12-27-06
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER - Galatia head coach Rod Wallace has a couple of very good players that the fans of the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament need to lend a watchful eye.

Robbie Engle and Chris Jann tag-teamed the Bearcats victims from New Athens with 43 points in a 73-55 win Wednesday evening in the first round of the 26th Annual Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.

In a helter-skelter type game, the quickness of the Bearcats’ guards wore down New Athens in the second half as Coach Rod Wallace and his Galatia bunch advanced to the quarterfinals with the lopsided win.

Engle scored 25 points, leading a pair of big scoring runs to finally take the sting out of the Yellow Jackets. Teammate Jann added 18 points for the 8-2 ‘Cats.

Every time Coach Eric Hager’s club made a bit of a move at Galatia, the Bearcats answered with a run of equal or greater numbers.

Hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes Jann and Brian Gurley staked Galatia to an 8-4 addy.

Two baskets by Bryce Davis and Jeremy Crider evened the game at eight apiece. It was the games final deadlock.

Galatia steamed ahead on a 12-2 run featuring a conventional three-point play by Gurley and a lay in by Joey Cullum.

When Engle scored on a driving one-handed shot in the lane with :02 remaining in the quarter, Galatia led 20-10.

“Overall I thought we did a pretty good job,” said Coach Wallace. “We got a bit sloppy in the second quarter but we finished the game well.”

New Athens (4-5) received 17 points from 6-foot-4 senior Nick Parker. He scored on back-to-back possessions – both scores in transition – that forced a Galatia timeout at 24-18 with 5:20 before intermission.

A rebound basket by Parker got the Yellow Jackets to within 27-25.

But again Galatia – with Engle leading the way – finished the quarter with another run.

Seven consecutive points by Engle put the Bearcats up 34-27 at the break. Two free throws, a 3-pointer and a fast break score after a NA miscue resulted in a lay just before the horn.

“They (Galatia) were a step quicker than us and they had an answer for everything that we did tonight,” said Coach Hager. “They got to a lot of loose balls tonight and they hit some shots, too. They have a lot of weapons.”

New Athens final salvo came midway through the third quarter.

An Andy Kreher bucket and another Parker shot in the paint cut the New Athens’ deficit to just 42-35.

But Jann hit a pair of shots – one from the baseline and a rebound put-back - and yet another 3-pointer while teammate Ethan Robinson scored underneath the basket.

When the dust had settled and the third quarter expired, Galatia was in command at 51-37.

Three consecutive New Athens turnovers to begin the final quarter gave Galatia three easy transition baskets.

Engle scored two of the fast break buckets and when Jann scored his final points of the night from long range, the rout was on at 60-39.

“I was happy with the way that we rebounded but when you can’t put the ball in the hole and you turn the ball over you’re going to struggle,” added Hager. “Galatia did a good job of putting pressure on our guards and they always had weak-side help on Nick (Parker). They were ready for us. Our guards have struggled.”

New Athens wasn’t that bad from the field on the night, connecting on 24-of-55 shots overall (44 percent). However they had 14 unwelcome turnovers including nine in the second half that helped generate the Galatia fast break.

After Nick Parker and his 17 markers; Jeremy Crider scored 13 points and teammate Brad Dontigney chipped home 10.

Galatia had nine players score with Engle and Jann combining for 43 of the points with Gurley adding 10.

The Bearcats hit 27-of-56 from the floor (48 percent) while committing just nine turnovers.

“He (Engle) is playing under control more now than he did earlier in the season,” added Wallace. “This is an unusual team for me because we have five guys averaging double-figures. I’m pleased to be in the position that we are in with this many guys that can score.”

