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Boys Basketball: Glenn Robinson, LC rally for win
Updated: December 17, 2011 12:18AM
ST. JOHN — The atmosphere was electric.
The matchup was intriguing to say the least.
And the finish?
Well, let’s just put it this way — in terms of excitement, Friday night’s Duneland Conference game between Lake Central and Merrillville definitely raised the blood pressure of the standing-room only crowd.
By the time the final buzzer sounded ending overtime, it was a dramatic 66-60 come-from-behind victory by the Indians (5-1, 4-0) that sent the LC student section rushing the court to mob their heroes.
Glenn Robinson III, who struggled throughout the game with his shooting — making only 6 of 18 field goal attempts — scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the final couple minutes of the fourth period to help rally LC from a 49-38 deficit with just more than seven minutes left.
The Indians standout then added six points in the extra session as the Indians opened up a 66-58 lead. Robinson also had 12 rebounds, three steals and three assists.
“This is a great win, not for me, but for my team,” said Robinson, who made 9 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and OT.
Mike Miklusak provided the spark off the bench LC needed in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, and again, in OT.
Miklusak connected on a key rebound basket with 27.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, then made four free throws in the final 2:28 of OT.
“Mike was great,” Robinson said. “He’s a real hustler and a great teammate. He came out on the floor and gave us the spark we needed. Mike tends to do everything right. He does all the little things that matter out there.”
Miklusak ended up with 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Tyler Wideman finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and blocked five shots for LC.
It was another tough loss for the Pirates, who committed 22 turnovers. Many of those miscues came in the final minutes after guard Jake Raspopovich fouled out.
“We know we let one get away, that’s part of the whole process of an inexperienced team,” Merrillville coach T.J. Lux said. “We believe in each other. I believe in all of my players, and I think that they believe in me, too. It’s all a matter of believing in what we’re capable of doing.”
B.J. Jenkins led the Pirates with 19 points. He added seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Zoran Talley, who hit 4 of 10 3-point attempts, scored 18.
“It was a great game — a great high school game and a great environment,” Lux said. “Both teams played their butts off and competed.”
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