[Southsider2k12]

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Pressing Questions

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - For two quarters, first-year Michigan City boys basketball coach Bob Buscher was feeling pretty good about his team's progress.

Then the scrimmage rules allowed for full-court defense in the third quarter.

Soon, Buscher was forced to revert back to his mantra of patience. His Wolves were outscored 40-28 and turned the ball over 15 times during two periods of full-court pressure during Friday's preseason scrimmage against Hammond at the Wolves Den.

"I knew we had to work on it," Buscher said, adding he didn't think his team was so behind the curve with its press break. "We have this habit we have to change where we get in an awful big hurry."

The good news is, the bad news ends there. Though no running score was kept, if all five periods of play were added up, City won 81-73 and was quite impressive in its half-court offense.

In the first, second and fourth periods - which prohibited full-court defense - City outscored Hammond 53-33 and shot a combined 23-of-43 from the field.

"The first two quarters we played pretty well," Buscher said. "When we had ball movement we played pretty good."

City shot the ball well all night, making exactly 50 percent of its shots and 7-of-17 shots from 3-point territory.

Leading the way was senior center Jarrod Jones, recording the game's only double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Jones, still recovering from an offseason leg injury, didn't start and is still battling some fatigue issues. But when he did play, he was impressive in the low post, making 9-of-14 shots including a couple of dunks.

"He did some good things," Buscher said of Jones.

Jones was a little slow getting going, scoring just six points through the first three periods. But during that time, other players had the hot hand, carrying the team to the lead.

Stephen Ward scored 15 of his 17 points by the end of the third, and Byron Lee had 10 of his 13 points by the time the fourth got started.

While Buscher was pleased with the play of Ward, Lee and others, he was noticeably distraught about the team's ability to break the press, something that could hurt once play in the Duneland Conference begins.

"We only have two out of bounds plays. It's as simple as possible," Buscher said. "It's just staying focused and understanding the little parts of it.

"An out of bounds play is like specialty teams in football. I want to score on it."

Buscher said he thinks if his squad can put things together, it has a good chance to be competitive throughout its schedule, including the postseason.

"I've said before to be patient. It's just little things we've gotta keep working on," Buscher said. "When do you want to play your best basketball? It's not what everyone wants to hear ... but if you can play your best by the end of the year, I think we can be very competitive in our sectional."

Notes: Sophomore point guard Adam Harmon went down with about five seconds to play with an apparent left arm injury. It was the same arm that he injured during football season, requiring a cast. Buscher and the team trainer said Harmon appeared to be OK after the game. ... Senior transfer Kent Alleyne didn't score a field goal until the fifth period, ending up with five points and six rebounds. ... Hammond had 15 players see court time and take at least one shot.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

http://heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=389364

Wolves struggle in opener at Washington
11/23/2007, 12:36 pm
Comment on this story

Zack Eldridge, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13868, zeldridge@heraldargus.com


SOUTH BEND -- If Bob Buscher were to script his opener as new coach of the Michigan City boys basketball team, Wednesday night would be the complete opposite of what he wanted.

The Wolves made countless turnovers, got off to a sluggish start and never recovered in a 69-47 loss at South Bend Washington.

Needless to say, it was a rough debut for Buscher.

Before the fans even got comfortable in their seats, Michigan City (0-1) trailed 13-4 as it couldn’t handle the Panthers’ full-court press. After the first few minutes of the contest, the Wolves were down by only a few points, but that deficit quickly grew to nearly double digits midway through the first quarter as soon as Washington (1-0) applied the full-court trapping press.

Michigan City trailed 21-9 after the opening period.

Buscher said warm-ups set the tone.

“First of all, give South Bend credit,” Buscher said. “They are a very well-coached team, a very good team. They’re stronger in terms of strength and muscle, and at times they just played harder than we did. That’s a factor alone right there that there’s no sense in this game being a 22-point loss.

“But if you have people that you’re counting on that aren’t going to buy what you tell them to do and don’t do what you tell them to do starting with warm-ups, then it’s going to be a tough time.”

In the second quarter, Michigan City tried to cut into the deficit but never really made any serious runs. Turnovers continued to be a problem in the second as the Wolves couldn’t adjust to Washington’s suffocating defense.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers opened with hot shooting and continued that in the second eight minutes. Junior guard Jarell Henry got off to a great start, which led Washington to a commanding 36-21 halftime lead. Henry led the Panthers with 17 points off the bench.

It was the full-court press that cost the Wolves dearly, though, as they committed 26 turnovers in the game.

“We worked against the press the last few practices hard,” Buscher said. “Came in (Wednesday) at 9 and 10 and worked against it. We just are very individualistic at times. We don’t see people; we don’t give people the ball when they are open. We don’t move the ball quick enough; a lot of those are fundamental mistakes.”

