On Saturday, SMS took on the St. Paul Packers, a team they easily defeated in the first game of the season.  This rematch would be a completely different game.  SMS would be without Jordan Tobolka, who was home sick with the flu.  St. Paul came out and played their best game of the year, but SMS never trailed in the game and pulled out the victory without playing their best ball.

 

    After over four minutes into the game, the score looked like an Easter Basket, as each team registered a goose egg.  Finally, Quin Carroll was able to get "square" to the basket and Quin swished the 15-footer for a 2-0 lead.  Jeffrey Ackels was fouled on a drive to the basket and made one of two free throws for a 3-0 lead.  Quin came right back with another 15-foot swish and it was 5-0 after one quarter.  It was the lowest scoring first quarter of the year, and for us old timers (particularly Michael Boone, Sr.) it brought back memories of the Cowboys vs. Lions playoff game that ended in a 5-0 Cowboy victory.

 

    The second quarter was only marginally better than the first, but SMS did manage to extend its lead.  Michael Boone grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled.  Michael continued his torrid free throw shooting, swishing both for a 7-2 lead.  SMS finally got a fast break opportunity, and Joe Farmer made it count, banking home a 12-footer a la Tim Duncan  for a 9-2 margin.  St. Paul scored and went to a press defense, but Tanner Davis was a one man press break, taking it the length of the court and it was 11-4.  The Packers cut it to 11-8 before Tanner found Michael inside and Michael banked it home for two.  Quin finished the first half scoring with a tough drive and shot and SMS had a 15-8 lead at the half.

 

    In the third quarter, St. Paul trimmed the lead, but only by one point.  Drew Lee was relentless inside, controlling the boards and denying offensive rebounds.  Ivan Maduka was his usual defensive presence, leading the team in a new statistic being kept for the first time, "boxing out" better than Muhammed Ali.  Luis Estrada was working hard inside, establishing position and playing tough defense.  Offensively, it was still a struggle.  When Jeffrey drilled a 12-footer, we were 3 minutes into the third quarter and the lead was a precarious 17-11.  Tanner was pushed from behind on a breakaway and smashed into the wall.  The flagrant foul earned Tanner two shots but Tanner had to leave the game.  Michael entered the game cold, and calmly swished two more free throws for a 19-13 lead.  The quarter ended with Jeffrey finding Tanner on a cut to the basket and Tanner's lay in put the score at 21-15 heading to the fourth.

 

    The Bearcats could manage only one field goal in the final quarter, as Jeffrey and Tanner teamed up one more time, with Jeff's lay in making it 23-16.  The Packers closed to 23-19 with about a minute left, but Andrew Crim did a terrific job of running the offense and running the clock out and SMS prevailed with the "ugliest" 23-19 win you can imagine.

 

    On Sunday, St. Rita Black visited SMS and they came ready to play.  SMS looked like they were stuck in cement in the first quarter, breaking their 24 hour "record" for fewest points in the first quarter by posting only two in the first 6 minutes.  Tanner scored on an offensive rebound and SMS was down 7-2 after one.  SMS was being scouted in this game by a couple of potential playoff foes, so the Bearcats wanted to show just a little of their arsenal, coming out in the second quarter in one of their press defenses.

 

    The SMS press looked like the New York Times as the Bearcats stormed to a 12-10 halftime lead.  Jordan was back in the fold after missing the Saturday game, and he immediately made his presence felt.  Jordan got a steal on the press and took it in for two.  Tanner grabbed a rebound and hit Jordan in stride on the break for two more.  Andrew grabbed the next steal on the press, and again hit Jordan cutting to the hoop for two.  After 6 straight points from Jordan had SMS within 10-8, Quin took over and scored the next 4, two on free throws and two on a terrific inbounds pass from Tanner.  SMS had their 12-10 lead at half, but the game was still too close for comfort.

 

    An 11-4 run in the third quarter all but put the game away.  It started with another Tanner steal and Jordan lay up.  Then Tanner grabbed yet another steal and took it the hoop himself.  Stop me if you've heard this before, but Tanner got a steal, hit Jordan on the run, and Jordan finished to extend the lead to 18-12.  Jeffrey reeled off 5 straight points, first swishing a 15-footer and then draining a 3 from the corner after Ivan made an incredible rebounding effort and whipped the ball to a wide open Jeff.  It was 23-14 heading to the fourth.

 

    The fourth quarter saw some pretty solid SMS play and had the Bearcats made some of their put backs, it could have been a more comfortable margin of victory.  Ivan was simply dominant inside, grabbing rebounds from everywhere and going up strong on put backs.  Drew and Luis did the same, as between Luis, Drew and Ivan, SMS had at least 10 offensive rebounds in a 6 minute stretch.  Joe and Michael were playing their usual relentless defense, but also made gorgeous passes inside.  Andrew continued to pick up steals, especially on the "long ball" that Rita employed to try to beat the press.

 

    The Bearcats finally scored on a designed inbound play, as Tanner hit a wide-open Jordan who swished it from 10 feet.  Another Tanner steal, another lead pass to Jordan, and two more.  Luis with a ridiculous offensive rebound, keeping the ball alive, and then Tanner with another offensive rebound, and Tanner scored on the put back.  One more perfectly executed inbound play, with Jeffrey finding Quin all alone under the basket for two.  Drew with a rebound and terrific outlet pass to Ivan, who streaked to the hoop and just missed the lay in.  Joe with some nice rebounding inside and just missing a couple of good-looking shots.

 

    In the end, SMS had a 31-22 victory to run its record to a sparkling 8-1.  The Bearcats continue to sit atop the Division standings but still have to "win out" to claim the top seed in the playoff tournament.  Hopefully, the boys will get that spark back that they had against St. Elizabeth, because the road only gets tougher as the playoffs get closer.  But, as they say, winning ugly is better than losing pretty, so SMS will take the wins and move on.  Plenty of teams with an "L" in the won-loss column would gladly have taken an ugly win.  Stay tuned because next week, Ugly Betty should return to ABC and here's a bet that Pretty Woman will be showing against Prince of Peace.