Janesville Parker’s Tre Miller goes up for a contested shot over multiple defenders during a home game against Verona on Thursday night. Miller had 37 points in a 78-72 Vikings win.
Janesville Parker’s Sam Bess drives for a layup attempt during a game against Verona in Janesville on Thursday. Bess had 20 points in the Vikings’ 78-72 win.
Janesville Parker’s Tre Miller goes up for a contested shot over multiple defenders during a home game against Verona on Thursday night. Miller had 37 points in a 78-72 Vikings win.
Janesville Parker’s Sam Bess drives for a layup attempt during a game against Verona in Janesville on Thursday. Bess had 20 points in the Vikings’ 78-72 win.
JANESVILLE—As he did in his team’s season-opening loss to Kenosha Bradford, Tre Miller led Janesville Parker in scoring Thursday night to open Big Eight play against Verona.
Unlike last Saturday against the Red Devils, Miller had a full complement of varsity-level veterans backing him up in a 78-72 win over the Wildcats.
Miller put up 37 points for the Vikings (1-1 overall, 1-0 Big Eight), and Sam Bess and JJ Douglas supplied Parker with a little physicality—and 33 more points—to key the victory.
“Obviously we’re a lot different than we were last weekend,” Parker coach Matt Bredesen said. “Having Sam’s scoring and JJ’s rebounding and physicality (adds) a different dimension to our game. Whereas at Bradford they could just kind of locked in on Tre and that was that. But you know what, I think the other guys grew up a little bit tonight, too.”
Parker went up early 11-5, but Verona (1-1, 0-1) responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead, and the game went back and forth from there. Throughout the contest, the Vikings stayed aggressive in the paint and savvy with their passing. and led at halftime, 41-40.
About halfway through the second half, Parker led 53-50 but lost it on consecutive Wildcat 3-pointers, two of 11 such baskets Verona had in the game.
“I think obviously we have to rotate a little better,” Bredesen said. “We’ve got to foul a little less. But we’re right where we need to be in a lot of things that we’re doing. There’s always room for improvement, and we’ll just look to work better on that on Saturday.”
With his team trailing 56-53, Miller went on a solo 8-0 run to put the Vikings back in the lead.
“It felt great,” Miller said about his eight straight points. “It was so fun, and I love when it’s like that.”
But Verona rallied again, eventually pulling ahead 68-66. Once again, it was Miller to the rescue for the home team. He made a 3-pointer from the corner to put Parker ahead for good.
He finished the game with four 3-pointers and did a lot of his damage from the free-throw line, scoring 15 of his 37-point total from the stripe.
After scoring 24 points in the Vikings’ first game without the vast majority of the team’s preferred starting lineup, Miller was thankful for the help Thursday.
“It felt great, rather than on Saturday when I had a little less help,” Miller said. “Obviously, it was a little rough. But having these guys back and having them help me, it helped a lot and it was nice.”
Bess was pivotal to the Parker offense. He worked hard in the paint, finding open players while driving to the rim, and finished with 20 points, including three 3-pointers.
Douglas scored 13 points for the Vikings and showed off his rebounding prowess against the Wildcats.
Parker’s next game is at Craig High School to play the city rival Cougars on Saturday night.
JAN
ESVILLE PARKER 78, VERONA 72
Parker (78)—K. Babbitt 1-0-3, T. Miller 9-15-37, G. Novak 0-1-1, J. Douglas 6-1-13, S. Bess 6-5-20, K. Skrzypchak 1-0-2, J. Rowin 1-0-2. Totals 24-22-78.
