Skyhawks pull away from Cardinals
~January 11, 2008~Boys
By George Kaupp

Photo by Jim Marczesky Cardinal Newman's Trey Coleman shoots over Hammond's Taylor Smith.

Hammond defeated Cardinal Newman 63- 57 on January 11.

The game was played in a hot, steamy gym, and the two teams began the game like two fighters feeling each other out. The teams were never separated by more than five points, with Cardinal Newman holding a two- point lead at the end of the first quarter and Hammond leading by three at halftime, 31- 28. Bailey had 11 points at the half on 4- for- 4 shooting, and Zach Hrovat had 13 first- half points for the Cardinals, including 3- of- 5 from three- point distance.

Both teams made adjustments at halftime, and it showed right away in the third quarter. After Hammond scored to make it a five- point margin, the Cardinals scored 11 straight points to make the score 39- 33. Then the Skyhawks came back with a 9- 2 run of their own to take a 42- 41 lead. Cardinal Newman managed to score the last four points of the quarter to lead at the end of three, 45- 42.

The fourth quarter began in an unconventional way. Hammond coach Jimmy Braddock earned a technical for arguing 28 seconds right after the Skyhawks scored to cut the lead to one. Tré Coleman made one of the two free throws to give Cardinal Newman a two- point lead, but it was short- lived. The technical ignited something inside the Skyhawk players. Hammond outscored the Cardinals 19- 11 the rest of the way to pull away and win. Wilson McWilliams scored six of his 16 in this period, and Bailey scored nine points during this run, including a thunderous dunk that put the Skyhawks ahead for good.

Coleman led the Cardinals with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Hrovat contributed 20 points, but he was shut out in the fourth quarter. Josh Walters had eight assists for the Skyhawks.