Focus fuels New London, focus fails Pekin

PACKWOOD - Focus. It is a concentration of vision, a sharply defined adjustment. Focus was the difference in New London's 71-54 victory over Pekin Thursday in the Super Conference Shootout between the North and South Division champions. The South rose up to win as the North's focus faded.

Blaise Porter averages 23 points a game so he is going to get his, but his New London teammates ability to use opponents focus against them will make a difference in the success of the Tigers boys basketball team.

Porter poured in 29 points but Kade Benjamim didn't miss a shot in scoring 15 points and Camden Kasel had eight points in the second quarter and 15 in the game.

'They're always focused on Blaise so it gives me open shots and paths to the basket and it's my job to take advantage of that,” Casel said. 'Because they're always focused on him, we have to do our job.”

The second quarter was a sea tide of change after Pekin took a 10-0 lead to start the game. Brady Millikin hit for eight of his 16 points, Braden Sobaski four of his 11, Brock Long four of his five and Cael Lyle six of his 14 in the first quarter when the Panthers had a 22-14 lead. They scored 29 the rest of the game.

'We just stuck to our defense and eventually that helped us get our offense going,” Kasel said.

Coach Bryant Porter talked about fouls between quarters and changed the defense to a zone. 'I knew it would be hard for (officials) to call those goofy fouls on us in the zone. It was just a simple adjustment that I decided to make.”

The New London zone disrupted the motion in the Panthers offense and their transition game, limiting easy post ups and scores.

Pekin coach John Swanson called time with 5 minutes, 15 seconds until halftime trailing 24-22. 'I think after the timeout we were fine, but then we had what was easily our worst shooting night of the season.”

Pekin had 11 turnovers in the game, many in that pivotal stanza. There were also touches that weren't steals and coaches are happy with those because it disrupts the other team's focus.

'We should've found other ways to score,” Millikin said. 'We should've focused on defense.”

Benjamin's focus enabled him to have a perfect night from the field.

Benjamin has trained his muscles with memory, but how much training could he have spent if he's a sophomore. 'I've been practicing for a while and I've spent a lot of time on my game,” Benjamin said. 'I know I have to focus because every shot I take is important and a miss means they can get a fast break.” He is fifth in Class 1A at 68 percent on field goals. 'We beat a team that's ranked in a class that's higher than us, so we have to know what we can do in the postseason.”

It was 38-33 at halftime and still a five-point margin starting the fourth.

Porter scored the first five points and Casel's bucket turned a close game into a double-digit deficit for Pekin.

'He is not a shooter, he is a scorer and a scorer will get points by any means necessary,” Coach Porter said of Blaise Porter, who was able to generate more points by listening to his coach. 'They were pinching on the baseline, so I told him that somebody had to be open. He saw it and was lucky enough to make the plays.”

Pekin planned for Porter, but 'there's no way to prepare for him because we don't have anyone that quick,” Swanson said. 'They had other guys step up.”

'We let them score 71 and our average is 37,” Millikin said. 'I think this will make us focus better in practice this week and hopefully some of that focus is on our defense and focus on some little things as well.”

'Sloppy play and a bad shooting night,” Swanson said. 'But other than a couple of the threes, I would have shot all of them myself. That's how we play.”

Coach Porter has a focused goal. 'When we started the year, we said we want to win the conference and so when people talk about the Super Conference South, we want them to talk about New London. To get people to do that, you have to win these kind of games.”