Slow
starts for Lowell results in 3rd straight loss, 55-44 to West SideSlow
starts for Lowell results in 3rd straight loss, 55-44 to West SideA USA-365.com Special Report
by Mark Smith
02-02-2008
| Team/Record | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| Gary West Side (12-3) | 7 | 15 | 20 | 13 | 55 |
| LOWELL (7-8) | 0 | 17 | 11 | 17 | 45 |
Thursday, January 31, 2008 - Non-conference boys basketball at LOWELL, IN
GARY WEST SIDE (55) DeShawn Clay 4-3-11, Gerald Campbell 6-1-13, Xavier Jones 4-10-18, Michael Fabiyl 2-2-6, Alajuwon Edwards 2-0-4, Marcus Upshaw 1-0-3, Brandon Wesby 0-0-0, Jovan Pullen 0-0-0, Reggie Clay 0-0-0, Ken Edwards 0-0-0. TOTALS: 19 (15-23, 65.2%) 55.
LOWELL (45) Robert Cusic 1-3-5, Ted Macis 2-1-5, Eli Macis 6-0-16, David Weiand 0-3-3, Jake Kerwin 1-0-2, Joe Bell 3-3-9, Nate Miller 0-0-0, Ben Fox 0-0-0, Josh Hofer 0-0-0. TOTALS: 14 (12-19, 63.1%) 45.
FREE THROWS: Gary West Side (15-23, 65.2%) Clay 3-4, Campbell 1-2, Fabiyl 2-3, Jones 10-14; LOWELL (12-19, 63.1%) Cusic 3-4, Weiand 3-8, Bell 3-4, Ted Macis 2-2, Eli Macis 0-1.
REBOUNDS: Gary West Side (27) Campbell 9, Fabiyl 7, Wesby 2, Pullen 2, Clay 3, Edwards 2, Jones 2; LOWELL (17) Eli Macis 5, Cusic 4, Bell 4, Kerwin 2, Ted Macis 2.
ASSISTS: Gary West Side (7) Campbell 4, Wesby 3; LOWELL (11) Miller 4, Eli Macis 3, Weiand 2, Cusic, Kerwin.
3-GOALS: Gary West Side (1) Marcus Upshaw; LOWELL (6) Eli Macis 4, Ted Macis 2.
LOWELL (01-31-2008) I'm really not sure what to make of Gary West Side's 55-45 win over Lowell on a very snowy Thursday night in South Lake County.
Lowell, for the second time in three games, went scoreless in the first
period. But then, led by the shooting of the Macis brothers and a dash
of competitive spirit, the Devils refused to give up in a game they were
supposed to lose and made the final score highly-respectable. As for
West Side (12-3), they seemed a little disinterested, a little tired or
both. The Cougars edge in speed and rebounding forged the 10-point
victory.
"We're not ready for the games," said Lowell coach Mike Magley about
Lowell's second consecutive first quarter home court shutout. "We've
got a lot of seniors and they've got to make sure we're ready for the games.
Our effort is there. But we just need to get excited."
The Devils, who were shut out 13-0 in the first quarter by Munster six
nights earlier, were down 7-0 after a very cold-shooting first quarter.
Senior Ted Macis scored the first Lowell basket with 7:49 left before
halftime. Long-armed guard Xavier Jones repeatedly got to the basket and
got fouled and he sank 6-of-11 from the line to help the Cougars to a 22-8
lead.
But the West Side defense began to lose track of Lowell guard Eli Macis who
scored eight second quarter points, including two three-point baskets to
rally the Devils to within five point at the half.
"We were sleepwalking there for a while," admitted West Side coach John
Boyd. "We haven't played in awhile and we lost some of Lowell's shooters
and they got back in the game."
In the third quarter, with 6-foot-5 senior Gerald Campbell dominating the
backboards, West Side, which has lost only to (Indianapolis) Howe, (Chicago)
Farragut (18-2) and East Chicago (13-3), rebuilt the lead to 38-26 with 2:26
left in the third quarter and 50-35 with four minutes to play.
But Lowell continued to play hard and two foul shots by Robert Cusic, cut
the lead to 51-40 with 1:19 to play. The Macis brothers did sink six
three-point baskets, but Lowell was not exclusively a three-point shooting
squad and they attacked the basket well enough to draw 19 foul shots.
This was a much better game than the 53-32 loss to Munster on Jan. 25 or the
64-44 loss at Merrillville on Jan. 26. Lowell's Nate Miller got the start
at guard and passed out four assists and Ted Macis scored all 10 of his
points in the second half.
"They are no more athletic than Merrillville," said Magley, who was very
frustrated over the start of the game. "We just got through playing
three very good teams. And we did some good things. The question
is: Will it carry over to the rest of our games?"
DEVIL NOTES: Lowell's 6-foot-5 junior forward Keith Greer did
not play because he was 'a little beaten up', according to coach Mike Magley.
He wasn't alone. Lowell appeared to be a tired team leaving the
building Friday in the midst of a slate of four games in eight days.
Gary West Side coach John Boyd said that 6-foot-3 guard Xavier Jones (18 points) is potentially the best player he has. Jones (6-3, 210), who scored 27 against East Chicago, is a strong dribbler with powerful arms and shoulders than enable him to make impressive passes.
"He's just a sophomore," said Boyd. "He dropped 40 pounds over the summer. He's got some work to do. But you have not seen what this kid is going to become. Trust me on that."
The Lowell-Gary West Side game was physical and a lot of players were knocked to the floor, but sportsmanship was at a peak with boys helping opponents to their feet. That was noteworthy because West Side almost got into a brawl with Gary's new Bowman Academy in the Cougars' previous game. Boyd said that the two-year-old Bowman program came in with the attitude that they had to out-physical the Cougars.
"It was a game I never should have taken," said Boyd, who hinted there won't be any more regularly scheduled games between West Side and Bowman. "They've been trying to gain credence off our program. I've got the established program. You cant just walk in and beat a top team. You cant just talk the talk. You have to walk the walk."
But as long as Boyd is coach of West Side, they will play Lowell.
"Those are my guys," he said of Magley and Lowell athletic director Don
Bales. "We like coming here. I only wish they'd get more people to
come out and watch the games. They're a good team."
Of the eight teams Lowell has lost to, only Griffith (6-7) has a losing
record. Lowell has not had a winning season since 1993. They
were 10-10 last season. To guarantee a winning record, Lowell needs four
wins in their last five games against Andrean (1-12), Morton (1-12), Boone
Grove (7-7), Wheeler (10-4) and Crown Point (10-5).
John Boyd says that East Chicago, which beat West Side 60-53 on Jan. 24, is
not the toughest team West Side has played. "Farragut," he said.
"Without question. We led East Chicago by nine in the fourth quarter.
And their press got us. We were tired and it was my mistake because I
didn't sub. We handed them the ball three times in a row and their
crowd got into it and they came back on us.
"But that was my mistake. I watched the film. I saw what was wrong and I told them, it was coaches' fault. I could have gotten them one or two minutes rest and we'd have closed it out. When you play a team that good, you can't make any mistakes. We made some and I made some."
It was noted that Lowell dropped Class 1A Whiting (0-14) from the schedule and replaced them with Class 4A Merrillville (12-2). Coach Mike Magley said that his team had to do it.
"They (Merrillville) simulate the teams we're going to see in the sectional," he explained. "As long as we're in that Sectional (with West Side, Munster and East Chicago), that's the kind of team we need to play."
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