Can Boyd pull a Buzea?
By
Mark Lazerus
on September 25, 2009 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
I was talking over the phone with Michigan City athletic director Robert "Bear" Falls on Wednesday afternoon for this week's TimeOut Football cover story on the football team's turnaround when football coach Craig Buzea and boys basketball coach John Boyd walked into Falls' office, one after the other.

Can't be a much better feeling as an AD than that.

Michigan City went out and lured away two of the region's most successful coaches in Buzea (from Portage) and Boyd (from West Side). Both had perennial powers. Both reached the state title game. Boyd won a championship.

Well, it took Buzea a little more than two years to turn Michigan City from a perennial doormat into a conference title contender. The Wolves are disciplined, they're hard working and they're successful -- a far cry from the bad old days, which pretty much lasted from consolidation in 1995 to Buzea's arrival.

Can Boyd do the same? MC boys hoops has never won a sectional, has just one winning season in the last eight years, and is coming off a 3-18 campaign. Buzea, who has chatted with Boyd at length about the rebuilding process, has complete confidence in his newest colleague.

"He'll be just fine," Buzea said. "He's coming in here with a lot of the same ideas and goals I did, and he's got his own ideas and plans, too. He's a proven winner. People are excited, and I'm sure he'll be very successful."

City BK To Host Scrimmages; Opens Nov. 25
Sports Briefs
Michigan City's boys basketball team will host a pair of scrimmages next week prior to its Nov. 25 season opener at home against Marquette.

At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Wolves will compete in an intra-squad scrimmage at the Wolves Den. Tickets are $2 in advance or $3 at the door. Coaches encourage fans to come out and support the team in coach John Boyd's first season with the squad.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, City will travel to Andrean for an inter-squad scrimmage. Tickets are $5.

CITY REBUILDING WITH BOYD
Boys Basketball

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

Sophomore Carlos McCormick applauded senior Adam Harmon, shouting, "That's team basketball!"

Harmon, in a bit of confusion to start the second quarter of Tuesday's intra-squad game at the Wolves Den, made a layup on the wrong side of the court, giving Blue and Carlos McCormick two points.

Surely, first-year City coach John Boyd is preaching team basketball to his new team, but this is ridiculous.

Harmon took some good-natured ribbing for the gaffe, then went on to score a game-high 21 points (23 if you count points scored for the other team) as fans got their first look at City's latest rebuilding effort.

The history is undeniable. Boyd becomes City's fourth head coach since current athletic director Bob "Bear" Falls resigned prior to the 2001-2002 seasons.

In the eight seasons that have followed, City has a paltry 53-118 record, for a winning percentage of .310. The Wolves have had just one winning record (11-10 in 07-08) after going six-for-six in .500-or-better seasons under Falls.

It doesn't get much better when you only look at Duneland Conference records. In those eight seasons, City's a combined 31-67 (.316) after going 26-17 (.605) under Falls.

That's the reclimation project facing Boyd and his coaching staff.

Those numbers, scary as they are, have left City fans scrambling for answers.

Boyd wonders, too. He wonders how a City that produced three Mr. Basketballs in just more than a decade could have fallen so far.

When you talk to Boyd about his plans for City, he uses words like "state" and "championship." Those aren't words often associated with the Wolves.

So Boyd unveiled his 2009-2010 Wolves to a sparse preseason crowd Tuesday. Five players on White, six players on Blue.

There were some new faces, too. There are three transfers from Gary West Side, and two played Tuesday. A third (Taylor Lavery) was out sick).

So what did we learn? If I'm being truthful, not much.

While I don't mind going to intra-squad games, you just don't get much out of them. These kids have been battling against one another for weeks, or even months, going back to the summer. Neither team surprises the other much with offensive or defensive sets.

Blue battled out a 58-49 win behind 19 points from junior Shereff Knight. Also scoring for Blue were Carlos McCormick (11), Sam Bellamy (10), Jabarr Washington (eight), Phil Taylor (six) and James Patrick (four).

After Harmon's 21, White also got scoring contributions from Alajowon Edwards (nine), Grady Byrnes (eight), Rodney Washington (six) and Reggie Clay (six).

Edwards and Clay are the two West Side transfers who played, and both are juniors.

The impression I was left with overall is that the team has a chance to be good for the next two years, but might have a better shot at a state tournament run in 2010-2011.

Besides the West Side kids, McCormick and Jabbar Washington are sophomores, as is Lavery, who Boyd called the best shooter in the area.

One thing was fairly clear Tuesday: This will not be a City team that features a dominant inside presence. Byrnes, a 6-7 senior, hasn't seen much varsity action, though he looked good at times on some nifty past moves.

But this team appears to be small and one that's going to try and push the tempo.

"We're looking for consistency and to see if they can control the tempo," Boyd said of what he looks for in an intra-squad game.

Boyd said he liked what he saw Tuesday in those departments. He also was pleased with the effort.

"I saw guys having fun and guys working hard," Boyd said. "As a coach, that's all I'll ever ask."

Hard work and fun are all well and good, but City fans are ready for wins.

I would argue it's hard to have one without the other.

So what did we learn Tuesday? City's willing to work hard and able to have fun playing basketball.

The rest will take care of itself.

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

John Boyd, Michigan City

Boyd, the only active coach in Northwest Indiana with a state title to his credit, has traveled the most unlikely road to get to the top.

He played at West Side as a freshman -- and then quit after a season because he believed the coached showed favoritism.

Instead, he focused on baseball and wrestling.

Boyd returned to the Gary school district in 1992 after graduating from Indiana to coach at Beckman Middle School. His first break came when the principal at Beckman asked him to coach the seventh-grade team.

His first phone call was to Ray Allen, his fraternity brother, for help coaching strategy.

Boyd's first couple of classes at Beckman included marquee players such as Vincent Hart, Patrick Danley, Kenneth Lowe and Mario Harris. In his first season at Beckman, the team went undefeated.

Eventually, he was moved up to the junior varsity coach at West Side under Ike Brown.

Boyd took the job in 2000 under some tense circumstances. It took multiple school board meetings before then-West Side principal Clifton Gooden got Boyd hired.

In 2002, with Chris Hunter and Brandon Cameron leading the team, the Cougars, a defensive juggernaut, won the state title -- the first for Gary since 1991.

Ironically, Boyd had been told by the West Side principal before the season started that he would be fired at the end of the season for refusing to launch his top assistant. The state title saved his job.

Boyd calls Bobby Knight, Pete Newell and Heflin some of his coaching influences. He is proud of the fact that he has a long list of players -- more than 40 -- that he has helped get college scholarships.

At West Side, he grew restless with the lack of resources and the never-ending merry-go-round of coaching drama that engulfed the city every year.

He left last spring after e-mailing Bob "Bear" Falls, the Michigan City athletic director, about his interest in the position if it were to come open. Michigan City hired him after Bob Buscher resigned. A year earlier, Boyd had been a finalist for the Pike job.

