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Dragons struggle, but get aid from defense
By Steve ruman
NILES
Niles McKinley High coach Ron Price knows there will be nights when his team struggles to score points.
How well Price’s players perform in other aspects of the game on such nights will go a long way in determining the fate of the Red Dragons.
On Friday night, Niles scored 22 points below its season average. However, defense and rebounding propelled the Red Dragons to a 46-30 home win over Hubbard.
Cameron Kane scored a game-high 18 points to help Niles lift its record to 5-6. Tre Martin added nine points, while Garrett Pitts chipped in with seven.
Hubbard, which saw its record fall to 1-7, was led by Derek Kopanic (nine points) and Ryan Love (seven points).
Niles’ 16-point win was due in large part to its 42-29 rebound advantage, including a 23-6 edge in offensive rebounds. The Red Dragons dominated the boards in the second half.
“Rebounding has been an issue this year, but tonight we rebounded the heck out of the ball and we played real hard with our trap,” Price said. “It was not a good offensive night, so I’m very proud of the way our guys never quit in other phases of the game and did what they had to do to get a win.
“We’re still a team in progress, trying to figure things out. Tonight we played really hard on an off night and that’s a good sign.”
Early on, it appeared as though nothing was going to go in favor of the Dragons. They missed their first seven shots of the game, and didn’t score a point for nearly five minutes.
However, Cameron Kane broke the drought when was fouled while hitting a three-pointer with 3:08 left in the first period. Kane’s free throw tied the game at 4-4. When the junior nailed a half-court shot to beat the first period buzzer, Niles led 16-6.
Kane is averaging 27.5 points.
“Cameron is the type of player we can lean on — he’s a special player,” Price said. “Even on nights when he struggles at times, he seems to step up and hit the shots when we need them most.”
Martin scored all nine of his points in the first half to help Niles maintain its 10-point lead (27-17) into intermission. The Red Dragons scored the first nine points of the third quarter, and were never seriously threatened.
“We’re struggling to put the ball in the hoop, and tonight we gave them too many opportunities on their end of the court,” said Hubbard coach Rick Fox. “We actually forced Niles to take a lot of bad shots, but if you keep giving them look after look, they’ll knock some down.”
Fox continues to maintain faith in his club.
“It’s a struggle, the shots just aren’t falling,” Fox said. “But the kids are busting their butts. People don’t like to lose, but the kids we have, they’re still fighting.