Wheaton Academy @ Walther Lutheran Friday, January 11, 2008 at 7:30 PM ct
		1 2 3 4 T FINAL WA 06   11   09   20   46 WL 16   12   14   18   60
	46		60

Statistics (PDF)

Loss at Walther

Posted on 01.11.08 at 11:25 PM
Updated on 01.12.08 at 11:43 AM

Walther Lutheran 60, Wheaton Academy 46: Wheaton Academy standout guard Ben Euler said it best when asked about what happened during a blitzkrieg first quarter by Walther Lutheran in Friday's Private School League boys basketball showdown.

"We panicked in the first quarter and were like a deer in headlights," Euler said.

The Broncos pressure defense set the tone in the first eight minutes of the game to power the team to a commanding early lead. After the smoke cleared the visiting Warriors had dug themselves too big a hole to get out of as Walther Lutheran prevailed for a 60-46 victory in Melrose Park.

With the triumph the Broncos improved to 4-0 in the PSL and 8-7 overall while Wheaton Academy fell to 3-2 and 10-3.

From the opening tip on, Walther Lutheran's quickness on defense, especially in the full-court press, gave the Warriors a lot of problems as they tried to get their offense in gear. The Broncos forced 13 first-quarter turnovers and scored a number of easy buckets off those mistakes en route to a 16-6 lead after the first eight minutes of play.

"We have a lot of quick players," said Walther Lutheran coach Robert Koehne. "Our philosophy is to force other teams into being uncomfortable. Our pressure defense set the tone.

"Wheaton Academy does a good job when they get their sets. We wanted to disrupt their offense so they couldn't get their sets."

"They put a lot of pressure and we turned it over," added Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson. "It was very physical pressure and we didn't adjust to it very well. Their quickness really hurt us."

The Broncos' defense also focused on denying the ball to Euler, an all-conference player who leads the team in scoring. Euler didn't score his first field goal until early in the third quarter, although the senior still finished with a team-high 11 points. Guard Quinn Gorski chipped in 9 points for the Warriors, while guard Jason Roy and forward Paul Werkema contributed 8 points apiece.

On the flip side, Walther Lutheran's offense was clicking. The Broncos' advantage on the quickness front was clearly evident as their guards got penetration in the lane.

They either took the shot or dished the ball to the soft hands of forward Brian Jackson, who scored a game-high 24 points. Jackson powered home 10 points in the third quarter as Walther Lutheran went ahead by as many as 18 points.

Wheaton Academy rallied to cut the deficit to 8 points in the fourth quarter. Roy nailed a couple of clutch 3-pointers. Euler rang up 7 points as well, including a 3-pointer of his own. Walther Lutheran, however, sealed it on the foul line during crunch time by sinking 12 of 14 free throws.