By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer
Manual’s boys basketball team faced its biggest challenge of the season when hosting No. 16 Blackhawk Christian School (Fort Wayne) Dec. 22 at the Richard C. Cummins Gymnasium. The Redskins, losers of three straight, faced the Braves, who averaged 89 points per game, in the third game of the fourth annual Manual Showcase. Manual coach Donnie Bowling said they had worked on defense and rebounding during practices to halt the skid.
“Run, run, run and rebound” were the shouts from Manual coaches on the bench throughout the game that Manual (5-3) dominated 80-64 by outrunning, outrebounding and out-defending the Braves. Jalen Johnson, a 6-8 senior, led the Redskins with 27 rebounds and 11 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Manual’s boys basketball team faced its biggest challenge of the season when hosting No. 16 Blackhawk Christian School (Fort Wayne) Dec. 22 at the Richard C. Cummins Gymnasium. The Redskins, losers of three straight, faced the Braves, who averaged 89 points per game, in the third game of the fourth annual Manual Showcase. Manual coach Donnie Bowling said they had worked on defense and rebounding during practices to halt the skid.
“Run, run, run and rebound” were the shouts from Manual coaches on the bench throughout the game that Manual (5-3) dominated 80-64 by outrunning, outrebounding and out-defending the Braves. Jalen Johnson, a 6-8 senior, led the Redskins with 27 rebounds and 11 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“This game was very important,” said Johnson, a Division I prospect. “We came in here and knew we had to play hard. We stayed calm, rebounded and did all the little stuff.”
Those little things added up: Manual won the board battle 31-21, forced the Braves into eight more turnovers and scored on several fast breaks. Johnson had plenty of help from seniors in Caleb Redman’s 17 points, Willante Hankston, 13 points, and 6-7 Ijazz Abdullenan, nine points and seven rebounds. Leading 25-22, Manual went on a 9-0 run with Johnson hitting three free throws, Hankston cashing in on a fast-break layup and free throw and Redman’s 3-pointer.
The Redskins led 40-26 at halftime and pushed to their biggest lead, 53-35, in the third quarter. The Braves closed to 66-60 with 90 seconds left but were held scoreless by Manual.
“We needed to win; when you’ve lost three games in a row, it’s hard to get over the hump,” Bowling said. “I was impressed with the way we got the ball out when we got the defensive rebound or a turnover. We were patient in the half court.”
Seven of the state’s top 20 teams competed in the nine-game showcase with wins posted by No. 1 Warren Central, No. 3 Ben Davis, No. 7 Cathedral, No. 13 Lawrence North and No. 17 Zionsville. Manual visits Washington in a girls-boys doubleheader Friday with Whiteland at Greenwood in a similar twinbill.
Boys key games Friday find Carmel at Center Grove, Whiteland at Greenwood and Southport at Franklin Central and Saturday, Monrovia at Beech Grove and Cathedral at Roncalli.
The Marion County tourney begins Tuesday with North Central at Roncalli, Lutheran at Southport, Franklin Central at Perry Meridian and Beech Grove at Lawrence Central. Girls key games: today, Monrovia at Beech Grove, Decatur Central at Southport; Thursday, Roncalli at Beech Grove, Friday, Center Grove at Carmel, Terre Haute North at Perry Meridian.
Senior staff writer
Manual’s boys basketball team faced its biggest challenge of the season when hosting No. 16 Blackhawk Christian School (Fort Wayne) Dec. 22 at the Richard C. Cummins Gymnasium. The Redskins, losers of three straight, faced the Braves, who averaged 89 points per game, in the third game of the fourth annual Manual Showcase. Manual coach Donnie Bowling said they had worked on defense and rebounding during practices to halt the skid.
“Run, run, run and rebound” were the shouts from Manual coaches on the bench throughout the game that Manual (5-3) dominated 80-64 by outrunning, outrebounding and out-defending the Braves. Jalen Johnson, a 6-8 senior, led the Redskins with 27 rebounds and 11 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Manual’s boys basketball team faced its biggest challenge of the season when hosting No. 16 Blackhawk Christian School (Fort Wayne) Dec. 22 at the Richard C. Cummins Gymnasium. The Redskins, losers of three straight, faced the Braves, who averaged 89 points per game, in the third game of the fourth annual Manual Showcase. Manual coach Donnie Bowling said they had worked on defense and rebounding during practices to halt the skid.
“Run, run, run and rebound” were the shouts from Manual coaches on the bench throughout the game that Manual (5-3) dominated 80-64 by outrunning, outrebounding and out-defending the Braves. Jalen Johnson, a 6-8 senior, led the Redskins with 27 rebounds and 11 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“This game was very important,” said Johnson, a Division I prospect. “We came in here and knew we had to play hard. We stayed calm, rebounded and did all the little stuff.”
Those little things added up: Manual won the board battle 31-21, forced the Braves into eight more turnovers and scored on several fast breaks. Johnson had plenty of help from seniors in Caleb Redman’s 17 points, Willante Hankston, 13 points, and 6-7 Ijazz Abdullenan, nine points and seven rebounds. Leading 25-22, Manual went on a 9-0 run with Johnson hitting three free throws, Hankston cashing in on a fast-break layup and free throw and Redman’s 3-pointer.
The Redskins led 40-26 at halftime and pushed to their biggest lead, 53-35, in the third quarter. The Braves closed to 66-60 with 90 seconds left but were held scoreless by Manual.
“We needed to win; when you’ve lost three games in a row, it’s hard to get over the hump,” Bowling said. “I was impressed with the way we got the ball out when we got the defensive rebound or a turnover. We were patient in the half court.”
Seven of the state’s top 20 teams competed in the nine-game showcase with wins posted by No. 1 Warren Central, No. 3 Ben Davis, No. 7 Cathedral, No. 13 Lawrence North and No. 17 Zionsville. Manual visits Washington in a girls-boys doubleheader Friday with Whiteland at Greenwood in a similar twinbill.
Boys key games Friday find Carmel at Center Grove, Whiteland at Greenwood and Southport at Franklin Central and Saturday, Monrovia at Beech Grove and Cathedral at Roncalli.
The Marion County tourney begins Tuesday with North Central at Roncalli, Lutheran at Southport, Franklin Central at Perry Meridian and Beech Grove at Lawrence Central. Girls key games: today, Monrovia at Beech Grove, Decatur Central at Southport; Thursday, Roncalli at Beech Grove, Friday, Center Grove at Carmel, Terre Haute North at Perry Meridian.
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