Cardinals gain retribution against Warriors

By MATT KING\Daily Journal Sports Writer

PARK HILLS - The Mineral Area College Cardinals made an emphatic statement to the rest of the nation on Saturday that they are a force to be reckoned with.

MAC avenged its lone loss of the season in grand fashion at home with a convincing and dominant 73-62 victory over No. 3 Indian Hills in a clash of top 10 powers.

The Cardinals (10-1) never trailed in the contest, but held a slim 26-25 lead following a physical first half before breaking the contest open with a 26-5 scoring run that left the Warriors (11-2) frustrated and stunned.

Sophomore guard Jamaal Smith was outstanding for Indian Hills with a remarkable 36 points, including 15-17 at the free-throw line, but proved to be a one-man show against a relentless MAC defense which forced 25 turnovers and contested nearly every shot taken.

Both teams struggled from the field in the early going, but the Cardinals created some key transitions off of turnovers to surge ahead. Tremaine Wilkerson sank a three-point shot from the left wing and finished a fast break with a strong layup during an 11-0 run that propelled MAC to a 17-6 lead.

The Cardinals hurt themselves with 14 first-half turnovers, leaving the door open for the Warriors to come back. Smith cut to the hoop for a driving layup, then stepped back for a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one.

Willie Hassell provided some breathing room for the Cardinals with a pull-up jumper late in the half, but Indian Hills stayed close with two perfect trips to the foul line.

Intensity picked up along with the foul totals in the second half, as both teams were in the bonus situation near the mid-way point. The score remained tight for several minutes, but Ralph Mata and Ricky Claitt each hit timely triples in transition to energize the decisive outburst.

Tony Webb buried an NBA-range three to continue the momentum, and Darryl Butterfield outjumped two Warriors for an offensive tip-in to extend the advantage to double figures.

Claitt converted another pinpoint assist from Mata while drawing an intentional foul for a pivotal four-point play, and Butterfield cashed in a turnover on the ensuing possession, sending Indian Hills coach Jeff Kidder into a verbal tirade against his players.

While continuing to deny the Warriors from settling their offense, MAC tore through the Indian Hills defense for three more driving layups and their largest cushion of the night at 62-38 with 6:05 left.

Smith made things interesting down the stretch with a trio of three-pointers during a spirited 16-2 run by the Warriors over a span of less than three minutes.

Jabril Banks brought the Warriors to within 70-62 by hitting a spinning hook shot over a double-team with 56 seconds remaining, but the Cardinals solidified the win with free throws and two solid defensive stands.

Claitt scored 16 points to pace the Cardinals before injuring his ankle in the closing stages of the game. Hassell netted 12 points, Wilkerson chipped in 11, and Webb added 10 while Mata chalked up nine assists.

The tough schedule continues tonight for Mineral Area against 12th-ranked Highland. The game will be played at Meramec College in St. Louis at 6 p.m.

Indian Hills 25 37 - 62

Mineral Area 26 47 - 73

SCORING:

Indian Hills - Smith 36, Banks 9, Sauls 5, Palacios 4, Colmenares 4, Haluska 3, Daniels 1.

3-point FG - Smith 5.

Mineral Area - Claitt 16, Hassell 12, Wilkerson 11, Webb 10, Butterfield 8, Hicks 7, Mata 5, Britton 4.

3-point FG - Claitt, Mata, Webb, Wilkerson.