Six-foot senior forward Chance Nelson was one of the lone bright spots for Michigan City. He started the game, finished with 10 points and supplied some energy.

Highly touted 6-foot-8 senior Jarrod Jones got off to a little bit of a slow start; however, he was more aggressive in the second half and scored 15 points before fouling out late.

“He’s got to want the ball more,” Buscher said. “He’s got to be bigger, he’s got to be stronger. Now granted, they mixed it nicely, they packed it in on us, a little bit on him. We didn’t execute our offense at all. If they’re going to pack it, we better get ball reversal. We better get some other things going to be able to get him the ball.”

Besides the full-court press, Washington cashed in at the free-throw line. The Panthers went 20-for-29 from the charity stripe, while Michigan City finished just 6-of-13.

Michigan City dropped the JV game 43-41.

Sophomore Tyree Wright paced the Wolves with 10 points.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Interesting when the coach says there are problems with the motivation of the players in public.

[Southsider2k12]

When you talk about successful basketball programs, this is the stuff that comes to mind. The style and expectations get established from the youngest ages of kids picking up a ball, and get run until they step foot on the High School hardcourt. These kids have never been pushed, and it shows. Hopefully Buscher keeps on them, because that is the only way these teams go to the next level.

[Southsider2k12]

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Slicers Dominate Wolves

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - Bob Buscher doesn't necessarily like to lose, but he never likes to lose like this.

Michigan City's boys basketball struggled offensively throughout Tuesday's game with La Porte, but never more than in the fourth quarter.

The Slicers went on a 20-0 run for most of the final stanza, sending the Wolves to their second straight defeat, 69-48 at Slicer Gym in the nightcap of a girls-boys doubleheader.

"We are still learning how to win," Buscher said. "They outhustled us, outrebounded us, and their tallest guy is 6-2.

"We're still learning about what it takes to win and how important character is. ... You've gotta compete."

La Porte's zone defense collapsed around City senior Jarrod Jones, limiting him to just seven points on 3-of-6 shooting. City's perimeter game also struggled mightily, as the Wolves connected on just 2 of 22 3-point attempts.

"When times get tough, we take the easy way out," Buscher said. "They say, 'It's the officials' fault. They're holding me.'

"We just got our butts kicked by a team that played harder than us."

La Porte (2-5, 2-3 Duneland) set the tone early, much of that coming from junior guard Terry Beane. He scored the Slicers' first six points on a three-point play and a traditional 3-pointer, helping La Porte out to an 11-2 early lead.

City (3-4, 2-3 DAC) fought back, and took the lead in the second quarter on a trey from Gage Farless, the seldom-used junior guard who had a big night. He tallied a career-high 11 points, leading the Wolves in scoring.

However, just moments after taking the lead, City got into some major foul trouble. At the 3:50 mark, Jones got his second foul and went to the bench, joining senior captain Stephen Ward, who also had two fouls.

La Porte promptly went on an 8-0 run, and led 38-32 at the half.

"That's a killer," Buscher said. "We couldn't afford to get them any more fouls early."

La Porte coach Tom Wells agreed that was a crucial juncture.

"They had three kids with two fouls, and (Jones and Ward) finished the half on the bench," Wells said. "That allowed us to attack a little more."

La Porte increased its lead by one in the third, taking a 47-40 advantage into the fourth.

City started to close the gap in the fourth. Farless made a trifecta to open the quarter, and Jones later split a pair of free throws at the 5:31 mark, cutting La Porte's lead to three at 49-46. That was City's last point until DaQuvay Sherrod made a runner with six seconds left and the game well out of hand.

In between, the Slicers went on a 20-0 run, including a 5-0 run from sophomore Rich Leslie to push the lead out to 10 at 56-46.

Josh Knickerbocker's three-point play at the 3:23 mark put the Slicers up 15, all but ending City's hopes at a comeback.

"What sticks out is our zone was very good, we did a great job on Jones and still got out to their shooters," Wells said. "And we played much better with the lead."

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Ang]

Tom Wells is HOT!!! I've had the biggest crush on him for a long time. Too bad he's married.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...;ArticleID=7930

Pack On Track

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Dr. Jekyll, I presume?

Michigan City's boys basketball team continued its up and down season, having both peaks and valleys in a mostly positive 69-56 win over Lake Central on Friday at the Wolves Den.

"We'll take the win," City coach Bob Buscher said. "Right now, this was real important for the kids and our coaching staff."

If it was Mr. Hyde that showed up Tuesday in La Porte, where City came up a 21-point loser, Dr. Jekyll arrived at the Wolves Den Friday. Well, for the first half at least.

Compared to Tuesday night, when City shot 34 percent overall and nine percent from the 3-point line, the Wolves scorched the nets against the Indians for two quarters.

