Lowell Red Devils tame the Panthers 60-37 at Griffith

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
01-26-2007

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Lake Athletic Conference - Black Division at Griffith

LOWELL (60)  Robert Cusic 1-0-3, Eli Macis 5-0-12, Ted Macis 1-2-4, Mike Weiand 5-3-14, Aaron Corns 0-2-2, Josh Kuiper 0-2-2, Nate Korth 5-2-13, Jacob Bennett 2-0-4, Trevor Kersey 1-0-2, Nate Miller 0-1-1, Keith Greer 1-0-3.  TOTALS:  21 (12-17) 60.

GRIFFITH (37)  Nate Lehmann 1-1-4, Jacob Evanich 3-2-8, Mark McBounds 1-2-4, Peter Sepulveda 2-0-4, Doug Ashenbaugh 3-3-9, Trey Bailey 1-0-2, Jake Fitzsimmons 3-0-6, Matt Kuna 0-0-0, Allen McLendon 0-0-0.  TOTALS:  14 (8-14) 37.

FREE THROWS:  LOWELL (12-17, 70.5%) Ted Macis 2-2, Mike Weiand 3-6, Kuiper 2-2, Korth 2-3, Miller 1-2, Corns 2-2.  GRIFFITH (8-14, 57.1%) Lehman 1-2, Evanich 2-2, McBounds 2-4, Ashenbaugh 3-6.

REBOUNDS:  LOWELL (21) Korth 6, Cusic 4, Eli Macis 3, Kuiper 3, Ted Macis 2, Weiand 2, Greer;  GRIFFITH (28)   Ashenbaugh 8, McBounds 5, Sepulveda 4, Kuna 4, Lehman 3, Fitzsimmons 2, Bailey 2.

ASSISTS:  LOWELL (13) Eli Macis 5, Ted Macis 3, Kuiper 3, Cusic, Korth;  GRIFFITH (8) McBounds 2, Evanich, Lehmann 3, McLendon, Ashenbaugh.

STEALS:  LOWELL (9)  Ted Macis 3, Eli Macis 3, Cusic, Weiand, Kuiper;  GRIFFITH (4) Lehmann 2, Evanich, McBounds.

3-GOALS:  LOWELL (6) Eli Macis 2, Robert Cusic, Mike Weiand, Nate Korth, Keith Greer;  GRIFFITH (1) Nate Lehmann.

GRIFFITH (1-25-2007) - Even when you know you're playing tough teams, the losses make you feel like you're no good.  At that point, you just need one night where you come out on the high end of the scoreboard.  Even if the other team is worse off than you.

"A win's a win," said Lowell coach Mike Magley, after Lowell 's 60-37 victory at Griffith Thursday night broke a five-game Red Devil losing streak. "We're still doing a lot of the things that have caused us to do some close games.  We've still got some of the same problems we've talked about in practice.  Besides the games with Lake Central and Munster, we have put ourselves in position to win, but we need to win those close games."

Lowell made sure this game would not be close with a 14-0 run starting late in the third quarter.  Eli Macis, a 5-10 junior guard, had eight points and four assists in the second half alone and the Devils (5-7) consistently tipped passes and started fast breaks against the young Panthers.

Magley preaches consistency of play.  As much as you can, don't change your game just because you are playing Crown Point, Hammond, Munster or Gary West Side (10-4), which happens to be Lowell's next game.

"You do what you do in any game," Magley said after his side had outscored Griffith 35-18 in the second half.  "You try to concentrate on what you do well.  We want to play to our strengths and that's what every team should do instead of trying to adapt."

Lowell passed the ball well in this game.  Some of that was the inexperience of the foe, but an unofficial tally of 11 assists and six three-point goals in the second half alone, all but one by perimeter players.  They won by more than 20 points and they deserved to.

"We stress making the easy pass and making the easy play," said Magley.  "Try to win every possession.  You can't take breaks.  We did that tonight, but were still a work in progress."
There was no celebration because Griffith (2-11) is starting three freshmen in hopes of being good two years from now.  This was the Panthers' 5th loss by 20 points or more and there will be a couple more before they turn the competitive corner.

Lowell, in the middle of a string of five consecutive road games, showed patience on this night, spreading the floor at the offensive end and working for an open shot.  With no one taller than 6-foot-3 in the regular rotation and no great one-on-one players, Lowell has to work on getting good shots.  They have to be willing to take 45 seconds to a minute per possession to get the open attempt, because there's a reality about how many rebounds a team this small is going to get against the schedule Lowell plays.  Lowell follows Saturday's game at Gary West Side with a Friday Feb. 2 game at Andrean before they host Morton on Saturday night, Feb. 3.

"We just have to do our thing," Magley said simply.  "We knew our schedule in January was going to be tough."

DEVIL NOTES:  Lowell senior Aaron Corns took an elbow to the head in the second quarter and did not return.  The 6-foot-3 center stayed on the bench and left with the team.  It was hoped he'd be ready to play against Gary West Side Saturday night.

"He was trying to take a charge which was something we've been stressing," said coach Mike Magley.  "And he took an elbow to the chin.  We'll evaluate him later.  Hopefully, we'll be fine."

Griffith starts 6-foot-1 freshman Jacob Evanich, 6-foot-1 freshman Peter Sepulveda and 5-10 lead guard Mark McBounds, another freshman. All three seemed a little overmatched at times Thursday, but McBounds showed natural ball handling skills and a lot of speed.  Panther freshman back-up guard Jackson Buzea is the nephew of Portage football coach Craig Buzea, and though just 5-foot-6, is another good ball handler.  Another freshman, 6-foot-5 center Brian Brilmyer, is not ready for the varsity yet, but the Panthers have high hopes for those five players as a unit.

Lowell's 6-foot-6 JV sophomore forward Keith Greer hit a late three-point basket and passed out an assist in the late going.  The Devils badly need size going against the nonconference schedule (which includes Merrillville next year) they play and the sectional assignment which includes East Chicago and West Side, which will be very tall for the next three years.

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Revised: January 28, 2007 .