It's interesting how third place can feel so disappointing and great at the same time. After the end of last season, finishing in the top half of the conference seemed like an impossibility. Then, after the regular season this year, defeating every conference team we played except for First Baptist, handing Calumet its only conference loss, we felt we had as good a chance as anyone to win the tournament. So, the predominant emotion after a poor performance and an eighteen-point loss against Calumet in the conference semifinals (Western division final) was disappointment. Despite that loss, the boys had to play one more game, the consolation game against Granger Christian. They did have some motiviation besides the natural desire to win every game, in that a win would mean a trophy. After a slow start, the Patriots outscored the Knights in the second half 34-20 and won 50-40, taking the game, third place and a trophy. In addition, Kyle was named to the all tournament team.
I was not able to get to the semifinal game until just before halftime. I had received a text update that the score was 6-6 after the first quarter, which meant that the defense was clicking, as it usually was. I walked into the gym, saw that the score was 23-12. It took a second to figure out who had the 23 and who had the 12. We were on the wrong side. Word from the HSRC fans that I talked to was that the guys were making poor passes and having difficulty hanging onto the ball. Calumet was getting fast break baskets off the turnovers, resulting in seven-for-thirteen shooting. Since we weren't even getting a chance to get a shot off, we only took six shots in the quarter. Calumet kept up their hot pace in the second half, scoring the first four points and stretching the lead to seventeen. Finally Seth knocked down a three and Kyle got fouled going to the basket on the next possession and hit both of his free throws. The guys couldn't maintain the momentum, however. Calumet answered with seven straight points to give them their largest lead of the game to that point at nineteen. Lucas seemed to decide to fire up the team with strong drives to the basket at that point. On his first, he got fouled and hit both of his free throws. After a CCS basket, Lucas hit two more shots to pull HSRC to within fifteen, but CCS got the last basket of the quarter to go up 40-23 at the end of three. Lucas kept it up after the quarter break, getting the first two points of the quarter. Josh followed this up with a three-point-play, and when Nate split two free throws, the guys were only down eleven. Lucas hit two free throws after a Calumet basket to maintain the eleven point deficit. Around that time, however, Josh fouled out and the uphill battle became even more steep. CCS hit back-to-back baskets which Peter, subbed in for Josh, answered with a basket to make it 46-33, but that was as close as we would get. CCS hit a field goal, then completed a three-point-play. CCS eventually moved the lead out to twenty. Seth hit a late three, but the game was already over. Final: CCS 58, HSRC 40. Lucas was the scoring leader with 14. Seth had nine and Josh eight.
The Patriots had beaten their third-place game opponent just a week before, 44-30, taking a 28-6 lead and coasting to victory. This game was a little tougher. GCS had just been crushed in their semifinal game in which they had no hope, and it seemed they weren't as down as our guys were to start. Besides Nate having a little success in the post, the rest of the team seemed in a daze, at least offensively. Meanwhile GCS kept working the ball into their post player, who also hit from the outside. The Patriots trailed 9-4 after one. Kyle opened the second with a three and then followed a GCS basket with two free throws. The teams traded baskets, then Granger hit three to go up five. Kyle scored again, but GCS hit two before Lucas closed the half's scoring with a basket to make it 20-16 at halftime. The team went to the full-court press which has worked for them so well this year, and this game was no exception. GSC did score six of the first eight points of the half before the press began to take effect. HSRC scored ten in a row, with Seth, Kyle, Josh and Lucas all contributing to the run. Granger got the lead back briefly, but Josh and Lucas scored to close the quarter and to give the Patriots a three-point lead 32-29. GCS hit a three to open the fourth, but that was the last tie. Lucas, then Kyle hit short baskets, and then after a GCS two, Lucas and Kyle each scored again. GCS got back to within two, but HSRC scored the last eight points of the game, the last six on free throws, and our first conference tournament trophy was won. Kyle had nineteen points, Lucas had twelve, Josh nine and Nate had eight. Josh led with eleven rebounds, and Seth had four assists and five steals.
To get to the Saturday games, the guys had to play a quarterfinal on Tuesday, at FOFCA against the host team. The Patriots had defeated the Screaming Eagles three times previously and the quarterfinal win made it four. This game was back and forth until the fourth quarter, when FOFCA began to experience foul trouble. The Patriots only led by two after three quarters, but outscored the Screaming Eagles 14-6 in the fourth to win 49-39. HSRC held FOFCA's big center to just thirteen, seven under his average and also contained their all-conference point guard, limiting him to eleven. Kyle had fourteen points to win scoring honors; Josh added thirteen and Seth had twelve. Kyle had eleven rebounds. Josh had a strange rebounding line: eight offensive but just one defensive rebound. Lucas led the team with four assists and Josh led in the steals category with five. The other highlight of the evening was the announcement that HSRC has three players named first-team all-conference: Josh, Seth and Kyle, while Nate was second-team. Congratulations to them!
Our last games of the year will take place next Friday, in what is left of the Illinois state home school tournament. We open at 4:00 against the Crossroads Crusaders and then play at either 6:30 or 7:45.
The conference all-star competitions are tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 9, but that is subject to change. Watch your email.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wild weekend of basketball
Five games in one day. That's a lot of basketball. Even if they were played by two teams.
On Saturday, the junior high team traveled to Portage Christian for the conference tournament, the final game(s) of the year for the younger guys. Only six of the ten schools in the conference had teams at the tournament, with two schools only having high school only and two not sending teams. Our first game was against Victory, the team against which we had broken our losing streak just two days before. That game was on our home court, and we would not have that advantage in this game.
We started stronger that we did on Thursday. VCA was missing their point guard, so they tried to work it inside to their big guys. We defended well, and Caleb Y. and Charles each hit two baskets in the first quarter to give us an 8-5 lead after one. VCA picked up its defense in the second, and behind their inside scoring and one three, took the lead going into halftime, 15-13. VCA kept working the ball in to their big #23, and we had a little trouble with him. He scored all six of their third quarter points, and we could only manage five, three on free throws. Our defense really stiffened in the fourth. Caleb and the two wings on defense collapsed on the post players, and all they could manage in the quarter was a free throw. Charles kept driving to the basket and was rewarded with a bucket and two free throws. Caleb Y. also scored and at 22-22, neither team could score in their final possessions, and we went to OT. VCA scored first in the three minute period, but Caleb Y. tied it up, and that was it for the scoring in the first overtime. Again, VCA scored first, but Charles came through with two drives to the basket, the last with just a short time to play. The Patriots held firm on defense and on to the semifinals we went. 28-26, Patriots. For the second time all year, Caleb Y. did not lead in scoring. Those honors went to Charles, with a season high 14. Caleb added 11. Mark, Caleb D. and Charles each had six rebounds, and Caleb Y. had four steals.