New Athens (55) - Litteken 0 0 0-0 0, Patti 0 0 0-0 0, Dontigney 3 1 1-2 10, Crider 6 0 1-2 13, Davis 1 0 0-0 2, Parker 8 0 1-1 17, Kreher 1 0 2-2 4, Junge 0 1 0-0 3, Jansen 2 0 0-0 4, Meketa 0 0 0-0 0, Roddy 1 0 0-0 2, Womack 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-22, 3FG-2, FT-5-7, PF-13.
Galatia (73) - Jann 3 3 3-4 18, Beaty 1 0 2-4 4, Engle 6 3 4-4 25, Gurley 3 1 1-1 10, Robinson 1 0 1-2 3, Higgins 0 0 0-0 0, Wallace 0 0 0-0 0, Watson 1 0 0-0 2, PIckering 0 1 0-0 3, Cullum 2 0 0-0 4, White 2 0 0-0 4.
2FG-19, 3FG-8, FT-11-15, PF-11.
Fouled Out - None.
Technical Fouls - None.

WALTONVILLE 64, COBDEN 33
After a bit of a slow offensive beginning, the Spartans exploded in the middle two quarters to head to the quarterfinals.

Josh Ralls with 16 points and Derek Tepovich with 13 led the defending tournament champions.

Coach Mike Denault’s club let the Appleknockers hang around for a quarter (21-12) before ‘Rush-ing’ off on a 10-2 run to close the first half at 35-18.

Kyle Brumleve topped Cobden (2-9) with 10 points while Adam McCann added nine points on three 3-pointers.

Waltonville (8-1) will play Sesser-Valier Thursday night in the last quarterfinal round game.

The Red Devils pulled off a mild upset by sending the Indians into the consolation bracket with the win in the opening day finale, 60-42.

VIENNA 75, ZEIGLER-ROYALTON 29
After leading just 28-15 at the half; the Eagles put away the Tornadoes by outscoring them 28-7 in the third quarter.

Six-foot-eleven junior Brett Thompson poured in 28 points in the win, sending Coach Rick Metcalf’s club into the quarterfinals against Carterville.

Thompson also connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the contest while teammate Kyle Willis added 11 points for Vienna (10-1).

Cory Belcher chipped in 10 in the win.

Six-foot-five sophomore Aaron Jones with 12 points topped Zeigler-Royalton (3-6).

CARTERVILLE 50, WOODLAWN 47
The Lions rallied for the win in the tournament opener.

Woodlawn coughed up a 47-42 lead by missing three consecutive one-and-bonus free throws in the final 2:16 in spite of Scott McNeil’s 16 points.

Bronson Verhines was another bright spot for the Cardinals, finishing with 10 points.

Carterville (3-6) was led by Tyler Thomas with 16 and Tony Brown with nine.

MARISSA-COULTERVILLE 51, CHRISTOPHER 44
In the tournament’s biggest upset on day one; the Meteors shocked Christopher.

Craig Place paced the Meteors (5-5) 16 points with Cale Wine and Jordan Wagner adding 14 and 11.

Marissa-Coulterville held the Bearcats’ top scorer Nick Minor to just 12 points.

Zach Thomas led Christopher (7-3) with 20 points.

M-C jumped out to a 31-22 lead at halftime and used a 5-of-8 free throw performance to sew up the victory.

SPARTA 63, SHAWNEE 48
Sparta – the lone SIRR Mississippi team in the small school event – got 17 points from Travis Thurau in the Bulldogs’ 63-48 triumph.

Out gunning the Redskins 19-6 in the second quarter, the Bulldogs improved to 7-4 on the season.

Tyler Thompson added 14 points while fellow Dawg Shane Peck added 11.

Tim Harris led all scorers with 19 points for Shawnee (6-6) and Coach John Buchta.

GOREVILLE 75, ELVERADO 48
The Blackcats stayed unbeaten with a relatively easy win over winless Elverado.

Ten Goreville players inked the book in the Cats’ ninth win without a loss.

Coach Todd Tripp saw his club move to the winners side of the bracket with help from Bobby Madden who scored 14 points to led the way, including eight fourth quarter points to help put away the Falcons.

Jason Robertson added 13; Tyler Sopczak chipped in 12 and Kenton Parmley provided 11 points.

Elverado (0-9) had the games’ top scorer with Justin Snell hitting for 23.