"I'm excited about the new challenge," he said. "This is an interesting and great community that I enjoy. I'm not happy with being placed in a box. I thought I was in a box in Gary and I was unable to grow."

Boys basketball, 2009-10 Michigan City Wolves

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Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009 1:20 am | No Comments Posted

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Michigan City Wolves

Last season: 3-18 (1-13 DAC), lost in sectional opener to Hobart.

Inside the Wolves

Leading returning scorer: Adam Harmon, 12.8 ppg.

Leading returning rebounder: Harmon, 3.3 ppg.

Go-to player: Adam Harmon, Sr., G. A varsity player since he was a freshman, Harmon is about the only stable presence in the M.C. program in recent years. "Adam Harmon is one of the best players in the Duneland Conference -- period," coach John Boyd said. "There's a tremendous amount of responsibility on him. He needs to be a leader, an example to the younger kids. We hope he understands the expectations."

He's got next: James Sanders, Jr., F. The 6-foot-4 left-hander started last season on the team, but didn't end it that way. "He's a tremendous talent," Boyd said. "He's a kid who should've been playing."

Circled on the calendar: Jan. 1, vs. West Side at Valparaiso. With Boyd having left the Cougars and three players following him to Michigan City, this Region Roundball Rumble matchup is a no-brainer.

The Times' breakdown

Boyd's the new sheriff in town, taking over a program that's been pretty bad since 2001. "In order to win, we've got to teach them how to win," Boyd said. His roster includes three former West Side players, several holdovers from last season and a few former players returning to basketball. "It doesn't matter where they're from or where they started," Boyd said. "They all play for the Michigan City community now. They're Wolves." Harmon is the only returning starter, although Alajuwon Edwards and Reggie Clay, occasional starters last season at West Side, should both be in the first five. The talent seems to be there. Can Boyd do something his predecessors have not been able to do and bring it together? "I'm not going to make any predictions," Boyd said. "Our expectations are to be competitive, to go into every game like it's our last game, learn from our mistakes and continue to get better."

-- Jim Peters

Why do you love basketball?

Roster

Probable starters

Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Adam Harmon 5-9 Sr. G

Alajuwon Edwards 6-2 Jr. G/F

Reggie Clay 5-9 Jr. G

James Sanders 6-4 Jr. F

Grady Byrnes 6-7 Sr. C

In reserve

Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Rodney Washington 6-3 Sr. F

James Patrick 5-10 Sr. G

Phil Taylor 6-2 Sr. F

Samuel Bellamy 5-8 Jr. G

Shereff Knight 6-2 Jr. G

Taylor Lavery 6-0 So. G

Jabbar Washington 6-2 So. G

Head coach: John Boyd, first year at school, 147-69 in 10th year overall.

Assistant coaches: Mike Lavery, Murray Richards, Raymond Allen, Phillip Rucker.

City, Boyd down Marquette in season opener

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - For significant portions of Wednesday's season opener, Marquette looked primed to spoil Michigan City coach John Boyd's debut.

The Blazers went on a big run before halftime to cut the Wolves big lead down to just eight. But City's upset-minded opponent from the other side of town couldn't get much closer and City got a 61-44 win at the Wolves Den, snapping a 17-game losing streak going back to last season.

"If you watched us play, you saw we're a much more patient bunch," Boyd said. "We make the extra pass and those are things we've been working on."

During the second quarter, City looked as though it was about to blow the game wide open. The Wolves beat the Blazers 74-38 a year ago in the season opener, and this one appeared headed to the same fate.

But Marquette's Tucker Miller (game-high 18 points) knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers and then a couple free throws to complete a 10-0 run and make the halftime score a manageable 31-23.

"We were excited, but what hurt us is we turned the ball over right away (in the second half)," Marquette coach Jason Hawkins said. "We were encouraged ... but we have to be consistent.

"When you're a small school you've gotta do things right all the time."

With 1:50 left in the third quarter, Miller drained another trey to make the score 41-34.

But throughout the game, Marquette lived at the 3-point line. Of their 44 shot attempts, 26 were 3-pointers. The Blazers made nine from downtown.

However, City went on a quick 6-0 run to close out the third quarter and was able to extend the lead late by making 8-of-12 attempts from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

"We're out here trying to learn our system," Boyd said. "Give all the credit to coach Hawkins, he's got a senior ball club and they hung in there."

All 12 Wolves who dressed played by halftime and nine of them scored.

"That builds confidence," Boyd said. "It's a long season and those guys are gonna be needed."

Hawkins was pleased with his team's effort in hanging tough with the faster, deeper Wolves.

"There were good signs and bad signs. I'm encouraged, actually," Hawkins said. "There were moments we looked great and moments we looked really bad.

"With all our seniors, we shouldn't have those lapses."

One of three Gary West Side transfers, Alajowon Edwards, led City with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Taylor Lavery started and scored five points and the third, Reggie Clay, didn't play due to injury.

"I was just out there playing and having fun," Edwards said. "I love it here (at City). I like the environment and I like the crowd."

Boyd admitted that the team is still coming together, but said by the end of the season it will be different story.

"I always say, get us early," Boyd said. "Because after January, we should have our identity."

Notes: City won the junior varsity game 35-15. ... City outrebounded Marquette 43-20 and six different Wolves had at least five boards. ... Of Marquette's 18 first-half shots, 14 were from behind the 3-point line. ... City didn't have its first turnover until the 5:41 mark of the second quarter when Edwards was whistled for a traveling violation. The Wolves finished with 17 turnovers.

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

Michigan City (1-0): at Portage, 6 p.m. Friday

Now that its extended losing streak is over, Michigan City’s boys basketball team can now focus on continuing to get better. It starts on Friday night at Portage, when the Wolves start the Duneland Conference portion of their schedule.

City began the coach John Boyd era by defeating Marquette 61-44 last Wednesday night, ending a 17-game losing skid that dated back to Dec. 13, 2008. Against the Blazers, the Wolves pulled away in the second half after just leading 31-23 at the break.

One of three Gary West Side transfers, Alajowon Edwards, paced City with 15 points and 11 rebounds versus Marquette. Shereff Knight had 14 points.

A season ago, the Wolves split two games against Portage, prevailing 64-61 at home, but losing 70-63 on the road.

Michigan City (1-0, 0-0) at Portage (1-3, 0-0): John Boyd’s Wolves open DAC competition against a Portage team that went 0-3 in the Fort Wayne North Shootout ... Junior Olajuwon Edwards, one of three Gary West players who reportedly transferred to City after Boyd was hired away from the Cougars, scored 15 points against Marquette. Matt’s pick: Michigan City 62, Portage 54.

WOLVES WIN WITHOUT STYLE
Michigan City 58, Portage 56, OT

Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer

PORTAGE, Ind. - If you take a glance at the Duneland Conference standings, you'll notice categories for wins, losses and probably even games behind first place.

What you won't see is "style points."

And that's a good thing for Michigan City fans, as the Wolves did little to impress the judges with Friday's 58-56 overtime victory over Portage, but moved to 2-0 to start the season and opened DAC play with a victory.

