Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sports

January 5, 2010

Central Lake hosts No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle

Sum Deck

BY DENNIS CHASE

CENTRAL LAKE -- No. 1 versus No. 2.

That will be the storyline Friday night when Central Lake hosts Johannesburg-Lewiston in a Class D girls basketball showdown.

"That's the game everybody wants to watch," Central Lake coach Al Becker said.

First, though, the two teams must win Ski Valley games Wednesday night to go into the battle unbeaten. Johannesburg (4-0) hosts Bellaire while top-ranked Central Lake (6-0) faces Pellston.

Johannesburg won both regular season encounters a year ago -- erasing a huge deficit in the game at Central Lake -- en route to the conference title.

"We were up 18 points," Becker said.

But the Cardinals stepped up the pressure defensively in the second half to rally for a 69-58 win.

So it comes as no surprise as to what Becker has worked on extensively with his team.

"We've been working real hard on full-court press breaks," he said. "We're going to see that Friday night."

Johannesburg is led by a potent one-two punch in Stephanie Fisher and Mary Schlicher. Fisher had 27 points, eight steals, six assists and four rebounds in a big win over Onaway just prior to Christmas.

Central Lake is powered by two-time All-State center Jasmine Hines, who averages close to 35 points and 20 rebounds a game. Hines is joined in the lineup by her sister Jillian, Heidi Hicks and Sheila and Tasha Crouse. Hicks averages nearly 10 points and eight assists a game.

"We're more than just Jasmine," Becker said. "We have good balance inside and outside."

Text Only