• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Slow start dooms Craig boys against La Follette

JANESVILLE — Janesville Craig High School’s disappointing start to the boys basketball season probably doesn’t have first-year coach Mike Miller reaching for his scrapbook.

Madison La Follette certainly didn’t give Miller anything fond to remember, either.

The Cougars fell behind 13-3 in the first quarter and never recovered en route to a 65-56 Big Eight Conference loss to the Lancers here Friday night.

Craig’s slow start has been a painful trend this season and one of the main reasons for the 0-4 start.

“What seems to be our problem is getting out of the gates right now,” said Miller, who is still looking for his first victory as Cougar head coach. “We’ve been down 20-4 and 16-2 in previous games, so we definitely need to come out now with a little more intensity and execute a little better.”

Unfortunately for the Cougars, Lancer guard Jon Dybevik had plenty of intensity in the first quarter. The senior standout scored nine of his game-high 29 points in the first five minutes to give his team a 13-3 lead.

Craig cut the deficit to 15-10 late in the first quarter behind five points from Bret Bates, but that was as close as the Cougars would get in the first half.

La Follette built its lead to 36-23 by halftime and eventually blew the game open with a 12-0 run in the third quarter to go up 50-27.

“We have to do a better job as a team to play together, move the ball and find open men,” Miller said.

The Cougars finally got the message in the fourth quarter.

After trailing 52-31 early in the fourth quarter, Craig turned up the defensive pressure and cut the deficit to 58-46 with 2:30 to play. Alex Lowe scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cougars’ comeback.

“When you have 15 turnovers on the last 25 possessions. That’s going happen,” said Lancer coach Reggie Williams of his team’s poor fourth quarter. “I think in the fourth quarter, our guys got complacent after getting a big lead and kind of lost sight of what got them the big lead.”

The Lancers regrouped and never let Craig draw closer than eight in the final two minutes of the game.

“We’re a work in progress,” Miller said. “I think there is something in every game to build upon, but I’m not into moral victories, but we’ll keep working at it.”

LA FOLLETTE 65, CRAIG 56

La Follette (65)—Dybevik, 11-6-29; Hester, 2-0-4; Flood, 2-0-4; Walker, 2-0-4; Padgett, 4-2-11; Hakim, 1-0-3; Carlson, 4-0-9; Torber, 0-1-1. Totals: 24-8-65.

Craig (56) – Lowe, 6-4-19; Condon, 2-4-8; Dare, 2-8-12; Holznecht, 0-4-4; Johnson, 1-0-2; Bates, 2-0-5; Brault, 1-2-4; Kyle, 1-0-2. Totals: 15-22-56.

Madison La Follette 20 16 14 15 – 65

Janesville Craig 12 11 8 25 – 56

Three-point goals—La Follette 4 (Dybevik, Padgett, Hakim, Carlson), Craig 4 (Lowe 3, Bates). Free throws missed—La Follette 4, Craig 9. Total fouls—La Follette 22, Craig 17.

Junior varsity – Craig 43, La Follette 43