DENVER — Entering the season knowing they would have to replace nine seniors from last season’s squad, Northwestern’s boys basketball team’s returners were prepared to experience some of the growing pains associated with the feeling-out process that comes with having several new faces in the lineup.
With a .500 record heading into the second half of the season at 5-5, the Tigers put in a dominant, momentum-boosting performance Tuesday night, controlling all facets of the game from the opening tip in a 64-30 thrashing of North Miami.
“Coming into the season, we knew it was going to be rough losing nine seniors. They were a big deal for us,” senior Trenton Brazel said. He and classmate Chase Johnson were the only two returners who saw significant time a season ago. “We’ve come out and played aggressive, and have had to live on our half-court defense. I’m pleased with where we’re at. This was a good win for us.”
Brazel put together an outstanding first half for Northwestern, canning four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points by halftime. His effort lifted the Tigers to a 32-16 halftime advantage, while the Northwestern defense held North Miami (1-12) to a 1-for-9 performance from the floor in the second quarter.
“We have some big game coming up — Carroll, Sheridan, Tipton — those are some games where we’re going to have to play defense,” Brazel said. “You need a game like [Tuesday night] where you just dominate from start to finish. It was nice to have a game where coach [Jim Gish] could sit down the last four minutes of the game and take a break.
“I’ve had a few off games [recently], so it was nice to come in and knock down some 3s.”
Northwestern did away with any notion of a comeback early in the third quarter, beginning the stanza on a 14-5 surge through the first four minutes and change with the help of six steals.
A Graham Ortmann steal and breakaway lay-in gave the Tigers a 40-21 lead with 3:43 left in the third.
“There in the first half, I thought there were times where we lost sight of what we wanted to do defensively,” Gish said. “We got baited into going for some things that we didn’t necessarily need to go for. We wanted to be fundamental and take care of things on our end, and let them do what they do. The guys did a much better job coming out in the first three minutes of the third quarter, doing what we needed them to do to have success, which was key for us.”
Sophomore reserve guard Blaine Brutus picked up the scoring slack for the Tigers in the third quarter, pouring in 13 of his 15 points in the stanza on 4 of 5 shooting. He dropped in a trio of triples as Northwestern finished the quarter on a 20-5 surge and led 52-21 heading into the fourth.
Fellow sophomore Blake Oakley added 10 points off the bench for Northwestern, which was playing in just its third game since Christmas break.
“It’s nice to play some basketball,” Gish said. “We’ve spent a lot of time in our gym not playing, but practicing. These guys are hungry and ready to play some basketball games, and it’s coming. We have a double [game] weekend coming up this weekend, and another double weekend next week against some really stiff competition, so it should be a lot of fun. We’re really going to have to step up and concentrate on the things we need to do to have success.”
Ethan Beech led North Miami with nine points.
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NW has its way against struggling North Miami
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Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. -
Athlete of the week
Cole led the small-school Comets to the Kokomo Sectional title, their first title since 1998.
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Kats regain tennis throne
At 10:51 a.m. Saturday morning, the bulk of Kokomo’s girls tennis team sprinted from the viewing hill to the east entrance of the tennis courts to mob No. 1 singles player Morgan Mohr as she came off the court following her 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Eastern’s Courtney Clark.
The No. 3 singles match was still raging, but the team match was already won. The Wildkats had reconquered the throne from two-time defending champion Eastern and were once again champions of the Kokomo Sectional. -
Eastern boys track claims first sectional title since 1998
The boys track and field coach at Eastern High School from 1987 until last season, Paul Nicholson’s parting message to his team was simple: “Don’t deny the gift.”
That motto left such a lasting impression on the Comets’ returning athletes that they had it screen printed on their 2013 season T-shirts.
With Nicholson in attendance to celebrate with them, new coach Austin Roark and the Comets outlasted host Kokomo to win their first sectional title since 1998 Thursday night, topping the Wildkats by 3.5 points, 124.5-121.
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Eastern, Kokomo favored in boys track sectional
Some of the names and faces have changed, but the plot remains much the same.
The Kokomo boys track and field sectional, much like last year, will likely be a two-horse race between the host and three-time defending champion Wildkats and Eastern, a team looking to break through and win its first sectional title since 1998. -
Cole to jump at Miami University
Eastern athlete Grant Cole has only been a long jumper for two seasons, but being turned on to the event late in his career has landed him a scholarship to Miami University.
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