Eagles Grind Out Victory Versus St. Mary’s Ryken

February 15, 2006 – Last night, Coach Steve Turner and his Gonzaga Eagles separated themselves down the stretch from a consistently feisty group of St. Mary Ryken Knights, eventually prevailing 55-50. The game was a nip and tuck affair, with neither team enjoying a lead of greater than five points for the majority of the game.

Turner praised his team’s late defensive effort as being the key to victory. “Our guys put a little bit more pressure and forced them into some turnovers late” he said. This increased effort extended into garnering “loose balls”, and according to Turner “made a big difference”, as it helped produced a 20-12 fourth quarter run.

On the offensive side, execution was key for the Eagles, as per Turner, his team was “in control on the offensive end”, during the game’s final stretch. “Our guys were patient”, said Turner. “We got the ball into the open gaps (of Ryken’s 2-3 zone), got them into a bit of foul trouble, so we were able to start attacking the rim”.

Coach Danny Sancomb of Ryken lamented his team’s overall effort. “We were sluggish today” he said. He also lamented that with an opportunity to shore up playoff position presenting itself, “we were flat”.

The Eagles turnaround started early in the final stanza. Carlos Howard (16 points) scored on a fast break lay up, initiated by good defensive play, at the 6:17 mark. Cameron Johnson (18 points), Max Kenyi (7 points) and Howard would all score during the next four minutes. The Eagles patiently ran their offense, while also applying ball pressure – including trapping and extending their defensive pressure to the half court line.

One player who stood out for the Knights was John Flowers (25 points). Though Sancomb opined “John played okay, not one of his best games”, the heavily recruited frontcourt player was definitely a factor. He posted opponents (several times generating and one opportunities), challenged shots defensively, and showed he can make the mid-range jumper throughout the contest.

With the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference’s playoff structure in flux, this game took on added significance. Both teams are separated by a game and a half in the WCAC standings: The Knights are 7-8 in the WCAC, 15-8 overall, while Gonzaga’s Eagles are 7-10 in conference and 12-14 totally. If the season ended as of right now, both teams would avoid the dreaded play-in games. And with that comes an extra day of rest and preparation; a must if a WCAC tourney title run is to be made.

Cam Johnson

Ryken's John Flowers