"You can call it nasty or whatever you wanna call it," City coach John Boyd said. "Just call it a win."

Portage (1-4, 0-1 DAC) made just 6-of-30 shots in the first half and both teams combined to shoot a terrible 26-of-53 from the free-throw line. But in the end, City got the win based on a solid overtime effort.

Early in the third quarter, City (2-0, 1-0 DAC) opened up a 25-14 lead after a low-scoring first half. Portage made just 1-of-16 shots in the second quarter and scored only three points.

Up by 11, City was primed to blow this thing wide open. But Steve Perry followed up a Lawrence Jones three-point play with a 3-pointer of his own to cut the lead down to five with 5:30 left in the third. The next 17:30 would be back and forth and full of nervous moments.

Portage eventually cut the lead to 25-23 to complete a 9-0 run, which came on the heels of City's 8-0 run.

In the fourth, the score was tied 37-37 before Damonte Lowery made a 3-pointer to give Portage a three-point lead, its biggest of the game. Later, Lowery split a pair of free throws to give Portage a 46-44 lead with 25.2 seconds to play in regulation.

On City's next possession, junior Shereff Knight knifed into the lane and hit a floating runner to tie the game. Lowery's 30-footer at the buzzer was just off, forcing the extra session.

City senior Adam Harmon and Lowery each opened overtime with a 3-pointer, But City took a three-point lead later on a basket at 1:53 from Alajowon Edwards, who turned in another nice game with 18 points and nine rebounds. He had a double-double in the season opener against Marquette.

Then, at 1:09, Edwards made good on a couple free throws to give City a 55-51, two-possession lead. City's lead grew as large as five.

With 14.7 seconds left, Harmon missed two free throws to keep City's lead at 58-56. Portage reinserted senior sharp-shooter Perry for the final play, who had missed a significant portion of the second half with an ankle injury.

As Perry came onto the court, players and coaches on City's bench pointed in Perry's direction, to make sure he wasn't able to make a fourth 3-pointer on the night to break City's heart.

But as the play developed, somehow Perry became wide open in that very corner. He got a clean look at the potentially heartbreaking shot, but it missed. Jones got the offensive rebound, though, but couldn't get a desperation effort to go down and City escaped with the win.

"This is a very tough environment," Boyd said. "The Duneland's tough and you've gotta come in here prepared. (The Indians) played gutsy."

Boyd admitted it wasn't the prettiest of wins.

"We got out of it," Boyd said. "We got a little raggedy, taking quick shots and not being patient.

"But this is the kind of game we have to win. You've gotta believe and you've gotta fight. You've gotta grind it out and execute down the stretch."

City did just that, making 9-of-14 shots from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime. Meanwhile, City's defense held Portage to 30.6 percent shooting for the night.

"Defense creates offense," Boyd said. "We wanna be a defensive team first. Just scrap and keep working."

Notes: City won the junior varsity game 42-30. ... Edwards had 17 of his 18 points in the first, fourth and overtime periods. He was 0-for-2 from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line in the middle two quarters.

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

Wolves outlast Indians in DAC debut for Boyd
December 5, 2009BY NEAL BOYER, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT
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PORTAGE -- If most Duneland Conference games are as nerve-wracking as his first, Michigan City coach John Boyd will turn gray sooner rather than later.

Boyd's Wolves needed overtime to escape stubborn Portage 58-56 Friday night in the conference opener for both.

Portage's Steve Perry, who hit three treys, missed one from the corner in the final seconds of overtime and teammate Lawrence Jones' layup rolled off the rim at the buzzer.

"It's good to get the win but we have lots of work to do," Boyd said. "Our guys pulled it out."

The Wolves (2-0, 1-0) outscored the Indians 12-10 in the extra four minutes but missed 4-of-9 foul shots to finish 13-of-26. Portage was worse at 13-of-29.

Portage (1-4, 0-1) used a 9-0 run to tie it at 30-30 after three quarters. Perry, one of five senior starters, scored seven of his team-high 14 points in the third to spark the rally.

Shereff Knight's drive put MC up for good at 51-49 in overtime. Two free throws by Alajowon Edwards, one of three Cougars who transferred from West Side to remain with Boyd, made it 55-51 and two more by Knight upped it to 57-52.

The Indians got a rebound bucket by Jones who was fouled but missed the free throw. After a Wolves free throw, Portage's Donte Nelson hit a jumper for the final points with 16 ticks left. MC senior Adam Harmon (nine points) could have iced it but missed two foul shots with 14.7 seconds left.

Harmon hit a trey to start the game and another to open OT. Edwards dominated early and late inside with seven points in the first period and 10 of his 18 in the fourth and OT. Knight, also a junior, got 10 of his 12 then, also.

The visitors committed eight (of 22) turnovers in the third quarter to help Portage rally.

"This is only our second game and first on the road," Boyd said. "Portage had lots of energy in this gym."

Michigan City led 14-11 at the first stop. Both sides were ice cold in the second with three points each until the final 1:20 when two Wolves got steals and layins for a 21-14 halftime lead. Portage missed 15-of-16 shots in the second.

Portage's Jones got 10 of his 13 points in the last period and OT when Damonte Lowery notched 11 of his 13. Both subs took charge late. Two Indian starters combined for just two points.

Coach Rick Snodgrass was unavailable for comment. Said Boyd: "we definitely need to work on free throws."

Wolves' Mission: 3 Wins to Start
Boys Basketball: The Week Ahead

Adam Parkhouse and Zack Eldridge

Michigan City's boys basketball team has two wins to start its season, the seventh time that's happened since the consolidation.

However, only twice have the Wolves gotten out to a 3-0 start. That will be the mission when City travels to Chesterton on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. varsity tipoff.

City's recent history with Chesterton isn't good for the Wolves. The Trojans currently own a nine-game winning streak against their Duneland Conference counterparts, with the Wolves' last win in the series coming Jan. 14, 2005.

New Prairie (1-3): vs. Michigan City, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

After starting the season with a victory over Westville, the Cougars have dropped three straight, although they put up a good fight against La Porte in an 81-59 loss last Saturday night.

New Prairie will attempt to get back on track when it hosts Michigan City (2-0) on Saturday night as part of a girls/boys doubleheader with the Wolves in New Carlisle.

The Cougars beat Westville 62-48 to start the campaign, then lost to South Bend St. Joseph's, 62-50, to Mishawaka Marian, 87-60, and the aforementioned setback to La Porte.

Caleb Johnson paces the Cougars, netting 13.3 points per contest, and George Stainko is averaging 10.75 points a game. Johnson is coming off a 27-point outburst against the Slicers.

A season ago, New Prairie fell 74-63 at Michigan City.

The Cougars have dropped the last six games in the series in the last six years.

Keep In Mind, It's Early
Home Cookin'

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

Two games into the season, Michigan City's boys basketball is 2-0. Good times.

So, what have we learned so far? Well, not much, actually.

