Cardinals ‘zoned-out’ in loss to New Athens

Okawville Inviational

By JOHN ROARK

john.roark@register-news.com

OKAWVILLE — It was the second month of the New Year before the 2008-09 Woodlawn High School boys basketball team tasted defeat. Two games into the new season, all Cardinals coach Shane Witzel wants is for his team to settle its nerves.

After the Cardinals fell 42-34 to New Athens Wednesday to finish off its Pool B play, WHS fell out of contention to defend its title — this same field was at Marissa last season — and left the Witzel’s team with more questions than answers.

Playing minus starter Dawson Verhines (knee injury) Woodlawn made just 12 of 59 shots, and at seemed lost in space once the Yellowjackets switched to a 2-3 zone after opening in a man-to-man.

New Athens coach Marc Derwort ordered the defensive change at 1:28 of the first period, with the Cardinals ahead 6-5.

Woodlawn sank into a scoring funk, going pointless over the next 6:34, while New Athens took the lead for good with a 9-0 run.

Twice, Witzel stopped play simply because his team looked confused.

“We were way out of sorts,” said Witzel, who took the Cardinals to a 30-2 mark last season en route to a runnerup spot in Class 1A. “It seemed like we were scared to lose.”

Woodlawn played well enough defensively to stay in the game, but could not shoot itself back into the game. And to make matters worse, 6-foot-7 center Josh Wiggs battled foul trouble all night, and was eventually disqualified.

A 6-0 run by WHS — Wiggs had a pair of baskets around two John Cavender free throws — trimmed New Athens’ lead to 14-12 with 1:48 left in the first half. but a frustration foul by Wiggs led to a pair of Tyler Womack free throws, and Adam Ingles slipped behind Woodlawn’s trap to score off the left block, leaving the Jackets ahead 18-12 at halftime.

Witzel was not pleased with how the first half ended, which spilled over into a second half that saw New Athens go on a 7-2 run to punch the lead to 25-14.

“We played hard defensively in the first half,” Witzel said. “Once we started struggling offensively, we really got flustered and gambled going for steals and the easy layup.”

Each score during the key run was the result of the Cardinals overplaying on defense — Ingles beat WHS down the floor twice and Womack faked and drop-stepped past Wiggs from the right wing for a layup.

All the while, New Athens stayed in its zone, not allowing the Cardinals to get their running game in gear.

“That’s our tempo,” Derwort said. “We want our scores down low. We did want Woodlawn to get into that transition game that they’re so good at.”

WHS obliged, showing little patience at times in its offensive sets.

“We didn’t handle the zone well at all,” Witzel said. “We were making one or two passes and taking the shot. We also showed our emotions out there tonight, and that is something we don’t tolerate at all.”

Derwort then put the ball in the hands of 6-4 junior center Vince Kiefer, who single-handedly knocked the Cardinals out.

First he hit a shot to end the third period, then opened the fourth with a layup and 3-pointer, giving New Athens a 35-23 lead with 5:38 remaining.

Wiggs, who picked up his fourth foul late in the third period, re-entered at 5:01 and was promptly whistled for his fifth at 4:12.

Kiefer’s trey served as the Jackets’ final basket; New Athens just half of its 14 free throws down the stretch, but it was good enough.

Down 36-31 with 2:10 left, Woodlawn’s defense forced a turnovers. But in the next Cardinals possession, WHS couldn’t even get a decent shot off, and Casey Hammond eventually traveled with 1:09 left.

New Athens then padded its lead at the foul line.

Womack led all scorers with 16 points, Kiefer adding 13 and Ingles 10.

Hammond had 11 points for Woodlawn, which plays Marissa at 7:30 p.m. tonight for third place.

“We got exposed tonight,” Witzel said. “We knew what our weaknesses were and they showed up tonight. Our effort was good but we were out of control on both sides.”

New Athens will meet the host Rockets at 7 p.m. Friday for the championship.

Witzel was at a loss for his team’s first two nights.

“We were tight Monday night, and I thought that was maybe the first-game jitters,” the coach said. “Then we turn around and were tight again tonight. We’ve got to get past that.”



Okawville Invitational

New Athens 42, Woodlawn 34

Woodlawn 6 6 9 13—34

NewAthens 7 11 12 12—42

WOODLAWN (1-1)

Hammond 5 0-0 11, Wiggs 4 1-1 9, Dunbar 1 1-3 4, McNeil 1 2-2 4, Cavender 1 4-4 6. Totals 12 8-10 34

NEW ATHENS (2-0)

Ingles 5 0-0 10, Gabuatz 0 1-2 1, Kiefer 5 2-3 13, Womack 4 8-15 16, Poe 0 2-3 2. Totals 14 13-23 42

3-point goals — Woodlawn 2 (Hammond, Dunbar), New Athens 1 (Kiefer). Team fouls — Woodlawn 21, New Athens 13. Fouled out — Wiggs

Text Only