Mio still a tough spot to win for Viking hoopers
It?s been a long time since a Posen boys? basketball team has won at Mio, so long that no one really can remember the last team the Vikes won in the cozy T-Bolt gym, with Mio?s championship and state runner-up banners hanging from the walls. This year?s team came close on Tuesday, falling 50-49. Coming back from a late second quarter 12-point deficit, Posen had several chances to tie the game in the last two minutes but just couldn?t convert.
Mio knocked down one of two free throws with 20.8 seconds left, forcing the Vikings to set up a three-point play. ?It just didn?t open up for us so we were trying to go down low to see if we could get a lay up and get a three-pointer the old fashioned way but it didn?t happen,? said head coach Ron Misiak.
SEVERAL EASY shots didn?t fall for Posen, but the Thunderbolts played it smart defensively. ?Don?t foul,? they kept telling each other as senior Tom Romel finally made the basket as time expired. The Posen bench frantically attempted to call time out, but the officials either didn?t hear Misiak or there wasn?t any more time left. Up next for the 1-2 Vikings is 2-1 Hillman. Mio improves to 3-1 under new coach Dennis Kann. Longtime coach John Byelich died of a heart attack in the offseason. ?They don?t have the big guys they used to but they are a young scrappy team. They play really well and they can shoot,? said Misiak.
ON THE back of an offensive outburst by junior Ron Kroll, Posen made a comeback from its double-digit deficit in the second half. ?We switched defenses and it seemed to get them flustered and they threw the ball away a couple of times,? said Misiak. Posen would have to chip away at the lead throughout the second half because the Bolts? were finding the open player out on the perimeter. Junior guard John Larrison was giving the Vikes fits as he finished with a game-leading 22 points. Kroll couldn?t be stopped in the third quarter as he put in 11 of his team-leading 20 points. He hit back-to-back three pointers with a minute left in the quarter.
THE LEAD for Mio was only six heading into the fourth quarter. With 5:30 left in the game, Kroll was fouled while shooting a three-pointer. Hewent to the line and made all three shots to cut the lead to one, 40-39. Larrison answered with a basket for the Thunderbolts to keep the Vikes at bay. A baseline pass out on the wing spotted up Larrison for a three-pointer and the Mio lead was back to six halfway through the final quarter. Posen didn?t quit, coming back on a bucket by senior Josh Konieczny, a shot in the paint by Aaron Hincka and a layup by Kroll. With 2:28 left, the Vikes were down by two and got the ball back. They had two chances to score but fa
Mio answered with senior Carlton Davis driving the baseline for a layup to put the lead back up to four, 49-45. Sophomore Matt Ponik made a reverse layup with 1:40 left, but the Bolts played keep-away and took the clock down to 20.8 seconds before Larrison was fouled. Ponik finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
POSEN PICKED up its first win of the season at Au Gres, and although the final score of 72-46 looks as if they smoked the Wolverines, the Vikes trailed at one point by one, after leading by 11 at halftime. Ponik had 23 in that game, while Kroll had 16 and Hincka nine.
The Posen JV is still looking for its first win of the season as they lost at Mio 62-25 and Au Gres 53-44. Sophomore James Sobek led the scoring in both games with seven against Mio and 10 against Au Gres. Junior Josh Rose had six and eight in both games. Sophomore Nick Goupell and freshman Joe Styma both had eight against Au Gres.
