Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009 11:25 pm | Updated: 11:37 pm, Fri Dec 18, 2009.
By Peter Adelsen staff writer padelsen@kokomoperspective.com | 0 comments
After a tight first half, the Kokomo High School Wildkats found their stride in the second half Friday to open a 21-point lead on their way to beating their archrival Marion High School Giants at Memorial Gym, 66-50.
The first quarter featured nine lead changes as the Giants pounded the ball down low to senior forward Davron Williams who scored 11 points in the frame. The Wildkats responded with balanced scoring led by sophomore guard D.J. Balentine and senior guard T.J. Weir with 5 points each. The Giants led after the first quarter, 18-14.
The second quarter began with the Giants turning the ball over to the Kats, which led to the Kats cutting the lead to two points. From the final basket in the first quarter to halfway through the second quarter, the Wildkats went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 18-18. However, the Giants responded to lead at halftime, 28-22, on the backs of Williams adding four more points and junior forward William Barnes with 6 points.
The tide began to turn for Marion in the second half.
The Kats began the third quarter on a 10-0 run to take a lead that they would never relinquish. During the run Balentine scored 6 points off of two 3-point baskets, senior guard Brock Barbary added four points and Weir added two free throws. The Giants did not score until Barnes made a basket three minutes into the period. The Kats dominated the quarter by outscoring the Giants 20-9. Williams, the leading scorer for the Giants in the first half, scored his only point off of a free throw with 1:19 remaining in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Kats continued to apply pressure on the Giants as they grew a 21-point lead through tough defense that led to turnovers. The Kats also penetrated toward the basket to lead to open shots. The Kats were led in scoring in the quarter by Barbury, Weir and junior forward Cheyse Swain with 8 points each.
As an exclamation point to the victory, Balentine tossed an alley-oop to Swain for a slam dunk with just under a minute to the game off of a fast break.
As if the crowd was not already loud, the audience erupted in cheers for the final minute after the dunk.
The Kats went on to defeat the Giants 66-50 for the first time since the 2004-2005 season.
“We really did a good job of taking away Marion’s inside presence and then increasing our ball pressure in the second half and that’s really what turned the game,” Kokomo head coach Brian McCauley said.
The Kats had four players in double-figures scoring. They were led by Barbary and Balentine with 16 points each. They were joined by Weir with 15 points and Swain with 12 points.
Kokomo also set a season high in assists with 15 as a team and were led by Balentine with 7 assists.
“If we can continue to have this kind of balance, we’re an awfully tough team,” McCauley said. “I am really pleased with our ball movement and the way we shared the basketball.”
The Giants were led in scoring by Williams with 24 points and he was the only player in double-figures.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Giants’ Barnes and senior guard Michael Marble shot 54 percent and 40 percent, respectively, beyond the three-point arc. For the game, Marble shot one of seven from three-point range and Barnes was scoreless beyond the arc. Coach McCauley was proud of that fact.
“I was pleased at the way we slowed them down in the post in the second half and I was really proud of our ball pressure and the way we got out on shooters,” he said.
Twelfth-ranked Kokomo in 4A (4-0) travels to Lafayette Jefferson High School to play their former conference foe Bronchos Saturday. Marion next plays the Golden Eagles at Oak Hill High School on December 22.
Kokomo leads the North Central Conference at 2-0. Marion drops to 0-1 in NCC play.
Scores by quarter:
Marion 18 10 9 13 =50
Kokomo 14 8 20 24 =66
Other area scores from Friday:
Hamilton Heights 81, Western 68
Peru 62, Eastern 28
Taylor 50, Lewis Cass 41
Northwestern 68, Maconaquah 54
Saturday’s games:
Kokomo at Lafayette Jeff
Eastern at Clinton Central
Frankfort at Western
Mississinewa at Maconaquah
Noblesville at Hamilton Heights
Northwestern at Pioneer
Rochester at Lewis Cass
Taylor at Westfield
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