ORANGEVILLE, Ill - Dear Santa, Black Hawk's Michael Place deserves a new car. That's how good he was for the Warriors in their 57-46 win over border rival Orangeville.
Place had a double-double - 20 points and 10 rebounds - and added five blocks and a vicious inside presence.
"Michael led by example tonight," Black Hawk head coach Jerry Mortimer said. "Twenty points, 10 rebounds and five blocks - that's a night at the office. He worked hard all night and was under control."
Facing a team like Orangeville (1-6), the Warriors (4-1) knew things would be tough.
"They play a very tough schedule of their own. They can play some basketball with some pretty good teams," Mortimer said despite the Broncos loss-heavy record thus far this season.
Payton Schliem and Place got going on the offensive end early on for Black Hawk. Schliem opened the game with a wide-open 3-pointer and hit another jumper in the first quarter. The senior guard finished with 11 points. Place scored eight points in the opening quarter, and Black Hawk led just 16-12 headed into the second.
"I think Payton can do that every night," Mortimer said of Schliem's scoring. "He's just one of those players with natural ability."
In the second quarter, the Warriors offense kept moving and the defense stayed stifling. By halftime, Mortimer's team had opened up a 13-point lead at 31-18.
"We really spread the ball out well. Our guards played great, too. And I have to give props to Willie Nelson. This was his first game with extended play, and he hit some big shots for us in the first half," Mortimer said.
In the third quarter, Place & Co. continued the status quo. The senior forward scored six more points in the quarter and Black Hawk led 43-30 with a period to play.
"Normally Illinois basketball is a little more physical, and I kind of like that," Mortimer said of the hard play on the floor throughout the game.
In the third, the crowd, the players, and even the coaches got ruffled at some of the calls on the floor. Players were sent to the bench to tuck in their shirts and blitzing was seen as good defensive strategy. When accepting his technical foul, Orangeville head coach Mike Huenefeld told the officials to "get better", and refused to give the ball back until the men in stripes complied.
"You don't get every call in the game and you have to deal with that. It was a borderline basketball-football game. There was a lot of physical play, and that's what happened last year too," Huenefeld said. "I'm happy of how our kids fought hard and tried to come back even though things weren't going out way."
In the fourth, the pace of the game didn't change, only the number of fouls. Despite both teams sitting in the double bonus, neither took advantage of the situation. The Broncos shot just 7-of-14 from the free throw line in the game, and the Warriors were 11-of-23 in the game and 7-of-16 in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't shoot free throws very well, which amazes me. Usually we shoot around 65 percent," Mortimer said. "Mike Wolff, to be honest, has been pretty much automatic. I was really surprised that he was 1-for-6. He's usually about an 80 percent free throw shooter."
T.J. Adams finished the night with 11 points, the third Warrior in double figures. For Orangeville, Austin Cramer finished the night with a double-double.
"Austin is a man on the basketball floor," Huenefeld said. "We just have to try to find a way to keep him in the ball game as best we can because he sees the ball so well, he has great post moves and he is our best on-ball defender."
For Black Hawk, the win was well needed. The Warriors have played sub-par to Mortimer's standards so far this year. With many snow delays, the 26-year head coach said his team has had only about a practice and a half in the past week. And with the holiday break coming, he wasn't sure how his team would respond.
"We had a tough week with practice. We haven't had a real good day in a week," Mortimer said. "We've shown improvement, and that's what I was looking for.
"It was a good team effort, a good team win. Christmas will be happy this year."
And playing a team like Orangeville is good for Black Hawk too, Mortimer added.
"I think Orangeville is a very similar team to those in our conference. And we play Durand, Pecatonica (Ill.), and Warren this year too. I just like to see the kids to see a different style of basketball. Most division 3 schools don't want to play us because of seeding. So instead of driving to Wauzeka or Weston, these are nice short drives for us," Mortimer said.
"I would love to see a four-team border battle tournament someday, too. A lot of these kids are related and that would be fun."