We had played Portage just recently, losing by ten, but PCS played their bench much of that game. We knew we weren't going to get that kind of mercy in the conference tournament. Portage has at least five players taller than our tallest player, and their were two or three of them in the game at all times. We tried to run to offset some of that size advantage, but they kept making their shots, so we couldn't get the fast break going. Caleb Y. couldn't get much going against the huge PCS inside players, and it was 14-1 PCS after one. More of the same in the second. One free throw, this time by Caleb Y., was our only scoring, and we had no answer for their offensive rebounding and inside game. Portage led 25-2 at halftime. As has happened a few times earlier, the guys came out more relaxed in the second half, and PCS played with less intensity. Caleb mixed in some outside shooting with his post work, scoring eight, and with a basket by Henry we put ten on the board in the quarter. Portage scored eight, so they took a 33-12 lead into the fourth. For some reason, they kept their big men in the game until halfway through the quarter. Caleb Y. and Charles continued to carry our scoring load, tallying seven between them, but PCS scored twelve and finished with a 45-19 victory. Caleb Y. led with thirteen points, ten rebounds and three steals. Charles added four points and Henry two.
Our opponent in the third place game was Calumet, the team with players that played for HSRC last year. The game started fifteen minutes after the completion of the prior game, and our guys were tired. For the first time all year, we played poorly on defense, and allowed CCS to score nineteen in the first. quarter. Calumet's defense was somewhat passive as well, but our exhausted guys could only manage eight, four by Caleb D. The defense did pick up a little in the second, allowing only seven. HSRC got balance scoring in the quarter, getting one from Henry, a three from Matt, a basket and two free throws from Caleb Y. and a free throw from Charles. We trailed by nine going into the third. Henry scored our only field goal in the quarter, and Caleb Y. added a free throw for our only points of the quarter. Calumet scored ten mostly inside points in the fourth, and it looked like the game was out of hand with CCS leading by sixteen going into the last quarter. CCS played their bench much of the quarter, and our guys seemed to realize that this was their last quarter of the season, most likely. Caleb Y. was very active on offense, scoring eight. Matt and Henry started scoring from the outside, Matt hitting a three and Henry hitting two free throws to go with his field goal. The CCS lead kept shrinking and shrinking, but time ran out and CCS took the third place trophy with a 39-35 win. It was our high point game of the year, but it wasn't enough. Caleb Y. had sixteen points and twelve rebounds in a fine conclusion to a great year. Henry had his high-point game of the year with eight. Matt had six on two threes, Caleb four and Charles one.
Coach Carolyn and I then flew to Mishawaka, just in time to see the last quarter of the varsity's second game of the day. The Patriots' eight-game winning streak came to an end in that one, as their shooting woes returned. HSRC shot only 21% in the 41-33 loss. In the earlier game, the Patriots defeated Granger 44-30, but the guys only shot 29% in that one. Per some observers, the Patriots played an intense half on defense, which was evident in the stats, as they allowed only six points on three of sixteen shooting, but then relaxed in the second half. That also was evident, as they gave up 24 after the break. Their shooting went south also the second half. They only shot 36% in the first, but that percentage plunged to 21% in the second. However, it was enough for the win. Seth had 22 points to lead the team in that category, and Kyle had nine rebounds.
In game two, the Patriots faced possibly the best and certainly the hottest team in the conference. First Baptist of Mishawaka had not lost since December 16, when Calumet Christian gave them their only conference defeat of the year. As I mentioned, I only saw a little more than one quarter of this game. The game was tight, slow-paced, and marked by poor shooting from both teams. Neither team had greater than a two-point lead in the first, and it ended at 8-8. FBM scored eight of the first ten in the second, but the Patriots trimmed the resulting six point lead to four by halftime. FBM scored the first two baskets after the half to go up 22-14, but HSRC chipped away at the lead to get it down to three 24-21, which was the score when I arrived. That was the score at the end of the quarter. FBM again opened the quarter scoring, this time getting a basket before the Patriots put together a six-point string. FBM popped in a three to go back on top, and they never trailed again. Two more baskets were scored by the Tigers before HSRC scored again. FB again scored to regain the six-point lead at 35-29. Nate hit two free throws to pull the Patriots back to within four. FB scored again, but Kyle was fouled on a drive and hit two free throws. Time was running short so the Patriots were forced to foul to get the ball back, but the shooting froze up at this point and FB hit their free throws and ended up with the 41-33 win. Josh had eleven points and ten rebounds to lead the team.
Conference tournament begins for us on Tuesday, at FOFCA against the host team at 5:00. If we win, we are guarenteed two games on Saturday at Victory Christian. Come out and cheer for your Patriots!
On Saturday, the junior high team traveled to Portage Christian for the conference tournament, the final game(s) of the year for the younger guys. Only six of the ten schools in the conference had teams at the tournament, with two schools only having high school only and two not sending teams. Our first game was against Victory, the team against which we had broken our losing streak just two days before. That game was on our home court, and we would not have that advantage in this game.
We started stronger that we did on Thursday. VCA was missing their point guard, so they tried to work it inside to their big guys. We defended well, and Caleb Y. and Charles each hit two baskets in the first quarter to give us an 8-5 lead after one. VCA picked up its defense in the second, and behind their inside scoring and one three, took the lead going into halftime, 15-13. VCA kept working the ball in to their big #23, and we had a little trouble with him. He scored all six of their third quarter points, and we could only manage five, three on free throws. Our defense really stiffened in the fourth. Caleb and the two wings on defense collapsed on the post players, and all they could manage in the quarter was a free throw. Charles kept driving to the basket and was rewarded with a bucket and two free throws. Caleb Y. also scored and at 22-22, neither team could score in their final possessions, and we went to OT. VCA scored first in the three minute period, but Caleb Y. tied it up, and that was it for the scoring in the first overtime. Again, VCA scored first, but Charles came through with two drives to the basket, the last with just a short time to play. The Patriots held firm on defense and on to the semifinals we went. 28-26, Patriots. For the second time all year, Caleb Y. did not lead in scoring. Those honors went to Charles, with a season high 14. Caleb added 11. Mark, Caleb D. and Charles each had six rebounds, and Caleb Y. had four steals.
