Bohannon, Paige torch J-Hawks for 30 apiece
Linn-Mar senior Matt Bohannon knows how to lighten the mood before a big game.
The top-ranked Lions, crippled and missing their two tallest starters, were about to play Jarrod Uthoff and the Jefferson J-Hawks Tuesday night when Bohannon said something on the bench that had everybody laughing.
The Lions were still smiling after the game.
Bohannon and Marcus Paige poured in 30 points apiece as Linn-Mar topped the 10th-ranked J-Hawks, 70-64, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Jefferson.
The 30 points were career highs for both players and lifted the Lions to their 20th straight win.
Bohannon and Paige couldn't remember what Bohannon said before the game, or perhaps they didn't want to share a secret.
"We just had to stay loose and make the guys feel comfortable," claimed Paige.
"I said we have to play bigger than ourselves tonight, we have to play taller tonight," countered Bohannon. "We did a good job of that."
Maybe Bohannon said something like this to Paige to draw a few guffaws before the game: "Marcus, I know you're a great point guard and you'll be going to North Carolina and all that, but just for fun, why don't you move to forward in our 2-3 zone and help us keep Uthoff under control. And we'll both score 30."
Or something like that.
The Lions (20-0, 15-0 MVC) played without 6-foot-6 center Ian McBrayer (groin injury) and 6-7 forward Josh Montague (knee), so Coach Chris Robertson got creative and put five guards in the starting lineup and moved Paige to forward in their zone defense.
"I've never played the bottom of a 2-3 before," said Paige. "It was definitely something new."
Bohannon, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, was the tallest starter for Linn-Mar, but the Lions managed to swarm all over Uthoff and limit his touches. Uthoff finished with 26 points, but it was an uphill struggle despite his four-inch height advantage.
"I thought we'd be able to get the ball inside more," said Uthoff. "We had a big height advantage. We weren't able to do that against their zone. They played great. They're a great team."
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 February 2011 02:23
