Winner clinches district's top seed, gains some confidence if the teams meet again.
By GREG AUMAN
Published February 6, 2004
LAND O'LAKES - Three-team districts are good for forging quick rivalries, and tonight's second installment of Land O'Lakes-Mitchell should go a long way toward setting the scene for a likely third meeting in two weeks.
"It's a big district game, one we've been talking about for quite a while," said Mustangs coach Andy Schmitz, whose team lost 50-42 in December. "It's certainly one we've been building up for."
Mitchell (11-8, 2-1 in Class 5A-5) and Land O'Lakes (12-8, 3-0) meet with comparable records and a common goal: have the momentum and upper hand entering the district tournament at Mitchell. Tonight's winner clinches the top seed and an automatic regional playoff berth.
Just as important is the self-assurance that would come with victory.
"The winning team here will have a lot of confidence going into that district matchup," Gators coach Dave Puhalski said. "We don't want to overlook Pasco (Thursday), but the Mitchell game is the big one."
Both teams were just beginning to build their identities in the first meeting. Land O'Lakes was in its third game with a full roster, with half the players getting acclimated from a long run in the football playoffs. Mitchell was adjusting to a new coach, and both coaches said tonight's game should be a more accurate barometer of how the teams compare.
Land O'Lakes has more than Pasco on its plate before the Mustangs. The Gators faced Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, and after trailing by two at halftime they lost 67-53. The challenge of playing three games against 10-win teams in a four-day span could be a factor tonight.
"We only go about eight deep, so I'm a little worried about the fatigue factor," Puhalski said.
Schmitz said his team will have to play strong defense to contain Gators center Caz Piurowski, a 6-foot-8 standout who is second in the county in rebounding. In addition to its starting front court of 6-foot-3 Mitch Foster and 6-2 Derek Mitchell, Schmitz is counting on quality minutes from reserve Ryan Hewitt, who is 6-5.
"Their big guy creates real problems, because we're not as big inside," he said. "And (forward) Drew Weatherford had a good game against us, and Mitch was matched up on him last time, so he needs to have a good game if we're going to win this."
Land O'Lakes stepped up defensively in the first meeting, holding Mitchell to its second-fewest points this season. If the Mustangs win tonight, the teams would have matching district records, and the tiebreaker would go to whichever finishes with the better overall record. The second seed will need to beat a young River Ridge team before the teams can meet for a third time Feb. 21.
"That first game, we played okay, but it was one of our worst offensive games," Schmitz said. "We really struggled offensively, but I think we're shooting the ball much better now. Most of that is just getting more familiar with the offense and getting used to each other."
