Tuesday, November 24, 1998

Dragon men give Alma a roundball lesson

By Chris Homan
Sports Writer

Alma College center Jeremy Hyler had a shot - a wide open dunk right before the first half ended - and he blew it.

Maybe Hyler should have watched Tiffin University's Andreas James slam earlier in the game. He also could have learned a tip-or-two from Josh Martin and Wayne Belcher's rim rockers.

In fact, there were a lot of lessons to be learned from the Dragons on this night as Jemal Harris dropped in 26 points and Martin added 23 more in a 101-74 whipping of Alma at the Gillmor Center.

The win gives coach Dan Brook and the Dragons a 4-1 mark overall going into this weekend's game with St. Mary's College.

''I think we're going to be a very good team as long as we come out and play real good defense,'' Brook said. ''That's exactly what we did tonight. We got off to the fast start and just buried them. They (Alma) are very good 3-point shooters and we didn't give them any looks, then, we just attacked the other end.''

And attacked may have been an understatement coming from an offense that averaged 92 points per game coming into this one.

Alma stuck around at 10-6 before Martin, Brett Kuron and Harris sparked a 9-0 run that ended with the James slam.

From there the barrage started as Kipp Huntsberger hit a longball and jumper while Carson Duncan (13 points, five rebounds) went down low for a pair of scores. Calvert grad Josh Miller chipped in with two of his four points and Jamie Young burried a 3-point and the Dragons had a 33-14 edge.

The Scots would pull to within 17 points, 44-27, over the final eight minutes of the half, but that was all. Harris closed the half with six points in a 13-4 run to give the Dragons a comfortable lead at the half, 57-31.

''We we able to score in bunches early and really take them out of it,'' Brook said. ''I really didn't think we were a very good defensive team in the first game of the year and we were terrible in the second half against Charleston, but I think we have been getting better each game.

''Wilberforce scored 89 points on us, but it was sort of like this game here,'' he said. ''We gave up a lot of points in the second half with the bench in. I know that we're doing things well defensively even though I was concerned early. We're making progress.''

Progress enough to force the Scots (1-2) into 35 3-point attempts and good enough to allow just eight of them to be made. The Dragons also controlled the board game, grabbing 35 from the defensive end and 18 more offensively. Martin led those totals with nine while Harris chipped in with eight. TU sizzled from the field, connecting on 40 of 77 attempts.

''If we do a good job of boxing out, those guys (Harris and Martin) will get a lot (of rebounds) because they're quick and strong. Controlling the boards is really something that we have to do. It's another key that I look to towards they end of a game.''

It was the same kind of show in the second half.

Harris rattled off the first six points and Martin followd with a three-point play to give TU a 66-33 margin. Duncan added eight more points to the offense over the next five minutes, upping the lead to 78-48 before the substituions began.

Young, who had nine points, put the Dragons over the century mark with 4:23 left and amazingly it was TU's last basket.

Patrick Hoag had 15 points and six rebounds, tops for Alma, while Jim Hanlinadded 12 points and Tony Jasik 11.