Michael Volovic scores 22 as Carmel hands Kokomo its first loss
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
James Crowley and Zach McRoberts, Carmel’s second and third leading scorers respectively, finished with a combined four points.
Their teammates stepped up big on Saturday night.
Ryan Cline, a 3-point specialist who had struggled to hit a shot in recent games, finished with 12 points, and James Volovic had 10 points to go with his brother Michael’s 22 as the Greyhounds knocked off previously unbeaten Kokomo 54-46.
It was Tayler Persons and Cline who heated up early for their respective squads. Persons had eight in the first quarter to lead the Wildkats, and Cline was 3 for 3 from 3-point range to lead the Greyhounds with nine points in the opening period as Carmel led 15-13. The two teams played fairly even for the second quarter, and Carmel took a 25-24 lead into halftime.
The runs came in the third period as Carmel went on a 7-0 run to take a 40-31 lead, only to be answered by Kokomo with a 5-0 run of its own to cut the lead back down to four to end the third. The Wildkats would extend the run to 9-0 at the start of the 4th to tie the score at 40. Then Michael Volovic, as he has so often in recent games, took control of things and made several key plays down the stretch. Carmel, with only three teams fouls late in the 2nd half, gave up their fouls to use to disrupt any chance of the Wildkats mounting any offensive attack to make a comeback. The Greyhounds finished the game 8 of 9 from the free throw line, with Volovic hitting four in the final minute, and the Greyhounds were able to seal the victory.
Persons finished with 17 points, as did teammate LaBradford Sebree. Kokomo falls to 12-1 on the season, while Carmel improves to 10-1.
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