Boys Basketball: Argo rebounds to top Stagg

Updated: November 29, 2011 9:44PM

Not much went right for Argo against a tough field at the Lyons Thanksgiving Tournament that produced zero wins and three losses.

Winning its own holiday tournament, Stagg posted a 4-0 record coming into Tuesday’s nonconference game.

How then did Argo coach Pat Maietta explain his Argonauts’ at times dominating 56-38 win over Stagg? Simple.

“We defended,” Maietta said. “We got embarrassed at Lyons, and after Saturday I was ready to give up the profession. We watched tape, learned from it, and had a good practice Monday. We realized it has got to start defensively.”

Argo (1-3) forced 24 Stagg turnovers and limited the host Chargers to just 1-for-14 shooting from three-point range. Cordell Binns led the way with 22 points with Ryan Krob adding nine. Kamil Barnas (12 points) and Brett Kaiser (10) paced Stagg (4-1).

“Argo’s speed gave us problems and cut off a lot of our passing angles,” Stagg coach John Daniels said. “Argo gets the credit. They forced us into it.”

Holding a 22-21 lead late in the second, Argo’s defense kicked into high gear. Krob drilled a 3-pointer from the right side to start a run that continued thanks to Stagg turnovers on three straight possessions.

Binns and Krob both had wide open lay-ups as part of the 9-0 run that was highlighted by another Binns lay-up, this one off a Krob shovel pass.

“Everybody played hard and just took their time,” Binns said. “We slowed down and made sure we made the right pass.”

Chasing a double-digit halftime deficit, Stagg got no closer than 45-35. Jalyn Turner and Binns hit back-to-back three-pointers for the Argonauts to put the game out of reach for good.

“We miss a three off a timeout, an open three, and it takes the air out,” Daniels said. “Hit it? Let’s the air in. We miss three’s, lay-ups, even free throws, and then we can’t press.”

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