With respect to Marquette and Portage, I wouldn't label either of these first two opponents as world-beaters. Marquette is a good Class A team, and Portage is very possibly headed for a last-place finish in the Duneland Conference.

While Friday's win was one on the road in the DAC and therefore a good win, I think some problems were evident. First, City was outrebounded by a team that doesn't have a player on its roster taller than 6-2.

It's very early in the season, but that's a bit distressing.

Also, the free throw shooting was not good, as City was just 13-of-26 from the charity stripe, the kind of thing that usually does you in during a close game. Of course, Portage was 13-of-27, so that helped.

Lastly, City's half-court offense looks a tad inconsistent. At times, when the ball is moving crisply around the perimeter, the Wolves look good in half-court sets. But sometimes things get bogged down a bit and turnovers happen.

Again, it's early. None of this is panic-worthy, just a few observations.

But something did happen after the game that's particularly noteworthy. It occurred during my postgame interview with coach John Boyd.

We talked about how City had started to blow the game open in the third quarter before Portage rallied to make the game tight the rest of the way.

"That was my fault," Boyd immediately quipped. He went on to admit that he's looking for the right combinations of players and even doing some on-court chemistry experiments.

There's a positive spin to his comments which I'll get to in a moment. But it speaks to what I believe is the biggest issue with this team as it is currently constructed. Through a couple preseason scrimmages and now two regular season games, I honestly can't tell you who are City's best five players.

Who's in the group that you want to see on the floor in the fourth quarter of a tight game? Which five are gonna be responsible for closing out games?

Prior to the season, I thought City's depth was a good thing. And, while it's a good problem to have, the Wolves have a solid 10 players that could all make claims to being on the court at crucial times.

I think having that many cooks in the kitchen isn't always a good thing, but again, there are worse problems to have.

If pressed, I'd say you should expect to see Alajowon Edwards, Adam Harmon and Shereff Knight on the court when it counts most.

Past that, it's probably a hot-hand deal -- Whoever's playing the best that night, gets on the floor.

But I liked to hear Boyd take some accountability by admitting Portage's comeback might have been his fault. Now, he's not the one that left Portage players open for 3-point attempts and Boyd didn't miss a single shot during the stretch.

But he's the coach, and ultimately he believes that whatever happens - good or bad - rests largely at his feet.

A coach who's accountable for what goes on with his team? Well, that's not such a bad problem to have, either.

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

Michigan City (2-0, 1-0) at Chesterton (1-2, 0-1): The Wolves go for a third straight win under first-year coach John Boyd in this DAC attraction in Porter County. Matt’s pick: Michigan City 70, Chesterton 67.

Cougars’ cold shooting allows Wolves an easy win

By Ken Peterson
For The Herald-Argus
Published: Sunday, December 13, 2009 10:31 PM CST
NEW CARLISLE — The feeling of how Saturday night’s New Prairie-Michigan City boys basketball game went depended on what bench you were sitting on.

One coach thought his team played excellent defense while the other thought easy missed shots led to his team’s downfall.

Michigan City (3-1) held New Prairie (1-4) to 12-of-33 shooting from the field and took advantage of its scoring opportunites in a 52-38 win Saturday night in the nightcap of a boys-girls doubleheader at Cougar Gym.

Adam Harmon scored 14 points and Taylor Lavery added 12 for coach John Boyd’s Wolves, who bounced back from Friday night’s Duneland Conference loss to Chesterton to pick up a road win against a county rival.

“Our schedule is a tough schedule because of the environments that we play in,” Boyd said. “A lot of noise, a lot of crowd. Our guys are a young team. We’re learning. Some of these wins are very ugly. Taylor Lavery has been abysmal shooting it but he opened it up for us. And we thought he could open some space between us and other teams if he got on.”

It was his team’s defense that left Boyd the most pleased.

“It’s a great win,” he said. “As a coach, it was a great win. At no time were we in any trouble of losing this game. That’s a well-coached team and their coach had them do exactly what he wanted them to do. That’s a game we’re supposed to win and you don’t want to have any miscues.”

It was the defense, which Boyd described as a “freaky” zone defense that got the job done.

“It changes and it can look like a lot of different things,” he said. “Hopefully, we can keep that in our trick bag and we will be able to build on it.”

New Prairie coach Chad Cripe had a much different view of his team’s shooting woes.

“Honestly, I think we got all of the looks that we wanted,” Cripe said. “We were 3-for-13 (from the field) with 13 shots inside the post in the first half. Two-footers, three-footers. I don’t think it was their defense and that is no disrespect to Michigan City. They played hard and they did a great job. I think we got the looks that we wanted to get.”

Throw in a 9-of-25 showing from the free-throw line and it added up to a very frustrating night for the third-year head coach.

“We haven’t shot the ball well from the free-throw line all season,” Cripe said.

The opening quarter was a battle of wills as both teams opened up with zone defenses. Harmon was the Wolves answer in the opening quarter as he accounted for all 10 of their first-quarter points.

The Cougars struggled to establish offense against the Wolves and didn’t score their first bucket until Kyle Brammer hammered one in with 2:10 left in the first quarter.

City began to slowly pull away in the second quarter, holding New Prairie without a field goal for 6:22 of the period until Kyle Albertson scored. By then, the Woves held a 21-6 lead.

The Wolves lead reached 23 early in the third quarter, but the Cougars slowly chipped away and at one point in the fourth quarter cut the lead to 10. But that’s as close as the Cougars would get.

Still, Boyd saw room for improvement.

“We had unforced turnovers and that can’t happen,” he said. “I am going to be a critic of that and it’s good to have a win after a tough loss and I am pleased with them.”

Caleb Johnson had 10 points and Albertson nine to lead New Prairie.

Cripe was proud of his team’s effort and knows things won’t get easier when Triton pays a visit this Friday.

“We cut it to 10 and with the ball,” he said. “But we just can’t get over that hump. The two easiest ways to lose a basketball game are to miss your free throws and miss your layups. When you look at the stats, you’d have to think that these guys lost by 40. We didn’t. But at the same time we’ve got to make plays down the stretch and execute. Costly turnovers have hurt. We’ll go back and we’re going to coach harder and the kids are ready to work hard. Those are the type of kids that they are and we’ll keep hitting it.”

MICHIGAN CITY 52, NEW PRAIRIE 38

MICHIGAN CITY (3-1)

Bellamy 0-0 0-0 0, Byrnes 0-0 0-0 0, Clay 0-0 5-6 5, Edwards 1-1 2-4 4, Harmon 4-9 3-4 14, Knight 0-2 3-5 3, Lavery 4-5 1-2 12, Patrick 0-0 0-0 0, Sanders 1-1 2-2 4, Taylor 1-1 0-0 2, J. Washington 3-3 0-0 6, R. Washington 0-0 0-0 0, McCormick 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 14-25 18-25 52.

