Boys Basketball: North Judson breezes by Morgan Township

Updated: December 2, 2011 11:48PM

NORTH JUDSON — Going into the season, the Morgan Township-North Judson game looked to be an early test for the Bluejays.

But it wasn’t. North Judson made it look easy, with an 85-37 dismantling of Morgan.

The Cherokees, ranked eighth in Class 1A, have struggled early, and against the Class 2A sixth-ranked Bluejays, they were outmanned and just couldn’t solve Coach Phil Shabi’s body-to-body, full-court defensive pressure.

Shabi noted that his team had just two defensive rebounds in the first half, but that was because the Bluejays forced 22 first-half turnovers. It was 36-27 at halftime.

Even with his team’s second runaway win, Shabi is looking for his Bluejays “to learn from their mistakes. We need to improve defensively, don’t let aggression turn into fouls.”

As long as senior Kendall Hochstedler continues his hot shooting, it is going to be difficult for teams to try to sag on forwards John Eckert and Mitch Fingerhut.

Eckert scored 13 points, but it was his offensive rebounding and ability to find Hochstedler, Winston Yergler and Fingerhut on the wings. And Fingerhut, with his long arms and leaping ability, has the ability to pick apart a defense.

Hochstedler netted 25 points, and, his deadly accuracy from behind the 3-point line has to send shivers down opposing coaches’ spines.

Yergler scores his points from just about anywhere, and he is a pinpoint passer.

“We were better offensively tonight than we were against Knox,” said Shabi.

But he wants Yergler to move the ball upcourt faster.

“I’m trying to impress on Yergler to push it. We want to get our wings downcourt and into our offense as quickly as they can. Hochstedler and Fingerhut have the ability to (dominate) offensively if we do that.”

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