Friday, March 09, 2001
Roger Bacon wins district title
By Carey Hoffman
Enquirer contributor
Casey Land battles two Trotwood players.
(Ernest Coleman photos)
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DAYTON — With almost seven minutes remaining, Josh Hausfeld sat on the end of the bench with ice on his right ankle. Frank Phillips, saddled with four fouls, was beside him. But because the Spartans' depth extends well beyond their two stars, they weren't in trouble Thursday.
The supporting cast — led by Beckham Wyrick, Casey Land, Michael Meridy and Dan Huerkamp — took center court in the fourth quarter, leading Roger Bacon to a 77-64 victory over Trotwood-Madison in a Division II district championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Roger Bacon (17-7) advances to the regional semifinals at Wright State, where it will face Columbus Mifflin at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Monty St. Clair scrambles for a loose ball.
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“We were just thinking, "Win the game,'” said Land, who came off the bench to score 13 points. “We knew there was danger, because they had great shooters. People were looking around, and we just had to rally the troops.”
Roger Bacon led throughout the game but could never put enough distance between itself and Trotwood-Madison to feel comfortable.
With 2:48 left in the third quarter, Hausfeld re-injured an ankle that has troubled him all year. Then, in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Phillips picked up his fourth foul, making Roger Bacon appear even more vulnerable to Trotwood-Madison's pressure defensive tactics that already were producing results.
Frank Phillips rebounds.
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“I was so proud of our upperclassmen. Our seniors really rallied around the guys and they didn't back down,” Roger Bacon coach Bill Brewer said.
Roger Bacon began attacking the Rams' traps more effectively than at any time earlier in the game. The lead was 53-43 when Phillips went out. First, Wyrick, who was scoreless to that point, beat pressure and scored on a layup going to the basket, which seemed to lift Roger Bacon's confidence.
The Spartans matched Trotwood basket for basket until the 4:11 mark, when they put together a 6-0 run to go up 68-50 and kill any Rams hope.
“It just showed how deep and strong they were,” Madison coach Bill Staten said. “Guys kept taking up the slack and they beat us up even worse than they had been. They're a solid ballclub. I didn't see any weakness.”
Phillips led Roger Bacon with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. As a team, the Spartans shot 61 percent from the field. Meridy added 12 points off the bench, while Hausfeld finished with 10.
Hausfeld's injury was the lone troubling aspect for Roger Bacon. Brewer said he was unsure of his junior star's status for next week.
ROGER BACON (77) — Johnson 1 0 2, Hausfeld 4 2 10, B. Wyrick 4 0 8, Phillips 9 5 23, St. Clair 3 0 6, Land 6 1 13, Huerkamp 1 0 3, Meridy 3 6 12. Totals: 31-51 14-27 77.
TROTWOOD-MADISON (64) — Robinson 0 4 4, Carton 10 1 22, Scott 6 6 20, Higgins 3 0 6, Brooks 1 0 3, Whitfield 2 0 4, Pinkard 2 1 5. Totals: 24-58 12-21 64.
Roger Bacon ....... 20 12 18 27—77
Trotwood-Madison ....... 16 12 13 23—64
3-point goals: RB 1-3 (Huerkamp); TM 4-16 (Carton, Scott 2, Brooks). Records: RB 17-7, TM 16-8.
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Roger Bacon wins district title
