Boys Prep Basketball; Mater Dei freezes out ice-cold Du Quoin

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The snow-covered ground outside Thomas Memorial Gymnasium wasn't the warmest place in Southern Illinois late Saturday afternoon.

However, things seemed even chillier on Dick Corn Court inside Pinckneyville's venerable basketball home for the Du Quoin Indians.

Hitting just 16-of-51 (31%) field goal tries- including a dismal 4-for-27 effort beyond the three-point line, the Indians tumbled against Class 3A Breese Mater Dei in the fourth game of the 2010 Panther Basketball Showcase. The final score was 54-40.

Held to a season-low 40 points, the Indians (17-6) saw their current five-game winning streak stopped cold.

Mater Dei, 16-6, won despite the absence of its top perimeter player (Cory Arensten) due to injury.

"This is not a problem that's suddenly snuck up on us," Du Quoin coach Mike Crews said of his team's shooting woes. "This actually has been coming and coming and kind of hit its apex tonight. Against any kind of zone defense, you have to hit a few shots from the perimeter. We had lots of good looks but just couldn't find any kind of consistency."

Du Quoin was ice cold to start things, but managed a 10-2 spurt to end the first quarter and tie the score at 15-15.

The Indians then missed seven consecutive shots to start the frame and didn't score until Logan Carson's marker at the 1:55 mark. By then, BMD had built its lead to 26-15. Matt Gossett (18 points, seven rebounds) then scored inside with under 10 seconds left, but Mater Dei cashed in at the buzzer to stretch its halftime lead to 28-19.

Mater Dei went ahead 36-19 early in the third quarter before Du Quoin roared to life. Slicing the margin down to just 10 (36-26) Du Quoin appeared to grab some badly needed momentum as third quater ended.

The Tribe sqaundered four straight chances at trimming the lead down even further, missing on four straight open looks at the basket.

Showcase Game MVP Alec Kuhl scored eight of his game-high 19 points down the stretch as Du Quoin could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way. the 6-foot-6 Kuhl and 6-7 running mate Jacob Kampwerth (16 points) dominated play inside. The duo combined to grab 16 rebounds block three shots and missed just two of 18 field goal tries.

Gossett was the lone Indian to reach double figures. Jamor Reed managed eight points.

Du Quoin forced 19 turnovers while giving it away just seven times, but lost the rebounding battle to BMD's Knights 38-19.

"I didn't think we played particulary well defensively," Crews said. "We've seen some zone this season but not the type of match-up zone Mater Dei played. It really gave us fits."

DU QUOIN WHIPS SPARTA

Friday night, it was Du Quoin's defense that was causing most of the fits in a 67-49 rout of Sparta (14-7, 2-5).

Gossett had 16 points and 11 boards as the Indians led from the opening tap and won for the third time in 2009-10 over the much-improved Bulldogs.

A strong effort from reserves Carson, David Rose and Cody Rose produced 19 first half points as the Indians built a 39-27 cushion despite foul problems for Gossett, Reed, Logan Schneider and Marcus Clarry.

In the second half, Sparta could get no closer than 11 points as the Indians steadily pulled away.

Sparta's offense again struggled against Du Quoin, making just 18-of-47 shots. The Bulldogs,led by David Sams' 13 points, made just two of 15 three-pointers.

"Once again I felt like we played tremendous defense and really frustrated Sparta," Crews said. "Marcus Clarry and Cody Rose did a great job on (Dartanis) White. And the play from the bench kids was very good again."

Carson had 13 points with Reed and D. Rose each netting 10. Schneider had eight points.

WEEKEND JAYVEE SPLIT

Du Quoin (8-3, 4-2) held off Sparta 66-62 Friday night, avenging an early season setback and stretching its current win streak to six.

Sam Gossett had 22 points for the young Indians with Cayle Diggins and James Williams each netting 11. Jonathon Boss (eight) and John Galik (seven) just missed reaching double digits.

At Pinckneyville Saturday, Breese Mater Dei outlasted Du Quoinn 60-57 in a two-overtime thriller.

Gossett (20) and Williams (12) were the top scorers. Seth Baxter scored eight.

The game was close throughout. After an 11-11 stalemate to end the opening frame, BMD led 23-22 at intermission and 32-31 entering the fourth quarter. Regulation play halted with a 46-46 tie. The score was 51-51 to begin the second overtime session.

Saturday's game

Breese Mater Dei 54,

Du Quoin 40

MATER DEI (16-6)

Richards 3 2-2 10, Kuhl 7 2-5 16, Kampwerth 9 1-2 19, Detmer 0 0-0 0, Beckmann 2 2-2 7, Sherman 0 0-1 0, Dulle 0 0-0 0, Donnewald 0 0-0 0, Fuehne 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 22-34 (3-8) 7-11 54.

Du QUOIN (17-6)

Clarry 2 1-2 5, M. Gossett 8 2-4 18, Schneider 1 2-4 4, Davis 0 0-0 0, Reed 2 1-2 6, Carson 1 0-0 2,

D. Rose 1 0-0 2, C. Rose 1 0-0 3, Williams 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 16-51 (4-27) 4-8 40.

BMD 15 13 8 18- 54

DHS 15 4 7 14- 40

THREE-POINTERS: Mater Dei 3 (Richards 2, Beckmann). Du Quoin 4 (M. Gossett 2, Reed, C. Rose). TEAM FOULS-Mater Dei 9, Du Quoin 12.

Friday's game

Du Quoin 67,

Sparta 49

Du QUOIN (17-6, 5-1)

Davis 1 0-1 3, Carson 3 7-8 13, D. Rose 2 6-8 10, Clarry 1 0-0 2, Reed 4 1-2 10, C. Rose 1 1-2 3,

Williams 0 0-0 0, S. Gossett 1 0-0 2, Baxter 0 0-0 0, Schneider 3 2-2 8, Kuhnert 0 0-0 0, M. Gossett

6 4-6 16. TOTALS 22-43 (2-8) 21-29 67.

SPARTA (14-7, 2-5)

Peck 0 0-0 0 D. White 3 5-7 11, Shelton 0 0-0 0, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Sams 5 3-4 13, L. Oliver 1 1-2 3,

Austin 4 2-2 12, Hanna 1 0-0 2, Kiner 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 18-47 (2-15) 11-15 49.

DMS 21 18 13 15-67

Sparta 16 11 11 11-49

THREE-POINTERS: Du Quoin 2 (Davis, Reed), Sparta 2 (Austin 2). TEAM FOULS-Du Quoin 12, Sparta 17.

FOULED OUT-Sams.