NEW PRAIRIE (1-4)

Johnson 3-12 2-4 10, Jacobs 0-1 0-2 0, Albertson 3-5 2-3 9, Swain 1-2 0-0 2, Wagner 2-4 2-2 7, Stainko 1-2 2-10 4, Ruiz 0-1 0-0 0, Klein 0-0 0-0 0, Brammer 1-3 0-0 2, Rehlander 1-3 1-4 4. Totals 12-33 9-25 38.

Michigan City 10 13 12 17 — 52

New Prairie 3 6 8 21 — 38

3-point shooting: Michigan City 6-12 (Harmon 3-6, Lavery 3-4, McCormick 0-1, Sanders 0-1), New Prairie 5-13 (Johnson 2-5, Rehlander 1-2, Wagner 1-2, Albertson 1-2, Ruiz 0-1, Swain 0-1). Total fouls — New Prairie 16, Michigan City 20.

Chesterton's McGary out with broken bone in foot

Highly recruited center out with broken bone in right foot

* Story
* Discussion

By Jim Peters - jim.peters@nwi.com, (219) 548-4363 | Posted: Sunday, December 13, 2009 12:00 am | No Comments Posted

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Chesterton junior Mitch McGary broke the fourth metatarsal in his right foot late in Friday's game against Michigan City and will be out a minimum of four weeks.

"Nobody ran into it. He just came down awkwardly on a rebound," Trojans coach Tom Peller said Saturday. "He turned it and said he felt something pop."

The 6-foot-10 center came to Saturday morning practice in a boot after an X-ray confirmed the injury.

"We talked to the trainer, and we're looking at the middle or end of January, best-case scenario," Peller said. "Obviously, we've got to let this heal and not damage anything."

McGary scored a career-high 27 points Friday and has had double-doubles in all four games for Chesterton (2-2).

"He's the heart and soul," Peller said. "We're not going to whine and feel sorry for ourselves. This is an opportunity for some other guys to show what they can do and we'll be a better team when Mitch gets back."

Zach Rochowiak will move into the starting lineup for Chesterton with Alec Houpt shifting over to center. Chesterton will get junior forward Jon Watson back for Friday's game against Portage. Watson has been out with a concussion, which, coincidentally, he sustained during a practice collision with McGary.

The Trojans are at Lake Central on Tuesday, a game Purdue coach Matt Painter was expected to attend. Purdue offered a scholarship to McGary, ranked 134th nationally among juniors by Rivals.com, last season.

"Mitch is OK," Peller said. "He knows he'll be back. He just feels bad for the team."

BOYS BASKETBALL

Michigan City (3-1, 1-1) at Merrillville (4-0, 2-0): The Wolves hit the road to challenge the Pirates, who are tied with Valparaiso atop the Duneland standings ... Saturday’s win at New Prairie was No. 150 in the career of City coach John Boyd. Matt’s pick: Merrillville 70, Michigan City 62.

FOUL TROUBLE SEALS WOLVES' FATE
Merrillville 63, Michigan City 55

By Drew White
For The News-Dispatch

MERRILLVILLE - In many ways, Michigan City head coach John Boyd's philosophy of aggressive basketball kept Michigan City in Friday night's game at Merrillville.

But when that aggressiveness results in foul trouble, something's gotta give and Michigan City lost on the road to the Pirates, 63-55.

Halfway through the second quarter, the Wolves saw two main components, guard Adam Harmon and center Grady Byrnes crippled by three fouls apiece, forcing Boyd to keep two main weapons on the bench for a majority of the second quarter.

"It makes you play the game differently," said Boyd of Michigan City's foul trouble. "We have a lot of weapons but when you get into that kind of trouble, it can hurt."

The Wolves' brightest spot was the emergence of Carlos McCormick's perimeter game as the sophomore connected on six three-pointers and led the Wolves with a game-high 20 points. McCormick's defensive pressure also led to several Merrillville forced shots.

"Where did (McCormick) come from?" asked Merrillville head coach Jim East. "I watched tapes of Michigan City and I didn't see him.

"To hit six three-pointers, for some of our guys, that's a career."

After trailing by seven at the end of three quarters, Michigan City clamped down on defense and made their free throws down the stretch, allowing them to claw their way to within two points with about three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"We learned that we are players in the Duneland Conference, We never lost faith," said Boyd of his team's tenacity. "We want to grow and we're growing.

Wolves' center Byrnes continued to show improvement in his game, developing a low post presence and dealing with Merrillville's 6-8 Edward Seay and 6-4 Tokumbo Fashawe.

"Grady is going to be a tremendous player for us," said Boyd. "Come tournament time, he is going to be a big part of our attack."

After dropping their past two games on the road, Michigan City (3-2, 1-2 DAC) will return home to face Crown Point on Friday. The Wolves managed to win only one of their three straight Duneland Conference road games. Wins over Portage and non-DAC New Prairie gave the Wolves a 2-3 "road-trip" but Boyd says he is excited to return home to the Wolves Den.

"Tonight, we were a young team going up against a Duneland Conference juggernaut on the road," said Boyd. "The environments make it tough."

With the win Merrillville improves to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Duneland Conference. They will travel to Lake Central on Friday night.

"We're fortunate to be 5-0," said Merrillville's East. "Tonight was a typical Duneland Conference game. Michigan City played a physical game and our kids have to realize that is how this conference plays."

MERRILLVILLE -- Both times, Brandon Clark was on the front end of the lob.

First, Jeremiah Jones threw down a dunk to complete the alley-oop.
RELATED STORIES
Photos: Merrillville vs. Michigan City

Next, Christian Matthews did the honors, also drawing oohs and aahs.

Those two were among the more aesthetically pleasing plays in an otherwise rugged game on Tuesday night, a 63-55 victory for Merrillville over Michigan City.

"Not pretty, not pretty," Pirates coach Jim East said. "But I didn't expect the game to be pretty. I think the philosophy of Michigan City is to play as aggressive as they can, put a lot of pressure on the ball, make body contact, there's only so many fouls you're going to call. It certainly disrupted us."

Still, Merrillville (5-0, 3-0 Duneland Conference) had enough to withstand Michigan City (3-2, 1-2).

After the Pirates led by 10 points late in the third quarter and still by eight early in the fourth, the Wolves used an 8-2 run to draw to 49-47 with 4:12 left in the game. But Merrillville pulled away, leading by as many as 13 points in the final minutes.

"We're a young team, we're still growing, you're going up against a Duneland juggernaut and that's Merrillville," Michigan City coach John Boyd said.

"You want to judge yourself, and I think we can play with them. We're never out of a game. Basketball's a game of runs. Michigan City's never going to quit."

The Pirates closed out the game with Clark on the bench, as he sat out the final 6:11 apparently with a cut on his arm. LaQuon Clark did well running the point in his absence, handling the Wolves' pressure, also going 6-of-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Jones scored nine of his team-high 18 points in the fourth.

Michigan City dealt with foul trouble to starters Alajowon Edwards, Reggie Clay and Adam Harmon, with the latter two eventually fouling out.

"Major impact," Boyd said. "It makes you play the game differently. ... But all credit out to Merrillville. They have athletes."

Carlos McCormick was on fire off the bench for the Wolves, hitting six 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 20 points.

