Two slightly-less big men apparently are better than one that towers over all.
That tag-team approach worked well enough for the Triton College men's basketball team in a 72-63 victory over Region 4 rival Highland Community College Feb. 5 at the Collins Center. Trojans "bigs"
Deangelo Elisee at 6-foot-9 and
Patrick Suemnick at 6-foot-8 alternated effective halves to more than counteract 7-foor-2 Highland center Omar Nur.
Elisee was dominant in the first half with 11 points, his game total, and key in a 13-0 run that stretched the lead to 11 points at 29-18. The Trojans were never seriously threatened in the second half as Suemnick took over to tally 10 of his team-high 14 points, including a three-pointer from the corner over Nur's outstretched arms.
"Not every day you see the opposing team has a 7-2 guy," said Triton head coach
John Clancy. "Getting the ball inside is something we have to do."
Nur finished with 15, including two as time expired and the game decided, so he was never a dominant factor with the Trojans' tall men keeping things well in hand.
Suemnick and Elisee both exceeded their per-game scoring averages of 10.1 and 9.8 points, respectively; as the No. 15 ranked Trojans (19-3) compiled a different-paced game than when they played Highland two weeks ago in Freeport. Although the score was almost identical, a 71-62 Triton victory, the visitors had to stage a furious second-half rally to come out on top.
"Highland's really, really good," Clancy said.
Largely thanks to Suemnick, Triton built its lead to 17 points midway through the second half.
JJ Kalakon's basket forged the largest lead at 68-49 with just more than four minutes left before the Cougars made it a bit closer – too little, too late.
"We knew it was going to be a slugfest," Clancy said. Our defensive effort in the first half was outstanding. It's nice to have a little buffer."
The Trojans kept the Cougars' leading scorer Carlos Ramsey just under his average with a game-high 16 points. Guard Stephan Gabriel was held to half of his normal average at just eight points.
"We did a good job getting them in foul trouble in the first half," Clancy said.
But also knowing his Trojans played far from a perfect game, Clancy again cited the need to reach another level with the playoffs within hailing distance.
"Being 9-for-18 at the free-throw line was a problem," Clancy said. "We continue to try to build a (national tournament) resume. We got to get better. We're not close to being a finished product. We haven't put together a full 40."
Key positive statistics were Triton's 9-for-21 shooting from three-point range, compared to Highland's 2-for-16. Even with Nur patrolling the middle, the Cougars (13-9) held only a 39-38 rebounding edge.
Guard
Teonta McKeithen had a well-balanced game with 13 points and six assists.
Daylan Hamilton and
Cam Denson each had 12.
Triton will play five more home games in a seven-day stretch beginning with Wright College Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. before the wrapping up the regular season at Indian Hills Community College Feb. 19.
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)
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