Zoned out: Heights boys fall to Trinity
Brent Maycock, Special to The Gazette
Saturday, March 8, 2008
HUTCHINSON — Northern Heights knew it was coming.
The Wildcats talked about it. They prepared for it. They thought they were ready for it.
But when actually faced with Wichita Trinity’s zone defense in Friday’s Class 3A State Tournament semifinal, Heights couldn’t solve it. At least not in time to earn a spot in today’s championship game.
A woeful start that saw Trinity hold the Wildcats scoreless for the first 5 minutes of the game and a slew of turnovers — 27 to be exact — the rest of the way were just too much for the Wildcats to overcome, as they suffered a 47-28 loss to Trinity.
Heights, which lost for just the third time this season, instead will play in today’s 2 p.m. third-place game against Holcomb, which lost a wild 54-51 semifinal with Nemaha Valley.
“We strictly prepared for it (Thursday) in practice,” Heights coach Lanny Massey said of the Knights’ zone. “We haven’t seen a lot of zone this year. Our league has been primarily man.”
Trinity doesn’t play a whole lot of zone, but did so primarily to shut down Heights’ big man, Haydon Parks.
The Knights certainly succeeded in that respect.
After scoring 31 in the Wildcats’ first-round win, Parks didn’t even get a shot attempt in the first quarter against Trinity. Part of it was Trinity’s zone surrounding and hounding the 6-foot-6 Parks. And part of it was two quick fouls that sent Parks to the bench for the final half of the quarter.
But even when Parks returned in the second quarter, he wasn’t a factor. He got off just three shots — making one — and went into halftime with two points.
By that time Trinity was well in control.
“We felt like zone was our best defense tonight,” Trinity coach David Swank said, “and we were able to play it pretty well.”
Heights was within 10-7 at the end of the first period, but went on a 4 1/2-minute scoring drought to start the second quarter, and Trinity made Heights pay. The Knights scored the first eight points of the quarter to take an 18-7 lead and led, 25-13, at halftime.
Pete Symmonds’ bucket to start the second half got Heights back to within 10, but Matt Swank came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Knights. The Wildcats managed just six points in the quarter, and Trinity led 33-19 at the end of the period.
Parks finally came to life in the fourth, scoring eight points to finish with 12, but it wasn’t enough.
“It took us awhile to figure out how to fight back,” Massey said.
In addition to its turnovers, Heights shot just 31 percent (13-of-41) for the game. Trinity only finished at 32 percent, but got off 15 more shots, thanks largely to committing 12 fewer turnovers and grabbing six more rebounds. Heights’ rebounding troubles could be summed up this way: 5-foot-8 guard Roman Murray led the team with six.
The point total was the lowest during Massey’s tenure at Heights, eclipsing the 38 the Wildcats scored in the Sub-State semifinals against Central Heights.
Wichita Trinity 47, Northern Heights 28
Friday at Hutchinson
No. Heights 7 6 6 9 — 28
Wichita Trinity 10 15 8 14 — 47
Northern Heights (22-3) — Glass 2-8 0-0 5, Bronson 0-1 0-0 0, Symmonds 1-2 0-2 2, Hizar 1-7 0-0 2, Parks 6-10 0-1 12, Murray 1-5 1-2 3, McClellan 1-5 0-0 2, Hanks 1-3 0-0 2, R. Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Tabares 0-0 0-0 0, D. Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Seematter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-41 1-5 28.
Wichita Trinity (23-2) — Lindley 0-8 0-0 0, Funk 1-8 0-0 2, Henderson 5-16 0-0 10, Graddy 8-14 3-6 20, Kriwiel 1-1 0-0 2, Billings 0-4 5-6 5, Kempin 0-1 0-1 0, Storey 1-1 0-0 2, Netherton 0-0 0-0 0, Swank 2-3 0-0 6, Kessinger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-56 8-13 47.
3-point goals — NH 1-11 (Glass 1-6, Hizar 0-2, Bronson 0-1, Murray 0-1, McClellan 0-1), WT 3-22 (Swank 2-3, Graddy 1-4, Funk 0-5, Henderson 0-5, Lindley 0-4, Billings 0-1). Rebounds — NH 32 (Murray 6), WT 38 (Henderson 8). Assists — NH 10 (Murray 3), WT 17 (Henderson 5). Turnovers — NH 27, WT 15. Total fouls — NH 17, WT 12. Fouled out — NH: Murray.