Rockets, Mikes advance to King Coal title game
Mapletown’s Dereck Riggleman (3) dribbles around Carmichaels’ Brennan McMinn (23) during Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Carmichael’s Sean Smoggie (20) scores in the first quarter of Thursday’s game against Mapletown in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Carmichael’s Brandon Lawless get the ball knocked out of his hands by Mapletown’s Kevin Ridgley during Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels’ Josh Mundell can’t stop Mapletown’s Alex Lewis from scoring a basket in the second quarter of Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Christian Randolph (21) makes a pass around Beth-Center’s Adam Walters during Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Beth-Center’s Zach Miller (23) takes a shot over the outstretched hand of Jefferson-Morgan’s Christian Randolph during Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
Beth Center’s Ryan Beyer is surrounded by Jefferson-Morgan defenders, including the Rockets’ Nathan Bianchi at his back, as he attempts to shoot during Thursday’s game in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament at Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS — After two close games in the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament Thursday night, the championship game is set for today with Jefferson-Morgan and Carmichaels advancing to the title game.
The Rockets defeated Beth-Center 57-49, while the host Mikes triumphed over Mapletown, 60-50.
J-M (4-5) had five different scorers in the opening stanza and led 18-7 at the end of one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Rockets held a 12-8 scoring edge over the Bulldogs (5-3), clinging to a 30-15 lead at halftime.
“We made some shots early on and got confidence,” J-M coach Chris Niemiec said. “When we shoot the ball well that sometimes translate to good defense. We wanted to get the ball inside and go through the post against their zone. We when played them last time, we settled for outside shots and tonight we attacked their zone.”
B-C outscored the Rockets in the second half, 34-27, but the Jefferson-Morgan answered the bell every time the Bulldogs got close and were able to hit several shots from the field, as well as from the free throw line, to secure the victory.
Rece Henneman had 10 of his game-high 19 points in the final eight minutes of action, while Chas Mattish added 12 and Travis Taylor chipped in with nine.
The leading scorers for the Bulldogs were Dean Holt (13) and Anthony Gilpin (12).
“We were flat from the beginning,” Beth-Center coach Gary Amos said. “We haven’t seen the gym and practiced for about a week and that hurt us. We were sluggish and at times didn’t focus. We have to get back to the basics and be patient with our offense.”
Both Carmichaels (6-1) and Mapletown started the game off slow and tried to shake off the rust after the holiday break.
After a combined 11 points were tallied in the first quarter, both teams’ offenses exploded in the second period, with the Maples (0-7) holding a 24-18 scoring edge and a 28-27 lead at intermission.
“The Christmas break hurt both teams in the first quarter,” Mapletown coach Craig Hoone said. “We finally started to get a flow in the second, and Dereck Riggleman did a wonderful job of making his shot and creating shots for others.”
Both teams traded baskets in the third, as the Mikes held a slim 9-8 scoring advantage.
Mapletown held a 45-42 lead midway through the fourth, but the home team rallied with nine straight points and ended the game on a 9-5 run for the win.
“We didn’t practice yesterday because of the weather and that hurt our rhythm,” Carmichaels coach Don Williams said. “Finally we started to move without the ball and paid attention to our spacing on the court. We brought the intensity in the second half and our defense was able to slide over and stop their penetration.”
Brandon Lawless scored 24 points for Carmichaels, while Sean Smoggie added 16.
Mapletown’s Riggleman led all scorers with 28 points and Kevin Ridgley collected 10 points.
Mapletown will play B-C in the consolation game at 6 p.m. tonight, while J-M will battle Carmichaels in the championship game at 7:30 p.m.