Pittsfield’s Dalton Hoover, center, tries to take the ball up against Central’s Alex Walter, left, and Douglas Weese during Friday’s game in Pittsfield. Hoover had 19 points, but the Panthers claimed a 35-28 win. (H-W Photo/Michael Kipley)By FRANK CASH
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Alex Walter was upset with himself.
The Central boys basketball team's senior guard had just committed his fourth foul and left the floor with the Panthers trailing Pittsfield by two points with 7 minutes, 3 seconds left in the fourth quarter Friday night.
"I shouldn't have had four fouls," Walter said. "They were stupid fouls. I wouldn't have blamed my teammates if they had all been mad at me. Instead, they stepped up their games and played really well."
Walter's fourth foul came when he bumped Dalton Hoover on his jumper in the lane. That proved to be the Saukees' final points of the game as Central finished with a 9-0 run to win 35-28 at Voshall Gymnasium.
Panthers coach Todd Plattner expected the game to be a defensive slugfest. Even he was a little surprised with the outcome.
"It all came down to defense," Plattner said. "Hoover's a great player, and we had to use so much energy, especially in the first half, to slow him down. But we always identified where he was, and the kids worked hard."
With Walter on the bench for 4:34 of the final quarter, Central turned to others, particularly guards Austin Dormire and Douglas Weese.
Weese sank a fade-away 8-foot jumper on the right baseline to tie the score at 28 with 5:35 left.
Dormire played his first game since the season opener when he reaggravated an inflammed right shoulder he suffered during football season. It didn't take long for Dormire to make his presence felt.
"Defense is the staple of this team," Dormire said. "We worked hard on it all week long and we got a lot better. It showed tonight."
On an inbounds pass from the right sideline with 1:22 left, Dormire found Walter open for a back-door layup for a 31-28 lead.
Dormire gave the Panthers some breathing room by making both ends of a one-and-one to extend the lead to five points with 57.1 seconds left.
"Everyone stepped up during that stretch," said Walter, who scored a team-high 19 points. "Nobody panicked and they knew what to do. We played together as a team."
Early in the game, it looked like it would be Pittsfield's night.
The Saukees (2-3) held Central to 1-of-8 shooting during the first eight minutes and led 13-5 after the first quarter. It didn't take long for the Panthers (4-2) to rally.
Central scored the first six points of the quarter, tying the game at 13 when Dormire connected with Walter for a basket. Pittsfield regained an 18-13 lead, but Weese made a 3-pointer from the left wing to cut the lead to 18-16 with 24.7 seconds left in the first half.
"We came out with a lot of energy and things looked good," Saukees coach Brad Tomhave said. "But then we got complacent and let them get back in it. We'd get a little momentum and we had a tough time holding on to it."
Hoover led Pittsfield with 19 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. No one else scored more than five points.
"We have to get production out of more than just Hoover," Tomhave said. "We have to find it. We have to get some sort of a mix going."
Central is off until it plays at Quincy Notre Dame next Friday.
"We're at our best when we slow it down and are patient and play good defense," Plattner said. "It may not be the most exciting for our fans at times but that's what works for us."
— sports@whig.com/221-3365
