Posted: Feb. 2, 2010

Menomonee Falls — After a week in which it battled the best (a harrowing 63-56 overtime decision over Marquette on Jan. 26) and arguably the worst (a 95-58 rout of West Allis Hale two days later) the Greater Metro Conference had to offer, the Menomonee Falls boys basketball team found itself with a two-game lead in the league race with only five contests remaining.

But star J. P. Tokoto and the rest of the team aren't rushing out to buy polish for the anticipated league championship trophy just yet. Memories of the stumbles of late December (two losses in the WBBY Classic) still linger and that drives the team hard.

"What we learned is that we have to stick together as a team," said Tokoto. "That we can't give up. We had Arrowhead, but let them go, and we just didn't come out as hard as we should have against (Catholic) Memorial.

"But the seniors got us together and sat us down as a team," Tokoto said. "They asked for effort out of everyone. Told us that we had to play as a team. That gave us a lot of motivation."

Especially now that the finish line is in sight for the Indians (9-0 in league play and 12-3 overall), and that their first league title since 1993 is now possible. Coach Ben Siebert and his staff are trying to keep the players from looking too far ahead.

"Hopefully that's something we've impressed upon them," said Siebert. "… This is a huge step forward and a great way to start the second half of the conference season, but we're far from done yet."

Zone causes problems

As the exhausting, thrilling win over Marquette pointed out to them.

"That zone of theirs causes a lot of trouble, they're long like we are, and it just seemed that in the first half, they were a step faster than we were," said Siebert of the Hilltoppers (6-2, 8-6). "We knew it would be a challenge to take control."

Which never quite happened.

After trailing by as much as eight in the first half, Falls pushed back in the third quarter and earned a 38-38 tie on a drive by Jalen Ramey (10 points), but the Hilltoppers ran off the next five points to take the lead again before Falls got a runner from Ramey and a putback dunk by Tokoto to cut the margin to 43-42 heading into the fourth quarter.

Where it just got more intense.

Learning how to win

When John Cording rattled home a baseline 3-pointer at the 5:33 mark of the fourth, Falls had its first lead since the first quarter at 47-45, but again the Hilltoppers would come back, taking advantage of three Indians' turnovers in a two-minute span as Marvin Paine's scramble hoop gave the Hilltoppers a 51-47 lead with just 3:35 left.

But as guard Adam Rubatt would note later, these Indians have "learned how to win games."

After trading baskets, Tokoto flew in, grabbed an offensive rebound, took a hit and made the basket. He completed the three-point play to make it 53-52 Hilltoppers with just 1:47 left.

Both teams then squandered opportunities before Tokoto hit one-of-two free throws with 27 seconds left to tie the score at 53.

Marquette had two chances to win in the final four seconds. Paine's wild baseline jumper was well off the mark, but forward Phil O' Connor flew in untouched and his tip-in attempt just fell off the front rim.

Tokoto gave the Indians the lead for good in the overtime, putting in his own offensive rebound with 1:46 remaining to make it 57-56. When the Hilltoppers missed the front end of a bonus a short time later, Falls was able to run some clock before Rubatt was fouled with 50 seconds remaining. He made both free throws for a three-point lead and moments later, Max Poeske clinched the game with two tosses of his own with 28 seconds left.

All told, the Indians would hit eight-of-10 free throws in overtime and 24 of 31 for the game.

Tokoto led all scorers with 20 points as Rubatt finished with 12.

Controlling the Greater Metro Conference

Falls starts week with six-game streak

HALE WRAPUP: The Indians ran at will against the winless Huskies, taking a 29-18 first quarter lead and a 57-27 halftime advantage. A total of 11 players scored as Jalen Ramey had a career-high 20 to lead the way (including four 3-pointers) as J.P. Tokoto contributed 18, John Cording 14, Adam Rubatt 11 and Jonathan Phillips 10. Steve Ross contributed seven off the bench. Falls hit 26 of 44 free throws in the physical, messy contest.

UP NEXT: After taking on archrival Hamilton (6-2, 10-5) on Tuesday, the Indians will visit Brookfield East (2-6, 5-10) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and then visit nonconference foe Homestead (4-3, 7-6) at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9.