Lowell boys take on two of region's finest, but fall 70-49 to Merrillville and 75-53 to Munster

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
01-30-2011

MERRILLVILLE (70) Brandon Clark 4-2-15, Jeremiah Jones 6-2-17, Ed Seay 4-1-9, Josh Hogan 8-4-21, Andre Ross 1-2-4, Brandon Smith 0-2-2, Tokumbo Fashawe 1-0-2, John Moseley 0-0-0, Jake Raspopovich 0-0-0. TOTALS: 24 (15-26) 70.

LOWELL (49) Jason Parker 4-0-8, Austin Richie 7-7-25, Danny DeBoer 2-0-4, Kyle Richwalski 2-0-4, David Stang 0-0-0, Nick Kijurna 1-0-2, Austin Magley 1-1-3, Clark Mikesell 1-0-3. TOTALS: 18 (8-16) 49.

FREE THROWS: MERRILLVILLE (15-26, 57.7%) Clark 4-4, Jones 2-5, Seay 1-3, Fashawe 0-1, Ross 2-2, Hogan 4-9, Smith 2-2.
LOWELL (8-16, 50%) Richie 7-10, Magley 1-2, Richwalski 0-2, DeBoer 0-2;

REBOUNDS: MERRILLVILLE (29) Seay 5, Fashawe 5, Smith 5, Jones 4, Clark 4, Ross 3, Hogan 2, Moseley; LOWELL (25) Richwalski 9, Richie 5, Parker 4, DeBoer 2, Kijurna 2, Magley 2, Mikesell.

ASSISTS: MERRILLVILLE (13) Ross 3, Hogan 3, Fashawe 3, Clark 2, Jones 2; LOWELL (6) Richie 3, Parker 2, Stang.

STEALS: MERRILLVILLE (7) Jones 3, Clark 2, Seay, Ross; LOWELL (0)

FOULED OUT: LOWELL (1) Jason Parker (4th Q) 3:40 left

3-GOALS: MERRILLVILLE (7) Jeremiah Jones 3, Brandon Clark 3, Josh Hogan; LOWELL (5) Austin Richie 4, Clark Mikesell.

LOWELL (53) Jason Parker 5-8-20, Austin Richie 7-3-20, Danny DeBoer 2-0-4, Kyle Richwalski 1-2-4, David Stang 1-0-2, Nick Kijurna 0-0-0, Austin Magley 1-0-2, Zack Van Hook 0-1-1, Clark Mikesell 0-0-0. TOTALS: 17 (14-18) 53.

MUNSTER (75) Joe Crisman 6-7-20, Mark Strbjak 9-0-18, Brian Stolarz 4-3-12, Mike Schlotman 1-4-7, Raphael Stringer 2-0-4, Chris Young 1-1-3, Nate Bubash 1-0-2, Ricky Carbajal 4-1-9, Scott Jerge 0-0-0, Cade Conner 0-0-0, Oliver Sutter 0-0-0. TOTALS: 28 (16-28) 75.

FREE THROWS: LOWELL (14-18, 77.8%) Parker 8-10, Richie 3-4, VanHook 1-2, Richwalski 2-2; MUNSTER (16-28, 57.1%) Crisman 7-13, Schlotman 4-6, Young 1-2, Stolarz 3-3, Carbajal 1-2, Bubash 0-2.

REBOUNDS: LOWELL (20) Richwalski 7, Parker 7, Kijurna 2, Richie 2, Stang, Magley ; MUNSTER (33) Crisman 7, Carbajal 6, Stolarz 5, Young 4, Strbjak 3, Bubash 3, Schlotman 3, Jerge, Stringer.

ASSISTS: LOWELL (6) Richie 3, Parker 2, DeBoer; MUNSTER (24) Crisman 5, Jerge 5, Young 4, Stringer 2, Schlotman 2, Carbajal 2, Stolarz 2, Sutter, Bubash.