In the first half, City was 16-of-21 from the floor (76 percent) and 6-of-8 from downtown (75 percent) in building a 44-25 halftime advantage.

"We were hot," Buscher said of his team's first-half shooting. "We had better ball reversal which allowed that to happen."

As a microcosm of the whole season, City certainly didn't continue the hot-shooting trend in the second half. The Wolves were 6-of-13 from the floor in the final two quarters, committing nine of their 15 turnovers.

But they made some free throws and held off any major Lake Central rally, and the Indians never seriously threatened.

"I asked them if they wanted to start having some fun," Buscher said. "Then Steve Ward said, 'We've gotta win this game. We have to win.' I didn't want him to feel that kind of pressure.

"But we're still learning what it takes to win. It's an educational process that takes time. I said from Day One, be patient."

The game started with quite a surprise: City 6-foot, 8-inch senior center, Jarrod Jones, didn't start. He did enter late in the first quarter, and scored 13 points.

"You make a coaching move ... and you've gotta do what you've gotta do," said Buscher, who has wanted consistent effort from Jones this season. "I want Jarrod to be the best that Jarrod Jones can be. He's capable of more than he realizes."

Early in the first quarter, City's offense set a blistering pace, but it was defense that allowed it to open up a big lead.

On back-to-back Lake Central possessions, Ward and Gage Farless had steals, both leading to fastbreak layups to give City a 25-17 lead by quarter's end. Lake Central would never get any closer.

Then, with 6:02 left in the second quarter, Chance Nelson buried a trifecta to give City a 31-17 lead, followed up just moments later by Ward's second trey, increasing the lead to 15.

One minute later, City fed the post, and Jones reversed his footing in the post, turned and dunked the ball with two hands, doubling up the Indians at 38-19.

In the third, Lake Central had designs on creeping back into the game, but Nelson knocked down his third triple of the game at the 3:07 mark, giving City a comfortable 53-37 lead. Nelson finished with a career-high 19 points.

"We came out with a lot of intensity," said Nelson, the only City player to score in double figures in all eight games. "It feels pretty good. My teammates keep giving me the ball and I shoot it when I'm open."

City won the junior varsity game 54-46 in double overtime. Shereff Knight had 13 points to pace the Wolves, while Darrell Hopkins had 10.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Ang]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=46256.13

Boys Face Tough Draw at Goshen Tournament

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

Michigan City's boys basketball program began scheduling holiday tournaments recently to ease the long winter break, which often would see the Wolves go without a game for two weeks.

Last year City was 1-1 at the Concord Shootout, but the team shifts to a more traditional tournament format this season with the Goshen Tournament.

Much like last season's holiday fare, it's a tough field for City to navigate. City comes into the weekend event with the worst record in the four-team field at 4-4. Class 4A schools Elkhart Memorial (3-1) and Goshen (6-1) will be present, as will Class 3A Lakeland (5-2). All teams, however, are unranked in their respective polls.

City tips off the tourney Friday at 6:45 p.m. CST by taking on the host Goshen Redskins, coached by Brian Bechtel (73-106) in his ninth year at the school. Elkhart Memorial takes on Lakeland in the 5 p.m. game. The consolation game will be Saturday at 5 p.m., with the championship at 6:45 p.m.

Goshen has quality wins this season over Penn and DeKalb, while its only loss is to Northridge (7-1).

The ever up-and-down Wolves will look to maintain some consistency this weekend against a pair of quality opponents. After a last-second loss at home to Crown Point on Dec. 14, City was embarrassed at arch-rival La Porte four days later.

But the Wolves rebounded nicely Friday with a 13-point victory over Lake Central, evening their record both overall and in the DAC.

La Porte Tournament (Thursday 6 p.m, 8 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m., 8 p.m.) - La Porte hosts its winter tournament for the second consecutive season, bringing Warren Central, East Central and New Prairie to Slicer Gym for two days of holiday hoops.

Class 4A No. 3 Warren Central (5-1) will kick off the tourney tonight at 6 p.m. against Class 4A East Central (5-2). La Porte (2-6) will take on New Prairie (1-6) in the nightcap. The consolation game will be Friday at 6 p.m., with the 8 p.m. championship game to follow.

Coach Tom Wells' Slicers started the season on a rough note, losing their first five games. But home wins over Valparaiso and Michigan City before a loss at DAC-leader Chesterton could be something for La Porte to build on.

Whoever wins tonight's La Porte-New Prairie game will likely have a tough task awaiting in the final against Warren Central, the only team thus far to beat reigning Class 4A state champion East Chicago Central.

[Ang]

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Wolves Rally Falls Short

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

GOSHEN, Ind. - Once in fear of being blown off the floor, suddenly in the second quarter Michigan City's boys basketball team caught fire.