We had played Portage just recently, losing by ten, but PCS played their bench much of that game. We knew we weren't going to get that kind of mercy in the conference tournament. Portage has at least five players taller than our tallest player, and their were two or three of them in the game at all times. We tried to run to offset some of that size advantage, but they kept making their shots, so we couldn't get the fast break going. Caleb Y. couldn't get much going against the huge PCS inside players, and it was 14-1 PCS after one. More of the same in the second. One free throw, this time by Caleb Y., was our only scoring, and we had no answer for their offensive rebounding and inside game. Portage led 25-2 at halftime. As has happened a few times earlier, the guys came out more relaxed in the second half, and PCS played with less intensity. Caleb mixed in some outside shooting with his post work, scoring eight, and with a basket by Henry we put ten on the board in the quarter. Portage scored eight, so they took a 33-12 lead into the fourth. For some reason, they kept their big men in the game until halfway through the quarter. Caleb Y. and Charles continued to carry our scoring load, tallying seven between them, but PCS scored twelve and finished with a 45-19 victory. Caleb Y. led with thirteen points, ten rebounds and three steals. Charles added four points and Henry two.
Our opponent in the third place game was Calumet, the team with players that played for HSRC last year. The game started fifteen minutes after the completion of the prior game, and our guys were tired. For the first time all year, we played poorly on defense, and allowed CCS to score nineteen in the first. quarter. Calumet's defense was somewhat passive as well, but our exhausted guys could only manage eight, four by Caleb D. The defense did pick up a little in the second, allowing only seven. HSRC got balance scoring in the quarter, getting one from Henry, a three from Matt, a basket and two free throws from Caleb Y. and a free throw from Charles. We trailed by nine going into the third. Henry scored our only field goal in the quarter, and Caleb Y. added a free throw for our only points of the quarter. Calumet scored ten mostly inside points in the fourth, and it looked like the game was out of hand with CCS leading by sixteen going into the last quarter. CCS played their bench much of the quarter, and our guys seemed to realize that this was their last quarter of the season, most likely. Caleb Y. was very active on offense, scoring eight. Matt and Henry started scoring from the outside, Matt hitting a three and Henry hitting two free throws to go with his field goal. The CCS lead kept shrinking and shrinking, but time ran out and CCS took the third place trophy with a 39-35 win. It was our high point game of the year, but it wasn't enough. Caleb Y. had sixteen points and twelve rebounds in a fine conclusion to a great year. Henry had his high-point game of the year with eight. Matt had six on two threes, Caleb four and Charles one.
Coach Carolyn and I then flew to Mishawaka, just in time to see the last quarter of the varsity's second game of the day. The Patriots' eight-game winning streak came to an end in that one, as their shooting woes returned. HSRC shot only 21% in the 41-33 loss. In the earlier game, the Patriots defeated Granger 44-30, but the guys only shot 29% in that one. Per some observers, the Patriots played an intense half on defense, which was evident in the stats, as they allowed only six points on three of sixteen shooting, but then relaxed in the second half. That also was evident, as they gave up 24 after the break. Their shooting went south also the second half. They only shot 36% in the first, but that percentage plunged to 21% in the second. However, it was enough for the win. Seth had 22 points to lead the team in that category, and Kyle had nine rebounds.
In game two, the Patriots faced possibly the best and certainly the hottest team in the conference. First Baptist of Mishawaka had not lost since December 16, when Calumet Christian gave them their only conference defeat of the year. As I mentioned, I only saw a little more than one quarter of this game. The game was tight, slow-paced, and marked by poor shooting from both teams. Neither team had greater than a two-point lead in the first, and it ended at 8-8. FBM scored eight of the first ten in the second, but the Patriots trimmed the resulting six point lead to four by halftime. FBM scored the first two baskets after the half to go up 22-14, but HSRC chipped away at the lead to get it down to three 24-21, which was the score when I arrived. That was the score at the end of the quarter. FBM again opened the quarter scoring, this time getting a basket before the Patriots put together a six-point string. FBM popped in a three to go back on top, and they never trailed again. Two more baskets were scored by the Tigers before HSRC scored again. FB again scored to regain the six-point lead at 35-29. Nate hit two free throws to pull the Patriots back to within four. FB scored again, but Kyle was fouled on a drive and hit two free throws. Time was running short so the Patriots were forced to foul to get the ball back, but the shooting froze up at this point and FB hit their free throws and ended up with the 41-33 win. Josh had eleven points and ten rebounds to lead the team.
Conference tournament begins for us on Tuesday, at FOFCA against the host team at 5:00. If we win, we are guarenteed two games on Saturday at Victory Christian. Come out and cheer for your Patriots!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Finally
I'm going to lead off this post with the story of the junior high team - my team. Why? Because I'm quite sure you are very bored with [yawn] another story about the varsity winning. That's not news. Breaking a fifteen game losing streak is news.
YEEEEAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boys did it last night, winning for the first time this season, beating Victory Christian Academy 28-27 in, needless to say but I'm going to say it anyway, a thriller.
The Patriots have been improving, but after having played what might have been their best game of the season against FOFCA on Monday and coming up short by twelve, it seemed like their best might not be good enouch. And when the guys fell behind 7-0 after one quarter, it looked like more of the same. However, the team was playing hard. It was just that they had not played against a man-to-man defense all year, and it took a little while for them (and me) to adjust. The plays we tried to run, pick and roll, weren't working, mostly because of the small court, so we switched to just setting picks, getting open and taking shots. Henry responded. Boy, did Henry respond. With a series of pump fakes, drives and pull-ups, he scored seven points in the quarter by himself. Caleb Y. got on track, scoring once inside and splitting two free throws in the quarter, and the two of them with great ball handling by Charles and Matt and solid team defense, pulled the Patriots to within two at halftime.
