Published: March 07, 2009 01:15 am      

HOOPS: Kats eliminate errors to beat Jeff in rematch

LAFAYETTE — If Kokomo was to avenge a regular-season loss to Lafayette Jeff here Friday night in Class 4A Sectional 7 play, coach Bryan McCauley knew his team had to handle the basketball well. His Kats had to win the battle of turnovers.

They did just that in a commanding fashion that surprised even McCauley.

That effort in the biggest game of the season and on the Bronchos’ home court, produced a 63-59 Wildkat victory that now has the Kats just 32 minutes from claiming the school’s 70th sectional championship.

Tonight at 7:30, Kokomo takes on McCutcheon, a 66-41 winner over Harrison in Friday’s first semifinal, for a berth in next Saturday’s Marion Regional.

In Jeff’s 66-64 regular season win at Kokomo, the Kats turned the ball over 20 times and the Bronchos made them pay. Points off turnovers — 25-7, Jeff.

On this night, Kokomo’s guard play was stellar, its defensive pressure much improved and points off turnovers were 16-2 — this time in favor of the Kats.

“That’s huge,” McCauley said, hearing those numbers for the first time. “In our game preparation, a major point of emphasis was having poise when [Jeff] pressed us and making good passes from those formations for easy baskets.”

Jeff coach Scot Bunnell noted the change in turnover numbers and Kokomo’s board work as major reasons his team’s season was over at 17-8.

“They are just so much better handling the ball now and when they have [Patrick] Hopkins [who missed the regular season meeting with an ankle injury], it’s harder to get out and pressure their guards.

“Kokomo hurt us on the offensive boards too [16 rebounds that resulted in 14 second chance points]. They rebounded well and we were hurt not having [Roddy] Richardson.”

Richardson, the squad’s No. 2 board man, broke an ankle in practice Thursday.

Nothing was expected to come easy against a Jeff squad that had won its last nine games and it didn’t — especially early.

Junior guard Jesse Berry simply put the Bronchos on his back and carried them to a 30-29 halftime lead. The 6-foot-1 junior guard, who this season set a school single season scoring record with 628 points, had 21 points by halftime due largely to some long — and even longer 3-point shooting. He had hit 5 of 8 heading into intermission and had Jeff on top 23-15, earlier in the second quarter.

Kokomo never was able to quiet Berry before halftime, but Hopkins had three buckets, T.J. Weir a 3-pointer and Cheyse Swain a basket just before the break the put the Kats in position (trailing 30-29) to take control in the third quarter.

Twenty seconds into the second half, Alan Arnett hit off an offensive rebound, putting the Kats in front 31-30. They never trailed from there. Arnett, who scored just five first-half points and grabbed three rebounds, simply took over in the second half. Jeff had no answer for his quick drives to the hoop and soaring rebounds. Arnett closed with 18 points and a career-high 12 boards.

Kokomo also slowed Berry in that pivotal third quarter, keeping him without a 3-point basket.

“Berry was awfully hot that first half and we hoped by rotating defenders on him that it would help us in the third and fourth quarters,” McCauley said.

Berry saw the faces of a lot of defenders on this night. Arnett, Swain, Tyrone Brown, Ben Yeoman and Brock Barbary all drew the duty on a night when Berry finished with 37 points.

Jeff chased Kokomo right to the wire. The Kats led 51-49 with 2:38 remaining when Arnett made his best play of the night. He somehow grabbed a deflected pass in the lane and in the same motion scored, was fouled and completed the three-point play. Jeff never got any closer that the final four point margin.

In addition to Arnett’s numbers, the Kats got 13 points and 13 boards from Hopkins. Weir added 12 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and Brown closed with seven points and seven boards. Barbary had six points and a game-high five assists.

Now comes McCutcheon, a team which Kokomo beat handily during the season.

“This is a completely different team that the one we played in January,” McCauley cautioned. “They have a couple of seniors, [Ethan] Peabody and [Nick] Wittgren, who weren’t able to play against us that first game and they are now averaging 30 points a game between them. Those two are the core of their team and we know it will be a dogfight.”