EAST CHICAGO | This is winter, so why is E.C. Central coach Abe Brown sweating like he's in a sauna?
Check his scores. Entering Friday night's matchup with Times No. 10 Roosevelt at the John A. Barrato Center, the No. 4 Cardinals had won four games by six points or less. Their only loss, to Munster, was by eight points.
Despite 31 turnovers and poor foul shooting by the Panthers, East Chicago struggled to claim a 69-61 victory after blowing a 19-point fourth-quarter lead.
"That's a big concern -- getting somebody down and then burying them," Brown admitted. "But we're still working on our chemistry. We've got big Donte Brown back, and when he becomes more acclimated to game time, we'll start burying teams."
Despite 21 first-half turnovers by the Panthers (8-6), E.C. Central (8-1) could do no better than a 34-30 lead.
The Cardinals led by 17 in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth and still allowed Roosevelt to hang around.
Michael Harris, Jerrick Ware and Hollis Fullilove led the winners with 14, 11 and 11 points, respectively. Henry Davis added eight points and six rebounds off the bench.
"That's our Mr. Utility Guy. He's everywhere out there. He's high energy," Brown said. "Henry's good where he's at. He brings energy off the bench."
Said Davis, a senior: "My job's to play hard, play defense and stay humble. I got heart. I'd love to start, but I've just got to be ready when my number's called."
Roosevelt coach Larry McKissack said he's never had a team commit that many errors in a single game.
"Thirty-one! It's totally unacceptable. Those turnovers were the result of stuff we were doing," he said. "We got sloppy with the ball. I bet 10 or 12 were unforced.
"Free throws, turnovers and interior defense is what killed us tonight."
Lionel Moore's 18 points topped the Panthers. Marcell Jones had 16 and Thomas Pierce 13 to go with his 10 rebounds.
E.C. Central has now beaten Roosevelt in nine consecutive meetings.
BOYS BASKETBALL
No. 4 E.C. Central 69, No. 10 Roosevelt 61
Roosevelt had 31 turnovers and missed nine free throws.
