BOYS BB: Kokomo back on track

By MIKE BLATT
Tribune sportswriter

December 22, 2007 11:14 pm

— After tough losses to Class 4A powerhouses Muncie Central, Marion and North Central in their last three games, the Kokomo Wildkats were looking to get well against winless Westfield Saturday night at Memorial Gym.
The Kats (3-3) came away with a clean bill of health with a 64-58 victory over the surprisingly game Shamrocks. A strong defensive effort in the third quarter keyed the win for the Kats.
Trailing by as many as nine points in the second period, Kokomo narrowed the gap to three points at the half, 37-34. After halftime, the Kats put the clamps on Westfield, holding the Shamrocks without a basket for the first four and a half minutes of the third stanza as they went on a 9-0 run to take a 43-37 lead.
Kats coach Brian McCauley said of the critical third period, “That was a crucial run. A lot of coaches will say that the first three minutes of the third quarter is a crucial time in the game. It sets the tone. If you’re ahead, are you going to stay ahead? If you’re behind, are you going to make a game of it?
“We really came out and defended well that several minutes,” he continued. “The guys came out and executed well.”
Senior guard Alston Andrews, who grabbed four steals and passed for four assists for the Kats, said that McCauley emphasized defense at halftime.
“We wanted to put ball pressure on them,” he said, “so we could produce turnovers and get back in the game.”
The plan worked and Kokomo never trailed again, although Westfield stayed close all the way, narrowing the gap to 60-58 with 46 seconds to play. However, unlike Friday night, when the Kats went a dismal 12 of 29 from the free throw line, Kokomo was able to close out the Shamrocks by hitting 4 of 6 freebies in the final minute to secure the win.
McCauley knew that Westfield’s 0-5 record entering the contest was deceiving, and he also felt a win was key for his club.
“This was an important game for us,” he said, “and I know it was an important game for Westfield, too. They had their best player [Zach Mally] back [from suspension], and they had very good energy. They have played some really tough teams, some quality competition, and they’re a much better team than their record indicates.”
Early on, the Shamrocks made it clear that things wouldn’t be easy for the Kats. Westfield canned its first four shots from the floor and then added 3-pointers from Mally and Jordan Meinen to grab an 18-10 lead at the first stop.
Meinen canned another trey as the Shamrocks reached their biggest lead of the night 21-12 just 21 seconds into the second period. But the Kats gave a taste of what was to come as they went on a 15-5 run to take their first lead of the night at 27-26. The Kats dialed long distance at the start and finish of the run. Colton Summers got things started with a triple at the 6:48 mark, and T.J. Weir, who led Kokomo with 18 points on the night, finished it off with a pair of 3-pointers of his own. The teams swapped the lead for three possessions before a technical foul on the Kats gave Westfield a 4-point possession and 35-31 lead.
The critical third quarter featured four quick turnovers by the ’Rocks, two of those coming off steals by Alston Andrews. The second featured a nifty over the head, backward tip at midcourt to a streaking Jacob Blackamore who drew the foul and made one of two to put the Kats ahead 41-37. Kokomo freshman Parker Salinas came off the bench to score three points and grab two rebounds in just two minutes of playing time as the Kats went up 46-41. But Westfield cut it to 50-46 heading to the final period.
Kokomo got strong play from Hopkins inside and good shooting from Weir outside as it built the margin to 58-49 at the 4:37 mark. But the Shamrocks wouldn’t quit, going on a 9-2 tear to cut the margin to 60-58 on Mally’s basket. Hopkins went to work then, taking control of the game. He hit one of two from the charity stripe with 37 seconds left and then grabbed a big rebound as Westfield missed a 3-point try on its next possession. Weir made one of two freebies to make it 62-58 at 0:14, and then Hopkins made a steal to seal the win. Weir’s two foul shots with six seconds left closed the scoring at 64-58.
McCauley praised Hopkins. The 6-foot-6 junior center finished with 17 points, and game highs in rebounds (8) and assists (5).
“Patrick Hopkins did a great job offensively and rebounding and had several blocks,” his coach said. “He passed the ball well and played big minutes for us — 28 minutes — that’s a lot of minutes to log on a second [consecutive] night.”
Westfield, which hit 5 of 6 3-pointers in the first half, hit just 2 of 9 in the second, and indication of the Kats’ improved defense.
Westfield was led by Mally with 22 points and Meinen with 11.
Weir shot 5 of 11 from the floor en route to his 18 points. Colton Summers hit four of seven from behind the arc and added 13.
Next Friday, the Kats travel to Frankfort to take on the Hot Dogs.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.