East said Michigan City on tape struggled shooting from the perimeter, but the Pirates had issues containing the Wolves drive-and-kick offense on Tuesday.

"Twenty-one (McCormick) -- where's he been?" East said.

Tokumbo Fashawe had a strong game inside for Merrillville with 13 points. Matthews added 11.

The Pirates missed their first six shots of the game, as the Wolves led 4-0 and 6-2, before Merrillville took a lead it would not relinquish at 7-6 on Jones' 3-pointer.

The Pirates went on an 11-3 run, capped by Jones' nifty pull-up jumper, to take a 38-28 lead with 3:29 left in the third quarter. But on two occasions in the fourth, the Wolves closed to two points, before succumbing.

"Typical DAC," East said. "They've done a nice job rallying around him (Boyd). Next time, our kids have to understand how to be better mentally prepared to play a game against an aggressive team. Normally we've been the aggressor; tonight, give them credit, because they were the more aggressive team."
Pirates' East says it was 'not pretty' in tough DAC victory
over Wolves

Crown Point (2-3, 0-3) at Michigan City (3-2, 1-2): The Wolves play host to another Duneland Conference rival as part of a girls-boys doubleheader ... City sophomore Taylor Lavery scored a career-high 12 points against New Prairie. Matt’s pick: Michigan City 64, Crown Point 57.

Wolves, Boyd top West Side
January 2, 2010BY AARON PINEDA, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT

VALPARAISO -- The most highly anticipated matchup of the season pitting Michigan City (5-3) and coach John Boyd against his former team West Side (4-4) was everything it was expected to be and more.

The contest came down to one last desperation shot from Cougars' guard Marquis Wells, but instead of stunning his former coach with a game-winner, the ball skimmed off the edge of the rim giving Boyd and the Wolves a 52-49 victory.

Wells finished with a trio of 3-pointers for nine points against his former coach.

The Wolves jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead behind former Cougar Alajowon Edwards' nine first quarter points; Edwards would finish with a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds. They shot a sizzling 7 of 13 from the field while holding the Cougars to just 2 of 11 shooting.

After falling back by 10, the Cougars came roaring back as Jovon Pullen got hot. The junior forward scored nine of his game-high 14 points in that quarter which saw them grab a 29-28 lead heading into halftime.

Both teams struggled out of the half, with the Cougars outscoring the Wolves 8-6 in the third quarter on 3-11 shooting while the Wolves were 2-13 from the field.

The fourth quarter would be a different scenario, as another former Cougar took over and closed it out.

Reggie Clay, who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals, shined against his former teammates with eight big points in the fourth quarter.

Carlos McCormick was the only other Wolves player in double figures with 10 points.

Evory Seals had 10 points and three rebounds for the Cougars, while Michael Fabiyi chipped in six points and five rebounds.

WOLVES HOLD OFF WEST SIDE; BOYD BESTS FORMER TEAM
Boys Basketball: Michigan City 52, Gary West Side 49

Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer

VALPARAISO, Ind. - John Boyd admitted it wasn't easy to face his former school, the one he guided to a Class 4A State Championship.

In the end, a couple of his former Gary West Side players helped make the end result easier to swallow.

Alajowon Edwards had 13 points and seven rebounds and Reggie Clay scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth to help their current beat their former team 52-49 in the nightcap of Friday's The Times Region Roundball Rumble at

Valparaiso University's Athletics-Recreation Center.

"It was a difference of emotions," Boyd said. "I've obviously never been through anything like that."

Boyd said the reactions to him being on the Wolves sideline varied on the Cougars bench.

"A couple of them said, 'Good job, coach,' and a couple others didn't want to look at me," Boyd said. "A couple might have even had some animosity, but I'm not upset with them."

City (5-3) got off to a great start. West Side had a 6-5 lead before a Carlos McCormick 3-pointer from the corner started a 12-0 City run, which included seven points from Edwards.

The Wolves took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter, but the Cougars (4-4) started getting points in bunches. Jovon Pullen had two three-point plays and even knocked down a traditional 3-pointer, one of four West Side treys in the quarter. By halftime, West Side had erased what was once an 11-point deficit and actually led by one, 29-28.

After an ugly third quarter that saw both teams combine to shoot 5-of-23 from the field, West Side carried a three-point lead into the final eight minutes of play.

McCormick made two 3-pointers in a 45-second span to push City's lead out to 44-39. However, the Cougars clawed back to make it 44-44, before Clay made good on back-to-back layups to give the Wolves a 48-44 advantage.

Again, West Side was able to tie the game, but the former West Side players made sure the "W" stayed on City's side of the court.

Clay made two free throws with 1:06 left and Edwards made a pair to seal City's win.

West Side did have an opportunity to tie it late, but an out-of-whack offensive sequence saw Marquis Wells' long 3-pointer at the buzzer fall harmlessly to the ground, giving City yet another close victory.

"We're still trying to find an identity and a solid lineup, but the kids fought," Boyd said. "Especially when you have so many young kids, building pride and confidence is important."

Despite having many friends on the other bench, Edwards said he treated this game like any other.

"It was just another game to us," Edwards said of the players' perspective on the game. "It was like playing on the playground."

Boyd thought Edwards' state of mind about the reunion was appropriate.

"A lot of people made a big deal about it, but that's an opponent," Boyd said of West Side. "Anybody not wearing the blue and gray, you have to treat them like they're an opponent.

"I was watching (West Side) warm up and I got a little soft because I've been a father figure to a lot of those kids. Now I have a new family, and I love them."

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

Wolves get battle tested
Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

In its first "toss-up" game of the season, Michigan City's boys basketball team made a nice statement.

In what was heavily billed as a game between coach John Boyd's new team and his former one, City gutted out a gritty, 52-49 win over Gary West Side on Friday in The Times Region Roundball Rumble at Valparaiso University's Athletics-Recreation Center.

All the stuff with Boyd facing his alma mater and team that he guided to a state championship was a worthy storyline. But ultimately, that story died when the final buzzer sounded.

What will live on, though, is City winning a game it wasn't necessarily supposed to win. Not to say the Wolves would have been big underdogs, but in the team's previous seven games, there was a clear favorite and underdog.

City beat Marquette and Crown Point at the Wolves Den and won at Portage and at New Prairie. Those are games City would have been expected to win based on where the game was played, records, common opponents and overall talent level.

However, City lost at Chesterton, at Merrillville and at La Porte, three opponents that were favorites and went on to win by an average of 12.7 points per game.

But Friday was an opportunity for City to make a statement, and the Wolves did it in the fasion that has become their custon to this point in the season: tough defense and just enough offense when needed.

I don't think it's a stretch to say City isn't a good offensive team right now. Boyd basically has said as much, but also intimates that by sectional the team will have a more obvious offensive identity.

In the meantime, City's defense appears good enough to win games. In the Wolves' five wins, they're allowing just 46.8 points per game and have only allowed more than 50 once, an overtime win at Portage.