The Wolves closed an 11-point gap on Elkhart Memorial quickly with a 10-0 run, and coach Bob Buscher felt optimistic.

"Right then, I thought we were gonna win the game," Buscher said.

The Chargers had other plans. Memorial went on a 12-0 run with 3-pointers from Akeem Peters and Lavarius Macon serving as bookends and never really looked back from there in a 75-68 win in Saturday's championship

game of the Goshen Holiday Tourney.

Memorial led by as much as 23 points in the second half, and though City would rally to make it interesting, the outcome was never again in serious

jeopardy.

"I'm proud of the kids that were on the floor that didn't give up," Buscher said. "I think that's an improvement in the attitude of Michigan City

basketball."

Memorial got off to a hot start from the field, making 8-of-12 shots in the first quarter and building an 18-10 lead. Conversely, City shot just 3-of-9 and turned the ball over six times.

At the 6:34 mark of the second quarter, Memorial's Karvel Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer to give his team a 23-12 lead, threatening to blow City off the floor.

But the Wolves responded with a 10-0 run keyed by a pair of 3-pointers, one each from Chance Nelson and Stephen Ward.

But at the 2:40 mark, Memorial's Akeem Peters hit a triple to end the run and start a 12-0 run for the Chargers, who carried a 37-24 lead into halftime. In the first half, Memorial's Anderson and Macon combined

for 23 points.

"I'm thinking we're gonna win it now," Buscher said of the 10-0 run. "But I think we had some turnovers and some rushed shots."

Memorial (5-1) was also red-hot to start the second half, making a handful of trifectas early in the third quarter, and taking a commanding 52-29 lead with 4:34 left in the period. That's a 29-7 run after City cut the lead to 23-22.

City showed some life at the end of the third, going on an 8-0 run to cut the lead down to 15 heading to the fourth.

Buscher said the goal from there was to cut the advantage to 10 with four minutes left, and the Wolves did so by the five-minute mark after a drive and layup from Ward made it 56-46. Ward hit a pair of free throws just moments later, making the deficit just eight.

The valiant comeback effort basically ended there, as City never got closer until the closing seconds when the final margin was achieved.

"Our intensity level ... we just don't come out intense to start every game," said Buscher, adding that he made it a goal for his team to play tough

mentally and physicall for a second consecutive night, noting it's a required trait for any successful postseason run.

One night after his best game of the season, City senior center Jarrod Jones struggled with his shot, scoring just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.

"He missed shots, but that's gonna happen," Buscher said. "I really think he's matured a lot."

Stephen Ward led City with 21 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter. Sophomore guard Adam Harmon chipped in a career-high 16, nine coming from the free-throw line.

Goshen beat Lakeland 61-45 in the consolation game.

[Ang]

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Valpo Skid Snapped
City ends 13-game losing streak to DAC rival Valparaiso

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Valparaiso's boys basketball team may be headed for its worst season since the mid-1990s, but a win over the Vikings in any sport is always a big deal.

Friday at the Wolves Den, Michigan City tasted victory against green-clad Valpo, winning 51-46 for the Wolves' first win over the Vikings since Dec. 30, 1998.

"It was a good win and the kids did a great job," first-year City coach Bob Buscher said. "We had contributions from everybody."

Senior Chance Nelson had 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter, which were actually the Wolves' first 10 points of the game, and senior Jarrod Jones had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks to help secure the win for City.

"It's a good win, a good way to bounce back after losing the championship in Goshen," said Jones of City's loss to Elkhart Memorial in the Goshen Holiday Tournament. "It was a good game as a team, everybody contributed."

City (6-5, 4-3 Duneland) had a 13-game losing streak against Valpo heading into Friday's game, and the Vikings (3-7, 1-6 DAC) appeared poised to make it 14 early on.

Valpo opened the game red-hot, making its first three shots from the field and first three free throws to open up a 10-0 lead. A 3-pointer from Nelson at the 5:17 mark stopped the run, but the Vikings eventually led 14-3.

"I just asked them, 'What's the deal?'" Buscher said of a timeout called when the score was 8-0. "We needed to pick it up defensively."

Luckily, City picked it up defensively and offensively, going on a 10-0 run to close out the quarter, capped off by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Byron Lee to make it 14-13 heading into the second quarter.

Jones had an old-fashioned three-point play just moments into the second, making City's run 13-0 and giving the Wolves their first lead of the game, one they wouldn't give back the rest of the way.

City led 29-27 at the half after committing just one first-half turnover, which came on its first possession of the game. Valpo's Trent Redington kept the Vikings afloat in the second quarter, scoring all 13 of his points, the only points Valpo scored in the stanza.

