Lowell switch to zone-D shuts down Hanover Central's 2nd-half rally to win 48-44
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Saturday,  Jan. 3, 2003  in Cedar Lake

LOWELL (48)  Jim Jeffries 1-4-6, Justin Bales 3-1-8,  Ryan Brown 4-2-10, Greg Johnso 2-0-4, Jason Corns 3-4-10, Matt Roberts 1-0-2, Michael Miller 3-0-8, Nate Wilbourn 0-0-0, Zach Steiner 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 17-11-48.

FTS: 11-18, 61.1%
STEALS: Ryan Brown - 4
FOULED OUT: Jason Corns - 4th Q
3-POINT GOALS (3) Michael Miller 2, Justin Bales.

HANOVER CENTRAL (44)  Brandon Hegg 2-2-6, Jeff Johnson 2-6-12, Jon Radosevich 2-1-6, Eddie Roberts 0-1-1, Jeremy Spencer 0-0-0, Greg Shroka 1-3-5, Aleks Case 2-1-5,  Doug Bilinski 1-3-5, Owen Goff 1-0-2, Adam Miller 0-0-0.
FTS: 18-24, 75.0 percent
REBOUNDS: Aleks Case - 5
STEALS: Doug Bilinski - 2
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (3) Jeff Johnson 2, Jon Radosevich.

CEDAR LAKE (1-4-2003) - "Ideally, I'd like this to be a 20-point game," said Lowell coach Mike Magley after last week's annual Lowell-Hanover Centrral game.

"It would have been nice to steal this one," said Hanover coach Dave Uran. "And if we'd have won, we'd have stolen it."

This game was a little more than the final score. Trailing by 12 late in the third quarter, Hanover Central rallied to take the lead, only to have Lowell respond with some timely defense in the final three minutes to grab a 48-44 road win.

The Red Devils' (3-4) switch to a zone defense with the score tied at 40-40 and five minutes to play, stymied the Hanover rally and the Red Devils overcame three consecutive missed free throws in the last two minutes to beat Hanover for the eighth year in a row.

"Gavit played a zone against them the whole game and they had a hard time with it," said Magley, who obviously scouted Gavit's Dec. 28 game at Hanover. "I was a little afraid of it but I thought we could put enough pressure on the outside guys. We didn't play it much in the first half but I figured, if we don't have to use it, don't use it.  They were flustered in the first half, we were doing well, so why bother."

With a lively crowd of about 1,200 on hand for the neighborhood matchup, Hanover had rallied behind an unusual four guard lineup. Senior Aleks Case, a 6-3 post player, joined with juniors Jeff Johnson and Doug Bilinski, plus sophomores Greg Shroka and Owen Goff to take a 40-38 lead on a basket by Shroka with 5:40 to play. But after two free throws by Lowell center Jason Corns, Ryan Brown scored on a driving layup and Matt Roberts took a lead pass from senior Justin Bales for the 44-40 layup.

Shroka's two free throws cut the Red Devil lead with 2:41 to play but three Hanover turnovers left the score at 45-42 with 38 seconds to play. Out of a time out, Jeff Johnson scored with 32 seconds left to cut the lead to two and Brown could only split two Lowell foul shots with 20 seconds left. Going for a three-point shot, a reversal pass around the perimeter by Jeff Johnson was stolen by Roberts and Jeffries hit two free throws to ice the game at the 10 second mark.

'We went small and quick," said Uran, "and we tried to challenge everything on the perimeter out there. They were fortunate to walk out with a win. We haven't been in situations like that in the last couple of years. We're still trying to figure it out. I'm sure our offense will come by the end of the year. But right now, yeah, we're a little nervous down the stretch."

Lowell edged out to a 31-22 halftime lead as the Wildcats, for the second consecutive time at home, could get very little done on offense. In truth, the late rally wasn't achieved with offensive brilliance.  Hanover (5-2), just got some transition points.

"Defensively, the intensity brought us back," said Uran. "It wasn't anything we called.  We just told them to play aggressively and take some chances. Play with heart. We have to and we did."

Lowell, which had experienced a 20-point home loss to Hammond High on Dec. 21 and had 13 days to think about it, needed a win any way they could get it.

"It was big coming here," said Magley. "In their place. Nice crowd. I thought we handled it nicely. How long did it take us to get off of 38? Six minutes. Hopefully, these guys believe in their ability. We were trying to work all break on the team concept. All I ask them to do is do what you do well and don't do what you don't do well. If you can't shoot threes, don't shoot threes. If you can rebound, do that."

"They got more aggressive in the second half and we doubted ourselves. We've  got to realize that the games we play aren't going to be pretty. And that's okay. We've just got to go out and try to do the right things and win or lose that way."

