Lowell
starts well, hangs on to beat Wheeler 53-47Lowell
starts well, hangs on to beat Wheeler 53-47A USA-365.com Special Report
by Mark Smith
02-21-2008
| Team/Record | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| WHEELER (15-5) | 13 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 47 |
| LOWELL (8-11) | 15 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 53 |
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 -Non-conference boys basketball in Lowell, IN
WHEELER (47) Petar Todorovic 4-0-12, Tyler Koss 1-0-2, Donnie Ketchum 2-1-7, Andrew Rudakas 8-4-20, Spencer Blaney 2-0-4, James Cooper 0-2-2, Eric Hibbard 0-0-0, Lendl Altaras 0-0-0, Corben Lee 0-0-0. TOTALS: 17 (5-6) 47.
LOWELL (53) Ted Macis 4-1-9, Eli Macis 4-2-13, David Weiand 3-1-7, Jake Kerwin 1-1-3, Joe Bell 0-4-4, Robert Cusic 6-3-17, Nate Miller 0-0-0, Ben Fox 0-0-0. TOTALS: 18 (12-20) 53.
FREE THROWS: WHEELER (7-8,
87.5%) Ketchum 1-2, Rudakas 4-4, Cooper
2-2; LOWELL (12-22, 54.5%) Eli Macis
2-4, Ted Macis 1-2, Cusic 3-4, Weiand
1-4, Kerwin 1-4, Bell 4-4.
REBOUNDS: WHEELER (23) Rudakas 7,
Todorovic 4, Blaney 3, Koss 3, Ketchum
2, Cooper 2, Lee, Altaras; LOWELL (25)
Eli Macis 6,Ted Macis 5, Kerwin 5,
Weiand 4, Bell 4, Cusic.
ASSISTS: WHEELER (9) Todorovac 3, Koss 2, Altaras 2, Blaney, Rudakas; LOWELL (9) Weiand 4, Miller 2, Ted Macis, Eli Macis, Kerwin.
BLOCKED SHOTS: WHEELER (3) Koss, Rudakas, Ketchum; LOWELL (1) Bell.
STEALS: WHEELER (8) Altaras 3,
Blaney 3, Ketchum, Hibbard; LOWELL
(6) Ted Macis 3, Eli Macis 2, Cusic.
TURNOVERS: WHEELER (4-5-5-0) 14; LOWELL
(3-2-5-6) 16.
3-GOALS: WHEELER (6) Petar
Todorovic 4, Donnie Ketchum 2; LOWELL
(5) Eli Macis 3, Robert Cusic 2.
LOWELL, IN (02-19-2008) Every team should be allowed to win their final home game. It should be an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) rule. When they wanted to win most and when they needed to win most, Lowell came up with one of their best games of the year, beating Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC) champion Wheeler 53-47 to end the Devils' six-game losing streak.
Not only did Lowell win, they beat a team, albeit from a Class 2A school, that was on a five-game winning streak and having an outstanding season. The Red Devils used a 12-4 run late in the second quarter and 8-of-12 foul shooting in the fourth quarter to beat the Bearcats (15-5), one of Northwest Indiana's top shooting squads.
"They're a very good team," said coach Mike Magley. "What's really
great is that the seniors won their last home game. We were able to do that
last year and now we've done it this year, too. It was good to see them
have some positive reward. And at the right time."
The time was the final week of the season. The Devils had just
received a very good draw in the seven-team Class 4A East Chicago Sectional
starting on Feb. 26. If Lowell defeats Morton (3-15), that will be
nice, but to beat a team with a top-heavy winning record justifies the
belief that Lowell is better than the Devils' 8-11 record.
Weeks ago, it appeared that the Wheeler game would be the difference between Lowell finishing the 20-game slate with a record of .500 or better. But that was before disappointing road losses at Andrean (3-16) and Boone Grove (11-9).
"We've got a tendency to lose to teams we should beat," said senior center Joe Kerwin, one of six Lowell veteran who were honored on this night before they took down Wheeler. "Our draw was great. I think we can beat Morton. And we get to play them twice."
Magley wasn't as thrilled about facing Morton Friday, Feb. 22 before facing them again in the quarterfinals of the 4A East Chicago Sectional on Feb. 27.