Caleb Y. continued his good work inside in the third, aided ably by both Charles' drives and Matt's jumper. The game went back and forth in the quarter and ended tied at 19. Charles opened up the fourth with a beautiful drive for a basket. Caleb continued his steady play, scoring on a couple of baskets and Charles added two free throws late. With just a little time left, we pulled out to a 27-23 lead. Their bomber, #1, then hit his third three of the game to pull it to with in one. With 6.1 seconds left, Caleb was fouled. He split the two free throws for a two-point lead. The boys had been struggling with defense in the quarter, fouling them often. Thankfully #12, the recipient of most of the trips to the line, did not shoot well, making only two of eight. When VCA stormed down the court after the made free throws, we did it again, fouling their best outside shooter, #1, with 0.6 seconds remaining. Since we were in the double bonus, that meant he would have two free throws. Up went the first, and down right through the rim. 28-27. Up went the second....and it bounced off! The buzzer sounded in the mad scramble for the rebound, and we had our first win.
For only the third time this season, Caleb Y. didn't scored half or more of the team points. He did end up with twelve to lead the team, though. Both Charles and Henry finished with seven each and Matt hit a basket. Caleb Y. also had nine rebounds, six steals and two blocks.
Oh, yeah, the varsity. Their game was pretty exciting, too. The Patriots defeated the Lions, 69-66, in a very strangely streaky game. More on that in a bit. This was the first time HSRC beat the Lions when #24 was playing, a big, talented, but enigmatic guard that transferred to VCA from Calumet High (not Calumet Christian) for his senior year. He is the second leading scorer in the country per Maxpreps, averaging over 37 points per game, but he often has poor shooting nights. The last time we played them, he was on in a big way, scoring 56, about 40 of which came after halftime. That resulted in a twenty-four point loss, our biggest losing margin of the year. Tonight he was not on. Even though he scored 33, he shot under 33%. Per our book, the rest of the team shot 50%. Early on, he was distributing the ball and not shooting much. He kept find #44 open underneath, who took advantage, making all four of his shots. Their point guard, #1, was also finding the basket, scoring six in the quarter. Kyle had the hot hand for the Patriots, hitting from long and mid-range, scoring seven. Brother Josh also hit a three, and Lucas scored a couple of baskets as well. The streakiness didn't start until later - neither team led by more than three, and VCA led 16-14 going into the second. Kyle hit consecutive threes to open the quarter and Seth, Lucas, then Seth again followed with baskets. The twelve straight points were answered by nine from the Lions. Nate scored, but VCA closed the scoring in the half with two buckets to take a two point lead into the break. #24 took over in the quarter, taking nine of their eleven shots.
HSRC opened the third with nine straight points to go up by seven. Josh and Kyle scored, then Seth hit a three and a two to make it 37-30. VCA answered with eight of their own. Josh, Seth and Lucas contributed to the next streak, scoring nine again. The Lions got six of the last eight points, with Josh's bucket interrupting their string, and the Patriots led 48-44 going into the final quarter. For VCA, #1 and #44 got back in the game in the quarter, but #24 struggled with his shot, hitting only two of nine. Nate, Seth and Kyle contributed to the six-point run HSRC had to open the fourth, and then after a VCA basket, Kyle scored again. Ten point lead, Patriots. Of course VCA answered with a run. A three was followed by a foul on #24 while shooting a three. He hit them all, then on their next possession, they were fouled again and hit two more free throws. Two point lead, Patriots. Lucas got the Patriots back on track with two baskets, then after a VCA score, Josh hit two free throws and Kyle followed with his fourth three point basket of the game. Nine point lead, Patriots. Seven straight for the Lions, including a three. Two point lead, Patriots. Lucas then hit two free throws followed by an inside bucket from Josh. Six point lead, Patriots. VCA hit one more three before they ran out of time. Three point win, Patriots.
As usual, scoring was pretty balanced. Kyle had 20, followed by Lucas with eighteen, Seth with fourteen and Josh had thirteen. Nate tied the team record with seventeen rebounds. Nate, Seth and Josh each had three assists, while Lucas, Seth and Josh each had two steals. Nate added two blocks.
The Patriots are now 18-9, 9-3 in conference. They travel to Mishawaka tomorrow to their last two conference games, these against eastern division teams. 9AM CST vs. Granger Christian, then 4PM CST against the hosts, First Baptist of Mishawaka. The junior high team plays Victory Christian at 10AM at Portage Christian in the first game of the conference tournament. If we win, we play at 1PM vs. Portage. Travel safely, and see you tomorrrow.
YEEEEAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boys did it last night, winning for the first time this season, beating Victory Christian Academy 28-27 in, needless to say but I'm going to say it anyway, a thriller.
The Patriots have been improving, but after having played what might have been their best game of the season against FOFCA on Monday and coming up short by twelve, it seemed like their best might not be good enouch. And when the guys fell behind 7-0 after one quarter, it looked like more of the same. However, the team was playing hard. It was just that they had not played against a man-to-man defense all year, and it took a little while for them (and me) to adjust. The plays we tried to run, pick and roll, weren't working, mostly because of the small court, so we switched to just setting picks, getting open and taking shots. Henry responded. Boy, did Henry respond. With a series of pump fakes, drives and pull-ups, he scored seven points in the quarter by himself. Caleb Y. got on track, scoring once inside and splitting two free throws in the quarter, and the two of them with great ball handling by Charles and Matt and solid team defense, pulled the Patriots to within two at halftime.
Caleb Y. continued his good work inside in the third, aided ably by both Charles' drives and Matt's jumper. The game went back and forth in the quarter and ended tied at 19. Charles opened up the fourth with a beautiful drive for a basket. Caleb continued his steady play, scoring on a couple of baskets and Charles added two free throws late. With just a little time left, we pulled out to a 27-23 lead. Their bomber, #1, then hit his third three of the game to pull it to with in one. With 6.1 seconds left, Caleb was fouled. He split the two free throws for a two-point lead. The boys had been struggling with defense in the quarter, fouling them often. Thankfully #12, the recipient of most of the trips to the line, did not shoot well, making only two of eight. When VCA stormed down the court after the made free throws, we did it again, fouling their best outside shooter, #1, with 0.6 seconds remaining. Since we were in the double bonus, that meant he would have two free throws. Up went the first, and down right through the rim. 28-27. Up went the second....and it bounced off! The buzzer sounded in the mad scramble for the rebound, and we had our first win.
