| 12/5/2009 9:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| SCRAMBLE DRILL: Southwestern’s Austin Ames and Shawe’s Nico Mingione (above, front) scramble after a loose ball late in Friday’s game. Ames and Caleb Jones (below) congratulate teammate Tanner Mahoney (33) after Mahoney hit a shot and was fouled. The Rebels held on for the 38-30 win, their first at Shawe’s Meny Gymnasium since 2001. (Staff photos by David Campbell) |
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Shawe's Bomholt denied 400th career win as Rebs end eight-year skid at Meny, 38-30
David Campbell
Courier Sportswriter
It would have been fitting for Jerry Bomholt to pick up his 400th career win against Southwestern, a school he coached for five years prior to coming Shawe.
As it turned out, the Rebels had other plans.
Southwestern's switching defenses held Shawe to just 27 percent shooting from the floor and the Rebels shot twice as many free throws to pull out a 38-30 win that was just as ugly as it appeared.
The win was the Rebels' first over Shawe since 2005 and their first on the Hilltoppers' home floor since 2001.
"Finally!" said a jubilant senior Tanner Mahoney as he raced off the floor.
The Rebels (1-2, 1-0 Ohio River Valley) did what they needed to to end their losing skid against Shawe, but the Hilltoppers also played a large part in the decision.
Obviously pressing on what could have been their coach's milestone night, the Hilltoppers never found any rhythm. Shawe hit only 11 field goals in all, while missing 29, and was an abysmal 2-of-13 from long range. Junior Michael Kring, who came in averaging an even 20 points per game, managed just two while taking only six shots.
That brutal shooting effort masked an overall statistical performance that should have been good enough to win. The Hilltoppers outrebounded the taller Rebels 33-32 and committed only 11 turnovers to Southwestern's 14.
But Shawe didn't even shoot well from the free throw line, struggling to hit just 6-of-14. The woeful shooting left Bomholt shaking his head.
"If you told me that we would hold them to 38 points, outrebound them and commit only 11 turnovers, I would have taken that in a heartbeat," said Bomholt, who picked up 78 of his 399 career wins at Southwestern. "The shooting just killed us. We got a 7-of-29 performance out of our big three. We have only three scorers. If they don't score, we can't win."
While Shawe was exactly burning up the nets, Southwestern that wasn't much better. The Rebels were only 11-for-33 (33.3 percent) shooting for the game, but did manage 7-of-14 in the second half. Southwestern was only 13-for-27 from the free throw line.
"It was a conference win on the road, that's all that mattered," said Southwestern coach B.J. McAlister. "We're not worried about the first two games. Those games don't matter. Our goals are to win a conference championship and to win a sectional championship and the first step was winning this game tonight."
It was apparent early on that both teams were going to struggle to score points. Southwestern opened in a triangle-and-two defense, targeting Kring and Nico Mingione for special attention. That defense set the tone for the Hilltoppers who never recovered.
Shawe (3-1, 1-1 ORVC) trailed 9-7 after the first quarter but led 12-11 at the half. The pace didn't pick up much in the third with Southwestern carrying a 19-17 lead into the final frame.
It was early in the fourth quarter that Southwestern picked up the two buckets - both by Hunter Means - that ultimately proved to be the game winners.
Means, who torched Switzerland County for 24 points last week in his Southwestern debut, drilled a 3-pointer in the far corner to put the Rebels up 22-17 just 16 seconds into the quarter. After a pair of missed free throws on Shawe's end. Means hit another 3-pointer, was fouled in the process and completed the rare four-point play to push the margin to nine (26-17).
Shawe played catch-up the rest of the way and pulled within three (32-29) with 1:10 left. But Southwestern hit enough free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
"It was a very disappointing game. We're going to see a lot of junk defenses until we can do something about it," Bomholt said. "I think the most disappointing thing was we really let the game get to us. We're not a big team and Southwestern pushed us around a little and we didn't react well. We missed a few shots and it got into our heads. We need to play better."
Mingione carried Shawe down the stretch and finished with 15 points to lead all scorers. But Mingione struggled with his shot just as much his teammates, hitting only 5-of-13 on the night, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Dakota Jones was next-highest on the team with four points.
Means finished with 13 points and Mahoney had 12 to lead Southwestern.
"Hunter played very well and that's not to single him out," McAlister said. "As a team, we did everything we needed to do to win. It was a good win and, hopefully, it puts us in the right direction."
at Madison
SOUTHWESTERN 38, SHAWE 30
SOUTHWESTERN 9 2 8 19 - 38
SHAWE 7 5 5 13 - 30
SOUTHWESTERN (1-2, 1-0 ORVC) - (g)Means 13, (f)Mahoney 12, (f)Ames 6, (g)Jones 5, (c)Mabry 2, Taylor 0, Hamilton 0.
SHAWE (3-1, 1-1 ORVC) - (g)Mingione 15, (g)Jones 4, Grote 3, (g)Kring 2, Higbie 2, (f)Scroggins 2, (f)Armstrong 2.
3-Point Goals - Southwestern 3 (Means 2, Jones 1), Shawe 2 (Grote 1, Mingione 1). Rebounds - Southwestern 32 (Means 6, Mahoney 6), Shawe 33 (Scroggins 10). Assists - Southwestern 8 (Jones 3), Shawe 6 (Scroggins 4). Turnovers - Southwestern 14, Shawe 11. Total Fouls - Southwestern 15, Shawe 22. Free Throws - Southwestern 13-27 (48.1%), Shawe 6-14 (42.9%). Fouled Out - Southwestern: Ames. Shawe: Armstrong. Next Game - Southwestern hosts New Washington Friday. Shawe hosts South Ripley Friday.
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