The Warriors now take some time off before hosting Potosi on Jan. 5.
Place had a double-double - 20 points and 10 rebounds - and added five blocks and a vicious inside presence.
"Michael led by example tonight," Black Hawk head coach Jerry Mortimer said. "Twenty points, 10 rebounds and five blocks - that's a night at the office. He worked hard all night and was under control."
Facing a team like Orangeville (1-6), the Warriors (4-1) knew things would be tough.
"They play a very tough schedule of their own. They can play some basketball with some pretty good teams," Mortimer said despite the Broncos loss-heavy record thus far this season.
Payton Schliem and Place got going on the offensive end early on for Black Hawk. Schliem opened the game with a wide-open 3-pointer and hit another jumper in the first quarter. The senior guard finished with 11 points. Place scored eight points in the opening quarter, and Black Hawk led just 16-12 headed into the second.
"I think Payton can do that every night," Mortimer said of Schliem's scoring. "He's just one of those players with natural ability."
In the second quarter, the Warriors offense kept moving and the defense stayed stifling. By halftime, Mortimer's team had opened up a 13-point lead at 31-18.
"We really spread the ball out well. Our guards played great, too. And I have to give props to Willie Nelson. This was his first game with extended play, and he hit some big shots for us in the first half," Mortimer said.
In the third quarter, Place & Co. continued the status quo. The senior forward scored six more points in the quarter and Black Hawk led 43-30 with a period to play.
"Normally Illinois basketball is a little more physical, and I kind of like that," Mortimer said of the hard play on the floor throughout the game.
In the third, the crowd, the players, and even the coaches got ruffled at some of the calls on the floor. Players were sent to the bench to tuck in their shirts and blitzing was seen as good defensive strategy. When accepting his technical foul, Orangeville head coach Mike Huenefeld told the officials to "get better", and refused to give the ball back until the men in stripes complied.
"You don't get every call in the game and you have to deal with that. It was a borderline basketball-football game. There was a lot of physical play, and that's what happened last year too," Huenefeld said. "I'm happy of how our kids fought hard and tried to come back even though things weren't going out way."
In the fourth, the pace of the game didn't change, only the number of fouls. Despite both teams sitting in the double bonus, neither took advantage of the situation. The Broncos shot just 7-of-14 from the free throw line in the game, and the Warriors were 11-of-23 in the game and 7-of-16 in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't shoot free throws very well, which amazes me. Usually we shoot around 65 percent," Mortimer said. "Mike Wolff, to be honest, has been pretty much automatic. I was really surprised that he was 1-for-6. He's usually about an 80 percent free throw shooter."
T.J. Adams finished the night with 11 points, the third Warrior in double figures. For Orangeville, Austin Cramer finished the night with a double-double.
"Austin is a man on the basketball floor," Huenefeld said. "We just have to try to find a way to keep him in the ball game as best we can because he sees the ball so well, he has great post moves and he is our best on-ball defender."
For Black Hawk, the win was well needed. The Warriors have played sub-par to Mortimer's standards so far this year. With many snow delays, the 26-year head coach said his team has had only about a practice and a half in the past week. And with the holiday break coming, he wasn't sure how his team would respond.
"We had a tough week with practice. We haven't had a real good day in a week," Mortimer said. "We've shown improvement, and that's what I was looking for.
"It was a good team effort, a good team win. Christmas will be happy this year."
And playing a team like Orangeville is good for Black Hawk too, Mortimer added.
"I think Orangeville is a very similar team to those in our conference. And we play Durand, Pecatonica (Ill.), and Warren this year too. I just like to see the kids to see a different style of basketball. Most division 3 schools don't want to play us because of seeding. So instead of driving to Wauzeka or Weston, these are nice short drives for us," Mortimer said.
"I would love to see a four-team border battle tournament someday, too. A lot of these kids are related and that would be fun."
The Warriors now take some time off before hosting Potosi on Jan. 5.
