Mikes shake off flu, Commodores
PERRYOPOLIS – Carmichaels came into town like McNamara’s Band – few in numbers, but playing a winning tune. The Mikes were heavily decimated by the flu bug, but the nine players available moved out of an early tie to go ahead for good late in the first period and rolled from there to a 57-43 win over host Frazier in exhibition basketball play here Wednesday night.
Coach Don Williams said, “I was a little concerned coming in here tonight. We have so many players out with illness that we couldn’t even run a full practice this week. We just shot around a little bit to get ready for this game.
“I was concerned more about our depth, but some junior varsity players stepped up and helped us. Overall, we have been playing good basketball the last few games, and we played well tonight. They have been passing the ball well, running their patterns, going after the ball, taking whatever the opposition gives us.”
The Mikes (14-7) got away on top with Bob Hathaway’s opening goal. Steve Erdely tied it for the Commodores, before Jono Menhart swiped a ‘Dore’s pass and drove for the go-ahead layup.
Riley Tidholm then hit two from close range to give Frazier its only lead of the night, 6-4.
Hathaway hit from the circle and again on a short jumper with a Menhart pass putting the Mikes up 8-6, and they would never be headed again.
Tidholm’s free throw made it 8-7, and then Carmichaels strung Hathaway’s layup, Jamie Kowalczyk’s basket and foul shot and a Kowalczyk 3-pointer for a 16-7 lead. Tidholm’s steal and layin left the ‘Dores down 16-9 at the quarter.
Frazier stayed close through the second, paced by Ryan Keebler’s eight points, and got back within two, 22-20, before a Kowalczyk bucket got the Mikes a 24-20 halftime lead.
Kowalczyk (9) and Menhart (7) led the Mikes to a 20-10 edge in the third period, or rather it was Carmichaels 20, Will Bronson 10 with the latter scoring all of Frazier’s points on two jumpers and a pair of long threes.
Late in the third period, Frazier got back within six, 34-28, and then the Mikes strung two free throws by Menhart, a putback by Tyrone Pinson, two free throws by Kowalczyk and a Menhart jumper from the circle for a 42-28 lead, which they extended to 44-30 after three.
Frazier pulled within seven, 50-43, late in the fourth quarter on a Pat Black steal-and-go and a long three by Martinak, but the Mikes strung out from there with Hathaway and Shawn McCombs getting free throws, Colby Giles’ a layup and Kowalczyk (1) and Giles (2) free throws to set the final score.
Commodore coach P.J. Malloy said, “We were on kind of a carryover from last night in that we got away to a slow start again and couldn’t get any rhythm into our game. Once you get in the hole against a good team like Carmichaels it’s tough to get out.
“We did get back into the game, then our defense let down. We have to play man-for-man and that has been our Achilles heel all season. I think sometimes we tend to rely a little too much on one or two guys to do the scoring for us, where it takes all five.”
Kowalczyk was high for the Mikes and the game with 24 points, including a brace of threes, and Hathaway hit 16.
Tidholm led Frazier with 12 points, and Bronson (two threes) and Keebler had 10 each.
Frazier will be on the road Friday, playing at Chartiers-Houston, while Carmichaels will be at home to Jefferson-Morgan with Williams hoping that his “band” will be at full pitch again.