BOYS BB: Kings win going away

By GENE F. CONARD
Tribune sportswriter

February 07, 2008 11:55 pm

— WALTON — The game plan was simple: Get the lead, take control, then make Lewis Cass play catch-up. And for a few giddy moments here Thursday night it appeared Eastern just might pull it off and stop the bleeding of 11 straight setbacks in a frustrating campaign.
Both clubs played the role of perfect basketball misers at the outset. Cass was content to bide its time and spent more time clutching the ball than assaulting the hoop but was less than remorseful after missing all five first-quarter flings.
Steven Boomershine got an early Comet basket; Jacob Faust meshed two freebies, and J.D. Muscari canned his only fielder to give Eastern its final lead, 4-2, at the first stop. But that jubilation as brief.
That opening segment would become the death knell as Eastern missed four layups in six first-quarter ties that could’ve made Cass reconsider its tactics. Jeff Marschand hit a shot for a 4-4 tie to open the second act, then followed with a trey to put the Kings up for good, 7-4. From there the Kings outscored the Comets 31-13 in the final 23 minutes (26-9 the last half) for 38-17 victory.
“I felt it was up to us to control the tempo,” Cass coach Basil Mawbey said. “If they wanted to hold the ball that was OK. Our aim was to keep Boomershine, one of the best rebounders in the area, under control and make their guards beat us, and Faust did a nice job on him. Boomershine had just three baskets and three rebounds.
“Once we got our trap going and [Marschand] and John [Keisling] hit those threes we were in control. But the third quarter was the key when we outscored them, 11-3,” the Cass tutor added.
The Kings took a 23-11 command into the third period, and Brody Edgerly, Faust and Rory Mannering went on an 11-point spree to build a gaping, 34-11 spread. The Comets missed their first nine shots and didn’t find the hoop until Boomershine canned a bucket and free throw with :54.2 left in the quarter.
Eastern missed nine of 11 fourth period shots, and Cass used four baskets and six freebies to write the finish.
“We started the game like we wanted. But then we missed those four layups, and our game plan went out the window,” Eastern coach Keith Richie said. “You can coach kids, but you can’t make shots for them. If we’d made those baskets we would’ve had control of the game.
“But we got down 20-11 in the second and that did it. You can’t get behind Cass like that because they will control the game,” Richie finished.
Faust had 10 points, Keisling added nine and Marschand had eight to lead Cass. Boomershine led Eastern with 10 markers on a dismal night that saw the Comets hit only 5 of 24 attempts from the field. Cass was just 11 of 34, but went 11 of 11 at the stripe, and won the boards, 21-12, with Mannering grabbing seven caroms.
Cass, now 11-5 overall and 2-3 in the Mid-Indiana Conference, visits Caston on Saturday with the JV game set for 11 a.m. Eastern is now 1-15 overall, 1-5 in the MIC and will trek to Elwood next Tuesday.