For only the third time this season, Caleb Y. didn't scored half or more of the team points. He did end up with twelve to lead the team, though. Both Charles and Henry finished with seven each and Matt hit a basket. Caleb Y. also had nine rebounds, six steals and two blocks.
Oh, yeah, the varsity. Their game was pretty exciting, too. The Patriots defeated the Lions, 69-66, in a very strangely streaky game. More on that in a bit. This was the first time HSRC beat the Lions when #24 was playing, a big, talented, but enigmatic guard that transferred to VCA from Calumet High (not Calumet Christian) for his senior year. He is the second leading scorer in the country per Maxpreps, averaging over 37 points per game, but he often has poor shooting nights. The last time we played them, he was on in a big way, scoring 56, about 40 of which came after halftime. That resulted in a twenty-four point loss, our biggest losing margin of the year. Tonight he was not on. Even though he scored 33, he shot under 33%. Per our book, the rest of the team shot 50%. Early on, he was distributing the ball and not shooting much. He kept find #44 open underneath, who took advantage, making all four of his shots. Their point guard, #1, was also finding the basket, scoring six in the quarter. Kyle had the hot hand for the Patriots, hitting from long and mid-range, scoring seven. Brother Josh also hit a three, and Lucas scored a couple of baskets as well. The streakiness didn't start until later - neither team led by more than three, and VCA led 16-14 going into the second. Kyle hit consecutive threes to open the quarter and Seth, Lucas, then Seth again followed with baskets. The twelve straight points were answered by nine from the Lions. Nate scored, but VCA closed the scoring in the half with two buckets to take a two point lead into the break. #24 took over in the quarter, taking nine of their eleven shots.
HSRC opened the third with nine straight points to go up by seven. Josh and Kyle scored, then Seth hit a three and a two to make it 37-30. VCA answered with eight of their own. Josh, Seth and Lucas contributed to the next streak, scoring nine again. The Lions got six of the last eight points, with Josh's bucket interrupting their string, and the Patriots led 48-44 going into the final quarter. For VCA, #1 and #44 got back in the game in the quarter, but #24 struggled with his shot, hitting only two of nine. Nate, Seth and Kyle contributed to the six-point run HSRC had to open the fourth, and then after a VCA basket, Kyle scored again. Ten point lead, Patriots. Of course VCA answered with a run. A three was followed by a foul on #24 while shooting a three. He hit them all, then on their next possession, they were fouled again and hit two more free throws. Two point lead, Patriots. Lucas got the Patriots back on track with two baskets, then after a VCA score, Josh hit two free throws and Kyle followed with his fourth three point basket of the game. Nine point lead, Patriots. Seven straight for the Lions, including a three. Two point lead, Patriots. Lucas then hit two free throws followed by an inside bucket from Josh. Six point lead, Patriots. VCA hit one more three before they ran out of time. Three point win, Patriots.
As usual, scoring was pretty balanced. Kyle had 20, followed by Lucas with eighteen, Seth with fourteen and Josh had thirteen. Nate tied the team record with seventeen rebounds. Nate, Seth and Josh each had three assists, while Lucas, Seth and Josh each had two steals. Nate added two blocks.
The Patriots are now 18-9, 9-3 in conference. They travel to Mishawaka tomorrow to their last two conference games, these against eastern division teams. 9AM CST vs. Granger Christian, then 4PM CST against the hosts, First Baptist of Mishawaka. The junior high team plays Victory Christian at 10AM at Portage Christian in the first game of the conference tournament. If we win, we play at 1PM vs. Portage. Travel safely, and see you tomorrrow.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The defense is not resting
The Patriots continued their streak of holding their opponents under forty points, as they extended their winning streak to six with victories over Luther East on Saturday and Families of Faith Christian Academy. HSRC's record is not 17-9, 8-3 in the conference and 5-3 in the West division. That last record earned the Patriots the second seed in the conference tournament. Calumet Christian has the top seed with only one loss in the conference - to us in December.
The affair against Luther East was a brutal one. Thankfully, no one got hurt, as the Patriots were missing three players, Dan because he sprained his ankle at practice the night before, and Peter and Ethans were unavailable, which left only Ben on the bench. The open court defense was strong at the start, nabbing eight steals, but the shooting defense was not great, as Luther East shot four for nine. Our offense was completely out of sync. Because of the pressure defense, however, the guys did get off twenty shots but made only three and trailed 9-6 after one. The shots stopped falling for LE in the second, but they took better care of the ball. They only shot three for eleven. The Patriots's shooting woes continued. The again only made three shots, this time out of seventeen. Because two of the made shots were threes (by Seth) and Josh hit a free throw, the Patriots narrowed the lead to one at 16-15 at half. HSRC came out on fire in the third quarter, both offensively and defensively. Josh, who only had five in the first half, really took over in the session. He scored inside and out, from the free throw line and from the arc. Yes, a three-pointer. He scored eleven of our sixteen in the quarter. He also shut down their best player, holding him to one basket out of six attempts. LE managed only a free throw in addition to that basket and when Josh's three closed out the scoring, it was 31-19, Patriots. LE got as close as six in the fourth, but Josh scored two straight baskets and Nate followed with a score, and the game was no longer in doubt. Final score: Patriots 43, Luther East 32. Josh dominated the stats, scoring 24 and pulling down 16 rebounds. Seth was the next leading scorer with ten. Kyle led the team with four assists and six steals.
