01-19-04
MOUNT CARMEL VS. CARMI-WHITE COUNTY
CARMI INVITATIONAL TOURNEY
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARMI - Coach Ronnie Wilcox told his team before the Carmi Tourney began that they had a great opportunity to show what they can do against some teams that they will run into when the IHSA Class A Regionals start late next month.

Playing a predominately Indiana schedule due to their membership in the Big Eight Conference across the Wabash River, the Golden Aces have very few games scheduled against Illinois teams.

However MC, which entered this event with just a 4-11 mark, have taken advantage of its games against IHSA squads.

Coach Wilcox got a strong game from juniors Nate Yarbor and guard Blake Witsman and also an important defensive stand late in the game to post a 44-41 win over former NEC foe Carmi-White County in the finale of the opening night of the 25th Annual Carmi Invitational Tournament.

In the Aces four games played against Illinois squads, they now have a shining 3-1 record.

"This was a huge win for us tonight and like I told you before the game I thought this was a chance for us show what we could do and where we stood," said Wilcox. "To pick up a win tonight against the host school on their court in their tournament is big for us. The schedule that we played up to this point will help us from now on."

Witsman (14) and Yarbor (13) paced Mount Carmel in scoring and both of those players produced on a night where nearly every player contributed.

Witsman hit perhaps the biggest shot of the night to give his team the final margin of victory with :38.1 left.

With the score 42-41 Mount Carmel, and the Aces working the clock, Witsman made a drive down the lane. He faked a Carmi defender into the air and then scored on a short bank shot to give his club a 44-41 advantage.

Carmi had a shot to tie the game in the last seconds, but Keegan Dennis' off-balanced 3-point attempt drew nothing but air as the buzzer sounded.

"We have struggled against some really good teams in Indiana and I told the kids to keep their heads up because we have some teams this week that we hope we can compete against," added Wilcox.

Carmi falls to 9-10 on the season and opened their own tournament with a loss, despite 14 points from Kevin Wolff and 12 points from Tyler Choate.

"I knew that they were a lot better than their 4-11 record coming in to this game," said a disappointed Carmi coach Wade Thomas. "If you realize the type of teams that they have played, 4-11 is pretty good. They play in a heck of a league and we knew the type of basketball they were capable of playing."

After falling behind early 4-0, Mount Carmel responded by going inside for some points to finish off the quarter with a 7-0 run.

Witsman drove the lane and hit a short bank shot.

Then Judd Lewis and Micky Deming each scored baskets to finish off the quarter at 7-4. Deming went 'coast to coast' on a drive with :56 remaining.

Carmi made its best run of the game midway through the second quarter.

A pair of 3-pointers by Choate and Dennis triggered a 10-2 spurt, which gave the Bulldogs back the lead.

Dennis' steal and subsequent lay up made it 21-17 with :59 before halftime.

Mount Carmel quickly responded getting the ball inside to Yarbor who was sent to the line to make 1-of-2 charities on one trip, and then he scored on a spin move in the lane after receiving a pass from Witsman.

That made bucket reduced the CWC advantage to 21-20 at the break.

"They beat us up pretty good underneath the basket tonight," added Thomas. "They are a physical team."

The two teams battled in the third quarter with neither team getting more than a three-point advantage.

Lewis scored again for the Aces on a spin move in the lane to make it 24-21 Mount Carmel early in the quarter.

But Choate and Wolff both got going in the quarter offensively.

Choate scored five straight points; first on a drive to the basket while being fouled by Deming and then on another pair of free throws after Witsman picked up his third a foul.

Those points gave Carmi back the lead at 28-26 with 3:36 remaining.

Wolff got loose late in the quarter and nailed his only 3-pointer of the night from the right wing.

But Yarbor scored a pair of late baskets in the lane as Mount Carmel used its size advantage.

His shot on a power move in the paint got both teams to the third quarter horn tied at 32-all.

The early part of the fourth quarter saw five lead changes at the Bulldogs and Aces swapped advantages.

However Mount Carmel came up big in the final minutes to pull out the win.

Deming came up with perhaps the shot of the night, canning a 3-pointer from the right side with 3:07 to go.

His shot gave MC the lead at 42-39.

Carmi's Dennis his both of his free throws on a two-shot chance with 2:23 to go.

But a series of mistakes in the final minutes forced by the Mount Carmel defense finished off the Bulldogs.

