Dec 6, 2007
Miller's jumper lifts Cavs over Falcons
East Rutherford sweeps West Henderson in basketball action.
By Jeremy Darnell
Times-News Staff Writer
Hosting an athletic East Rutherford squad in a non-conference tilt on Wednesday night, West Henderson basketball coach Rob Bliss knew that a slower pace would improve the Falcons' chances of winning.So Bliss did the unthinkable: For the first time in his coaching career he utilized a zone defense.And with West holding a 43-36 lead with just over six minutes remaining, the scheme looked like it would deliver a win.But the Cavaliers climbed back and with the score tied at 47, East's Mico Miller buried an 18-foot jumper from the left wing as time expired for the 49-47 victory."When you play a slower style like that the scores are gonna be closer," said West coach Rob Bliss, whose team falls to 1-3. "We just didn't make some plays down the stretch where we had a chance to distance the lead."The first half featured seven lead changes, and the Falcons held a slight 28-26 lead as the teams entered the lockerrooms.Zach Corliss torched the East defense on an array of long-distance jumpers and feathery floaters. He scored 14 of his game-high 16 points in the first half.Though West largely prevented the Cavaliers from finding an offensive rhythm, sweet-shooting East guard Corey Jimerson nailed four 3-pointers in the first half to stretch the zone. Jimerson finished with 15 points."This is the 19th team I've coached counting jayvee and that's the first time I've ever played zone," Bliss said. "It was OK, I guess. We're grasping at a few straws right now trying to figure out what the identity of this team is more than anything else."The Falcons continued to look comfortable in the 2-3 zone after the break and edged their lead to 39-36 after three.Dallas Ducote stretched the lead to 43-36 in the opening moments of the fourth with a 13-foot jumper and a put back off an offensive board.Cavalier guards Teon Beckett and Tyler Hamilton scored consecutive buckets to pull East within three with 4:50 remaining, but a Corliss runner from the left baseline put West back in charge. It was Corliss' only points in the second half."That's the first thing that teams are gonna look to do against us, to take Zach away. I've thought since the first of the year that this is gonna be a team where it's gonna be a different person step up every night. Right now we're just not getting it done," Bliss said.After a Beckett free throw, Miller swished a 3 from the top of the key to pull the Cavs within one with 3:11 showing.Zack Price's 3 from the same spot gave the Cavs their first second-half lead with 1:54 to go.Ducote answered with a jumper from the left elbow 20 seconds later to tie it at 47. He finished with 15 points and nine boards.East was content to take the last shot. A West deflection gave the Cavs the ball with 37 seconds left, and a Buddy Hutchinson block squirted out of bounds with 12 seconds left.West again almost came up with a steal but the ball rolled out and to East with 5.9 showing.That's when Miller struck.East inbounded to the hot hand Beckett, who finished with 15 points, and two Falcon defenders rushed to guard him.Beckett lofted a pass over the double team to an unmanned Miller on the left wing. Miller set his feet and his shot hit nothing but nylon as the buzzer screamed."Give them credit, they knocked down shots when they needed to," Bliss said.Miller finished with nine points.The girls game was far less exciting as the Lady Cavaliers' dynamic guard duo of Micheala and Ashley Watkins scored 25 points in East's 51-31 win.The Watkins girls harassed the West ballhandlers all game and turned turnovers into easy points."We didn't take care of the basketball like we needed to," said West (1-3) coach Stephanie Scott-Gaddy. "They wanted to run up and down the court, and we had a tough time staying with them at first."East extended a 24-16 halftime lead to 41-23 after three behind the rugged inside scoring of LaTwyella Maxwell. She finished with six points in the period and 10 overall.Erica Cantrell was the only Lady Falcon in double figures with 11 points. Brittany Fennell had five points and 10 boards.West will travel to T.C. Roberson on Friday.SummaryBOYS
EAST RUTHERFORD (49) -- Beckett 15, Jimerson 15, Miller 9, Murphy 5, Hamilton 2, Price 0.WEST (47) -- Corliss 16, Ducote 15, Hutchinson 4, Hyatt 4, Thomas 3, Staggs 2, Barbour 2, James 1, Roberts.Halftime: West, 28-26.GIRLS
EAST RUTHERFORD (51) -- M. Watkins 14, A. Watkins 11, Maxwell 10, G. Watkins 6, Edgerton 4, Gray 3, Beckett 2, S. Watkins 1, El Amoor, Strickland, Hunt.WEST (31) -- Cantrell 11, Fennell 5, Combs 4, Rogers 4, Brown 3, Dinardo 2, Eckley 2, Kremer, Springer.Halftime: East, 24-16.
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