Bulldogs break 5-game losing streak with solid 54-43 win over Hobart
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003   (in Hobart)

HOBART (43)  Bryan Fuller 2-5-10, Kyle Yates 1-1-3,  Matt Glover 2-7-11, Tim Johnson 3-0-8, Andrew Martin 2-3-7, Matt Plinski 2-0-4, Brandon Smith 0-0-0, Joe Capiello 0-0-0, Josh Fuller 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 12-15-43.

FTS:15-20,  75 percent  (Glover 7-10, Bryan Fuller 5-5, Kyle Yates 1-3)
TURNOVERS: 12
REBOUNDS: Tim Johnson - 6
ASSISTS: Matt Glover - 3
STEALS: Matt Polinski - 2
3-POINT GOALS (4)  Tim Johnson 2, Bryan Fuller, Matt Glover

CROWN POINT (54)  Brian Sparks 7-2-16,  Aaron Miller 1-0-3, Chad Pruzin 6-0-17, Chris Thomas 5-1-11, Sam Henderson 0-0-0, Joel Heavner 0-0-0, Chachi Albrecht  3-0-7,  Mike Harris 0-0-0, Jordan Ham 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 22-3-7

FTS: 3-7, 42.8 percent  (Thomas 1-2, Sparks 2-4)
TURNOVERS: 13
REBOUNDS: Brian Sparks - 9
ASSISTS: Aaron Miller - 3
STEALS: Chris Thomas - 3
BLOCKED SHOTS: Chris Thomas 2
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (7) Chad Pruzin 5, Chachi Albrecht, Aaron Miller

CROWN POINT  (2-13-2003) - When I was driving in the dark to see this Crown Point team that had lost five games in a row, I expected to see angry coaches ranting and raving, frustrated boys pounding their fists on the floor and throwing tantrums and wild parents yelling at everything.

It wasn't like that.  

In a semi-physical game played in front of a small Hobart 'Parents Night' crowd on Thursday night, the Bulldogs slowly pulled ahead and away to a 54-43 victory.

"Hey guys, " said CP head coach Tom Johnson, who avoided his all time longest Bulldog losing streak. "It's a win.  Hobart fights people and they've been tough recently.  We just wanted to get out with a win."

Crown Point (9-9, 3-4 DAC) had taken some major league losses in the last three weeks.  After a blowout loss at Adams (13-4) and a 59-57 upset at Michigan City and back-to-back defeats at big-winners Chesterton (14-4) and Munster (15-2).  The low point was clearly an 82-51 home court loss to LaPorte on Feb. 7.  The oddity is that it all started with a win over a powerful Valparaiso (14-3) team.

"We just haven't been playing with very much confidence recently. We've got a lot of good players. I've been around them since they were in seventh grade., I know what they can do."

It's probably not accurate to blame the swoon on the injury-departure of 6-4 center Kyle Robbins, CP's top rebounder.  But the resulting changes in responsibility have been disrupting.

Case in point:  senior Brian Sparks, who missed the Munster loss with a shoulder injury, came back to find a new position.  One he manned against Hobart to the tune of 15 points and nine rebounds.

"He's playing the '4'' (power forward) position now," said Johnson.  "After playing the '3'' for a couple of years.  I think he's working his way into it."

Sparks had a big first half with 11 points and five rebounds while CP edged out to a 26-19 advantage.  Another role change, apparently a sub conscious one, has been the increased offense of senior Chad Pruzin.

After averaging 8.1 through 12 games, Pruzin has averaged 16.8 over his last three starts, including 13 three-point baskets.

"I have not asked him to shoot more," said Johnson.  "I think that, as someone who has been on the varsity four years, he sees that as something he should do.  Chad shot the ball extremely well tonight."

In a 17-5 third quarter run, the Bulldogs looked as they had in the early days of what was supposed to be a winning season.  Pruzin scored 11 of his points in the third quarter.  Chris Thomas grabbed three second half steals as the Bulldogs built an 18-point lead.  The final, 11-point margin is somewhat deceptive.

"We had some things go wrong," said Johnson of the past few weeks. "And that can tend to snowball on you.  I was pleased that we were able to rebound at the defensive end.  This is something we can build on."

2003 CROWN POINT (9-9, 3-4)
Coach Tom Johnson (6 years -  85-47)
Assistant coaches: Ray Tarnow, Pat Mills, Josh Powers and Scott Sparks
DAC Games in CAPS  -    Start times are JV starting times

11-27-2002: 74-46  at Gavit (1-17)
11-30-2002: 86-85 Lake Central (12-6)
12-6-2002: 76-41 at Clark (5-11)
12-7-2002: 56-54 (West Lafayette) Harrison  (9-7)
12-13-2002:  59-40  at Griffith (15-2)
12-14-2002: 55-60 East Chicago (13-5)
12-20-2002:  79-68 PORTAGE (7-11)

Highland Holiday Tournament
12-27-2002:  55-68  Munster (17-1)
12-28-2002:  69-33 Kankakee Valley (2-15)
1-3-2003:  92-43 Calumet (3-14 0
1-11-2003:  43-53 at MERRILLVILLE (9-9)
1-17-2003:  56-50 VALPARAISO (14-3)
1-18-2003:  46-70 at South Bend Adams (13-5)
1-25-2003:  57-59 at MICHIGAN CITY (6-11)
1-31-2003:  59-73 at CHESTERTON  (14-4)
2-1-2003:  59-83 at Munster (17-1)
2-7-2003:  51-82 LaPORTE (13-5)
2-13-2003:  54-43 at Hobart (5-12) 
2-21-2003:  (F) GARY ROOSEVELT (17-1) 6 p.m.
2-28-2003:  (F) LOWELL  (9-8)  6 p.m.

Valparaiso (4A) Sectional
3-4-2003:  (Tu) quarterfinals (6 p.m.)
3-7-2003:  (F) semifinals (6 p.m.)
3-8-2003:  (S) championship (6 p.m.)
(Lafayette) Jefferson (4A) Regional
3-15-2003:  (S) semifinals (10 a.m.)
3-15-2003:  (S) finals  (7 p.m.)