Chipola aiming for return to title matchup
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DUSTIN KENT / Jackson County Floridan
Published: March 6, 2008
The game pits the champions of the Southern Conference, Indian River, with the Panhandle Conference champion Chipola.
Okaloosa-Walton and Broward play at 1 p.m. today in the other semifinal game, also a matchup of Panhandle Conference v. Southern Conference.
Chipola coach Greg Heiar said that he expected his team would have a tougher time than usual getting to the championship game for the fifth consecutive year.
"I think they're the best team that we've ever played in the semifinals since I've been here," the fourth-year coach said. "They've got great athletes, they play good defense and they're really quick. It's going to be very tough. They're a very good team."
Indian River defeated Manatee 99-92 Wednesday to advance to the semifinals.
The River made nine 3-pointers and shot 57 percent from the field in the game.
While The River's offensive explosion Wednesday night would usually be the primary concern of the next opponent, Heiar said his respect for Indian River's danger as an opponent comes from its coach, Hall of Famer Mike Leatherwood, who has coached The River for 36 years.
"I think it all starts with their great coach, who has over 800 wins with a system that has been very successful for a long time," Heiar said. "He likes it really mix it up defensively and keep you off balance and out of rhythm. He has obviously been very successful for a lot of years with it."
With an opponent that changes defenses frequently, the Indian players will have to be prepared to react on the fly.
"I think it's a matter of how well we adjust to the different defenses and really attacking offensively," Heiar said. "We're going to have to be able to think and adjust on the move."
The Indians defeated Central Florida 73-62 Wednesday to advance to the semifinals.
It was a somewhat uneven performance by the nation's No. 2 team, with the Indians trailing early in the second half and shooting just 2-of-15 from the 3-point line while missing 14 free throws.
"I think we'll play a lot better (tonight)," Heiar said. "Having a game under our belt helps. I think we'll shoot it better, but I don't really have any control over that."
The Indians got a big lift Wednesday night from 7-foot, freshman center Jon Kreft, who put in 11 of his 15 points in the second half to spark Chipola to victory.
Heiar said the improvement of the big center from Coral Springs has been a key factor for his team.
"Jon has come a long way," the coach said. "I talk to other coaches and they can't believe how much better he is now than at the start of the season. The transformation is unbelievable.
"I was really pleased with his effort Wednesday night."
Kreft, as well as Gary Flowers, who put in 15 points and 12 rebounds, helped pick up the slack for an unusually poor shooting night for sophomore star Mario Little, the Panhandle's Player of the Year.
The 6-foot-6-inch, Kansas-bound forward shot just 2-of-9 from the field for six points, though Heiar said he expects a much more active Little tonight.
"Mario is going to be more aggressive (tonight)," the coach said. "The more aggressive he is, the better we are. I don't care if he shoots 0-for-20. I want him hunting shots and attacking the rim."
Heiar said he wasn't surprised to see the Panhandle and Southern Conferences matching up in the semifinals.
"I have a lot of respect for that league," the coach said of the Southern. "A lot of people don't get to see those teams, but that's a really good league.
"I think people have been underselling (Indian River) all year. That's a good conference with great depth and they were the champions of the league. It's going to be a great challenge for us."
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