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	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Manchester wins on late drive

Schaible, Ysassi lift Dutch past Addison for sixth straight victory

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: February 22, 2007

The Manchester varsity boys' basketball team woke up in the nick of time.

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A late drive by Greg Schaible and clutch-free throws by Nick Ysassi in the final minute rallied the Flying Dutchmen to a 43-42 victory over the Addison Panthers in a Cascades Conference game last Thursday.

Manchester (8-9, 7-5 Cascades) has won six straight and eight of its last nine games. Addison (2-14, 1-10 Cascades) led for most of the game, but the Dutchmen staged their comeback by outscoring the Panthers 18-9 in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by one in the final minute, Schaible drove the lane and scored a lay-up, giving Manchester a 41-40 lead. Ysassi gave the Dutchmen more breathing room by hitting 3-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds.

The Panthers had the final possession, but Manchester's defense prevented a tying three-ball.

"We really stepped up our defense in the second half," Manchester coach Bryan Barnard said.

Coming off a big road victory over defending Cascades Conference champion Napoleon, the Dutchmen experienced a letdown in the first half against the Panthers. While Manchester struggled with turnovers and cold shooting, Addison raced to a 15-4 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The Dutchmen began to find an offensive rhythm in the second, but the Panthers matched them and maintained their cushion.

Addison took a 27-17 lead into halftime.

"We came out flat, and we talked about not doing that," Barnard said. "We weren't shooting well and turned the ball over. Addison is a much improved team since the first time we saw them."

Manchester turned up its defensive pressure in the second half, limiting the Panthers to 15 points over the final two quarters. Meanwhile, the Dutchmen began chipping away at the deficit as Jake LaCross scored six points in the fourth. Schaible's driving basket came with just under a minute remaining, putting the Dutchmen ahead for good.

Schaible finished with nine points and three assists to lead Manchester. LaCross had eight points, while Zack Benedict added seven points. Ysassi and Nick Ball each scored five points, and Kevin Fielder had four points and eight rebounds. Sam Brown scored four points and made five steals for Manchester.

The Dutchmen traveled to Cascades-leading Hanover-Horton on Tuesday. The game took place after our deadline.

Manchester will travel to East Jackson on Friday. Schaible's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Dutchmen a 47-45 victory over the Trojans in the teams' first meeting Jan. 26.

Dutch at Napoleon

While Greg Schaible provided offensive fireworks, Jake LaCross and Sam Brown turned the boards into a No-Fly Zone as the Flying Dutchmen stunned defending Cascades Conference champion Napoleon 42-41 on the road Feb. 13.

Manchester trailed 22-15 at halftime, but rallied to within one after a third quarter that saw the teams combine for 32 points.

Schaible scored 11 points in the third and then buried a jumper with a minute left in the fourth quarter, giving Manchester a 42-40 lead. LaCross pulled down a key defensive rebound on the ensuing possession, but the Dutchmen missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Napoleon's desperation 35-foot shot hit the front rim but stayed out.

"We shot better and limited the turnovers in the second half," Manchester coach Bryan Barnard said. "I thought we defended and rebounded well all night long."

For the game, the Dutchmen held a 41-34 rebounding advantage over the Pirates.

Schaible finished with a game-high 22 points to lead Manchester. LaCross added seven points and 12 rebounds, while Brown also grabbed 12 rebounds. Nick Ball had five points and six assists for the Dutchmen, while Barnard credited Kevin Fielder and Zack Benedict for strong defensive play.

Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.