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Sparta Mid-Winter Classic: Du Quoin's first at Sparta

Posted January 24, 2010 10:00 pm

Jeff Profitt

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[For the seventh time, Du Quoin's Indians are champions of the Sparta Mid-Winter Classic.

Saturday night, the Tribe capped a perfect 4-0 week with an impressive 57-45 victory over the host Bulldogs.

Now 16-5, Du Quoin returns to Sparta this coming Friday as River-to-River Conference play resumes. Sparta's record is 14-7.

The crown is the first for the Indians in Sparta's 46-year tourney history since 2003 and is the second in-season title Du Quoin's claimed this season.

The Indians won their own Tip-Off Classic championship back in early December and managed to finish the month with the runner-up trophy from the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic. "We are glad to have this one and I am certainly proud of these kids," Du Quoin coach Mike Crews.

"We've had some frustrating finishes the past few years here and this year we were finally able to break through and win this thing. We had just a great crowd tonight and our kids really appreciated that."

The Indians lost the 2007 title game on a last second shot against Trico.

In each of the past two years, Du Quoin was third after missing championship consideration on free throw shooting tie-breakers.

An easy run to the top of Pool A this time around ended any drama around Du Quoin's Saturday assignment.

"We preached to the kids all week long about just taking care of business over here," Crews said. "We had a few bumps along the road, butoverall I felt like we played pretty darn well."

Sparta certainly won't argue with Crews' assessment.

Du Quoin never trailed in the final game, racing ahead 6-0 in the first two minutes of play.

The Bulldogs did tie things at 8-8 but hoops from super-sub David Rose and senior post Logan Schneider put Du Quoin in front for good as the quarter ended.

A low-scoring first half ended with Du Quoin holding a 22-16 edge,despite playing extended stints with senior captains Matt Gossett, Jamor Reed and Marcus Clarry benched with foul woes.

Cody Rose, D. Rose and Logan Carson- brilliant off the bench all week long- again shined Saturday night.

C. Rose and Carson each had four points in the second quarter to help keep the Indians ahead.

C. Rose added two assists and Carson recorded three of his career-best seven blocked shots in the frame.

D. Rose then hit key hoops in the third quarter as Sparta threatened to pull closer.

A long three from Reed and two Gossett drives to the basket kept the lead in double digits.

Du Quoin sealed its title run with 15-of-19 free throw shooting down the stretch. Gossett was perfect on eight attempts with Reed sinking four more.

The Indian defense forced 20 turnovers and had nine steals. Dartanis White, Sparta's top player, didn't score until 17 seconds into the final period.

White kept the Bulldogs close by throwing in all of his team-high 13 points in the quarter, but was visibly frustrated by the defense of Clarry and the Rose's.

Schneider and Gossett also checked the Bulldog star on several occasions.

"We tip our hats to coach Crews and the Indians," Sparta coach Rich Williams said. "They really played outstanding defense. From the very start, Du Quoin matched our intensity. Any time I thought we were about to make a run, they'd come up with a big play on defense."

Gossett led Du Quoin with another double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Reed added 11 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and a pair of swipes. Schneider had 11 points and D. Rose eight.

Carson's night included seven blocks, six boards, four points and three steals.

The Indians enjoyed a 41-23 rebounding edge. J.C. Davis was held scoreless, but logged a solid floor game with five assists and four steals.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Gossett and Reed represented Du Quoin on the All-SMC list. Both were first team picks along with Logan Thies (Trico), Jake Hoffman of Red Bud and Sparta's White. Gossett was the top vote-getter.

Nick Bretwisch (Waterloo), Tyler Sonsoucie (Lebanon), Maurice Austin (Sparta), Andrew Pokrzywinski (Steeleville) and Tanner Hall of Columbia were named second team.

"I really felt like we could have had at least two more players on that list," Crews said.

"And that's not being selfish. Logan Schneider was very good all week and Logan Carson and David Rose were also very worthy.

The individual awards are icing on the cake. It took a total team effort to win this thing and that's what I am most proud of."

TRIBE SMOTHERS COLUMBIA

Friday night, Du Quoin's tenacious defense smothered a 14-win Columbia squad into submission by forcing 27 turnovers and recording 13 steals.

Davis had seven of the takeaways with Carson and Reed adding three apiece.

