01-29-11
BY JACK BULLOCK
PINCKNEYVILLE - The Pinckneyville Panthers have struggled offensively this season in finding consistency.

Following a Friday night loss on the road at Anna-Jonesboro in which they shot just 24 percent from the field in a 42-37 loss head coach Bob Waggoner wasn't sure how his team would react on Saturday night when they played host to Roxana in the final game of the Pinckneyville Panther Showcase.

Whatever fears the coaching staff had quickly disappeared.

After a brief struggle in the first quarter – Pinckneyville put all those offensive worries to rest with a explosion that resulted in a 78-47 romp over the Shells.

Nailing 9-of-20 shots from behind the 3-point arc and hitting exactly half of their overall shots (27-of-54) the Panthers improved to 16-6 on the season with the victory.

Steven Brueggman led the Panthers with 20-points and teammate Hunter Queen was hot from long range and finished with 19.

Queen was the biggest thorn in the Roxana side from downtown as this 5-foot-10 junior guard connected on 5-of-7 shots from beyond the arc in the win.

“Tonight we shot the ball much better than we did last night and I think our trap (zone trap) bothered them a lot,” said Coach Waggoner. “That sophomore (Reine) has a great deal of potential.”

Defensively Pinckneyville was right in tune – holding the Shells to just 17-of-48 (35 percent) shooting in the contest.

The bright spot for head coach Mark Briggs' club was the play of 6-foot-8 sophomore Hunter Reine.

Reine tossed in 17-points while grabbing a game-best 11-rebounds.

However he didn't get nearly enough help as Roxana saw its mark slip to 15-9 on the season.

After a 9-9 standoff in the first quarter the Panthers dominated the game.

Roxana took its final lead of the contest in the opening minute of the second quarter when Reine scored in the lane for an 11-9 lead.

At that point Pinckneyville took off on a 14-4 run.

Queen drained his first trifecta in the game and also scored on a fast break lay in.

Pinckneyville's Payton Nippe grabbed his own rebound and scored while being fouled by Reine.

His converted free throw with 3:21 left before halftime made it 25-15 Panthers.

Queen canned another 3-pointer while Brueggeman scored twice to finish the scoring for Pinckneyville in the opening half.

His 15-footer from just to the right of the foul line with :05 made it 31-16 at intermission.

Queen and teammate Christian Shopinski both connected from 3-point land to open the third quarter and a pair of free throws and another fast break score from Bruggeman set the rout in motion at 41-20 with 5:10 left in the third.

Reine tried to keep his Shells in the game with nine points in the stanza – which included a two-handed dunk and a pair of rebound put-back baskets.

However Queen hit another 3-pointer and a lay up from Bryant Shute before the quarter ended made it 55-33 Panthers.

Nine consecutive Pinckneyville points to start the fourth quarter closed the door on Roxana.

Yet another 3-pointer from Queen – who was named the game's Outstanding Player – and another drive to the basket by Bruggeman pushed the lead to 64-33.

Pinckneyville's Kyle Lamb was the third player to reach double-figures for the Panthers with 11-points.

The Panthers outrebounded the Shells 32-29 and hit 15-of-20 free throw attempts.

Jordan Briggs and Daniel Wilmurth added nine points each to the Roxana scoring total.

Pinckneyville held Roxana to 0-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line and forced 13-turnovers as Coach Waggoner's club improved to 16-6.

“We knew coming into the game that this was going to be a tough game to win on their home floor,” said Roxana head coach Mark Briggs. “Their trap really bothered us.”

Roxana (47) – O'Dell 0 0 0-0 0, Brigges 2 0 5-7 9, Reine 6 0 5-9 17, Touchette 3 0 2-2 8, McPeak 0 0 0-0 0, Mellenthin 0 0 0-0 0, Wilmurth 4 0 1-2 9, Groves 0 0 0-0 0, Brown 1 0 0-0 2, McGee 1 0 0-0 2, Hartnett 0 0 0-0 0, Brown 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-17, 3FG-0, FT-13-21, PF-19.
Pinckneyville (78) – Brueggeman 6 1 5-5 20, Shopinski 0 1 0-0 3, Lamb 4 0 3-5 11, Shute 1 1 0-0 5, Queen 1 5 2-3 19, Miller 0 0 0-0 0, Hardin 2 0 3-4 7, Buman 1 0 0-0 2, Nippe 1 0 2-3 4, Opp 0 0 0-0 0, Priebe 2 0 0-0 4, Kellerman 1 0 1-2 3. 2FG-18, 3FG-9, FT-15-20, PF-20.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

STEELEVILLE 62, SESSER-VALIER 50
Holding the Red Devils to just six points in the fourth quarter – Steeleville won a battle of quality 1A teams at the Panther Showcase.

