McCormick sparks Eagles

Updated: January 3, 2012 10:32PM

GARY —  As Carlos McCormick snuck up and stole the game’s momentum, the contest between McCormick’s Class 2A host Bowman squad and their 4A competitors from central Indiana, Lawrence Central, was an absolute firing zone.

“I really don’t know what the game plan was, it was just everyone scoring,” McCormick said with a smile while describing the strong quarter that allowed the Eagles to finally pull away and win 84-76 on Tuesday night.

As far as tactical approach goes, it was a mixed bag for the region club (5-4) to secure this outcome. Though Bowman started with a 22-13 advantage in a first quarter that included nine Bowman fouls, the Bears (5-2) began the next period on a stifling 16-6 run that gave them a 38-37 lead at the half. All the while, 6-foot-8 senior standout Jeremy Hollowell scored the first 17 points of his game-leading 38 for the Bears.

“We figured, hey, we’ll try to maintain a lead going into halftime,” Bowman coach Marvin Rea said of a first-half that saw DeJuan Marrero (who was held to nine total points) plagued by early foul troubles.

Then came the third quarter and McCormick. After not scoring a single point in the first half, the put up 18 in the period (including four 3s) and finished with his season-high 24 points. Bowman pulled away on the strength of a 25-15 third-quarter advantage.

“I was just thinking we need to score,” McCormick said. “We had to get a run, or it was going to go down to the wire.”

Added Rea: “I tell you, Carlos always had it in him, it was just believing in himself.”

And as stellar of a night as Hollowell had, it didn’t detract from Rea’s finals views. Beating the much bigger club was another step in the Eagles’ quest to bring home a second state title.

“If we can stop the rest of the (Bears) players and let him get his, that’s an accomplishment,” he said.

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