BLOCKED SHOTS: LOWELL (1) Richie; MUNSTER (6) Crisman 3, Bubash, Strbjak, Young.

FOULED OUT: LOWELL (1) Danny DeBoer (4th Q) 6:12 left.

TECHNICAL FOULS: LOWELL (4) :36 left-2nd quarter (3), 6:36 left-4th quarter.

3-GOALS: LOWELL (5) Austin Richie 3, Jason Parker 2; MUNSTER (3) Joe Crisman, Mike Schlotman, Brian Stolarz.

LOWELL, IN (01-29-2011) So, what is it like to play the state's top two ranked teams back to back late in the high school basketball season.
"It's fun," said Lowell senior Austin Richie, after Saturday's night's game against Merrillville. "It's not fun to lose. But as a competitor, you want your chance. Especially, when you 'don't have a chance.' When you're not supposed to win. Last night (against Merrillville) was as bad as we've played all year. Tonight, we fought for 3-1/2 quarters."

Lowell lost 75-53 at Munster (14-0) Friday night and 70-49 at home to 4A No. 2 Merrillville (14-0) Saturday.

"They are two totally different teams," said Lowell's rookie coach Nate Richie, whose team trailed Munster by 30 points early in the fourth quarter. "Its hard to compare them. Obviously they both are very good teams, but they aren't similar at all."

Lowell (8-7) played hard both nights, but they were only effective Saturday, staying as close as 53-44 with 6:07 left in the fourth quarter against the Pirates, who host Crown Point (13-2) this Friday and Munster (14-0) this Saturday.

After being embarrassed Friday night, Lowell gained respect Saturday even though the Devils' season-long problems eventually showed up as they figured to against undefeated opposition.

"When we're allowed to play," said coach Richie, still upset over the officiating at Munster, "we can stay with anybody in the state. But we have yet to put together 32 minutes of basketball this season. And we still don't have a second offensive option for Austin."

Lowell doesn't play a slowdown style so their challenge to the high-speed Pirates was an entertaining Saturday night for a crowd of about 750-1000 fans. Austin Richie, Jason Parker and Austin Magley battled Merrillville's super-quick perimeter players in a way that was eye-opening until the Devils seemed to wear out down the stretch. Sometimes Lowell plays better with a forward and four guards on the floor. But 6-foot-9 junior center Kyle Richwalski, who was handcuffed with early fouls against Munster, made somewhat of a difference Saturday against Merrillville's 6-foot-8 Ed Seay and 6-foot-5 Tokumbo Fashawe.

"We are a tale of two lineups," coach Richie said. "When we go small we can put a lot of pressure on. Get up and down the floor a little more. But we need our 'bigs" (tall forwards) for rebounding opportunities."

Late in the Merrillville game, the speed of 6-foot-2 Josh Hogan, 6-foot-3 Jeremiah Jones and lead guard Brandon Clark forced many of Lowell's 22 turnovers and that upset coach Richie more than the final score.

"I thought we gave up," he admitted. "We were in the game for three quarters and we gave up. I know we were tired, but you have to play for 32 minutes. But I think this showed that we can play with anybody in the state."

Austin Richie, Lowell's 6-foot-2 guard who began the weekend with a 35.6 scoring average, scored 20 against Munster and 25 against Merrillville. Munster's 6-foot-4 Joe Crisman, an old AAU teammate of Richie's, defended him well Friday night, holding the scoring leader to just two first half points.

Even though he seemed tired Saturday night, Richie was more effective at home against multiple Merrillville defenders with nine points in the first quarter and 25 in the game. The consensus was that when you say that one person defended Austin Richie, that's never totally true.

"It was about 30% me and 70% the other guys," said Crisman, a Divsion I player headed for Loyola of Chicago. "We were running him into the defense. But me and Austin played AAU together in seventh grade. I've known him for a long time. This game was fun. He's really a great scorer. I've been looking forward to this game all season."