Monday night we went out to Channahon to play Families of Faith in the huge, beautiful, brand-new gym. This was the third time we played the Screaming Eagles, having defeated them easily in the early-season Victory tournament and struggling a bit to beat them at Hidden Cove later in December. Again the team had a hard time putting the ball in the basket. Only Lucas shot well in the first, scoring five on a two and a three, on three shots. The rest of the team shot one for twelve. On the other end, the defense was consistent. FOFCA hit only two of ten, both threes, and trailed 9-6 after one. The second quarter was very even, each team hitting four field goals. The difference was that one of ours was a three. As in the Luther East game, the third quarter was the difference. The Patriots came out in a full-court man-to-man press and suffocated the Eagles. Possession after possession for the Eagles ended in either an errant pass or a Patriot steal. When FOFCA finally scored, HSRC had scored fifteen straight and essentially put the game out of reach. The Eagles did narrow the lead to thirteen by the end of the quarter, but the Patriots matched them basket for basket to open the fourth until the Patriots scored six in a row midway through the fourth, which included Ben's first basket of the year, to give them an eighteen point lead, and the final was 49-33. Kyle led the team in scoring with seventeen. Josh had his fifth double-digit rebounding game, finishing with fifteen. He also had five steals to lead in that category. Seth had five assists and Nate had three blocks.
The junior high team had arguably their best effort of the year, but still lost 30-18 to FOFCA in the preceding game. Poor shooting continued to be their downfall. The strong effort wasn't rewarded on the scoreboard in the first half, as FOFCA led 22-9 at the break. The defense was very effective in the third. Caleb Y. shut down their big guy and the perimeter players also played strong defense. Caleb scored four inside and Charles had a nice drive for a score for our six points in the quarter. Alas, the eight-point quarter-end deficit was as close as we could get the rest of the game. We could only manage three in the fourth, all by Caleb Y., and FOFCA scored seven. Even though we lost, the guys hustled and played smart. Caleb Y. scored twelve of our points, with Charles adding four and Henry two. Both Calebs had eight rebounds and three steals each.
Tomorrow night we take on Victory Christian Academy, both the junior high and varsity, in our last home games of the year. The junior high will be playing Victory again in the conference tourney opener at Portage Saturday at 10. Meanwhile the varsity heads out to First Baptist of Mishawaka for a double-header: Granger at 9 (10 local time) and First Baptist at 4 (5 local). As always, hope to see you there. Go Patriots!!
The affair against Luther East was a brutal one. Thankfully, no one got hurt, as the Patriots were missing three players, Dan because he sprained his ankle at practice the night before, and Peter and Ethans were unavailable, which left only Ben on the bench. The open court defense was strong at the start, nabbing eight steals, but the shooting defense was not great, as Luther East shot four for nine. Our offense was completely out of sync. Because of the pressure defense, however, the guys did get off twenty shots but made only three and trailed 9-6 after one. The shots stopped falling for LE in the second, but they took better care of the ball. They only shot three for eleven. The Patriots's shooting woes continued. The again only made three shots, this time out of seventeen. Because two of the made shots were threes (by Seth) and Josh hit a free throw, the Patriots narrowed the lead to one at 16-15 at half. HSRC came out on fire in the third quarter, both offensively and defensively. Josh, who only had five in the first half, really took over in the session. He scored inside and out, from the free throw line and from the arc. Yes, a three-pointer. He scored eleven of our sixteen in the quarter. He also shut down their best player, holding him to one basket out of six attempts. LE managed only a free throw in addition to that basket and when Josh's three closed out the scoring, it was 31-19, Patriots. LE got as close as six in the fourth, but Josh scored two straight baskets and Nate followed with a score, and the game was no longer in doubt. Final score: Patriots 43, Luther East 32. Josh dominated the stats, scoring 24 and pulling down 16 rebounds. Seth was the next leading scorer with ten. Kyle led the team with four assists and six steals.
Monday night we went out to Channahon to play Families of Faith in the huge, beautiful, brand-new gym. This was the third time we played the Screaming Eagles, having defeated them easily in the early-season Victory tournament and struggling a bit to beat them at Hidden Cove later in December. Again the team had a hard time putting the ball in the basket. Only Lucas shot well in the first, scoring five on a two and a three, on three shots. The rest of the team shot one for twelve. On the other end, the defense was consistent. FOFCA hit only two of ten, both threes, and trailed 9-6 after one. The second quarter was very even, each team hitting four field goals. The difference was that one of ours was a three. As in the Luther East game, the third quarter was the difference. The Patriots came out in a full-court man-to-man press and suffocated the Eagles. Possession after possession for the Eagles ended in either an errant pass or a Patriot steal. When FOFCA finally scored, HSRC had scored fifteen straight and essentially put the game out of reach. The Eagles did narrow the lead to thirteen by the end of the quarter, but the Patriots matched them basket for basket to open the fourth until the Patriots scored six in a row midway through the fourth, which included Ben's first basket of the year, to give them an eighteen point lead, and the final was 49-33. Kyle led the team in scoring with seventeen. Josh had his fifth double-digit rebounding game, finishing with fifteen. He also had five steals to lead in that category. Seth had five assists and Nate had three blocks.
The junior high team had arguably their best effort of the year, but still lost 30-18 to FOFCA in the preceding game. Poor shooting continued to be their downfall. The strong effort wasn't rewarded on the scoreboard in the first half, as FOFCA led 22-9 at the break. The defense was very effective in the third. Caleb Y. shut down their big guy and the perimeter players also played strong defense. Caleb scored four inside and Charles had a nice drive for a score for our six points in the quarter. Alas, the eight-point quarter-end deficit was as close as we could get the rest of the game. We could only manage three in the fourth, all by Caleb Y., and FOFCA scored seven. Even though we lost, the guys hustled and played smart. Caleb Y. scored twelve of our points, with Charles adding four and Henry two. Both Calebs had eight rebounds and three steals each.
