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Monday, January 12, 2009 10:30 PM CST
After tough loss, Robinson visits CHS
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Good or bad for Charleston, Robinson stumbled last Friday in its race for the Apollo Conference boys’ basketball championship.
Just in case Robinson had forgotten its scare from Charleston last month, Olney probably really woke up the Maroons beating the Apollo co-favorites 49-48 Friday night.
Who knows how that will affect Robinson for tonight’s conference game at Charleston’s Baker Gym.
“That’s one of those things,” Trojans coach Trevor Doughty said. “Maybe they will come in mad and maybe they will come in with some doubts. Regardless of whether they won or not, they are still a good basketball team.”
Charleston comes into this 4-8 overall, 1-4 in the Apollo and with a three-game losing streak that includes a 62-57 loss to Robinson in the Charleston Holiday Tournament quarterfinals where the Trojans led 39-34 going into the last six minutes and Friday’s 66-61 overtime loss to Mount Zion, which barely escaped Baker Gym for its 21st straight Apollo win.
Taking the two Apollo powers to the wire could be a confidence builder for the Trojans.
“You hope so but with any sport the W is what anybody looks at,” Doughty said. “You just can’t come close. You have to get some wins. We’ve made a lot of progress since before Christmas and hope to keep making progress. We’ll see what happens on Tuesday night and see what they do.”
Robinson stands 11-4 and 3-1 with hopes remaining for an Apollo title with two games still to play against Mount Zion.
The Maroons have shown both their potential by leading Edwardsville until the final seconds in a 49-47 loss in the Charleston Holiday Tournament championship game and also that they can be beaten as was the case Friday at Olney.
Most likely Charleston’s strategy that nearly beat Mount Zion cannot be used against Robinson.
The Trojans used a triangle-and-two defense against Mount Zion’s twin brothers Caleb and Colby Long to hold them under their average and stay close.
Robinson also has a brothers combination in Ben and Stephen Jones, who both average in double figures.
But of course the Maroons also have 6-foot-11 center Meyers Leonard, a junior who has already announced his verbal commitment to play for Illinois.
And Charleston fans should remember all too well that less heralded guard Derek Hannahs emerged with three 3-pointers and 13 points in the fourth quarter on his way to a season-high 17 points rallying Robinson to the holiday tourney win over the Trojans.
“That’s the problem,” Doughty said. “They have so many guys who can do things. They have the Joneses who can drive and pull up and hit the 15- to 17-foot shot and of course inside Leonard is just a ton.
“They have a lot of weapons. Defensively they have so much quickness they can really bother you.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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