Lowell didn't have much fun at Munster. They needed everything to go right early and they found out early that was not going to happen when Richwalksi, who has greatly improved his rebounding ability, was called for two personal fouls in the first 2:28 and had to go to the bench with Lowell trailing just 6-4. With Crisman on Richie and Lowell seemingly shakey facing the Mustangs for the Northwest Crossroads Championship (both teams were 4-0 in league play), the Devils' offense shut down and Munster slowly built leads of 23-6 and 36-12 in a game that was over at the half.

Mark Strbjak, Munster's 6-foot-3 football quarterback, found a very physical game much to his liking, scoring 18 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the floor. The 6-foot-2 Richie was 7 of 27 from the floor after starting the game 0-of-11. Most of Richie's points came in the second half during periods where Crisman went to the bench. The Mustangs built the lead to 30 points in the fourth quarter.

The officiating was sloppy. There seemed to be a lot of moving violations (traveling, palming the ball) and Lowell drew three technical fouls late in the second quarter as a lot of contact went uncalled. Richie, who played at Lake Central, is well aware of what Indiana basketball is like on the road.

"I don't want to take anything away from Munster," said coach Richie afterwards. "They are the best team defensively we've seen all year. It wasn't all him, but Crisman did a really good job on Austin."

"But I don't think they (the officials) let us play tonight. This game was for the conference championship. I know we weren't 'supposed' to beat them, but please give my kids the opportunity to play."

Lowell's Jason Parker scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half against Munster, but Richie wasn't happy with his team either.

"It comes down to execution," he said. "You have to set screens hard and come hard off screens. You have to know what you are doing and why you are doing it."

Austin Richie seemed more tired after Saturday's game than he'd appeared after some earlier games. But he still had high hopes.

"In the last five games," he said of the final portion the schedule that begins Friday night at Andrean (9-3, 4-0), "I'm looking for us to win. If we see Munster again (in the sectional) that would be okay with me."

Coach Richie pointed towards a win this Friday against the 59ers.

"If we win that one we're second in the conference and Lowell hasn't been second in this conference since they put it together," he explained. "It's not first, but that would be big for us. Where our program's at, we've got to take small steps forward."

DEVIL NOTES: In Lowell's quest to finish above .500 for the first time since 1993, the two losses last weekend were not a factor. These were games the Devils were least likely to win. But a win over Andrean is much needed as Lowell (8-7) still has Crown Point (13-2) and Wheeler (11-3) left on the schedule. Lowell last finished over .500 for old coach Steve Leonard when they were 18-7 and won their last sectional championship in March of 1993.

Lowell's Austin Richie ended the weekend with a 33.9 points per game average which is still second state wide to cousin Zach Richie (39.2 after 14 games) at Oregon-Davis. AAU teammate Nic Moore of Warsaw was averaging 30.1 per game after 15 games for the Warsaw Tigers. Only one player in the history of Indiana basketball, Phil Wills of the long since consolidated Grass Creek high school (in Fulton County outside Logansport) has ever averaged 40 points a game in an Indiana basketball season.

In 1957, before the three-point basket was even thought of, Wills averaged 42.2 points per game. Grass Creek had just 63 students in 1957 and consolidated (with Matea, Fulton and Twelve Mile high) into what is now Caston high school in the early 60s. And yes, there still is a place called Twelve Mile, Indiana.

Lowell assistant coach Chris Justevich was called for three technical fouls at the same time in the second quarter at Munster. The dispute was one of many over what appeared to be uncalled traveling violations.

Justevitch repeatedly said, "You've got to call that." He was told to shut up and given technical fouls until he did.

"You can't even give somebody three technical fouls," said coach Nate Richie, who drew a fourth Lowell 'T' in the fourth quarter. "The most you can give somebody is two. And all he said was, 'You've got to call that.' That's all he said."

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Revised: February 07, 2011 .