nonconference  -  Saturday, 1-3-2004 in Lowell

HANOVER CENTRAL (38)  Dave Ploetz 2-0-4, Adam Suarez 1-2-4, Owen Goff 3-0-8, Jeff Johnson 4-0-10, Brandon Hegg 2-0-4, Greerg Shroka 4-0-8, Jeremy Peterson 0-0-0, Billy Nordyke 0-0-0, Matt Jackson 0-0-0, Dave Bilkinsi 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 17-11-49
FTS: 2-8, 25 percent:   Suarez 2-4, Hegg 0-2, Shroka 0-1, Johnson 0-1.
TURNOVERS: 20
REBOUNDS: Greg Shroka - 4
ASSISTS: Jeff Johnson - 3
STEALS: Greg Shroka - 2
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (4) Owen Goff 2, Jeff Johnson 2

LOWELL (53)  Mike Miller 5-2-12, Mike Stoner 0-0-0, Jason Corns 4-3-11, Jim Jeffries 5-2-14, Jeff Clemens 0-1-1, Scott Schulz 1-2-4, Kyle Metz 0-2-2, Dustin Manis 2-2-6, Zach Steiner 0-0-0, Shaun Hlad 1-1-3. TOTALS: 18-15-53.
FTS: 15-24, 62.5 percent:   Miller 2-4, Schulz 2-5, Hlad 1-2, Manis 2-2, Metz 2-4, Clemens 1-2, Jeffries 2-2, Corns 3-3.
TURNOVERS: 21
ASSISTS: Mike Miller - 5
REBOUNDS: Jim Jeffries - 7
BLOCKED SHOTS :  Dustin Manis - 4
3-POINT GOALS (2) Jim Jeffries - 2

LOWELL (1-3-2004) - Lowell was supposed to be shaky on offense after a 14-day layoff over the holidays. Hanover Central didn't really have an excuse. There's no flowery way to put this. Both teams had a bad game. Both teams shot poorly. Both teams turned the ball over quite a bit. But Lowell's worst was better than Hanover's worst.

"We were definitely rusty," said Lowell coach Mike Magley afterwards. "But lets not take anything away from Hanover Central. They played hard."

That's the telling point. Hanover (3-5) hustled and forced some of Lowell's turnovers. But they did not ever get any offense going. After 24 minutes, the Wildcats had 16 points. Greg Shroka, Owen Goff and Jeff Johnson hit some jump shots to create 21 fourth quarter points but the Cats never came within 11 points in the final period.

Lowell, to be honest, seemed to coast through the game, something that must change before Wheeler (9-1), a team that plays with great intensity, gets to Lowell next Friday. But the Red Devils (6-1) continue to get solid play from the senior backcourt of Mike Miller and Dustin Manis, who combined for 18 points in the win over Hanover.

Miller sparked the 13-6 first quarter with five points and a couple of assists. Manis, a 6-1 all purpose player, blocked four first half shots.

"He's perpetual motion," said Magley. "He sees the court well and he's got long arms. He really adds a lot to our team. We've got 10 or 12 guys on this team who can do some of that."

Lowell had at least seven blocked shots, which seemed to hurt the confidence of Hanover, which played without Johnson (16.1 ppg.) who was on the bench most of the first quarter after starting the game. Johnson played most of the remainder of the game, scoring 12 points.

If the benching was an effort to get other players involved in the offense, it was noble but didn't work. Hanover's players, especially Shroka and Goff, do not take offensive opportunities. That pair combined for 14 fourth quarter points after totaling only two for three quarters. Senior Brandon Hegg, a double figure scorer from last season, is coming back slowly from an off-season broken leg and is not as mobile as he was. The good news for him is, there's still two months left to the season.

For Lowell, they have now successfully completed the first portion of the year.

"I like to break the season into three parts," said Magley. "The first section is before the holidays. The second is after the break until the end of the regular season. And the third, is the tournament."

"If our guys can't get excited about playing Wheeler, I need to get a new team. This game has everything. We're tied with them. They're in the top 10. Realistically, nobody else is going to beat them."

"I like our chances. Right now, they only go six deep. I like what we have. Our big problem is going to be rebounding against them. They are a very good rebounding team. We're going to see what we're made of. The rest of the schedule is going to be very tough. We play every sectional opponent except East Chicago. You've just got to do that."

