Posted: Feb. 22, 2010 |(0) Comments

Fat and happy from their conference-title clinching win over Wauwatosa East two nights before, the Menomonee Falls boys basketball team was ripe to fall into a trap set by a motivated and well-supported host Homestead team Monday night.

But the Indians showed some lean muscle and steely-eyed heart, as they rallied from a five-point deficit with less than two minutes to go to pull out an emotional 74-71 nonconference win.

"We knew that they were a solid and very physical team," said Indian coach Ben Siebert, "and it took us awhile to match their intensity. ...but we never quit. We never stopped thinking that we could win this game."

The Indians (18-3) ran their winning streak to 12 games while the Highlanders fell to a very deceptive 11-10. The game had been postponed from two weeks ago due to snow and so it's impact on the WIAA seedings was lost (the pairings were officially announced this morning).

But Highlander coach Ray Curry knew that his team may have shown the way how for others in WIAA tournament play in how they tackle the talented and deep Indians.

Homestead used waves of people, showed no fear against Falls' relentless, hounding press and attacked the basket at will. Curry was not disappointed in the effort at all, just in the outcome.

"I think this game set a gauge for us," Curry said. "There were a lot of good basketball minds in the house tonight. Scouts and people from our sectional. We showed them that we're better than an eight seed (in the sectional). Our guys were a little ornery about that and they played that way."

"We felt that we deserved better than that and we showed what were really capable of. We have to clean up the turnovers (24 for the game), but that was a really good team we played."

Which they had on the ropes for much of the second half.

After taking a 33-27 halftime lead, Falls found itself battered by a relentless assault from the Highlanders in the third quarter. Despite picking up his third foul just 35 seconds into the session, senior Homestead post John Laihinen was unstoppable in the quarter, using a devastating drop step to score 10 points in the period.

It was a three-point play by Luke Worthington that gave Homestead its first lead of the night at 45-44 with 2:33 to go in the third and a putback by Bryan Bronaugh made it 50-47 Homestead with just 1:07 left.

But the Indians' C.J. Malone hit two free throws and drained a key last-second jumper to give the Indians the lead back at 51-50 going into the fourth.

Falls' happiness would not last. Homestead hit the Indians again right at the start of the fourth. Five different people contributed to 10-4 run that gave them a 60-55 lead with 4:03 to go. Falls, which struggled mightily for most of the night at the foul line, got two sets of free throws from post Jonathan Phillips to close the gap to 60-59 with 3:11 left.

"It was Jonathan in the huddle who said we're going to make these free throws, we're going to make these shots down the stretch," Siebert said. "He really showed some great leadership."

But behind Laihinen (21 points, 19 in the second half), the Highlanders kept the pressure on. He completed a clutch three-point play and got two more baskets in the next 1:30 to give them a 69-64 advantage with 1:51 to go.

However, on the subsequent Falls' possession, Laihinen fouled out trying in vain to stop the talented J.P. Tokoto (game-high 27 points) from putting in an offensive rebound.

It was at that point the Indians started to surge. Tokoto, the talented sophomore who was observed by Marquette coach Buzz Williams this night, completed the three-point play to make it 69-67.

Then on the next possesion, senior guard Conor Cassidy got a deft steal and lay-up to tie the score at 69 with 1:25 remaining. At that moment, the roof of the well-packed Homestead Fieldhouse threatened to burst.

Homestead missed its next opportunity, and on the subsequent Falls' chance, Tokoto was fouled and hit two free throws with 59 seconds left to give Falls the lead for good.

The Highlanders turned the ball over again and Jalen Ramey hit one free throw to make it 72-69 with just 38 seconds left. But Homestead's Coy Smith then put up a challenged jumper in the lane that went around the rim but fell out. That was fortunate for Falls because he was fouled on the play.

Smith hit the two free throws to make it 72-71 with 24 seconds left.

The drama was still not done. Adam Rubatt (16) hit one of two charity tosses for Falls with 19 seconds to go to make it 73-71, but Homestead could not take advantage, missing a shot in the lane. Tokoto was fouled on the rebound and made one of two tosses to stretch the advantage to 74-71 with seven seconds left.

Homestead could not get a 3-point attempt off in time.

Falls, which was at one point was just eight of 19 from the foul line, would hit 13 of 19 throws in the fourth quarter, including one stretch where the Indians were 10 of 11.

"I really think we had a good gameplan," said Curry. "From our standpoint it was a good effort. For a program like ours that has been up and down over the last few years, we showed no fear in a game of that magnitude and against a team that has been ranked in the state's top 10 most of the season."

Guard Dominic Wilder helped out the Highlanders with 14.

Siebert was just happy his Indians escaped the snare that Homestead had deftly thrown around them.

"It's a big compliment to Ray (Curry)," said Siebert. "They are a good team and they play hard and fast, but I think our relentless pressure eventually got to them. This is a big win."