Hanover Central had hoped to win for the sixth time last Friday after going 6-15 last season. There was considerable disappointment in the Cats not being able to topple their big neighbor.

"We told the boys at halftime that if we could hold them to 45 points, that we could win," said Uran. "And we almost did. We were looking at giving up 62 points. There was nothing wrong with our defense. And we gave it a good shot at the end. I'd actually rather lose like this than win the way we did (against Gavit)."


NOTES:  In the final minutes, senior guards Brown and Roberts both made steals to stop Hanover possessions. Matt Roberts, an outstanding outside shooter, sank only one field goal but he was an effective defender in the final quarter when the game was decided.

"That's what I mean about doing what you can do," said Magley. "If your shot's not going down, do what you can do in other areas. But don't try to do something you can't do."  Corns, Lowell's 6-1 junior center who fouled out late in the fourth quarter, scored 10 to reach double figures for the third time in four games.

Hanover Central sank a season best 18 of 24 from the foul line, a vast improvement from the 11-of-26 embarrassment against Gavit.

Hanover doesn't have a set starting lineup right now. Anyone could open the game Friday night against rival Boone Grove. "Owen Goff was a game time decision to start," said Uran. "He'd had a great week of practice. Doug Bilinski, he had all kinds of scrapes on his knees. He tried so hard. I told the other guys that they should be patting him on the back.  He gave out the effort that I wish everybody would give."

2003 HANOVER CENTRAL (5-1, 0-1)
Coach Dave Uran (1st year)
PCC games in CAPS, Home games in bold
Start times are junior varsity starting times
11-26-2002:    60-34  at Lake Station (1-8)
11-29-2002:  49-38   Elmwood Park, Ill. (4-4)
12-6-2002:  49-38 vs. HEBRON (3-5)
12-13-2002:   52-61 at WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP  (4-4)
12-21-2002 : 59-45 at Kankakee Valley (2-6)
12-28-2002:  41-40 Gavit (0-8)
1-3-2003:  44-48 Lowell  (3-5)

1-7-2003 (W) Whiting (3-5)
1-10-2003 (F) BOONE GROVE (4-5)
1-14-2003 (W) at Beecher, Ill. (6 p.m.)

Porter County Conference (PCC) Tournament
1-22-2003 (W) quarterfinals - 6 p.m.
1-23-2003 (Th) quarterfinals -  6 p.m.
1-25-2003 (S) semifinals -  11 a.m.
1-25-2003 (S)  championship  -  6 p.m.

1-31-2003 (F) MORGAN TOWNSHIP  (6 p.m.)
2-1-2003 (Tu) at North Newton (6 p.m.)
2-4-2003 (F) Clark  (6 p.m.)
2-7-2003 (F) LaCROSSE  (6 p.m.)
2-13-2003 (Th) at Wheeler (6 p.m.)
2-21-2003 (F) at KOUTS (6 p.m.)
2-25-2003 (Tu) Morton (6 p.m.)
2-28-2003 (F) at River Forest (6 p.m.)
Wheeler (2A) Sectional
3-4-2003 (Tu) Quarterfinals  (6 p.m.)
3-7-2003 (F) Semifinals  (6 p.m.)
3-8-2003  (S) Championship (7:30 p.m.)
Triton (2A) Regional
3-15-2003 (S) Semifinals  (11 a.m.)
3-15-2003 (S) Championship  (7 p.m.)

LOWELL   (3-4)
Coach Mike Magley (2nd year)  10-12 in 2002
LAC games in CAPS, Home games in bold
Start times are junior varsity starting times

11-26-2002:  41-75  at Lake Central (5-3)
11-29-2002:  70-30 Calumet (3-7)
12-5-2002: 44-50  Hobart (4-3)
12-13-2002: 51-54 Morton (6-3)
12-20-2002: 66-50 at North Newton (5-4)
12-21-2002:  50-70 Hammond (2-5)
1-3-2003: 48-44 at Hanover Central (5-2)
1-4-2003: at Bishop Noll (5-5)
1-10-2003 (F)  at Munster  (10-0)
1-18-2003 (S)  at Whiting (3-5)
1-21-2003 (Tu.) at Highland (4-4)
1-24-2003 (F)  Clark (4-4)
1-28-2003 (Tu)  at Lake Station (1-8)
1-31-2003 (F) Kankakee Valley (2-7)
2-5-2003: at Gavit (0-8)
2-8-2003: Griffith (5-2)
Lake Athletic Conference Tournament
2-13-2003 (F) 1st round
2-17-2003 (Tu)  quarterfinals
2-19-2003 (Th) semifinals
2-21-2003 (S) 3rd place and championship

2-25-2003: Wheeler (8-1)
2-28-2003: at Crown Point (7-3)

Gary West Side (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.)
 

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