Easy does it as Eureka knocks off CentralBy Randy Kindred
STANFORD - There was no sweat on Tim Meiss' brow, no hint of fatigue. The game was over, but Eureka High School's veteran basketball coach looked as fresh as he did before tip-off. | View photo gallery
"They made it easy on me," Meiss said of his players.
Led by the ballhandling of senior point guard Colin Knapp, the Hornets made everything look easy Tuesday night in a 71-53 upset of No. 6 state-ranked Central Catholic in an Olympia Class A Sectional semifinal.
Eureka's patient offense picked the Saints apart with precision passing, leading to layup after layup and a 71 percent field-goal percentage (30 of 42). Six-foot-eight sophomore Jordan Prosser had game highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Hornets avenged two regular-season losses to Central.
Unranked Eureka (19-8) advanced to Friday's night's 7:30 championship game against the winner of tonight's semifinal between No. 2-ranked Maroa-Forsyth and No. 13 Fieldcrest.
"We were trying to get the ball up top to me because (6-4, 300-pound) Josh Brent wouldn't come out there and guard me," said Prosser, a Division I prospect. "We tried to work it around and make extra passes and get layups.
"We thought it would be a dogfight to the end. We were just hoping to come out with a win."
Eureka took control in the first quarter with an 11-3 run ignited by a dunk by Prosser. The Hornets went from a 6-4 advantage to a 17-7 lead, and Central (25-4) could not get closer than six the rest of the way.
Leading 21-14 early in the second quarter, Eureka put together a 10-2 run for a 31-16 lead. Knapp had two baskets and an assist in the surge. He added a driving layup with five seconds left in the half to give the Hornets a 33-18 cushion.
An 8-2 spurt to start the third quarter pushed the lead to 41-20, and Eureka cruised from there.
"We wanted to slow down the tempo because I know they want to speed it up," Knapp said. "We wanted to get the ball to Pross (Prosser) and let him do his thing.
"It just worked so well. I think after a while we frustrated them real bad. They were taking quick shots there in the second quarter and missing."
Senior forwards Dean Eastman and Chad Blunier scored 12 points each and Knapp added 10 for Eureka, which lost 66-58 and 62-60 to the Saints in Corn Belt Conference play.
The Hornets had a 27-20 rebounding advantage and held Central to 38 percent shooting from the field (20 of 52).
"We couldn't have asked for too much more," Meiss said. "I thought we did an extremely good job of passing the ball. We just saw the open man.
"I didn't realize we'd come out with this kind of a win. It was the kids who executed and played with so much intensity. Central Catholic kept battling. They weren't going to give up. Tonight was just a night where we were really clicking."
Saints' coach Jeff Wulbrun agreed, saying Eureka "played a super game."
"They outplayed us in every facet of the game," Wulbrun said. "They played with a toughness about them, they executed well, moved the ball and made very few mistakes. We didn't match that effort tonight.
"I've thought from day one that Knapp was the key to their team, and he's really playing well. When the ball's in his hands, you can't get it from him. And when he gets to your hip and beats you, he reads the defense and hits the open man. Tim (Meiss) and his staff did a marvelous job of preparing their team, and we just struggled all night against them."
Senior guard Brandon Dunson scored 11 points to top the Saints.
Junior guard Aaron Garriott, Central's scoring leader, was held to seven points, half of his season average."We had Crue Harmon on him, and Crue has done an excellent job of defending people," Meiss said. "I can't say enough about him because he doesn't get very much credit for doing that. He always takes the best offensive player."
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