Tomorrow night we take on Victory Christian Academy, both the junior high and varsity, in our last home games of the year. The junior high will be playing Victory again in the conference tourney opener at Portage Saturday at 10. Meanwhile the varsity heads out to First Baptist of Mishawaka for a double-header: Granger at 9 (10 local time) and First Baptist at 4 (5 local). As always, hope to see you there. Go Patriots!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Four days since I last posted, four wins
The last time I posted the team was reeling a bit, having lost six of seven. The last loss in the streak was encouraging, however, as the guys played very tough against a strong KTA in their own tournament. I left off with the guys about to play the remaining two games of the tournament. The first game was against Grace, a team we had beaten comfortably twice already this year. The win came harder this time, but it did come, with the Patriots winning 46-38. The refs were letting a lot go underneath, which neutralized our size advantage to some extent. The last time we played Grace, we held them to 14 points until abour four minutes remained (they finished with 24) and this time it looked like more of the same. Grace shot two for twelve in the opening eight minutes, scoring four. HSRC didn't have a lot more going on offense, but they did double up the Crusaders. Seth opened quarter #2 on a tear, scoring the first six points of the quarter. After two Grace free throws, Kyle hit a three and Nate scored to open up a thirteen point lead. From their, out shooting eye left us and Grace got it going. They finished the quarter on a 9-1 run to get back to within five, 20-15 at half. Grace scored to open the third and kept close. HSRC pushed the lead out to nine after a two Josh free throws, but again Grace closed strong and pulled back to with five. The lead bounced between three and five until Kyle and Nate scored consecutive baskets, and after a Grace basket, Nate closed out the scoring with a three-point play. Seth finished with fifteen points and five steals. Kyle had eleven rebounds and three assists.
The next game, and the game that would decide if we got a trophy or not, was against Community. HSRC had defeated Community in the second game of the year rather easily. This one followed the script a little more closely, with the Patriots coming out victorious, 55-23. It took a little for the guys to get going, but at 6-5, the Patriots scored fifteen straight points. Community closed with a two and a three, but after the quarter break, the Patriots got going again, scoring the first ten. Community got no closer than nineteen in a quarter that found HSRC ahead at the end, 39-16. The defense held in the third, giving up only six, but the offense slowed a bit, partly by design, and the Patriots took a 50-22 lead into the fourth. The tournament rules were to have a running clock in the fourth quarter, so the scoring for both teams was limited. As one of the tie-breakers was fewest points given up, the team kept up the defense, but the offense consisted of five free throws, four by Kyle. Alas, but KTA finished undefeated in the tournament, so we didn't win, but we did collect our second second place trophy for the year. Josh and Kyle were the stars of this one, each scoring seventeen, with Kyle adding fourteen rebounds and Josh twelve. Josh and Seth led the team with six steals each.
As the schedule would have it, we played Community again on Monday. The defense, if it was even possible, was even more intense. Again, after a slow start, the guys turned it on. The Patriots scored the last twelve points of the quarter to lead 15-4. The streak stretched out to 26 straight points before Community made the last basket before half. Lucas opened the second half with a three. Shortly thereafter Lucas completed an old-fashioned three-point-play to make the lead 39-8. The defense relaxed just a bit, but the lead still increased to 48-15 at the end of the quarter. Lucas kept up the offense in the fourth, scoring nine of the team's eleven. The lead didn't vary much as Community scored ten to make the final 59-25. Seth finished with twenty and Lucas had nineteen points, while Josh set the team high this year with sixteen rebounds. Kyle had six assists and Seth had eight steals.
Last night Portage Christian was the opponent, a team that HSRC had never beaten. Until now. To be fair, Portage was down two starters, including probably their best player, but the win was still convincing. HSRC set their season (and program) high for points and victory margin. The defense was ferocious from the opening tip. Portage did keep it close early, trailing 7-5, when all five started scored in a sixteen point run leading to an eighteen point lead at the end of the first quarter, 26-8. PCS slowed the offense a little in the second, but the Patriot defense stayed strong. The lead was never less than eighteen in the quarter and was 40-17 at half-time. The lead hit thirty in the third and was 56-29 going into the final quarter. Dan, who with his brother Ben had recently (re-)joined the team, got his first significant playing time and made the most of it. He was a true Patriot, playing aggressive defense. He also showed his offense, making all four of his attempts in the quarter and adding two free throws. Final score: 75-37. Josh led with twenty points. His thirteen rebounds were second to Kyle's fifteen. Five players scored in double figures for the game.
Victory on Friday at home and the Luther East on Saturday in Lansing. If the guys win Saturday, they will clinch second place in the division and get a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. See you at the games.
The next game, and the game that would decide if we got a trophy or not, was against Community. HSRC had defeated Community in the second game of the year rather easily. This one followed the script a little more closely, with the Patriots coming out victorious, 55-23. It took a little for the guys to get going, but at 6-5, the Patriots scored fifteen straight points. Community closed with a two and a three, but after the quarter break, the Patriots got going again, scoring the first ten. Community got no closer than nineteen in a quarter that found HSRC ahead at the end, 39-16. The defense held in the third, giving up only six, but the offense slowed a bit, partly by design, and the Patriots took a 50-22 lead into the fourth. The tournament rules were to have a running clock in the fourth quarter, so the scoring for both teams was limited. As one of the tie-breakers was fewest points given up, the team kept up the defense, but the offense consisted of five free throws, four by Kyle. Alas, but KTA finished undefeated in the tournament, so we didn't win, but we did collect our second second place trophy for the year. Josh and Kyle were the stars of this one, each scoring seventeen, with Kyle adding fourteen rebounds and Josh twelve. Josh and Seth led the team with six steals each.
As the schedule would have it, we played Community again on Monday. The defense, if it was even possible, was even more intense. Again, after a slow start, the guys turned it on. The Patriots scored the last twelve points of the quarter to lead 15-4. The streak stretched out to 26 straight points before Community made the last basket before half. Lucas opened the second half with a three. Shortly thereafter Lucas completed an old-fashioned three-point-play to make the lead 39-8. The defense relaxed just a bit, but the lead still increased to 48-15 at the end of the quarter. Lucas kept up the offense in the fourth, scoring nine of the team's eleven. The lead didn't vary much as Community scored ten to make the final 59-25. Seth finished with twenty and Lucas had nineteen points, while Josh set the team high this year with sixteen rebounds. Kyle had six assists and Seth had eight steals.
Last night Portage Christian was the opponent, a team that HSRC had never beaten. Until now. To be fair, Portage was down two starters, including probably their best player, but the win was still convincing. HSRC set their season (and program) high for points and victory margin. The defense was ferocious from the opening tip. Portage did keep it close early, trailing 7-5, when all five started scored in a sixteen point run leading to an eighteen point lead at the end of the first quarter, 26-8. PCS slowed the offense a little in the second, but the Patriot defense stayed strong. The lead was never less than eighteen in the quarter and was 40-17 at half-time. The lead hit thirty in the third and was 56-29 going into the final quarter. Dan, who with his brother Ben had recently (re-)joined the team, got his first significant playing time and made the most of it. He was a true Patriot, playing aggressive defense. He also showed his offense, making all four of his attempts in the quarter and adding two free throws. Final score: 75-37. Josh led with twenty points. His thirteen rebounds were second to Kyle's fifteen. Five players scored in double figures for the game.