Coach Gerald Mumbower's Warriors got three players in double-figures with Andrew Pokrzywinski leading the way with 18-points and 10-rebounds. Coire Reel finished with 17-points while Colin Smith ended up with 12-points and 12-rebounds.

Sesser-Valier put two players in double-figures with Tim Witcher leading all scorers with 20-points while teammate Drew Dorris finished with 10 as the team struggled as a whole offensively.

“We're not a bad defensive ballclub and we've been searching for what we want to do defensively and the zone has been pretty good for us lately,” said Coach Mumbower. “We played a lot of man early and we have been switching zone in there. The kids have bought in and believe in what we are doing.”

Steeleville broke a 48-all tie with a 12-0 run highlighted by Reel scoring on a pair of rebound baskets and the Warriors hitting 6-of-9 from the foul line in the final minutes.

Reel grabbed a missed Torrey Gerberding missed free throw and stuck it back home to put Steeleville up 55-48 with 1:18 left.

Sesser-Valier was just 2-of-13 from the field in the fourth quarter and 21-of-56 (37.5 percent) for the contest in defeat.

“We've got to be tougher than that and you have to be tough down the stretch,” said S-V head coach Chip Basso. “We had a couple of times where we didn't box out on free throws and we let them get the rebound. Just key moments we made mistakes and at this point in the year you can't make those kind of mistakes like that against a good ball team.”

Steeleville improved to 13-8 on the season with the win behind 25-of-50 shooting in the game and a 33-37 rebounding edge.

The Warriors also kept S-V from the foul line very often as the Red Devils attempted just six free throws (5-of-6) in the game.

“We have to take advantage of him (Reel) being quicker than a lot of big kids,” added Coach Mumbower. “We like to push the ball up the floor but in a controlled manner and back it out when there is nothing there.”

Dustin Hicks added eight points for Sesser-Vallier while Justin Kulich added six.

“It all comes down to effort and on rebounding and getting back on defense we didn't do it tonight,” added Coach Basso. “We are past the point now of using inexperience as an excuse. We're in January and close to February and we have to cut down on those mistakes.”

Steeleville (62) – Smith 5 0 2-4 12, Reel 7 0 3-4 17, Combs 1 0 0-0 2, Pokrzywinski 4 2 4-4 18, Gewrberding, 1 0 0-2 2, Potter 3 0 1-2 7, Winkelman 2 0 0-0 4, Wilson 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-23, 3FG-2, FT-10-16, PF-8.
Sesser-Valier (50) – Witcher 7 1 3-4 20, Dorris 5 0 0-0 10, Stanley 1 0 2-2 4, Hicks 1 2 0-0 8, Jenkins 0 0 0-0 0, DelBene 0 0 0-0 0, Kulich 3 0 0-0 6, Vercellino 1 0 0-0 2, Edwards 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-18, 3FG-3, FT-5-6, PF-18.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

In other games at the Panther Showcase.
Breese Central rolled past Du Quoin 61-42 behind 19-points from Nick Grapperhaus and 15-points from Brandon Book. Jacob Timmermann added 14-points.

Du Quoin struggled offensively and hit just 17-of-42 shots from the floor and had just one double-digit scorer with J.C. Davis scoring 16.

Breese Mater Dei outscored Providence St. Mel 42-29 in the second half as the Knights rallied for a 71-63 win.

BMD was led by Cory Artentsen with 26-points while three other players hit for double-figures.

Trevor Richards (15), Jacob Kampwerth (13) and Tyler Detmer (11) added to the offensive show for Coach Brian Perkes club that improved to 19-1.

St. Mel was paced by Tevin Harris with 22-points.

Mount Carmel rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to stun Lebanon 68-64 behind 32-points from Alex Hale.

Okawville held off Goreville 67-61 with Taylor Walton scoring 21-points Jeremy Weeke adding 11.

Goreville was led by Lee Sopczak with 21.