City might not be the biggest team around, but Boyd and his staff have found a way to make that work to the team's advantage. Pesky, quick guards with hands that are as bothersome as a swarm of mosquitoes in a Florida swamp have given opposing teams fits.

On defense, the team creates a lot of loose ball situations and hustles to get to it before anyone else.

While the Wolves continue to improve offensively, the defense is keeping City's record respectable.

But at some point, the Wolves are gonna have to score. In eight games, they've landed in the 50s six times and made one appearance each in the 40s and 60s.

City's season high in points is 61. Three teams in the Duneland Conference average more points than that and no DAC squad has a lower season high.

To me, though, the best part of the 5-3 start has been the wins ove rPortage, Crown Point and Gary West Side. The Wolves won those game by an average of 3.7 points per game, and believe me, winning games like that is absolutely crucial to postseason success.

Teams that advance in the postseason frequently talk about being battle tested. Well, this is how you get to say that, by winning the close games and the "tossup" games against tough opponents.

Of course, in the DAC things never get any easier. This upcoming week is probably's City's toughest of the season with home games against Lake Central (4-3, 3-2 DAC) on Tuesday and Class 4A No. 4 Valparaiso (8-0, 5-0 DAC) on Friday. After that, it's a third consecutive home date Jan. 15 with Chesterton (3-4, 2-3 DAC).

It's what we call a season-defining stretch of games. Based on what we've seen so far, I think Boyd's boys are equipped to handle it.

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

OT HEARTBREAKER
Lake Central 54, Michigan City 50, OT

Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer

MICHIGAN CITY - John Boyd wanted this one.

And despite not leading for almost the entire game, he almost got it.

But the mistakes piled up and Michigan City simply couldn't overcome them in a 54-50 overtime loss to Lake Central on Tuesday at the Wolves Den.

"Too many mental mistakes," Boyd said. "We're still just a young team trying to find an identity."

City (5-4, 2-4 Duneland) trailed early and throughout almost the entire game. In fact, City trailed 35-25 with 1:49 to go in the third quarter before starting its comeback.

A three-point play from junior Alajowon Edwards (20 points, 10 rebounds) cut the lead to one and then senior Adam Harmon (16 points) turned a steal into an uncontested layup and City had its first lead of the game at 37-36 with 5:35 to play.

That lead was short-lived however, as Lake Central (5-3, 4-2 DAC) quickly got the lead back, though it stayed nip and tuck the rest of the way.

But with 11.9 seconds left in regulation, the Indians' Leith Hobbs made good on a pair of free throws to push his team's lead out to 47-44.

City got the ball to halfcourt and called a timeout, drawing up a play from a 3-pointer. Harmon took the inbound, walked to the top of the key and - with a defender in his face - drained the miracle trey with just seconds remaining. Loai Issa's desperation heave for Lake Central was too strong, and the game went to overtime.

With 1:18 to play in OT, City got it's second lead of the game when Edwards - who was 8-for-8 from the charity stripe for the game - made a pair of freebies for a 49-48 City lead.

But that lead was again short-lived as Hobbs converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Indians a 51-49 lead.

Trailing 52-50, City did get a chance at the tie or win, but Harmon's 3-pointer from the wing was off the mark. Hobbs got the rebound and made both free throws to seal the victory.

"At the end of the game, it just comes down to situational basketball," Boyd said, "like Adam taking that 3(-pointer) when we only needed two."

The loss puts City in a precarious position as the first half of the DAC season wraps up Friday against Class 4A No. 3 Valparaiso, a 61-58 winner over Merrillville on Tuesday in an early-season showdown for conference supremacy.

"This is a tough loss with Valpo and Chesterton coming up," Boyd said.

"But it was good to see them fight and continue to believe."

Notes: City won the junior varsity game 31-28 after closing the game on a 15-0 run. ... Lake Central's Glenn Robinson Jr., the son of former Purdue and Milwaukee Bucks star Glenn Robinson, finished with seven points on 0-for-6 shooting and 7-of-10 at the foul line. ... Freshman A'seante Clark saw his first action of the season after playing all year with the freshman team. He banked in a 3-pointer in the third quarter for his only three points of the night.

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

CITY OVER .500
H.S. Basketball Preview

Zack Eldridge
Staff Writer

Michigan City (5-4, 2-4 Duneland): vs. Valparaiso, 6 tonight; vs. Chesterton, 6 p.m. Friday

Sitting one game over the .500 mark, Michigan City's boys basketball team will see exactly where it stands when it hosts Class 4A No. 3 Valparaiso tonight in a rescheduled game from last Friday night.

The Wolves have already won two more games than they did all of last season when they finished 3-18. In fact, it only took City six games to eclipse last season's win total. The Wolves have alternated wins and losses since a Dec. 11 setback at Chesterton. City dropped its last contest, a 54-50 overtime home loss to Lake Central last Friday night.

A season ago, the Wolves fell in both games to the Vikings, losing 64-26 on the road, and 67-44 at home.

Alajowon Edwards paces City, averaging 12.5 points per game, while Adam Harmon tallies 10.3 points an outing.

Valparaiso enters this contest 9-1, with its lone loss coming to then-Class 4A No. 8 Carmel, 65-62, in the Super Hoops New Year Classic at Mackey Arena on Jan. 2.

The Vikings edged Merrillville 61-58 in their last game last Tuesday night. Valparaiso sits atop the DAC with a 6-0 conference mark, a half a game ahead of the Pirates.

On Friday night, City faces Chesterton in the Wolves Den.

Last season, the Wolves dropped both meetings against the Trojans, losing 54-36 at home and 72-49 on the road.

City has lost nine straight against Chesterton, with the last four coming by double digits.

The Trojans begin this week 4-5 and 3-4 in the DAC. They fell in their last outing, a 57-49 setback at Crown Point.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Peak Performers for Week of 1/4

Alajowon Edwards – Michigan City Wolves
Making the move to Michigan City to continue playing for John Boyd was a good move for both the team and Alajowon Edwards. Though the Wolves lost an overtime thriller to Lake Central on Tuesday night 54-50, the play of Edwards continues to please the “City” fans. In the loss, the 6’2” junior scored a game high 20 points, but it would have much sweeter with a “W”.

McGary, who has only two of the IHSAA-mandated six practices in, returns to Chesterton's lineup Friday, when the Trojans travel to Michigan City.

WOLVES HANG WITH NO. 3 VALPO

Drew White
Sports Writer

MICHIGAN CITY - John Boyd isn't usually one that will take solace in moral victories, but he was more than happy with the effort his Michigan City boys basketball team showed Tuesday night.

The Wolves used solid defense to hang with Class 4A No. 3 Valparaiso until the final minutes of the contest before the Vikings pulled away for a 45-32 win at the Wolves Den.

"I was proud of my guys tonight," said City's Boyd. "I tell people, 'We never lose, we learn.' I think we learned a lot tonight about our confidence and what we're capable of doing."

The 13-point margin of victory is in no way indicative of how close the Wolves were on the heels of the Vikings. As late as the midway point of the fourth quarter, the Wolves trailed by only three points at 33-30.

