Indians push Kettle Moraine boys aside
Without any seniors on the team, the Mukwonago boys basketball team entered last Tuesday's meeting with a Kettle Moraine squad also relying heavily on sophomores and juniors.
The Indians had to like what they saw, for now and for the future.
A dramatic edge on the glass helped MHS knock off Kettle Moraine in Classic 8 boys basketball, 66-53. MHS moved to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
The Indians went on a 10-0 run in the first half and a 12-2 run in the second half, anchored by the inside presence of sophomore Dominic Cizauskas (22 points) and junior Nathan Tanguay (22 points), and the Lasers couldn't keep pace after the early going. MHS owned a 27-12 edge in rebounding, with Cizauskas recording 12 boards all by himself.
"We get in the weight room for a reason," MHS coach Jim Haasser said. "We worked hard in the off-season and after practice, in the weight room two to three times a week. We just dominated the glass. They want to play a fast, perimeter game, and I don't think they like to deal with much pressure and physical play, so that was our focus."
Cizauskas also had two steals and eight deflections, part of a team deflections total of 59 - what Haasser cited as easily the highest total in the last 10 years for a Mukwonago team. Tanguay had 11 deflections, and A.J. Bricco had 10.
"It's all the work ethic," Cizauskas said. "You can't take any shot like you know you're going to miss it. We're going to work toward the ball and get it back up. Our athleticism, the hard work in the weight room, the jumping ability is there, too."
KM junior Mike Ottusch caught fire and went on a personal 8-0 run for the Lasers in the second quarter, pulling his team to within 32-25. When Mitchell Oleson followed with a basket, it was 32-27 in the waning moments before the halftime buzzer, but a 3-pointer by Bricco made it 37-29 at the break.
The Lasers shot only 3 of 13 in the third quarter on an otherwise decent shooting night, and Mukwonago never trailed by less than 15 in the fourth quarter until the final basket.
"We got beat up physically, and that was the biggest key of the game," KM coach Brad Bestor said. "They were stronger, and they wanted it more than our guys."
The Lasers have three seniors on their roster but start only one, with four sophomores seeing regular playing time.
"There are a lot of similarities between our two teams," Haasser said. "It's a big game for both teams, a barometer. We're somebody that's going to make some noise."
The Indians have been playing without any seniors since mid-December.
"The class below us and our class works really well together and has been together for a long time," Tanguay said. "The chemistry is there.
"We knew they were pretty good, and all they want to do is get up and down the court and get to the middle of the court on the dribble drive offense," he added, referring to KM. "I think we did a great job switching and getting in front of them. I think we just outmuscled them."
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