BRODHEAD - Slow starts are never a good thing in a 32-minute game of basketball. That's what happened to Brodhead Friday night in a Rock Valley Conference game against Big Foot.
"We've got to come ready to play, and I told that to the kids in the locker room. We didn't do that," Brodhead coach Brian Kammerer said. "Credit to Big Foot and their coaching staff - they were ready to play. They were coming in with nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Thankfully, Brodhead also has 6-foot-10 J.J. Panoske, a UW-Milwaukee recruit who can light up the scoreboard. Panoske, a senior, was held scoreless in the first quarter but finished with 36 points and the Cardinals won 53-44.
"J.J hit some big shots," Kammerer said. "We had some other kids step up defensively on the boards. We'll take any win we can get."
The Chiefs (4-14, 2-9) led 16-2 early in the second quarter.
"It looked like it was going to be one of those nights," Kammerer said after his team fell behind 14-2 in the first quarter. "But credit the kids, they found a way to win in the end."
That's when Panoske and the Cardinals took over. Sparked by 3-pointers from Trent Jordan (8 points) and Panoske, Brodhead (10-7, 8-4) outscored Big Foot 19-6 through the first six minutes and change of the second quarter to take a 21-20 lead.
"I think we panicked a little bit to a point," Panoske said. "Last time we held them to 18 points (in the game) and this time they had 18 points in the second quarter. But then we got into our comfort zone and worked it around their 3-2 (zone)."
Panoske scored 12 in that stretch before taking a rest on the bench. Big Foot scored the final six points of the half to regain the lead.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals continued their hot streak, led of course by their personal Goliath.
"We all talk about coming out in the third quarter and the first five minutes deciding the game," Panoske said. "I saw some open shots and I made sure I tried to hit them."
Panoske scored 10 points in the third, which included three of his five 3s. If not for a stretch of scoring by Big Foot's Luke Kahl in the post, Brodhead would have opened the flood gates. Kahl scored six of his 10 points in the frame while Panoske was defending the perimeter.
"Our man-to-man defense just wasn't getting it done," Kammerer said. "We went to a 1-3-1 (zone) and that seemed to give us a little bit more positive results."
Trailing 37-36 entering the fourth, Brodhead appeared to have all of the momentum. Panoske and Jordan traded passes and hoops and David Earleywine collected a handful of rebounds in the frame to keep Brodhead moving ahead.
"It's all the intangibles that David does. People get wrapped up in how many points a kid is scoring," Kammerer said. "But you come to games and you see the way a kid like David Earleywine is playing, and he's kind of like a Mike Wilkinson from the Badgers a couple of years ago - he's all around the ball and getting to loose balls. I can't say enough about that kid. He works hard in and out of practice."
The Cardinals outscored Big Foot 14-2 through the first seven minutes of the fourth to take a 51-39 lead.
As the season nears the playoffs, teams are looking to find momentum. Kammerer believes that outside of the first quarter, his team may have started finding its groove.
"We talk about not playing the way we are capable of playing. The nice thing is that the kids recognize that. Hopefully, we get rolling again," said Kammerer, who added that his club may have looked over the Chiefs, whom the Cardinals beat 52-18 in early December. "It's not a knock on Big Foot, but it's high school kids being high school kids and thinking that the results of one game is going to matter in the second game. It's still 0-0 when the clock starts."
Brodhead now looks to extend its modest four-game winning streak on the road Monday in a non-conference game at Belleville (2-16). The Cards return to conference action three nights later at Palmyra-Eagle (4-12, 2-10) Feb. 17.
"We've got to come ready to play, and I told that to the kids in the locker room. We didn't do that," Brodhead coach Brian Kammerer said. "Credit to Big Foot and their coaching staff - they were ready to play. They were coming in with nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Thankfully, Brodhead also has 6-foot-10 J.J. Panoske, a UW-Milwaukee recruit who can light up the scoreboard. Panoske, a senior, was held scoreless in the first quarter but finished with 36 points and the Cardinals won 53-44.
"J.J hit some big shots," Kammerer said. "We had some other kids step up defensively on the boards. We'll take any win we can get."
The Chiefs (4-14, 2-9) led 16-2 early in the second quarter.
"It looked like it was going to be one of those nights," Kammerer said after his team fell behind 14-2 in the first quarter. "But credit the kids, they found a way to win in the end."
That's when Panoske and the Cardinals took over. Sparked by 3-pointers from Trent Jordan (8 points) and Panoske, Brodhead (10-7, 8-4) outscored Big Foot 19-6 through the first six minutes and change of the second quarter to take a 21-20 lead.
"I think we panicked a little bit to a point," Panoske said. "Last time we held them to 18 points (in the game) and this time they had 18 points in the second quarter. But then we got into our comfort zone and worked it around their 3-2 (zone)."
Panoske scored 12 in that stretch before taking a rest on the bench. Big Foot scored the final six points of the half to regain the lead.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals continued their hot streak, led of course by their personal Goliath.
"We all talk about coming out in the third quarter and the first five minutes deciding the game," Panoske said. "I saw some open shots and I made sure I tried to hit them."
Panoske scored 10 points in the third, which included three of his five 3s. If not for a stretch of scoring by Big Foot's Luke Kahl in the post, Brodhead would have opened the flood gates. Kahl scored six of his 10 points in the frame while Panoske was defending the perimeter.
"Our man-to-man defense just wasn't getting it done," Kammerer said. "We went to a 1-3-1 (zone) and that seemed to give us a little bit more positive results."
Trailing 37-36 entering the fourth, Brodhead appeared to have all of the momentum. Panoske and Jordan traded passes and hoops and David Earleywine collected a handful of rebounds in the frame to keep Brodhead moving ahead.
"It's all the intangibles that David does. People get wrapped up in how many points a kid is scoring," Kammerer said. "But you come to games and you see the way a kid like David Earleywine is playing, and he's kind of like a Mike Wilkinson from the Badgers a couple of years ago - he's all around the ball and getting to loose balls. I can't say enough about that kid. He works hard in and out of practice."
The Cardinals outscored Big Foot 14-2 through the first seven minutes of the fourth to take a 51-39 lead.
As the season nears the playoffs, teams are looking to find momentum. Kammerer believes that outside of the first quarter, his team may have started finding its groove.
"We talk about not playing the way we are capable of playing. The nice thing is that the kids recognize that. Hopefully, we get rolling again," said Kammerer, who added that his club may have looked over the Chiefs, whom the Cardinals beat 52-18 in early December. "It's not a knock on Big Foot, but it's high school kids being high school kids and thinking that the results of one game is going to matter in the second game. It's still 0-0 when the clock starts."
Brodhead now looks to extend its modest four-game winning streak on the road Monday in a non-conference game at Belleville (2-16). The Cards return to conference action three nights later at Palmyra-Eagle (4-12, 2-10) Feb. 17.
