Saturday, December 18, 1999Lakota West 49, Lakota East 36
Both offenses off in big game
BY CAREY HOFFMAN
Enquirer contributorWhen Lakota's two high schools get together, it's always going to be a big game.
So, with Friday's game on the eve of the annual UC-Xavier matchup, it was a natural that the Lakotas' first basketball meeting of the 1999-2000 season became dubbed “The Cross-Township Shootout.”
“I'm relieved. This is such an emotional game,” West coach Mike Mueller said after his team survived an uneven offensive night to post a 49-36 victory at East. “This is our Ohio State-Michigan, our Bengals-Browns.”
An overflow crowd of 2,500 watched the two unbeaten teams try to establish themselves as contenders in the Greater Miami Conference race.
But both teams struggled to score. By halftime, West's lead was already 13 points, but the score was only 24-11. West's best shooter, all-GMC guard Andy Dunn, didn't make a shot until 2:17 was left in the third quarter. He finished the game with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.
West shot only 34 percent from the field. East was better at 36 percent thanks to some second-half layups.
“It was tough out there,” West guard Jamie Chaney said. “We just had to find a way to settle down, which I think we did after a couple of quarters.”
Chaney and guard Gerald Parker were key for West, scoring 11 points each. Parker had seven first-half points to help West take the lead, then Chaney closed the door by hitting 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Those baskets pushed West's lead to 40-22 with 7:10 to play in the game.
“Once he hit that second three, it just became a matter of what the final score would be,” Mueller said.
East, which endured a 1-20 season a year ago, hoped to prove that its 2-0 start this year was a good sign.
“There was a lot on the line for us,” East coach Dave Davis said. “I told our kids that tonight we'd find out how far we'd come or how far we have to go. We know there's still a ways to go.”
West went home with bragging rights — at least until the rematch at West on Jan.29 — and the satisfaction of giving Mueller his 450th career win, the most among Cincinnati coaches.
WEST (49) — Parker 2 6 11, Romero 3 1 7, York 0 2 2, Dunn 3 3 9, Hutzelman 1 1 3, McIntosh 0 2 2, Chaney 3 2 11, Rehring 2 0 4. Totals: 14 17 49.
EAST (36) — J. Graves 1 0 2, Hill 1 1 4, Underwood 1 0 3, Thompson 1 0 2, S. Graves 3 2 9, Woods 4 0 8, Small 4 0 8. Totals: 15 3 36.
West ....... 8 16 10 15 — 49
East ....... 4 7 11 14 — 36
3-point goals: W - Parker, Chaney 3; E - Hill, Underwood, S. Graves. Records: W 5-0 (3-0 GMC), E 2-1 (1-1 GMC).
Sports Stories
Auburn will pay for Brooks' literacy
Lakota West 49, Lakota East 36