Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010 5:00 pm | Updated: 4:51 pm, Thu Jan 28, 2010.
By Peter Adelsen staff writer padelsen@kokomoperspective.com | 0 comments
For the second-straight week, the 3A second-ranked Peru High School Tigers (12-1, 3-0 MIC) will be tested for the Mid-Indiana Conference lead as they welcome the Western High School Panthers (9-5, 3-1 MIC) to their home court 7:30 p.m. Friday.
"This game is critical for us in terms on getting a MIC championship," Western coach Andy Weaver said. "We obviously want to retain the title."
Even with a tough game like this, it could be beneficial for both teams as tournament time is around the corner.
"If you're going to do well during tournament time, you've got to have games like this during the season," Weaver said.
The Panthers are coming into Peru on a three-game winning streak with wins over Northwestern, Maconaquah and Tri-Central where they had to play different styles of basketball, Weaver said, to get those wins. Western scored 70, 55 and 85 in each of those games, respectively, to get those wins.
Coming into this game, the Panthers are comfortable at playing different styles, Weavers said. But the Panthers do have a focus on what to do against the Tigers.
"We've got to defend in the post (Friday) night and rebound," Weaver said. "Those are things that we are going to try to do."
In Peru's last win, the Tigers' defense disrupted the Taylor Titans from the mid-point of the second quarter to the end of the game at the post and rebounding. At halftime of that game, the Titans had a 27-24 lead. The Tigers allowed only 9 points in the second half as they defeated the Titans 50-36. The Titans had only one offensive rebound in the game.
"(Peru is) a veteran group and is very defensively oriented," he said. "They go after the basketball when it's loose. We have to rebound because they are relentless on the glass. Rebounding and being strong with the ball are very huge keys."
The Tigers are on an 11-game winning streak, but they only have a one-game lead in the conference over Western and Hamilton Heights in the loss column. A Peru win may give the team a commanding lead, but a Peru loss opens the door to the rest of the conference.
"Our conference is pretty good from top to bottom," Weaver said. "I'm sure everybody is picking Peru over us, but you have to play the game."
Western has had balanced scoring throughout the season. The only Achilles heal on the team has been its free-throw shooting. In recent games, Western junior Drew Larrick has scored a career-high 27 points against Maconaquah and 25 points against Tri-Central. Other stand-outs in scoring have been seniors Jamal Johnson and Matt Reida.
In Peru's win over Taylor, senior Terry Smith scored 15 points, senior Wes Zimmerman scored 13 and junior Taylor Smith scored 11.
Last season when the two teams met, Peru had two losses coming into the match-up at Western, which had six losses. Western defeated Peru 57-52 and for Friday's match-up, the Tigers may be looking at some revenge on the Panthers on top of trying to keep the conference lead.
Other games Friday:
Anderson (7-6, 2-1 NCC) at Kokomo (9-4, 3-0 NCC), 8 p.m
#15-2A Taylor (8-5, 2-2 MIC) at Eastern (8-4, 2-2 MIC), 7:30
Northwestern (7-5, 2-2 MIC) at Carroll (7-5, 2-0 HHC), 7:30
#6-2A Tipton (8-2, 5-0 Hoosier) at Hamilton Heights (10-4, 3-1 MIC), 7:30
Lewis Cass (3-9, 0-3 MIC) at Maconaquah (4-8, 0-3 MIC), 7:30
Saturday's games:
Kokomo (9-4, 3-0 NCC) at Harrison (7-6, 1-4 HCC), 7:30
Madison-Grant (10-3, 4-1 CIC) at #15-2A Taylor (8-5, 2-2 MIC), 7:30
Twin Lakes (5-7, 1-2 Hoosier) at Northwestern (7-5, 2-2 MIC), 7:30
#6-2A Tipton (8-2, 5-0 Hoosier) at Eastern (8-4, 2-2 MIC), 7:30
Clinton Central (1-10, 0-2 HHC) at Lewis Cass (3-9, 0-3 MIC), 7:30
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