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03-15-2012, 12:00 AM
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03-15-2012, 12:00 AM
03-15-2012, 12:23 AM
No. 1 Louisville Trinity's No. 1 priority in every basketball game is to play defense with relentless fury from the opening tip to the final horn.
Coach Mike Szabo had no complaints in the defense department after the Shamrocks rocked Bullitt East 52-32 before a crowd of 15,107 during the first round of the 95th PNC/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen on Wednesday night in Rupp Arena.
Trinity limited the Chargers to 25 percent shooting (11-for-44), forced them into 16 turnovers and held them to their lowest point total in seven years.
The Rocks focused on Bullitt East star Derek Willis, who has committed to Kentucky. The 6-foot-9 junior, hounded by rotating defenders (mainly James Quick, Demarcus Page and Craig Owens), missed 12 of 15 shots and had eight turnovers. He did grab 13 rebounds.
"We wanted to make it very difficult for him," Szabo said. "We wanted to bang him around, push him, get up into him, make him bounce it and make sure he didn't get offensive rebounds.
"I thought everybody who played him did a super job."
Bullitt East Coach Troy Barr thought Trinity got away with a being a little too physical with his big man.
"I think there's a different set of rules for Derek right now. I think he gets beat on more than other people do. But," Barr added, "Trinity's a great team and will probably win the state championship. Even if the (referees) had called some of the fouls, I don't know if we could've beat them the way they shot the ball in the second half.
"We just got mentally drained."
Bullitt East's defense was terrific in the first half. It helped the Chargers build a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter. Nathan Dieudonne had all of Trinity's points while his teammates were 0-for-11 from the field.
But Miles Rice came off the bench and had five quick points to rally the Rocks into a 16-16 halftime tie.
Trinity got its offense clicking in the second half.
"I knew we'd come out and start making some points. I wasn't worried about that," Dieudonne said. "We just had to keep playing great defense till our shots started falling."
Trinity broke away with an 11-0 run, fueled by a pair of three-pointers by Rice, that made it 37-24 early in the fourth quarter.
Dieudonne, a 6-7 senior who has signed with Boston University, led the Rocks with 17 points and six rebounds. Charles Foster, who's headed to Morehead State, had 15 points and nine rebounds. Rice, a junior, had 11 points.
It didn't matter that junior standouts Quick and Darryl Hicks were a combined 0-for-11 from the field.
"Team, team," Szabo said, stressing depth as one of Trinity's best assets. "We had a couple guys kind of struggle tonight offensively. No big deal. Somebody else comes in and picks up the slack. Guys come off the bench and get things done."
It didn't matter, either, that Trinity had its lowest point total this season. It still won its 15th consecutive game going away. "We got it done with defense tonight," Szabo said.
Bullitt East was led in scoring by junior Rusty Troutman's 12 points. Junior point guard Trey Rakes added five.
Barr said Trinity simply had too many weapons.
"They've got guys on the bench who'd start for most teams," he said. "You've got to pick your poison with them. If one or two of those other guys are on like tonight, they can be really dangerous."
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/14/21103...rylink=cpy
Coach Mike Szabo had no complaints in the defense department after the Shamrocks rocked Bullitt East 52-32 before a crowd of 15,107 during the first round of the 95th PNC/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen on Wednesday night in Rupp Arena.
Trinity limited the Chargers to 25 percent shooting (11-for-44), forced them into 16 turnovers and held them to their lowest point total in seven years.
The Rocks focused on Bullitt East star Derek Willis, who has committed to Kentucky. The 6-foot-9 junior, hounded by rotating defenders (mainly James Quick, Demarcus Page and Craig Owens), missed 12 of 15 shots and had eight turnovers. He did grab 13 rebounds.
"We wanted to make it very difficult for him," Szabo said. "We wanted to bang him around, push him, get up into him, make him bounce it and make sure he didn't get offensive rebounds.
"I thought everybody who played him did a super job."
Bullitt East Coach Troy Barr thought Trinity got away with a being a little too physical with his big man.
"I think there's a different set of rules for Derek right now. I think he gets beat on more than other people do. But," Barr added, "Trinity's a great team and will probably win the state championship. Even if the (referees) had called some of the fouls, I don't know if we could've beat them the way they shot the ball in the second half.
"We just got mentally drained."
Bullitt East's defense was terrific in the first half. It helped the Chargers build a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter. Nathan Dieudonne had all of Trinity's points while his teammates were 0-for-11 from the field.