The Wolves began to build a lead in the third quarter, and a baseline jumper from Deon Dudley at the 3:25 mark gave City its biggest lead of the game, which extended to 10 a minute later on a layup from Adam Harmon on a backdoor feed from Jones.

Meanwhile, Valpo was mired in an 0-for-14 slump in the third quarter, snapped only by a Brad Karp trey with 38 seconds left in the period.

The Vikings threatened to close the gap in the fourth, but a two-handed dunk from Jones on the baseline gave City a 51-43 lead with 2:06 to play. That score held until Hayden Humes nailed a trey with 47 seconds left for the game's final score.

"We're in a situation where the kids are still learning to win," Buscher said. "This group has not gone through a winning season yet."

City's entering a tough stretch of five games: Chesterton, at Crown Point, Merrillville, at South Bend Clay and La Porte. The four DAC teams in that grouping account for four of City's five losses this season.

"This is the worst stretch of the season," Buscher said of the upcoming schedule. "We have to be mentally tough and focused every single game."

Notes: Nelson wasted no time in reaching double digits, scoring City's first 10 points. He now has 10 games where he's scored in double figures, the most on the team. He's now shot 7-of-10 from the 3-point line in his last two games (18 points per game). ... Redington scored all 13 of his points in the second quarter, and teammate Matt Hittinger had all eight of his points in the first quarter for Valpo. ... Valpo now leads the all-time series with City 16-6.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It was a good game, cuz MC won, but some uneven play will freak the purists. Everyone else enjoyed it.

[Southsider2k12]

Its sounds like they are making progress, which is the first step towards recovery.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=77567.13

Win Over CP A Boost For City
Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch


Now they can move forward.

I think Friday's win at Crown Point was a big one for Michigan City's boys basketball team for a lot of reasons.

Obviously, any win on the road in the Duneland Conference is a big one, especially one against a team ahead of you in the standings. So from that standpoint, good win against a good team.

But moreover, it was a good symbolic victory for the Wolves, who I don't believe have ever really been the same since that last-second defeat at the Wolves Den on Dec. 14. In that game, City controlled much of the contest, but Crown Point's Zach Cecich scooped up a loose ball and flung it at the rim just at the buzzer, sending the Wolves into their locker room a heartbroken bunch.

Before Friday, City had played six games since that devastating loss, but I don't feel they've ever been the same.

The Wolves were 3-3 during that stretch, but entered that December night on a two-game winning streak, having just gotten a huge win at Merrillville earlier in the week. Had they won that first Crown Point game, it would have been a three-game winning streak going into a winnable game at La Porte. Instead, the Slicers pasted the Wolves, and things have been really up and down since then.

After Friday's eight-point "vengeance" victory, senior guard Stephen Ward admitted as much to me. He said that loss had stuck with him and his teammates since it happened, that they've gone into every game since thinking about it, trying to avoid it happening again.

While it's not necessarily bad to feel horribly about such a loss, letting it stick with you doesn't do much good, either.

By thinking about it every minute of every day, you're playing not to lose in future games instead of playing to win. In a lot of ways, that sentiment sums up what we've seen from City in the six games in between the Crown Point tilts.

They've been a bit tentative in a lot of ways, almost afraid to make a mistake. That's not conducive to winning basketball. You have to be able to trust in the system and gameplan that's in place, not think about a devastating loss that happened days or even weeks ago.

So City came out and took care of business Friday. The win moved them back over the .500 mark, into third place in the DAC standings and on an emotional high after having beaten a good team on its home floor.

That's good, because this next week is tough. A home game with second-place Merrillville and a game Saturday at 10-3 South Bend Clay makes for a difficult back-to-back.

But armed with the emotional lift of Friday's win, City's better prepared to handle the tough mini-stretch in its schedule.

It's paraphrasing, but an old saying goes something like, 'You have to look back before you can ever truly move forward.'

Now the Wolves can move forward. And just in time to get prepared for the sectional.

Be sure to check out Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse's blog, "Adam's Rib," at www.thenewsdispatch.com. Reach him at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=49875.37

Boys Basketball Preview: Winning Season in Sight

Adam Parkhouse and Nick Dettmann
The News-Dispatch

Michigan City may have lost its opportunity to see its regular-season win total get into the teens, but an opportunity still exists for the first winning season since the 2000-01 campaign.

However, it will be an uphill climb. City comes into this week with an overall mark of 7-8 and 5-5 in the

Duneland Conference. Incidentally, 00-01 was also the last time City was over the .500 mark in DAC play, though the Wolves were 7-7 in 05-06.

The good news is, of City's remaining five opponents, only one has a winning record, and one of those comes

up this week when the team hosts South Bend Adams (8-6) on Saturday.

But first, City has an opportunity for some revenge. Friday, La Porte invades the Wolves Den for a girls-boys doubleheader, and the Wolves don't have fond memories of their last meeting with the Slicers.