DEVIL NOTES:  Lowell's Greg Johnson suffered a broken nose in December but he hopes to be back for the Jan. 9 game with Wheeler. Top scorer Jim Jeffries (17.1 ppg.) played a solid game, scoring 14 points and not taking bad shots. Hanover's next games are against struggling Whiting and PCC leader Boone Grove (4-3), a major rival.

Assistant coach Mike Holobawski said, "They played well in the South County Tournament. They'll probably put that (Will) Mitchell kid on Jeff. And we've got to find somebody else who can score for us. This was a pretty bad game."

LOWELL (6-1)
Coach Mike Magley (3rd year)  11-12 in 2003

Nov. 25:  W, 61-46 North Newton  (1-4)
Nov. 28:  W, 60-36 at Calumet (1-6)
Dec. 6:  W, 69-50 CLARK   (2-4)
Dec. 12:  W, 57-32 LAKE STATION (0-7)

Lake Conference Tournament
Dec. 16:  W, 55-44 Gavit (1-5)
Dec. 18:  L, 41-48 at Bishop Noll (5-4)  quarterfinals

Jan. 3:  W, 53-38 Hanover Central (3-5)
Jan. 9  (F) WHEELER (9-1) 7:30 pm
Jan. 10 (S) at Hammond  (3-4)7:30 pm
Jan. 17 (S) at WHITING 7:30 pm
Jan. 20  (Tu) Lake Central  (7-1) 7:30 pm
Jan. 23 (F) at  GAVIT 7:30 pm
Jan. 30  (F) MORTON 7:30 pm
Jan. 31 (S) Gary West Side 7:30 pm
Feb. 6 (F) HOBART  7:30 pm
Feb. 7 (S) at Griffith 7:30 pm
Feb. 12 (Th) Highland 7:30 pm
Feb. 20 (F) at Munster 7:30 pm
Feb. 21 (S) Crown Point 7:30 pm
Feb. 27 (F) at Bishop Noll 7:30 pm

East Chicago 4A Sectional

March 2  (Tu) quarterfinals  -   6 p.m.
March 5  (F) semifinals  -   6 p.m.
March 6  (Sat) championship  - 7 p.m. 

Michigan City 4A Regional
March 13 (Sat) semifinals  -  11 a.m.
March 13  (Sat) championship - 7 p.m.

Lafayette 4A SemiState (at Jefferson)
March  20 (Sat) championship  - 7 p.m. 

State Championship
March 27 (Sat) championship  - 7 p.m.  at Conseco Fieldhouse

HANOVER CENTRAL (3-5, 2-1)
Head coach Dave Uran  (12-10) 2nd year

Nov. 25:  W, 78-41 Lake Station  (0-7)
Nov. 29:  L, 40-42 South Newton  (3-2)
Dec. 5:  L,79-88 at HEBRON (1-6)
Dec. 12:  W, 39-36 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (4-4)
Dec. 19  W, 85-42 SOUTH CENTRAL (0-7)

Wheeler Tournament
Dec. 26:  L, 47-66 Wheeler (9-1)
Dec. 27:  L, 45-54 Hobart (4-5)
Jan. 3: L, 38-53 at Lowell (6-1)
Jan. 6   (Tu) Whiting   (0-7)
Jan. 9 (F) at BOONE GROVE  (4-3)
Jan. 13 (Tu) Beecher (Ill.)
Jan. 15 (Th) at Gavit (1-6)

Porter County Conference Tournament
Jan. 21 (W)   quarterfinals
Jan. 22 (Th)  quarterfiunals
Jan. 24 (S) PCC championship 8 p.m.
Jan. 30 (F) at MORGAN TOWNSHIP   (7-1)
Jan. 31 (S) North Newton (3-4)
Feb. 6 (F) at LaCROSSE    (7-1)
Feb. 11 (W) at Clark (1-4)
Feb. 20 (F) KOUTS  (5-2)
Feb. 27 (F) River Forest (3-3)

Bishop Noll (2A) Sectional
March 3 (Tu)   quarterfinals
March 6 (F)  semifinals
March 7 (S) championship - 7 p.m.

North Judson  (2A) Regional
March 14 (S) semifinals - 11 a.m.
March 14 (S) championship - 7 p.m.

Warsaw  (2A) SemiState
March 21 (S) championship - TBA

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