TOTALS

23

13

22

59

TOTALS

3

15

4

7

43

Saturday, February 18, 2006
by Dave Weidig
THE ZANESVILLE TIMES-RECORDER

ZANESVILLE - Size does matter, especially when it comes to Columbus DeSales and its Central Catholic League opponents.

The big, strong and athletic Stallions, with a starting frontline of 6-7, 6-7, and 6-5, dominated the glass and also frustrated Rosecrans on the defensive end in a 59-43 CCL win Friday night at Rogge Gymnasium.

DeSales (14-6), which blew through the league undefeated in dethroning the Bishops as CCL champs, spoiled Senior Night by taking advantage of a big disparity in fouls. The physical Stallions shot 22 foul shots to only seven by Rosecrans (7-13), which saw All-Ohio candidate Joe Dalton play less than three full quarters due to foul trouble before fouling out on a touch foul with 4:14 left in the game.

The Bishops hung tough until midway through the third quarter, when 6-7 junior Alex Kellogg started to take over inside. Dalton and point guard Dan Miller, playing their last game in Rogge, each drove the lane for a basket to pull Rosecrans within 27-25 in the third, before DeSales went on what proved to be a game-clinching 10-0 run.

Elijah Allen, an athletic 6-4 junior who came off the bench, started the run with a layup and 6-5 senior David Knapke connected on a foul-line jumper. Kellogg, who shadowed Dalton for much of the game along with Allen, turned a rebound into a three-point play, and added another foul shot and inside hoop to send the Stallions surging ahead 37-25 as Dalton went to the bench with his fourth foul with 1:51 left in the third period.

Miller gave Rosecrans a momentary spark, scoring on a pair of drives through the lane and drilling a trey from the right wing to slice the deficit to 39-30. But the Bishops could get no closer as Kellogg scored on a stickback just ahead of the third quarter buzzer, then Knapke scored inside and Allen added a steal and layup to keep DeSales in control 45-30 opening the fourth quarter.

Kellogg scored eight first-quarter points, including a two-handed flush along the baseline, but the Stallions led just 11-8 as Jerod Yakubik powered his way to the hoop for a layup with two seconds left.

A Jared Lewis layup off a Yakubik assist and Dalton's fast break scoop shot kept Rosecrans within 18-17 with 3:20 left in the first half, and Miller zipped a pass to Lewis for another layup with 45 seconds to keep it at 22-19. But point guard Dane Johnson, averaging over 10 assists a game, hit a foul shot, then drove to the hoop and had his shot tipped in by Allen with one second left to make it 25-19 at intermission.

Kellogg scored 19 points with nine boards, Allen added 17 points and Knapke 10 points to go with six boards for DeSales, 23 of 50 from the field for 46 percent including 0 of 7 on threes, and 13 of 22 at the line for 59 percent. Ricky Taylor, a 6-7 senior center, added six rebounds as the Stallions controlled the backboards 39-23 over a Rosecrans team whose tallest starters were Yakubik and Casey Lepi, both 6-3.

Dalton finished with 12 points, eight below his average, and two threes as the only Bishop to crack double figures. Miller added nine points and four assists and Lewis contributed eight points off the bench, while Lepi and Yakubik each grabbed five rebounds. Rosecrans connected on 18 of 45 from the field for 40 percent, including three of 13 on threes, and made four of seven foul shots.

Jordan Bugglin scored 11 points and and Kyle Colopy nine but DeSales, with 7-0 sophomore Sean Hobbs, rolled to a 51-30 reserve win over 6-13 Rosecrans.

The Bishops' Fab Five freshmen, with just five players to 13 by the Stallions, still led most of the way before closing out an 8-6 campaign with a 38-36 loss to DeSales. Jordan Dillon and Sean Pottmeyer scored 12 apiece for Rosecrans.