On Dec. 18, City was blown off the floor at Slicer Gym, 69-48, just four days after Crown Point stunned City on a last-second shot at the Wolves Den.

The opportunity for revenge should serve as sufficient motivation for the Wolves, especially against their arch-rival in the county.

The Slicers (5-10, 4-6 DAC) have won at Valpo and at home against Portage recently, those two wins snapping

a four-game losing streak.

City will have its second back-to-back situation in as many weeks when South Bend Adams comes to town

Saturday. The Eagles are riding a four-game winning streak, including a victory over South Bend Riley (13-3) that started the string.

City's remaining three opponents this season include Portage (Feb. 7, 7-8), at Lake Central (Feb. 15, 6-8) and at Valparaiso (Feb. 22, 5-10).

Chesterton: vs. Valparaiso, 6 p.m. Friday

Recent history might change in this matchup. The Vikings (5-10, 2-8 DAC) have won 15 of the past 18 meetings between these two DAC foes. But the Trojans enter at 15-0 and 10-0 in the Duneland, and Chesterton did win the last meeting, 69-64, on Dec. 28.

New Prairie: vs. Knox, 7:30 p.m. Friday; at LaVille, 6 p.m. Thursday

It's been a rough go for the Cougars this year under first-year coach Chad Cripe. The Cougars (2-14, 0-4 NSC) lost a triple overtime game Friday night to Bremen, and have four games remaining in the regular season. Knox enters this week at 11-3, and has won five straight.

LaVille (3-10, 0-4 NSC) will host the Cougars in a battle to get out of last place in the NSC on Thursday night.

LaCrosse: vs. Lake Station, 5:30 tonight; vs. Hanover Central, 6 p.m. Friday

The Tigers (7-5, 1-3 PCC) have lost their past three games, and are just 2-5 since a 5-0 start. Tonight, the Tigers will face Lake Station (7-8, 4-3 GSSC) at home. LaCrosse has won six of the past seven meetings.

On Friday, the Tigers host Hanover Central (6-8, 2-3) in a PCC game. The Wildcats are a 1/2 game up on LaCrosse in the standings.

La Lumiere: at Kankakee Trinity Academy, 6:15 tonight (varsity only)

After losing to South Bend Riley, 103-67 on Saturday, the Lakers will head to Kankakee Trinity for their lone game this week.

Marquette: at Morgan Twp., 6 p.m. Friday

The Blazers have a tough task Friday night when they travel to play Morgan Township (14-2, 4-1 PCC). The Cherokees have won 14 consecutive games, but the Blazers won the last meeting between the two back on Jan. 6, 2007. The series recently has been even, with Morgan Township winning six of the past 11.

South Central: vs. River Forest, 6 p.m. Friday; vs. La Porte, 6 p.m. Saturday

On Friday, South Central (8-7, 2-3 PCC) will host River Forest (3-11, 2-5 GSSC), who enters winning the past two games against Whiting and North Newton. The Satellites have won three of their past five games.

The Satellites host La Porte (5-10, 4-6 DAC) Saturday in a game featuring two talented sophomores in Jake Kitchell and Rich Leslie.

Westville: at Oregon-Davis, 5 p.m. Saturday

Two struggling teams will meet at Oregon-Davis on Saturday night. Both Westville (4-11, 0-2 Northland) and Oregon-Davis (3-11, 0-2 Northland) have lost seven straight games. Oregon-Davis has won 11 of the past 17 meetings, including a 54-53 overtime thriller back on Feb. 20 of last season.

New Buffalo: at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m. Friday; vs. Bridgman, 6:45 p.m. Saturday; vs. Lake Michigan Catholic, 7:30 p.m. Monday

After winning both games last week, including defeating Hillside Academy by 51 points, the Bison will prepare for three games in four days. The first will be Friday at Michigan Lutheran.

River Valley: at Berrien Springs, 7:30 p.m. Thursday; vs. Lake Michigan Catholic, 5:30 p.m. Saturday

The Mustangs have a pair of games this week. But after Saturday, they will have five of their final six games of the regular season at home.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461. Contact sports writer Nick Dettmann at ndettmann@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=33502.7

City Salvages Split With LP

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - When Michigan City's boys basketball team first played La Porte, the Wolves couldn't make anything from the outside.

The Slicers capitalized, sagging defensively on the Wolves' inside players and won the game by 22 points.

Saturday, City showed what it can do against its arch-rival when the shots are going down. The Wolves shot 13-of-22 in the first half, and held on late for a 73-66 victory in a tense atmosphere at the Wolves Den.

"This is a very important win, obviously," City coach Bob Buscher said.

Chance Nelson scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half, including going a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown. That freed up some things for City big man Jarrod Jones, who had his best night of the year, despite not starting. He finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots.

