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Boys Basketball: Munster rallies in second half
Updated: January 28, 2012 11:35PM
VALPARAISO — The level of intensity in the halftime locker room for Munster reached a peak early. Then the Mustangs got down to the business of figuring out how they could get back to doing what they do best — controlling the tempo, playing good defense and thoroughly frustrating their opponents.
And that’s exactly what Munster did for the final two quarters Saturday night, turning a 25-24 halftime deficit into a convincing 60-40 victory over Valparaiso.
“It started intense and got a little calmer,” Mustangs coach Mike Hackett said of his halftime talk with his players. “I needed to get their attention first. But then I figured I’d better settle down and start teaching.”
Munster (12-2) responded by outscoring the Vikings (11-4) 19-6 in the third quarter, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Danilo Zekovic, who scored a team-high 17 points, opened the half with a 3-pointer from the corner, sparking a 9-1 run that gave the Mustangs a 33-26 cushion midway through the period.
“It was nice to score and get the lead,” Hackett said. “But what we did was get a bunch of scores and back it up with stops on defense.”
Valparaiso, which has lost two in a row for the first time this season, trailed by eight early in the second quarter but rallied to close out the quarter. Brody Wilson’s bucket in transition gave the Vikings their first and only lead of the game, 25-24, in the waning moments of the second quarter.
“We fought back,” Valparaiso coach Joe Otis said. “But we only had one run in us, and we used it.”
John Mosser led the Vikings with 17 points. Scott Jerge scored 12 for Munster, while teammates Nate Burbash and Mark Strbjak each added 10.
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