Nine points and a cloud of dust in Hiland’s 63-31 win over TCC
Dylan Kaufman is in the habit of making a shambles of the opposing team on the basketball court, but it is doubtful that a single play has ever garnered more offense than the one which took place on Friday, Jan. 27 at the Reese Center in Berlin when the Tuscarawas Catholic Saints came to play the Hawks.
With the Hawks staked to a 20-14 lead midway through the second quarter, Kaufman took the ball and sliced through two defenders, got to the hoop and laid in a bucket while getting fouled. But it wasn’t just any old foul. The referee had called an intentional foul, giving Kaufman two free throws and Hiland the ball. Kaufman made both free throws, and while he was busy doing that, TCC head coach Tyrone Miller was busy gnawing on the referee’s ear on the sideline. A mildly animated conversation evolved into a technical foul, with Seger Bonifant making both free throws. It was still Hiland’s ball, and the Hawks quickly drained a three-pointer.
That one trip down the floor ended up being a nine-point swing, turning a 20-14 game into a 29-14 one.
“It was the deciding factor in the game,” said Hiland coach Mark Schlabach. “They were doing a great job of controlling the tempo, and we were struggling to make them play our style. The nine-point play gave us a lead that made them play a little bit faster.”
That was pretty much game, set and match, Hiland going on to post a 63-31 victory over the Saints, the biggest piece of the puzzle coming on that nine-point play.
While the youthful Saints may or may not have kept the score close had the calls not happened in that surreal couple of minutes, it certainly made it difficult for the Saints to keep their collective heads above water.
“We felt that we had a great game plan coming in,” said Miller. “We were able to execute very well in the first quarter and a half. The physicality of their pressure got to our guards a little bit in the second quarter, which led to some transition baskets for them. After their nine-point possession, it was hard for us to dig out of the hole. Our kids competed and played their hearts out the whole night. We’ve got a great group of kids with tremendous attitudes. The game was a good learning experience for our young kids.”
On the heels of that nine-point play, Hiland came out buzzing in the second half, the lead ballooning to 50-24, Hiland’s staunch defense such that the Saints couldn’t seem to buy a bucket in the third quarter against Hiland’s ferocious defense.
For Schlabach, just as important to developing a game plan against an opponent with such a different style of play as the Saints offer in their slow down tempo, is keeping his team pumped up for an opponent which they defeated by 35 points earlier this season.
Keeping his team motivated is something that Schlabach has had to battle a lot this year as the Hawks steamrolled Inter-Valley Conference teams, then faced them on the rebound the second time through the schedule.
“That is part of the challenge for this team,” said Schlabach. “We need to understand that other teams are going to come after us the second time we play them. We need to forget about the scores of the first games, and focus on playing well. TCC played a smart, physical game, and at times, we did not respond well.”
Maybe some of that smart, physical approach was due to Schlabach himself, who had Miller coaching under him as an assistant at Hiland for several years.
“Tyrone has done a great job of establishing his style,” said Schlabach of his pupil. “His players play hard, and they trust him. He is getting the most out of his kids, and I think they have a chance to make a nice tournament run at the end of the year.”
For the game, Kaufman scored 19 to lead all scorers, while Bonifant added 14, Jason Miller chipped in with eight and Chaise Gerber added seven.
For the Saints, Andrew Cugliari led the way with 11, while Eric Keitz and Doug Ross each added five. Hiland won the JV game in much closer fashion, earning a 38-33 victory.
With the Hawks staked to a 20-14 lead midway through the second quarter, Kaufman took the ball and sliced through two defenders, got to the hoop and laid in a bucket while getting fouled. But it wasn’t just any old foul. The referee had called an intentional foul, giving Kaufman two free throws and Hiland the ball. Kaufman made both free throws, and while he was busy doing that, TCC head coach Tyrone Miller was busy gnawing on the referee’s ear on the sideline. A mildly animated conversation evolved into a technical foul, with Seger Bonifant making both free throws. It was still Hiland’s ball, and the Hawks quickly drained a three-pointer.
That one trip down the floor ended up being a nine-point swing, turning a 20-14 game into a 29-14 one.
“It was the deciding factor in the game,” said Hiland coach Mark Schlabach. “They were doing a great job of controlling the tempo, and we were struggling to make them play our style. The nine-point play gave us a lead that made them play a little bit faster.”
That was pretty much game, set and match, Hiland going on to post a 63-31 victory over the Saints, the biggest piece of the puzzle coming on that nine-point play.
While the youthful Saints may or may not have kept the score close had the calls not happened in that surreal couple of minutes, it certainly made it difficult for the Saints to keep their collective heads above water.
“We felt that we had a great game plan coming in,” said Miller. “We were able to execute very well in the first quarter and a half. The physicality of their pressure got to our guards a little bit in the second quarter, which led to some transition baskets for them. After their nine-point possession, it was hard for us to dig out of the hole. Our kids competed and played their hearts out the whole night. We’ve got a great group of kids with tremendous attitudes. The game was a good learning experience for our young kids.”
On the heels of that nine-point play, Hiland came out buzzing in the second half, the lead ballooning to 50-24, Hiland’s staunch defense such that the Saints couldn’t seem to buy a bucket in the third quarter against Hiland’s ferocious defense.
For Schlabach, just as important to developing a game plan against an opponent with such a different style of play as the Saints offer in their slow down tempo, is keeping his team pumped up for an opponent which they defeated by 35 points earlier this season.
Keeping his team motivated is something that Schlabach has had to battle a lot this year as the Hawks steamrolled Inter-Valley Conference teams, then faced them on the rebound the second time through the schedule.
“That is part of the challenge for this team,” said Schlabach. “We need to understand that other teams are going to come after us the second time we play them. We need to forget about the scores of the first games, and focus on playing well. TCC played a smart, physical game, and at times, we did not respond well.”
Maybe some of that smart, physical approach was due to Schlabach himself, who had Miller coaching under him as an assistant at Hiland for several years.
“Tyrone has done a great job of establishing his style,” said Schlabach of his pupil. “His players play hard, and they trust him. He is getting the most out of his kids, and I think they have a chance to make a nice tournament run at the end of the year.”
For the game, Kaufman scored 19 to lead all scorers, while Bonifant added 14, Jason Miller chipped in with eight and Chaise Gerber added seven.
For the Saints, Andrew Cugliari led the way with 11, while Eric Keitz and Doug Ross each added five. Hiland won the JV game in much closer fashion, earning a 38-33 victory.
Published: January 27, 2012
