Red Devils Win Senior Night Battle Over Mendota
Ben Miklavcic Pours in 31
by Chris Yucus- BCR & Kevin Chlum-News Trib
February 13, 2009
HALL RED DEVILS- 59
MENDOTA TROJANS- 55
Hall takes down Mendota
By Chris Yucus
SPRING VALLEY — Ben Miklavcic made the most of his last game at Red
Devil Gymnasium, pouring in 31 points to help the Red Devils top
NCIC Lincoln foe Mendota 59-55 at Senior Night for Hall, a game
Hall never trailed in. Miklavic was dead-on all evening for Hall
(15-1, 2-7), finishing with 12 field goals, including six
three-pointers. Miklavic was also a force on the defensive end,
registering four blocked shots in the game.
“I just came out with a lot of emotion tonight,” said Miklavcic.
“It’s Senior Night, I just wanted to come out and do the best I
could, try and win at all cost tonight.”
“He was on fire like (Davidson College standout) Stephon Curry
the other night. He was unconscious from everywhere,” said Mendota
coach Jan Thompson of Miklavcic. “He was the reason why they won
that game tonight.” Miklavic scored 11 points in the first frame,
including three treys, to help the Red Devils jump out to an early
10 point, 19-9 advantage.
Mendota clawed back at the beginning of the second, scoring the
first three baskets of the quarter to pull within four, 19-15.
Later in the quarter, the Trojans were able to cut the Hall lead to
a single point, 25-24, on a Dillon Pakenham three with 1:12 left
until intermission.
Miklavcic sent the Red Devils into the locker room on a high note,
banking in a trey from the top right of the key as time expired in
the half to give Hall a 28-24 advantage going into the break.
Hall extended their lead in the third quarter, paced by six points
in the frame from Miklavcic.
Mendota entered the fourth down seven, 43-36, and managed to cut
the Hall advantage to three, 50-47, on a pair of free-throws from
Jordan Fritz with just under two minutes to go in regulation. Wes
Herrmann quickly answered for the Red Devils with a pair of his own
from the foul line with 1:30 left to play, and Noel Santiago added
another two from the charity stripe to put Hall up seven, 54-47
with 43 seconds left.
Nick Ganz kept things interesting for the Trojans, as he scored two
quick baskets sandwiched around another pair of free throws from
Herrmann, but clutch free shooting from Hall’s Santiago and fellow
senior Brian Nolasco iced things out for the Red Devils.
While Hall coach Mike Filippini was extremely impressed with
Miklavcic’s offensive output, he credited the Hall defensive effort
against Mendota center Brandon Smith with winning the game for the
Red Devils. “The difference in the game was Adam Doll, Rob Booker
and Billy Gaull did a hell of a job on Smith,” said Filippini.
“They probably combined for four total points, but they held Smith
to nine. The last time (Mendota’s 61-52 win over Hall on Jan. 23)
he had 31.” “I thought they frustrated him, and I think those kids
deserved to be mentioned because they did a hell of a job, and
without them we wouldn’t of won.”
Senior guard Noel Santiago joined Miklavic in double digits,
finishing with 10, including four clutch free-throws late. Ganz led
Mendota with 15 points, Pakenham was second in scoring for the
Trojans with 11, including three shots from behind the arc.
Miklavcic
torches Trojans
Saturday, February 14, 2009
By Kevin Chlum
sports@newstrib.com
Mendtota coach Jan Thompson had some high praise to offer Hall
senior Ben Miklavcic when their paths crossed outside the locker
room Friday night.
After watching Miklavcic torch his Trojans for 31 points to lead
the Red Devils to a 59-55 NCIC Lincoln Division win, Thompson
compared Miklavcic to All-American Davidson guard Stephen Curry.
“He was on fire like Stephen Curry the other night. He was
unconscious from everywhere. Did he miss a shot tonight?” Thompson
said. “I kept telling the guys, ‘He’s going to come out in the
second half and he’s not going to be able to hit as many. There’s
no way.’ Boy, was I wrong. He was the reason they won that
game.”
Miklavcic put on a shooting clinic on senior night, draining
12-of-18 shots, including 6-of-8 from beyond the 3-point line. He
caught fire early in his last game at Red Devil Gymnasium, draining
4-of-6 shots in the first quarter to lead Hall to a 19-9 lead after
the first eight minutes.
“I just came out with a lot of emotion,” said Miklavcic, who also
had eight rebounds and four blocks. “It was senior night. I just
wanted to come out and do the most I could to win at all costs. I
was able to get a little bit of space. My teammates were giving me
screens. I was able to shoot off some screens.”
Miklavcic provided all of Hall’s offense in the second quarter,
sinking three 3-pointers, but the Trojans managed to make a run
during the period. Hall held Mendota center Brandon Smith scoreless
in the second, but the Trojans made up for it by going to Nick Ganz
and Zach Lewis.