Soon thereafter, Valparaiso used a barrage of 3-pointers to extend the lead and ultimately pull away for the win.

"They were breathing down our necks," said Vikings head coach Joe Otis. "Pushing it to six created a little anxiety for them and then they hurried a shot. The next thing you know, it's 11."

Michigan City was led by a game-high 20 points from senior Adam Harmon. Harmon did his best to orchestrate the Wolves to the upset, but his performance was highly lauded by Otis.

"Harmon, on those broad shoulders of his, really carries that ballclub," said Otis. "He's a warrior. I'd love to coach that kid. He's fearless. He's done a great job of leading this team."

Boyd said after the game that it is essential to see consistency in the type of play that Harmon demonstrated Tuesday night.

"It is very important for us to have Adam remain consistent," said Boyd. "It's been an up and down season for Adam. We need that from him and Alajowon (Edwards), and we need to find that third scorer."

Defense defined the game for both teams, as the Vikings held City to an average of eight points per quarter, and the Wolves held Valparaiso to 45 points, which is nearly 24 points lower than the Valparaiso average of 68.9 points per game heading in.

"I think our defense was solid. We slowed them down and kept them from doing some things," said Boyd. "That's a good Valpo team. They know where their options are, they shoot the ball with confidence."

Otis knew his team was in for trouble when, despite holding the Wolves to such a low offensive output, City stood with a chance to win late.

"I was really disappointed with how we played offense for three-and-a-half quarters," said Otis. "We hold someone to eight points a quarter, that's pretty darn good defensively, especially in this league. They are a great defensive team.

"They really get out and disrupt things. You can't run regular patterns against them."

The game marked Otis' first against City's Boyd and Otis was very complimentary to the Wolves' first year coach.

"John was a great addition to the Duneland. We finally got someone who has won a state championship," said Otis. "He's a great coach, he's a disciplinarian. You don't have that kind of success without demanding a lot out of his kids. He had his kids ready to play.

"They caused us a lot of problems."

Valparaiso (10-1, 7-0 DAC) was led in scoring by Adam Butterfield with 14 points, followed by 10 from Andy Martin.

Other than Harmon, the only other Wolves able to dent the scoreboard were Alajowon Edwards with nine points and Shereff Knight with three. City fell to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the DAC.

Despite the loss, Boyd is optimistic that the Wolves are progressing nicely.

"I'm very impressed with our team because they're beginning to buy in to what we are trying to do here," said Boyd. "I think people will be impressed with us as we move on.

"As this season progresses, the Wolves are getting better."

Contact Sports Writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

Friday, Jan. 15, during halftime at the Michigan City High School basketball game, the Michigan City Pop Warner Junior Pee Wee Football team will be recognized for their achievements. Our community has shown great support and has cheered them on all the way to the Super Bowl at Walt Disney World in December. Please come out and help honor this group of children. The game starts at 7 p.m. Thank you for your support! Go Wolves!

Erica Iacovetti, Parent

Strong all the way

By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, January 16, 2010 4:15 AM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Prior to Friday, Michigan City junior James Sanders was a little used reserve for coach John Boyd.

After observing Sanders working hard in practice, Boyd inserted him into the starting lineup for the first time against Chesterton.

Sanders made his coach look like a genius.

Despite not making a 3-pointer all season, Sanders made four in the first quarter to help put Chesterton in a hole it would never get out of as City went on to a 60-55 win at the Wolves to snap a two-game home losing streak.

“The kid didn’t even play a lot last year, but we thought it was time to let him loose,” Boyd said of Sanders.

In the first quarter, the left-handed Sanders made trey after trey, his four makes helping give the Wolves a 19-8 lead after the first quarter. He’d finish with a career-high 19 points, adding he thought his previous career high was only two or three points.

“After I got that first one my team saw I was hot and kept giving it to me,” Sanders said. “Coach told me to just play with confidence.”

Chesterton coach Tom Peller was stunned at Sanders’ outbreak.

“Hey, the guy made them and that’s part of high school basketball,” Peller said. “City really shot the 3 well, and that’s not typical of what they do. But they got out to a big lead and we couldn’t quite overcome it.”

City (6-5, 3-5 Duneland) made 7-of-14 from 3-point territory for the game, but five of those makes came in the first quarter.

By halftime City had a 32-17 lead and had held Chesterton junior Mitch McGary to just seven points and one rebound. McGary made his return to the lineup after missing six games with a broken foot. The last game he played in was a 60-47 win over City in which he had 27 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots before injuring his foot late in the game.

“We were a little out of sync with Mitch,” Peller said. “We were a little stagnant and we didn’t run our offense well.”

McGary came alive in the second half and helped spark a run that got the Trojans (5-6, 3-5 DAC) back in the game.

With 1:04 to play in the third, City’s Carlos McCormick hit a 3-pointer to give City its biggest lead of the game at 44-27. Remy Lewis made a trey for Chesterton and then McGary converted a three-point play to start a 10-0 Chesterton run.

While the Trojans cut into the deficit, they never trailed by less than six points again until a pair of free throws from Fred Price cut the advantage to five at 54-49.

After a City bucket, Price then nailed a triple on the other end to make it a four-point City lead with 37.6 seconds to play.

City’s Adam Harmon and Chesterton’s Alec Houpt each made two free throws on successive possessions but City’s Reggie Clay missed the front end of a one-and-bonus with 18.8 seconds left to open the door for the Trojans.

Price split two free throws with 12.2 seconds to play, but missed the second on purpose to try and get the ball back. However, he was called for a lane violation on the play, giving the ball to City.

Alajowon Edwards made the game-clinching free throws for City to put the win on ice, even if Boyd wasn’t pleased with how the first quarter played out.

“It seemed like we wanted to give it away,” Boyd said. “Those things we have to stop, like the mental errors and we have to do a lot better job controlling the tempo.”

McGary finished with 18 points, seven boards and five blocked shots.

“It’s always nice to have him out there, but we’ve gotta get him in game shape,” Peller said.

As for Sanders, he’s hopeful his breakout performance was good enough to stay in the lineup for a while.

“I really wasn’t expecting this,” Sanders said. “But coach knows I play hard and he knows how to make good decisions (with the lineup).”

Boyd was happy Sanders got his moment to shine.

“That kid has done a complete turn as far as being a member of our community,” Boyd said. “I couldn’t be more delighted that a guy like James Sanders helped Michigan City win a game against Chesterton.

“It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

Notes: Once again, City’s junior varsity team used a late run to get a win. The Wolves went on a 14-0 run to end the game and win 27-24. ... The win snapped City’s 10-game losing streak to the Trojans. The last win came on Jan. 14, 2005, a 67-63 win at Chesterton in Zack Novak’s freshman year with the Trojans. Novak is now a starter at the University of Michigan. ... At the half Friday, City led 32-17 despite its two leading scorers — Harmon and Edwards — combining to score just four points on 2-for-11 shooting.

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