Victory on Friday at home and the Luther East on Saturday in Lansing. If the guys win Saturday, they will clinch second place in the division and get a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. See you at the games.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Two tough ones
It's Saturday morning and we're getting ready to go back to Kankakee for our the rest of the KTA tournament. Last night was a tough one, almost as tough as Monday's loss to Luther East. The Patriots, trailing all night, clawed back to within one with under a minute to play, but could not score again as the host team eked out a 50-45 win. The consensus of all whom I talked to was that this was the best defensive effort of the year. Unforturnately, the offense was not up to the task, as HSRC shot only 27%.
Early on it looked like a KTA runaway. Before the game was a couple minutes old, KTA, known for their outside shooting, had knocked down a couple of threes and a two to take an early 8-0 lead. HSRC got on the board when Josh split two free throws, and then the Patriots started slowly whittling away at the KTA lead. When Nate completed a three-point-play to finish the quarter scoring, it was a 12-10 game. KTA started the second like they did the first, scoring the first five points before Seth got us on the board. Josh and Kyle sandwiched buckets around a KTA score and the boys were back to within three. KTA stretched the lead to eight before Josh scored and Kyle followed that with a three. Just before half, HSRC hounded the Eagles into a wild shot with a couple of seconds left; however, their 6'7" center put back the rebound just before the buzzer to give KTA a 27-22 lead at half. The Patriot shot only 25% in the half, but they did hold #21 to eight points.
HSRC only gave up two points in the third before they scored. The lead ranged from between three and six in the quarter until Seth knifed in for basket to make it 33-32, KTA. After KTA matched that score, they got the ball back and, as has happened so many times against up this year, our opponent flung up a wild three and scored just before time expired. #21 took the honors this time, and KTA led by six going into the final quarter. Again, KTA scored first - #21 scoring two baskets to give KTA its biggest lead of the night. They still led by eight when Josh scored and got fouled. After he completed the play, the Patriots' defense really cranked up, forcing steals leading to baskets by Kyle and Seth. KTA scored to end our string, and then after a couple of possessions, the Patriots had an opportunity to pull within one when we missed one of those layups. Ouch. We stopped the Eagles again on the next possession, and then Kyle scored to again get to within one. That was it for our scoring, though. KTA scored from the field and then on two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining.
Josh had another double-double, with fifteen points and eleven rebounds. Kyle had twelve points and Seth ten. Kyle added nine rebounds, and both he and Josh had five steals. Seth and Nate led the team with three assists each. Lucas played ferocious defense, pulling down seven rebounds and amassing five deflections.
Since it has been five days since the Luther East loss, I won't go into much detail other than to say, we had five-point leads with around a minute to play in both regulation and overtime and still lost in overtime, 51-50. It was a frenetic game, featuring a lot of sloppy play and missed shots. Their star player had at least six blocked shots and knocked down threes both at the end of regulation and in overtime to contribute to the win. We only shot 30% in that game, but pulled down 50 rebounds. Nate, Kyle and Josh each had thirteen rebounds and Lucas had nine. Kyle led in scoring with sixteen and Josh had fifteen.
If the boys win both games today, they will finish second in the tournament, with a very, very slight chance still of winning it, depending on some unlikely outcomes in the other games. Our games are at 1:30 and 6.
Early on it looked like a KTA runaway. Before the game was a couple minutes old, KTA, known for their outside shooting, had knocked down a couple of threes and a two to take an early 8-0 lead. HSRC got on the board when Josh split two free throws, and then the Patriots started slowly whittling away at the KTA lead. When Nate completed a three-point-play to finish the quarter scoring, it was a 12-10 game. KTA started the second like they did the first, scoring the first five points before Seth got us on the board. Josh and Kyle sandwiched buckets around a KTA score and the boys were back to within three. KTA stretched the lead to eight before Josh scored and Kyle followed that with a three. Just before half, HSRC hounded the Eagles into a wild shot with a couple of seconds left; however, their 6'7" center put back the rebound just before the buzzer to give KTA a 27-22 lead at half. The Patriot shot only 25% in the half, but they did hold #21 to eight points.
HSRC only gave up two points in the third before they scored. The lead ranged from between three and six in the quarter until Seth knifed in for basket to make it 33-32, KTA. After KTA matched that score, they got the ball back and, as has happened so many times against up this year, our opponent flung up a wild three and scored just before time expired. #21 took the honors this time, and KTA led by six going into the final quarter. Again, KTA scored first - #21 scoring two baskets to give KTA its biggest lead of the night. They still led by eight when Josh scored and got fouled. After he completed the play, the Patriots' defense really cranked up, forcing steals leading to baskets by Kyle and Seth. KTA scored to end our string, and then after a couple of possessions, the Patriots had an opportunity to pull within one when we missed one of those layups. Ouch. We stopped the Eagles again on the next possession, and then Kyle scored to again get to within one. That was it for our scoring, though. KTA scored from the field and then on two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining.
Josh had another double-double, with fifteen points and eleven rebounds. Kyle had twelve points and Seth ten. Kyle added nine rebounds, and both he and Josh had five steals. Seth and Nate led the team with three assists each. Lucas played ferocious defense, pulling down seven rebounds and amassing five deflections.
Since it has been five days since the Luther East loss, I won't go into much detail other than to say, we had five-point leads with around a minute to play in both regulation and overtime and still lost in overtime, 51-50. It was a frenetic game, featuring a lot of sloppy play and missed shots. Their star player had at least six blocked shots and knocked down threes both at the end of regulation and in overtime to contribute to the win. We only shot 30% in that game, but pulled down 50 rebounds. Nate, Kyle and Josh each had thirteen rebounds and Lucas had nine. Kyle led in scoring with sixteen and Josh had fifteen.
If the boys win both games today, they will finish second in the tournament, with a very, very slight chance still of winning it, depending on some unlikely outcomes in the other games. Our games are at 1:30 and 6.
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