CARROLLTON - Within their first two games, the Carrollton Hawks three players have scored career-high point totals. Matthew Campbell garnered 19 points, while fellow forward Jacob Stendebeck collected 16 as the Hawks defeated the Roxana Shells on the road 50-40 in Roxana on Friday night. Carrollton starts off their opening week by going 2-0, while the Shells fall to 3-3 on the season.
“It just felt like every other game,” Campbell said. “My buddies kept passing me the ball, and they kept finding me in open spots.”
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As for Stendebeck, this was a type of game he had been anticipating for quite some time being a JV player for three seasons, and the hard work has paid off.
“It was something I’d been waiting for. I just knew that I needed to step up,” Stendebeck said. “It feels good to finally show people what I can do and I think I can really contribute to the team.”
The main reason why the two forwards got their chances was because they and other Hawks rebounded well offensively and out-rebounded the Shells as a team. Carrollton head coach Jeff Krumwiede is a firm believer that offensive rebounding is the most important part of the game.
“I don’t know when it hit me, but I said offensive rebounds are probably the most important thing in the game of basketball and probably the most overlooked,” Krumwiede said. “We are constantly talking about it, constantly stressing it, constantly doing it. We are constantly working on the importance of going to the glass and trying to make up for a poor shot selection or just an ice cold night.”
The players can attest to that too.
“We work hard in practice,” Campbell said. “Coach puts us through many rebounding drills.”
Last night, Carrollton proved that they can now win in multiple ways. They ran away from Piasa Southwestern by outscoring them at home and then grind out a result by staying defiant on defense on the road against Roxana.
“This wasn’t a pretty game no doubt about it,” Krumwiede said. “Everything gets scrappier and uglier when you don’t shoot well, so you have to win with the hustle points.”
Roxana was led by Cody McMillen’s 12 points, and Zach Haas chipped in 11. The Shells' leading scorer and recent member of the 1,000 point club, Zach Golenor was held to nine points on the night while he was averaging 18 per game.
“Our defense bailed us out again,” Krumwiede said. “We put Jerrett [Smith], probably our best defending on [Golenor]. He’s a little bit longer and had the athleticism to stay with him.”
Carrollton had to withstand an early blow as Jeremy Watson, who scored 34 points against Piasa Southwestern on Tuesday, picked up two fouls within the first two minutes and ended up not seeing the floor again until the second half.
“We didn’t have to, but I chose to as long as we were going to have the lead,” Krumwiede said of holding Watson for the second half.
Haas started out for the Shells with three triples, and they led 10-9 after the first quarter.
“Haas started the game like he was senior that was going to make sure that Carrollton wasn’t going to come out and win again,” Krumwiede said. “That was pretty impressive on his part.”
Right after, that’s when Stendebeck caught fire. He scored 12 points in the first half, including eight in the second quarter to catapult the Hawks into the lead for good. He was everywhere in the paint, causing trouble and was 8-for-9 from the field and his offensive contribution as well as Campbell’s helped give Carrollton an 18-14 lead at halftime.
“Stendebeck went that little run there and that was huge because it gave me the lead and it gave us the chance to keep Watson on the bench and still feel pretty good about coming out of the second half,” Krumwiede said. “You gotta tip your cap to the boys for doing that when Watson was out.”
The second half saw more offense and Carrollton got out quickly and built a lead as large as 11 in the third quarter Campbell began to be the main vocal point on offense. He scored seven points in the quarter including five in one trip when he scored on an and-one, but didn’t make the free throw. However, after a scamper for the ball, the Hawks got it back, and Stendebeck found Campbell down low, and he managed to score as he was fouled and made the ensuing free throw.
McMillen scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half and was a thorn in the Hawks sides as his six-foot-six-inch frame began to take advantage, while Golenor managed to become an impact as well.
Carrollton led 35-29 and Roxana got as close as three points a handful of times in the final frame, but the Hawks never gave them a chance to tie the game as they always found a way to execute and keep a steady two-to-three possession lead. Jeremy Watson found his scoring touch by knocking down four-of-five free throws and two contested layups to help give the Hawks insurance as the Shells upped their pressure in the final stages.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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