"Jarrod finally did some things I've expected for 16 games," Buscher said. "He should dominate."

Buscher said Jones didn't start, much like once earlier this season, because he's trying to send a message to the senior center. Also like last time, the message seems to have been received.

"They have a balanced inside-outside game," La Porte coach Tom Wells said. "We're unbalanced, and outside-outside."

The Slicers made 10-of-33 attempts from downtown, but were in this one throughout.

One of those treys came from Matt Dunfee with 2:54 left, cutting City's lead to 64-60. Just 50 seconds later, another trifecta from Rich Leslie cut the lead to three.

City (8-8, 6-5 Duneland) was up by five moments later, but a turnover from Nelson was turned into an easy transition bucket from Leslie, making the score 68-65 City. The Wolves split their free throws on the next three offensive possessions, but made just enough to secure the victory.

The final straw came with 21 seconds left when La Porte's Terry Beane drove the lane, the Slicers (5-11, 4-7 DAC) trailing by five, and challenged Jones. Jones didn't get the block, but altered the shot enough to force the miss and secure the rebound.

"I hope Jarrod understands, and I think he does, that I'm not trying to fulfill my ego," Buscher said of Jones not starting. "I just want the team to win.

"When he plays like he's capable, we're a better team."

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=10053

Wolves Finally Reach 10 Victories

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Just a few nights after one of its worst games of the season, Michigan City turned in one of its best efforts Tuesday against South Bend Adams.

Such is life for the 2007-08 Wolves.

City shot a blistering 64 percent from the field and held on late - after Adams missed a last-second shot - for a 68-67 victory.

"You've gotta have a little luck at times," City coach Bob Buscher said.

City improved to 10-9 with the win, its first season with double-digit victories since 2000-2001, and also got its first win over Adams since the 2005 sectional.

"This is one of our biggest wins," City senior captain Stephen Ward said. "It gives us double-digit wins and guarantees a non-losing season.

"That's great because we always come into seasons with really high expectations."

This one was tight throughout, and neither team ever held a double-digit lead.

The first quarter was fast-paced, as City and Adams shot a combined 17-of-23 from the field, and the Eagles (11-9) held a 22-20 lead.

But in the second quarter, Adams took its biggest lead of the game, 34-27, after a basket from DeAndre Perry. City responded with an 8-0 run that ended with a Jarrod Jones block and a Ward transition basket to give City a 35-34 lead. The Wolves led 37-36 at the half.

Sophomore Adam Harmon was instrumental in the half, scoring 10 of his 12 points primarily on a high-energy defensive effort that led to steals and transition buckets.

"He was the emotional competitor we had to have," Buscher said.

City extended its lead to four by the end of the third quarter, helped by a 3-pointer from Ward with 3:20 left.

In the fourth, a dunk from Jones at the 4:59 mark gave City its largest lead of the night at 64-56. Adams responded with a quick 7-0 run, making for a tense final 2:16.

On City's next possession, now up only 64-63, City effectively played keepaway from Adams until Chance Nelson put the finished touches on a stellar night with a drive to the hoop and layup. Nelson had 14 of his points by halftime, and ended up with a game-high 20.

With 49.3 seconds left, Ward made a pair of free throws, and appeared to put a final nail in the Eagles' coffin. But a 3-pointer from Landon Booker with 7.7 seconds left made the score 68-67, setting up a harrowing final act.

Jones was fouled on the out-of-bounds play following the trey, but missed both of his free throws. Adams secured the rebound and called timeout with 3.8 seconds left, but the referee ruled too much time had come off the clock after the missed free throw at 5.3 seconds and added another second.

That allowed Adams' Terrance Bridgeman to drive almost the entire length of the floor and let a runner go from the free throw line. The shot appeared to be dead-on, but it hit the backboard and came off the front of the rim to give City the win.

"Now we're guaranteed a 10-10 record, which isn't enough, but it's been seven years since we had a winning season so that means a lot," Buscher said.

City will wrap up the regular season Friday at Valparaiso and begin sectional play next Wednesday at the Wolves Den against Crown Point.

The Wolves won the junior varsity game 56-50 to extend their winning streak to seven games. Arias Clark had 15 points to lead the way and Shereff Knight chipped in nine. Adams' John Smith had a game-high 21 points.

Notes: On Feb. 12, Adams beat Elkhart Memorial by 16 points, a team that had previously beaten City by seven. ... Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the 3-point line. ... Adams committed just one foul in the first half, but racked up 10 in the second. ... Jones finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots, but altered countless others against the undersized Eagles.

q

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

The mens team made their first goal of finishing over .500

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2008/02/23/sp...3f8001bf95d.txt

VALPARAISO | A tipped rebound here. A missed shot there. Inconsistent free throw shooting. Silly turnovers.

