Red Devils win at Mendota
Hall Defense holds Trojans to 7 First Half Points
by Jim Dresbach, BCR
February 13, 2010
Hall paints up first NCIC win at Mendota
By Jim Dresbach - sports@bcrnews.com
MENDOTA – All the pieces fell into place Friday night for the Hall Red Devils, and the reward was the team’s first NCIC Lincoln Division victory of the 2009-2010 basketball season.
The Red Devils converted high percentage shots and frustrated All-NCIC candidate and MHS’ top scorer Vince Bruno to pull off a 51-42 road victory at Mendota High School.
“I’m happiest the most for the kids,” Hall coach Mike Filippini said after his squad jumped to a 22-7 lead after the first 13 and a half minutes of play. “The biggest reason why we won the game wasn’t that we had three guys in double figures or that we executed our game plan on offense, it was Anthony Urbanski’s defense (on Kurt Bruno).”
On Jan. 22, Bruno torched the Red Devils for 30 points, but Friday night, Urbanski and fellow Hall defenders cut the Mendota guard’s offensive production in half. Bruno finished with 16 points and was held to three points in the first half while shooting just 1 for seven from the field. While Mendota settled for a total of seven points of the intermission, the Red Devil offense attacked the interior scoring all their first half field goals- a total of eight — in the paint.
After four quarters of play, 15 of 16 Hall baskets were converted from close range. The lone exception was a Billy Gaull baseline jumper from 15 feet with two minutes and 40 seconds to play.
“We worked all week long on (high-percentage baskets); I told them anyone who takes a three-pointer, they were walking home,” Filippini said of the Hall offensive game plan. “We knew (MHS forward Zach) Lewis was hurt (knee), so their big guy was out. We thought we could get to the basket without anybody blocking our shots.”
At the half, Gaull had scored 10 of his game-high 19 points, but the Hall forward went to the bench with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter with his fourth foul and his team ahead 23-9. With Gaull in foul trouble, Trojan coach Jan Thompson sensed a comeback.
“We held them to one point in the third quarter; we kept going at him (Gaull), so he’d pick up fouls,” Thompson said. “He’s a tough ball player, and by us getting him out of the game gave us a chance.”
Mendota outscored Hall 9-0 during Gaull’s stint on the bench, and both teams combined to score 52 points in the final quarter as the visitors again raced to a double digit lead with slashing baskets from Gaull, Tyler Thompson and Urbanski. Thompson finished with 15 points, and Austin Helm scored three first quarter baskets and notched 10 points overall.
In the preliminary game, the Hall sophomores earned a 65-48 victory. Hall’s Brian Kruse scored 16 while Brett Fanning dialed in for 12 points.
