12-10-14
BY JACK BULLOCK
WOODLAWN - Head coach Brad Beaty has a young, up-and-coming team at Webber Township.

This group is learning each time they step onto the floor.

The Trojans got another lesson on Wednesday night on the road at Woodlawn.

Getting off to a bad start against a good team isn't a formula for success.

Hitting just 1-of-9 field goal attempts starting the night while allowing the Cardinals to begin the game with a big offensive push, Webber fell way behind and never fully recovered.

Woodlawn jumped out to a 15-2 lead and, despite a lapse in concentration for a few minutes in the beginning of the third quarter, cruised to a 58-36 Midland Trail Conference victory, the first of the season for the Cardinals while improving to 4-2 overall.

Ross Owens, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, netted 14-points to lead Woodlawn to the early lead.

Owens canned three 3-point shots in the first quarter and finished with 11-points in the first eight minutes.

Junior teammates Austin Ballard and Brett Harris added 11 and 10-points respectively as the Cardinals never trailed.

Senior Bryson Sanders added nine points for Coach Shane Witzel's club, that forced four early turnovers and sprinted out to an early lead just seconds into the contest.

Attacking the Webber Township zone defense, Woodlawn scored on the inside and from beyond the arc.

“We played 1-3-1 last night against Odin (61-52 loss) and I really didn't like our match ups with them tonight going man-to-man,” said Coach Beaty. “I was hoping that we could throw a different look at them that maybe they hadn't had this year. But they were ready for it. Ross (Owens) comes out and he's on fire so we junked it up and went Box-and-one and that didn't work.”

When Owens wasn't nailing shots from the outside he was finding teammates with good passes.

Sanders scored the first basket of the game in the lane and then Owens turned a Webber turnover into a transition basket by Harris for a 4-0 led a minute later.

The Trojans got on the board with a pair of free throws from junior forward Corey Hammer.

However Owens followed up with the first of his 3-pointers to start an 11-0 run.

After a reverse lay in by Sanders and another bomb by Owens, Coach Beaty needed a time out at 12-2 Woodlawn at the 3:45 left in the first quarter.

Owens added one more trey and a score on a lay in for a 17-4 lead.

A free throw by Webber's Ryan Johnson closed the frame with the Trojans down by 12.

“I really felt like the start of the game was really important. Ross (Owens) got loose in the first quarter. We ran him some good sets and we got him some open 3's,” said Coach Witzel. “They (Webber) started out in a 1-3-1 (zone) and we did a good job of reversing it and finding the seems. We found Bryson (Sanders) down low a few times for some easy scores around the basket. We had a really good quarter. I thought that was important to set the tone of the game. We guarded them well in the first half and got them out of rhythm.”

Woodlawn didn't let up with reserve senior Ryan Richardson converting a fast break and Owens finishing his night of scoring with his fourth 20-footer for a 22-6 lead.

Webber made a brief rally scoring the next five points, with Jaxon Helm hitting a 3-pointer and converting a Woodlawn turnover as he drove through traffic for a fast-break bucket.

When Woodlawn closed the half on a basket underneath by Ballard and a free throw by Harris, the Cards led 27-11 at the break.

Webber was held to 3-of-13 shooting from the field and committed nine turnovers in the first half as they fell behind.

The Trojans first, and only significant, run of the contest got the attention of the Woodlawn coaching staff at the opening of the third quarter.

The visitors went on an 8-2 sprint, causing Coach Witzel to call an early second half timeout.

Webber got baskets from Hammer, Helm and freshman Charles Neal to force the Woodlawn huddle.

Two free throws by senior Brandon Raymer with 4:27 left, Webber Township was down just 29-19.

Whatever Coach Witzel had to say during the timeout got the attention of his club as they immediately turned things around.

A 9-2 burst closed the quarter; a 3-pointer from Harris, a steal and fast-break for a lay up by sophomore Blake Wollerman and a couple of free throws, one each from Harris and Sanders.

Woodlawn led 38-21 heading into the final frame.

“We weren't happy with the way that went (start of the third quarter) and that shouldn't happen regardless of our circumstances. That (beginning) was pretty sloppy,” said Coach Witzel. “Which was a shame because we played well defensively and so hard in the first half. We didn't run our offense and we let them (Webber) get to where there was a little bit of hope. It was disappointing. And there are stretches in the season when this happens but we weren't happy and I don't think that the kids were happy. We made some adjustments coming out of the timeout and got going again.”

Eight consecutive points to begin the final period put an exclamation point on the win for Woodlawn.

A 3-pointer from the left wing by Harris and five straight points from Ballard sealed the deal.

Ballard converted a conventional three-point play after being fouled by Neal and then his rebound basket with 5:59 to go pushed the lead to 46-21.

Senior Nathan Arnold got into the fun for Woodlawn in the final minutes as he and Ballard tossed in the the final pair of 3-pointers (eight total) as the hosts led 53-28 before Coach Witzel emptied his bench.

The final count for the numbers looked like this.

The Cardinals finished 21-of-47 from the field (44.6 percent) but 10 of those missed shots came in the final quarter after the dust had settled on the victory.

Woodlawn hit 8-of-12 from beyond the arc while holding a 28-16 rebounding edge.

The Cardinals held Webber to 13-of-34 from the floor (38.2 percent) while forcing 15-turnovers (nine in the first half) while picking up the home win.

Coach Witzel's club will head back into action on Friday night when the host 2A powerhouse Breese Mater Dei.

“I thought we were careless with the ball (in the third quarter). And we have got to be better than that. We have had several games in a row where we have made some silly turnovers and that is something that we have got to get corrected,” added Coach Witzel. “We make some of those passes on Friday night (against Mater Dei) and they are going to be dunked at the other end. Maybe that will correct it.”

Webber hosts win-less Thompsonville Friday night.

“I thought our guys played hard but they (Woodlawn) have such high basketball IQ's and they all have a nose for the ball. But we battled. I looked up and we had it down to ten points in the third quarter. We just couldn't get that stop,” added Coach Beaty. “I just told the kids and I told them last night. I just want to battle. Keep fighting hard and playing hard. We will go out their Friday and do it again. That is the thing about this group, they keep fighting.”