Carmi had two late chances to take the lead, but the Aces' Lewis came up with a defensive play, knocking the ball off of Choate to give it back to Mount Carmel.

That set up Witsman's last shot on a drive to the basket.

Carmi's last shot at tying the game with a 3-pointer never really materialized.

After calling a timeout with :09.7, the Bulldogs didn't get a good look at the basket and Dennis' 3-point attempt was well short as time expired.

"We had eight points tonight from our four post players and that isn't good enough," added Thomas. "When you hold a team to 44 points, you have got to win a ballgame, simple as that. They (Yarbor and Lewis) are strong kids and all 200-plus pounds and quick and they were tough to handle tonight."

Lewis finished with seven points for Mount Carmel to go along with Witsman and Yarbor, who combined for 27-points.

Carmi-White County gets right back into action Tuesday night tackling winless Grayville at 7 pm.

Mount Carmel (5-11, 1-0 in the tourney) plays again Wednesday night when they take on another former conference mate Olney-East Richland at 7 pm.

It is a rematch of last season's final NEC game.

"Witsman and Yarbor both stepped up tonight for us," added Wilcox. "Hopefully we are turning the corner now. We have played some close games where we didn't get the big defensive stop and didn't hit the big shot. But tonight we got some things done."

Mount Carmel (44) - Witsman 5 0 4-5 14, Deming 1 1 0-0 5, Dunkel 1 0 1-1 3, Yarbor 5 0 3-5 13, Lewis 3 0 1-2 7, Buss 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-16, 3FG-1, FT-9-13, PF-16.
Carmi-White County (44) - Choate 2 1 5-5 12, Kittinger 0 0 3-4 3, Dennis 1 1 2-2 7, Wolff 4 1 3-3 14, Healy 1 0 1-4 3, Jones 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-9, 3FG-3, FT-14-18, PF-12.

OLNEY-EAST RICHLAND 65, GRAYVILLE 24
The Tigers took care of winless Grayville in the opening game of the Carmi Invitational Tourney, behind 19-points from Steven Mitchell.

All 13 players that played for Coach Rob Flanagan's club scored with Thomas Campbell and Blake Hilliard each scoring eight points.

Grayville's Cody Lynn lead the overmatched Bison with six points.

Grayville (24) - Rudisill 0 1 0-0 3, Williams 1 0 0-0 2, Cullison 1 1 0-0 5, O'Neal 1 0 1-2 3, Shoenheit 1 0 0-0 2, Ward 1 0 1-2 3, Lynn 3 0 0-0 6.
2FG-8, 3FG-2, FT-2-6, PF-11.
Olney-East Richland (65) - Weems 1 0 0-0 2, Schmucker 1 0 0-0 2, Kuenstler 0 0 1-2 1, Hatten 2 0 0-0 4, Hilliard 3 0 2-4 8, Miller 0 0 1-2 1, Berry 2 1 0-0 7, Mitchell 5 2 3-4 19, Beal 2 0 0-0 4, Ashworth 1 0 0-0 2, Kapper 1 0 0-0 2, Campbell 4 0 0-0 8, Doser 2 0 1-2 5.
2FG 22, 3FG-5, FT-6-10, PF-7.

GALLATIN COUNTY 60, HARRISBURG 58
The Hawks did just enough late in the game to hold off the Bulldogs as Trent Wargel lead all scorers with 22-points.

The 5-7 senior guard canned 14-of-16 free throws on the night, including 10-of-12 from the line in the fourth quarter.

Harrisburg had a chance to tie the game late, but Kolby Smithpeters missed an off-balanced shot in the final seconds.

Aaron Casteel pitched in 14-points while teammated Bryan Hargrave added 12 on four 3-pointers.

Cliff Ford had 20-points to pace Harrisburg (5-9) while Smithpeters and Michael Schuessler added 15 and 12.

Harrisburg (58) - Smithpeters 4 0 7-10 15, Schuessler 4 1 1-1 12, Ford 9 0 2-3 20, Sullivan 3 0 3-9 9, Bonwell 1 0 0-0 2, Thompson 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-21, 3FG-1, FT-13-23, PF-18.
Gallatin County (60) - Givens 1 0 1-2 3, Oldham 1 1 0-0 5, Casteel 4 2 0-0 14, Wargel 4 0 14-16 22, Slaton 0 0 1-2 1, Farler 1 0 1-2 3, Hargave 0 4 0-0 12.
Fouled Out - Harrisburg - Sullivan, Thompson.