That's been the story of the year for Valparaiso and new coach Chris Benedict, and that was the case again in the regular-season finale Friday against Michigan City.

The Vikings battled back from a six-point halftime deficit, but faltered down the stretch in a 61-51 Duneland Athletic Conference loss to the Wolves.

"It's hard for us to overcome a lot of little things because we struggle to score," said Benedict, who watched his team shoot just 2-for-11 and commit three turnovers in the fourth quarter after leading twice early in the period.

"You can't win games with those kind of numbers in the fourth quarter. We just have to learn how to win games."

Playing his final game on Senior Night, Valpo's Trent Redington scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half. Hayden Humes led the Vikings (7-13, 3-11) with 19, which included two 3-pointers.

Michigan City (11-9, 8-6 DAC) ended the game on a 14-3 run. The Wolves were led by 6-foot-8 Jarrod Jones with a game-high 20 which included three dunks, and Stephen Ward added 16 in a game played at a little faster pace than normal for Valpo.

"We tried to push it," M.C. coach Bob Buscher said. "I think we helped cause that.

"(Valpo) is good, and they're going to be good in the future. They're going to give anyone in this (sectional) tournament a run for their money."

Valpo freshman Jerrick Suiter got his first varsity start of the season. He followed last week's 16-point performance at Merrillville with 10 against the Wolves.

Suiter is the first Valpo freshman to start a varsity game since Bryce Drew in the 1990-91 season.

"Jerrick gives us another body inside," Benedict said. "He does a lot of things that make your team better, like catching entry passes, and he allows Hayden to play a little outside. Jerrick also finishes, and he's done a nice job for us. We tried to bring him along at a pace where he can have some success."

Michigan City 61, Valparaiso 51
Hayden Humes scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds for Valpo.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39832.86

City Boys Need Full Program Support
Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

In 13 seasons of boys basketball at the consolidated Michigan City High School, seven have ended in the first round of sectional play.

No. 7 was finalized Thursday at the Wolves Den, where City lost to Crown Point 60-46.

The frustration among the fans was evident. Though the draw was really tough, there were believers in attendance. People felt maybe this group led by senior stars Stephen Ward, Jarrod Jones and Chance Nelson could be the first since the combination of Elston and Rogers to win a sectional crown.

The Wolves making just nine of their first 39 shots pretty much took care of that.

I can admit to being a bit frustrated myself. I've covered the team for more than five seasons now, and this was certainly the best of the bunch that I've seen.

But here's the thing: It was difficult to expect a ton out of a coach in his first year with a program that hasn't had a winning season since 2000-2001. It's a program that's been floundering, suffering. If a complete turnaround would entail a sectional championship, well that just wasn't very likely.

But take this season for what it was. There was a final winning record of 11-10. That's not much, but it's something.

Coach Bob Buscher needs some time to implement facets of his system and his way of doing things that can't be done in a matter of months.

What he's talked about doing ever since he accepted the job is to build a program. If the team won a bunch of games in the meantime, well that's fine, too.

But the emphasis for him has been on the future, and that starts at levels well below high school.

It's his vision that every boys basketball program affiliated in any way with Michigan City High School run things how Buscher wants them to run. Same offense, same defense, same style of shooting free throws.

Sounds like something that can happen in six months? It takes a lot longer than that.

Even more, it takes cooperation. Not just from other coaches at the high school level, but coaches throughout the system. For this thing to work, that's the way it has to be.

I heard rumblings that turnout had been fairly low at some clinics Buscher conducted before the season. The clinics were intended to teach lower-level coaches the things Buscher expects to see in players that come up to his high school program.

Again, this is essential. Yet, for some reason, widespread interest wasn't there. Now, people are under no obligation to attend these kinds of things, but why would anyone want to fight it?

Any school that has a consistently successful high school program has an equally successful feeder program. There is no exception to this rule, and I defy anyone to come up with one.

Frankly, if you're coaching at a sub-high school level and you're not at all interested in being a part of something larger, then you're not in it for all the right reasons.

The saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child."

Similarly, it takes a large-scale effort to develop a winning basketball program.

It's time to get on board. If you already are, then congratulations: You're part of the solution.

If you're not, then don't complain when first-round sectional exits continue to be the norm.

Be sure to check out Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse's blog, "Adam's Rib," at www.thenewsdispatch.com/sportsblogs. Reach him at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...2/1057/SPORTS02

Novak, Jones commit
Two northern Indiana high school basketball players, Zack Novak of Chesterton and Jarrod Jones of Michigan City, have made college choices.
Novak, a 6-5 senior who averaged 26.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, is bound for Michigan. The 6-8 Jones will attend Ball State. He averaged 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Star reporters Nat Newell and Pat McKee contributed to this story.