"The defense was awfully good tonight," Crews said. "And I felt like our shot selection on the other end was probably as good as its been in quite awhile. Columbia's a nice ballclub and I felt like we played pretty well in about every phase of the game."

After a nip-and-tuck first quarter ended with Du Quoin ahead 17-15, things turned defensive.

The Eagles last led on a 16-footer by Hall at 18-17 before the Indians closed the half on a 10-2 run.

Carson, D. Rose and Clarry scored the first six points of the spurt before Matt Gossett connected on back-to-back shots to fuel the run.

A seven-point deficit, however, was just a prelude of more bad things to come for Columbia.

Du Quoin ripped off 18 of the first 24 points after halftime, extending a 27-2o margin to 47-26 as the final frame began.

Columbia had 11 turnovers during the third quarter as Du Quoin's huge edge in quickness proved fatal.

"The turnovers just backed up on us," said Eagles coach Mark Sandstrom. "Our X's and O's were okay but the kids have to understand they can't get frantic and panic against that type of pressure."

Gossett keyed a balanced Du Quoin ledger with 15 points and seven rebounds. The senior post also had five assists and a pair of steals. Reed (five steals, five assists) scored 10 points with Clarry and Carson each scoring eight. Carson and both Rose's were again big forces off the bench, combining for a dozen points.

Carson had six boards, two blocks and three steals. D. Rose's solid week continued with four boards and two steals. He also had a pair of assists to help Du Quoin score in transition.

"We had excellent ball movement and the kids really shared the basketball," Crews said. "Numerous times we were willing to make that extra pass. And when a team does that, good things usually happen."

Hall scored 13 to lead Columbia, which saw a six-game win streak snapped by the Indians in the first-ever

hardwood meeting between the two schools. The Eagles were minus 6'5 Taylor O'Conner, who suffered a season

ending knee injury in Thursday's win over Steeleville.

Du Quoin was 26-for-44 (59%) from the floor and rolled to the win despite missing all five of its three-point tries. In 13 of its first 20 games, the Indians have limited the opposition to 50 points or less a dozen times.

All 12 of those efforts resulted in victories.

Friday's game

Du Quoin 57, Columbia 43

Du QUOIN (15-5,3-0)

Davis 3 0-0 6, Carson 4 0-0 8, D.Rose 1 2-2 4, Clarry 4 0-0 8, Reed 5 0-0 10, C.Rose 0 0-0 0,

Williams 0 0-0 0, S.Gossett 1 0-0 2, Baxter 0 0-0 0, Schneider 2 0-0 4, Kuhnert 0 0-0 0, M. Gossett

6 3-4 15. TOTALS 26-44 (0-5) 5-6 57.

COLUMBIA (14-5,2-1)

Bastien 3 0-1 6, Hall 6 2-2 15, B.Haag 2 0-0 4 Schutzenhofer 0 0-2 0, HUnsdorfer 1 0-0 2, Babb 2 1-2 5, Likens 1 1-2 3, Lewis 2 0-0 4, Luther 1 0-0 2.TOTALS 19-51 (1-12) 1 4-9 43.

DHS 17 10 20 10- 57

Columbia 15 5 6 17- 43

THREE-POINTERS: Columbia 1 (Hall). TEAM FOULS- Du Quoin 9, Columbia 6.

Saturday's final

Du Quoin 57, Sparta 45

Du QUOIN (16-5, 4-0)

Davis 0 0-0 0, Carson 2 0-0 4, D.Rose 4 0-0 8, Clarry 0 3-4 3, Reed 2 6-9 11, C.Rose 2 0-0 4,

S. Gossett 0 0-0 0, Schneider 4 1-2 9, M. Gossett 5 8-12 18. TOTALS 19-40 (1-4) 18-27 57.

SPARTA (14-7, 3-1)

Peck 3 0-0 7, D. White 5 3-5 13, Shelton 0 1-2 1, Thompson 1 0-0 3, Sams 3 1-2 8, L. Oliver 1 2-4 4, Austin 1 4-4 7, Kiner 1 0-1 2. TOTALS 15-43 (4-14) 11-17 45.

DHS 12 10 14 21- 57

Sparta 8 8 9 20- 45

THREE-POINTERS: Du Quoin 1 (Reed), Sparta 4 (Peck, THompson, Sams, Austin). TEAM FOULS- Du Quoin 13,

Sparta 18. FOULED OUT-L.Oliver.

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