"That's a challenge," Magley said. "They are a lot better team than their record shows. It's a challenge. But if that doesn't get you fired up, you're not much good. They (Morton) have two big guys up front. They are well-coached. Wheeler has seen them three or four times and they say, their record is deceiving just like ours. So, we've got to strap it up and play hard."
"But getting this win helps. One of our problems has been the mental aspect
of the game. Maybe this game will help us with our shooting woes."
Lowell shot the ball well on this night. You could tell it was going
to be a different night when Ted Macis stole the ball twice and raced the
length of the court to score in the first 70 seconds to give the Devils a
4-0 lead.
Wheeler's high powered sophomore duo of 6-foot-5 sophomore Andrew Rudakas (18.5 ppg.) and 6-foot-4 Petar Todorovic (14.6 ppg.) combined for 10 first quarter points, but Lowell senior Robert Cusic scored 10 second quarter points, including two three-point shots as the Devils opened up a 31-19 lead.
When Eli Macis hit a three-point shot, Lowell led 38-25 with 2:49 to go in
the third period. Trailing 45-36 with 3:12 left in the game and 49-40
with 58 seconds left before quick baskets by Rudakas and Todorovic around a
Lowell foul shot cut the lead to 50-45 with 20 seconds left. Eli Macis
split two foul shots before Wheeler's 6-foot-6 Tyler Koss scored on an
offensive rebound with 15 seconds to play.
Cusic's
two foul shots with eight seconds left iced the game.
"You've got to take what the other team gives you," said Magley. "We
set better screens tonight. Then they had to help out and we got some
open shots."
Wheeler has traditionally hit the opposition with a 1-3-1 half court trap in
recent years and they got a couple of turnovers from it. But, for the
most part, Lowell handled it well.
"Morton uses that half court trap, too," said Magley. "They play a 2-3 zone. They used a triangle-and-two against Wheeler. Russ Marcinek (Morton's head coach). Is he going to tip his hand Friday or is he going to hood it back for Wednesday? Now we'll see who can make adjustments."
Lowell's senior group of Cusic, Kerwin, the Macis brother, Ben Fox and Nate Miller have been good for the program, even though the records won't be shiny.
"It was very easy to give up when things didn't go well," Magley said. "Last year's team got 10 wins (a .500 regular season) and we didn't get that this year. But these young men committed themselves to being a better team. They worked hard and they never gave up and we beat a quality team here tonight. It speaks volumes for the kind of individuals they are. I can't say enough about that."
Robert Cusic, who, like many, has been visibly frustrated with the struggling season, felt satisfaction in winning the final home game.
"They're a good team," said the four-year starter. "Good team.
Good players. We stepped up finally. We should be 12-7. We
could be. But we'll keep on rolling."
You get the impression that the draw of Morton (3-16) gave new life to
Lowell and it was no coincidence they came out strong against Wheeler.
"Our draw was one of the best," Cusic said. "They have some big guys. Back-to-back games. We'll see."
DEVIL NOTES: Wheeler's 6-foot-5 sophomore Andrew Rudakas and 6-foot-4 Petar Todorovic are two of three sophomores on the Wheeler squad. They are the highest scoring sophomore duo in Northwest Indiana.
Lowell will go without junior forwards Trevor Kersey and Keith Greer the rest of the year. Kersey, a 6-foot-2 junior, has been out since mid season. Greer, who surged into the starting lineup this season, hurt an ankle in early February and will be unable to play through the sectional and regional weeks, at least. Lowell would have to win the sectional to have a winning record for the first time since 1993.
The Devils have played potential sectional semifinal opponents Lake Central
(9-10) and Gary West Side (15-4). There is a thought that, without Keith
Greer, Lowell might be better suited to play West Side, a team they lost to
55-45, than LC, a team they defeated 53-36.
LC has 6-foot-8 center Eric Summers while West Side has no one taller than
6-foot-5. Lowell seniors were honored before the game and each one
received a gift basket full of candy, toys and souvenirs.
Lowell's eight fall sports teams were honored at halftime. Each received plaques and were introduced to the crowd. Lowell's final regular season game at Morton begins with the junior varsity game at 6:00 p.m. Morton (3-16) has split their last four games.
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