Mikes defeat Beth-Center in title game, 74-44
CARMICHAELS — For the fourth straight year the Carmichaels and Beth-Center boys basketball teams met in the Lions Club King Coal Christmas Tournament finals, but this time the result was different as the Mikes routed the Bulldogs, 74-44, Thursday night.
This is Carmichaels’ first tournament title since 2013 with Beth-Center winning the crown the previous three seasons. Carmichaels has claimed six championships since 2003.
“I really liked our defensive intensity and we limited their shots,” Carmichaels coach Don Williams said. “All of their shots were contested. We were running a lot and we played with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. It’s nice to bring home this win. The kids deserved it.”
The Mikes (6-2) were led by a balanced scoring attack from their starting five. Jacob Lowry scored a team-high 18 points, followed by 16 from tournament MVP Nick Mundell.
“I just tried to treat this like a regular game, but it was important to us to win this tournament,” Lowry said. “We wanted the title back. We emphasize playing a full game and boxing out a lot. I think we had a lot of key, second chance points. We controlled the boards tonight.”
Matthew Barrish collected 14 points, while Dylan Wilson (13) and Al Cree (9) rounded out the scoring for Carmichaels.
“We focus all of our time (in practice) on defense and I think we really had a strong outing on that side of the ball tonight,” Barrish said. “We were really into the game and it was a total team effort. We stayed in a good rhythm tonight.”
Andrew White tallied a game-high 20 points for the Bulldogs (4-5), while JJ Green and Jacob Bobbs chipped in with eight apiece.
Carmichaels opened up the game with a 14-1 run and led 20-7 at the end of one quarter.
“We have good balance on offense,” Williams said. “We don’t depend on one guy. It’s a group effort offensively. We passed the ball to each other and we look for the open shot. We always stress about our timing and moving without the basketball on offense. Things clicked for us.”
The Mikes blew the game open in the second quarter with 17 unanswered points to start the period. Carmichaels ended the first half with an 8-5 run and led 45-12 at halftime.
The squads played a more even second half, as the Bulldogs held a 32-29 scoring edge in the final 16 minutes of play.
“My hat off to Carmichaels,” said B-C coach Bill Greco. “They outplayed us in every phase of the game. They won on offense, defense and in transition. They were more aggressive and they were better on the boards. They executed better than us tonight, and they deserved to win.”
In the consolation contest, Geibel Catholic used a strong second half to power past Mapletown, 66-37.
“Last night’s game (a 59-52 loss to Beth-Center) really stung and it took a lot of emotions from us,” Geibel coach Brian Henckel said. “It was a slow first half and we were not playing defense. But the kids responded in the second half and I thought we showed a lot of grit in that half.”
Cole Kendall led the Gators (2-6) with 25 points, while Jordan Hayes added 13 and Isiah Krizner scored 12.
The Maples (0-8) were led by Richard Cacurak’s 10 points. Lance Stevenson added 8.
Mapletown outscored Geibel 12-9 in the opening quarter, and increased its lead to 21-17 midway through the second period.
The Gators ended the first half with a 9-1 rally and carried a 26-22 lead into intermission.
Geibel exploded in the third quarter and retook the momentum for good by ending the period on a 15-2 run for a 50-30 lead going into the final eight minutes of play.
Kendell scored 12 points in the quarter.
“Cole is our spark plug,” Henckel said. “He is very athletic and can make every shot on the court. He is an excellent ball-handler and I think the guys feed off of his play. I told the guys at halftime, we had to pound the ball inside. We gave the ball to our big guy and he got his points.”
The Gators held a 16-7 scoring edge in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.