But Miles Rice came off the bench and had five quick points to rally the Rocks into a 16-16 halftime tie.
Trinity got its offense clicking in the second half.
"I knew we'd come out and start making some points. I wasn't worried about that," Dieudonne said. "We just had to keep playing great defense till our shots started falling."
Trinity broke away with an 11-0 run, fueled by a pair of three-pointers by Rice, that made it 37-24 early in the fourth quarter.
Dieudonne, a 6-7 senior who has signed with Boston University, led the Rocks with 17 points and six rebounds. Charles Foster, who's headed to Morehead State, had 15 points and nine rebounds. Rice, a junior, had 11 points.
It didn't matter that junior standouts Quick and Darryl Hicks were a combined 0-for-11 from the field.
"Team, team," Szabo said, stressing depth as one of Trinity's best assets. "We had a couple guys kind of struggle tonight offensively. No big deal. Somebody else comes in and picks up the slack. Guys come off the bench and get things done."
It didn't matter, either, that Trinity had its lowest point total this season. It still won its 15th consecutive game going away. "We got it done with defense tonight," Szabo said.
Bullitt East was led in scoring by junior Rusty Troutman's 12 points. Junior point guard Trey Rakes added five.
Barr said Trinity simply had too many weapons.
"They've got guys on the bench who'd start for most teams," he said. "You've got to pick your poison with them. If one or two of those other guys are on like tonight, they can be really dangerous."
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/14/21103...rylink=cpy
03-15-2012, 12:26 AM
Derek Willis will call Rupp Arena his basketball home in a couple years, but it was more like a haunted house for the Bullitt East star on Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-9 junior, who has committed to Kentucky, had a miserable time dealing with the frightening Louisville Trinity defense as the No. 1 Shamrocks beat Bullitt East 52-32.
Willis was 3-for-15 shooting and had eight turnovers. He did have 13 rebounds, but it still added up to a night to forget.
"It was frustrating," he said. "When I tried to post up, another guy would leak off and help on me, I didn't know what to do."
Trinity rotated thick-bodied DeMarcus Page and Craig Owens, and super quick James Quick on Willis.
"Page is a football player and a physical kid, and Craig Owens is, too," Willis said.
Bullitt East Coach Troy Barr said he thought last week's 6th Region finals against Pleasure Ridge Park was the most physical game he'd seen, but this Trinity game was a close second.
"Derek got beat to death in the PRP game," Barr said. "If I watched the PRP film, I'd do the same thing. If the refs are going to let you beat on him, I'd say let's do it until they call it. It's got to be frustrating for Derek. I'm proud of him for the class he showed in not reacting."
Now that the Chargers' season is done, Willis can follow UK in the NCAA Tournament. He said he hopes to be in the KFC Yum Center to watch the Cats play Western Kentucky on Thursday.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/14/21104...rylink=cpy
The 6-foot-9 junior, who has committed to Kentucky, had a miserable time dealing with the frightening Louisville Trinity defense as the No. 1 Shamrocks beat Bullitt East 52-32.
Willis was 3-for-15 shooting and had eight turnovers. He did have 13 rebounds, but it still added up to a night to forget.
"It was frustrating," he said. "When I tried to post up, another guy would leak off and help on me, I didn't know what to do."
Trinity rotated thick-bodied DeMarcus Page and Craig Owens, and super quick James Quick on Willis.
"Page is a football player and a physical kid, and Craig Owens is, too," Willis said.
Bullitt East Coach Troy Barr said he thought last week's 6th Region finals against Pleasure Ridge Park was the most physical game he'd seen, but this Trinity game was a close second.
"Derek got beat to death in the PRP game," Barr said. "If I watched the PRP film, I'd do the same thing. If the refs are going to let you beat on him, I'd say let's do it until they call it. It's got to be frustrating for Derek. I'm proud of him for the class he showed in not reacting."
Now that the Chargers' season is done, Willis can follow UK in the NCAA Tournament. He said he hopes to be in the KFC Yum Center to watch the Cats play Western Kentucky on Thursday.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/14/21104...rylink=cpy
03-15-2012, 07:05 AM
03-15-2012, 07:07 AM
03-15-2012, 07:07 AM
03-15-2012, 07:07 AM
03-15-2012, 07:08 AM
03-15-2012, 07:08 AM
03-15-2012, 05:04 PM
Wow!! Well there goes my Sweet 16 bracket! I had Bullitt East with the upset in this game and then going all the way!:HitWall: Trinity proves that they are the favorite to win the Sweet 16 in this game! Congrats Rocks!!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
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