Date Posted:06:34:10 01/31/03 Fri Author: Keno Sultan Subject: McKinley-Massillon basketball memories (Part 5 of 5)
If anyone thought Super Bowl XXXVI between the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams had all the hype, some people would have thought the McKinley-Massillon basketball game to be obscure. Well, before the Patriots and the Rams battled in the Louisiana Superdome, the Bulldogs and the Tigers battled on the Massillon hardwood in front of 2,926 fans. McKinley was the only team who had not lost to a Stark County, at least going into this game, and pride was on the line for both teams. The Bulldogs scored the first 6 points to lead at 6-0 but the Tigers would lead by 3 at the end of the first quarter. Key Massillon baskets before the intermission put the Tigers up at 26-22. The teams traded possessions and basket after basket, then the Tigers blitzed the Bulldogs with a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a 42-35 lead in the game, but refusing to die, the Bulldogs launched their traditional comeback. With the score at 51-48 in Massillon's favor, the Bulldogs had two chances to tie the game but misfired on both three-point atempts allowing the entire Massillon contingent of fans and students to run on the floor to celebrate the Tigers' 51-48 upset of the Canton McKinley Bulldogs, and they did it without 6'6'' center Shawn Crable. Adrian Hill was held to 12 points in the loss for the Bulldogs. James Jordan led all scorers with 14 points. What hurt the Bulldogs the most in the loss was their 9 of 18 free throw shooting in the fourth quarter, while Massillon connected on 11 of 14 in the pivotal quarter.
The two teams locked horns again in the district semifinals. McKinley was coming off a 72-43 lambasting of Marietta while Massillon was fresh off a 46-35 win over New Philadelphia. Massillon was the #1 seed in the tournament and were strong favorites to win their first district championship according to Stark County newspapers while McKinley was seeded #4 in the district. The first quarter in the Civic Center was intense, it ended with Massillon on top 15-12 as Devin jordan missed a half court shot at the buzzer. Second quarter was more of the same but the Tigers led 26-23 at the half. A big 11-3 McKinley run punctuated by Adrian Hill's 2 dunks in the third quarter put McKinley ahead 39-31. The Tigers looked beaten but they rallied to cut the lead to 52-51 but could never get the lead back again as free throws and two more Adrian Hill slams put the game out of commission as the Bulldogs shocked the top-seeded Tigers 67-59. Adrian Hill's 29 points was the difference and four Tigers fouled out defending him, James Jordan, Devin Jordan, Marquis Williams and Jonathan Pittman were victims of 5 fouls. The game featured 50 fouls, and three technical fouls. Another McKinley-Massillon basketball memory in hte books, and now it's time to get ready for the anticipated showdown Friday night at the Canton Memorial Field House. Here are the key matchups to look for:
John Papacostas vs. Devin Jordan: Two of the best rebounders lock horns on the hardwood as the leading rebounders of their teams. Whoever wins the rebounding battle will definitely win this game, hands down. Offensive rebounding will be an X factor to watch too.
Stan Hall and Taurean Dailey vs. James Hannum (or Shawn Crable): Regardless of the matchup here, Hannum at 6'5'' is a good compliment to Crable, but Hall and Dailey at 6'3'' and 6'4'' have a good chance to shut down Massillon's inside game, but Shawn Crable could give Massillon a two-headed monster if he plays. If that happens, Hall and Dailey will both have to be ready when their numbers are called.
McKinley backcourt vs. Massillon backcourt: Massillon out of a three guard rotation has two high jumpers in the lineup, Steve Lancaster and Devin Jordan. Both guys can hit the skies when they have the ball in their hands and they both have done damage when they have possession, the McKinley backcourt is known for their defense, and Jason Snow, Sean Weatherspoon and Stan Hall are outstanding defenders. But can they stop the Massillon backcourt when it counts? The McKinley bench will defeinitely have to play a role too for the Bulldogs success to win this game and cut down on the turnovers and don't rush possessions.
Dave Hoover vs. Matt Creamer: In eight years at McKinley, Hoover is 7-2 against Massillon (3-0 in tournament, 2-1 at the Field House, 2-1 at Massillon) whereas Creamer is 2-7 against Massillon (0-3 in tournament, 1-2 at the Field House, 1-2 in Massillon). The coaching key to this one will be who can keep their cool in a close game like this. Last season, Creamer got the better end of the deal in a 51-48 win. If anything, Dave Hoover's Bulldogs have lost just once at the Field
House whle Massillon has just lost once on the road. Whichever team shows up will be the team that will win, by forcing turnovers, making big plays, and playing hard for 32 minutes.
McKinley-Massillon basketball memories (Part 5 of 5)