and Munster (14-5). But what isn't obvious is that CP has steadily improved from the first month of the season.

Each time the Bulldogs (10-8) have met a Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) team for the second time this season, they have fared considerably better. CP held off Portage 56-47 on January 4. One month later, the game was not nearly that close.

The team is clearly improving. The only question is how much.

“They did some things to take away our post game tonight,” said Johnson. “But Brian Maloney (17 points, 5 rebounds) came up and had a big game tonight. Probably his best game offensively all year. I thought we passed the ball very well. Mark Patrick had 11 assists tonight. I don't think we've had a point guard since Kurt Klepsch has been here (1999) who's had double figure assists in a game.”

Crown Point played as a senior-dominated team should play. After some shaky rebounding let an early 8-2 lead slip away, the Bulldogs scored the first seven points of the second quarter for a 20-13 lead with 6:12 to go until halftime. Patrick, the 5-11 senior, consistently was able to find CP's ace shooters Sam Henderson and Chachi Albrecht on the wings and in the corners as the Portage defense seemed determined to keep the ball away from 6-4 post player Ryan Brown (10 ppg.) the Bulldogs' leading scorer.

In the third quarter, Maloney, CP's 6-5 senior, scored on an offensive rebound to make it 35-25 with 5:28 left in the period. Maloney came around a screen, grabbed a pass from Patrick and sank a 20-footer from the top of the key for a 13-point lead. After a Portage time out, Patrick whipped the ball into the corner where Albrecht sank a three-point shot. When Patrick pass found Maloney for a layup with 3:12 left in the third quarter, CP had used a 15-2 run to go up 43-25, the small Portage crowd on 'Senior Night' knew that more fun could be found elsewhere.

“I just kept passing the ball,” said Patrick, “and it wasn't coming back.”

An equally impressive aspect of this CP win was when it occurred. Portage (7-10) was just three days removed from their biggest win of the season, a 62-49 win over Munster in Munster's 'Senior Night', final home game. The Indians had won four of their last five games before welcoming in Crown Point and had 6-3 senior multi-position player Buster Buttreal (16 ppg.) coming off a 21-point game against Munster.

“Portage had been playing very well,” Johnson reported. “Their post players had done very well lately. They'd been a difficult team. We've played against Buster (Battreal) a lot of times. There's nights I have seen us guard him as well as we did tonight and he had a monster game anyway. Buster is a great offensive player.”

Crown Point's 72 points was a season high and the 11 three-point shots (they have 57 in their last seven games) is the second most for CP in a game this year. The Bulldogs made 14 consecutive free throws until JV center Mike Kvachkoff split two shots in the final minutes. CP committed just 10 turnovers and outrebounded the slightly taller home team 27-20. There simply wasn't a lot more to ask.

“In the first half,” said Johnson, “we gave up seven offensive rebounds. But we cleaned that up and obviously, we hit some big perimeter shots on both sides of the floor. Sam Henderson and Chachi Albrecht hit big perimeter shots.”

“It was a total team effort. That's what I like about it. We've got nine guys who can all do a lot for us. We're where we want to be right now.”

The Bulldogs final two games were on the home court against Lowell (2-16) and Chesterton (8-10) in Crown Point's 'Senior Night' home finale on February 25.

“We've lost some games we've played well in. We've had a really tough schedule. It's just been one game after the other where our conference is tough. Our nonconference schedule has been South Bend Adams, East Chicago and Munster. There's been no let-up.”

“I'm really proud of the way our guys have come to play every night.”

Especially now that the time to come to play has come.

DOG NOTES:  Munster bombed Lowell 76-45 Friday (2-18-5) night while Chesterton (8-10) turned back LaPorte 68-58.

The state tournament draw will be announced Sunday (2-20-5) and CP could match up with Hobart, Portage, Chesterton, Valparaiso or Merrillville in the six-team Sectional 2 playoffs which begin Tuesday, March 1. Two lucky teams won't have to play on March 1.

“I don't care who we draw as long as it's Friday night (March 4),” said Patrick. “That's what I've been saying. As long as we get a bye, it doesn't matter who it is.”

Valparaiso evened up the Duneland Athletic Conference race with a 62-59 win over Merrillville. Valpo (17-2, 11-2 DAC) ends the year at Michigan City while Merrillville (14-3, 11-2 DAC) hosts Portage on Feb. 25. CP is fourth in the DAC, but they are second in points allowed, giving up only 50.4 points per game.

CP's first blowout win since the first of the year allowed 6-foot sophomore Tommy Parks to score his first varsity basket. Sophomore center Mike Kvachkoff also tallied his first varsity point on a free throw with 1:05 remaining.

CP sank 12 three-pointers in a 64-61 loss at Lake Central on November 10. The 72 points is the most scored by CP since an 85-80 overtime loss at Chesterton on the final day of the 2004 regular season. CP was 6-16 last season including three losses to Portage.

CP's Chad Pruzin was credited with 11 assists in CP's 62-55 win over Lowell on Feb, 28, 2003. Kurt Klepsch recorded what may be the Bulldog record with 13 assists in a 79-56 rout of East Chicago on December 9, 1998. Klepsch had 10 assists in a 90-65 win over LaPorte on Jan. 8, 1999.

CP has always been a distance shooting team, long before Tom Johnson became their coach. But under Johnson, the Bulldogs have given those shooters the green light. The Bulldogs sank 146 three-point baskets in 22 games in 2004 and 133 three-pointers in 22 games in the 2003 season. Through 18 games this season, the Bulldogs have 119 three-pointers.

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CROWN POINT (11-8)

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}‡	7:30 pm	7:15 PM
‡DUNELAND CONFERENCE GAME

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Revised: February 21, 2005 .