For the week of January 7 - 13, 2004

Cutthroat toughen up, subdue Mushers 54-44

Fairchild (25 points, 24 boards) stands tall

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In a wee bit of post-holiday trouble, The Community School Cutthroats went to their bread-and-butter and hammered the ball inside Saturday against the upset-minded Camas County Mushers, at The Fish Tank in Sun Valley.

The Cutthroats, getting a huge game from 6-4 senior post Jim Fairchild, rallied from a five-point half-time deficit and beat Camas 54-44. Fairchild (16.4 ppg) had a season-best 25 points and 24 rebounds—15 boards in the second half alone.

Jim Fairchild (25 points, 24 rebounds) was a pillar of strength for the Cutthroats in their 54-44 Northside home win over Camas County Saturday. Express photo by David N. Seelig

Together with last Tuesday’s 57-32 non-conference victory at Murtaugh, coach Mike Wade’s Cutthroats put together their second three-game winning streak of the 2003-04 campaign and improved to 7-2 overall.

It was a good week for the Cutthroats (2-1 league), who moved up to sixth in the Idahosports.com poll of 1A teams.

Last Tuesday’s rare holiday game at Murtaugh was settled in the middle quarters, when The Community School defense tightened up. The Cutthroats out-pointed the Red Devils 37-17 in the second and third periods.

Top scorer and captain John Hayes (16.9 ppg) pumped in 15 of his game-high 19 points in the middle quarters. Luc McCann (6.2 ppg) added 8 of his 10 points in the first half, and Dylan McIlhenny (11.9 ppg) went 6-for-6 at the free throw line on his way to 10 points.

Fairchild chipped in 10 points at Murtaugh. The Cutthroats (61.1 ppg on offense, 45.9 ppg defense in 9 games) put four players in double figures.

Saturday night, Hayes got into first-quarter foul trouble trying to keep up with the whirling dervish Musher guard Steve Vouch. Hayes sat out the second period, when Vouch tallied 9 of his team-high 19 points giving the Mushers a 27-22 half-time advantage.

Up against the wall, the Cutthroats didn’t think about anything offensively other than getting the ball inside to Fairchild in the second half. He scored 10 points with 8 boards in the third. His charity put the ‘Throats up 39-38 at the break.

The effective big guys for the Mushers—Kyle Menck (10 rebounds) and Mark Wilson (6 points, 6 boards)—just couldn’t handle Fairchild and got into foul trouble. The Mushers tried to shorten the game in a 39-39 tie early in the fourth, but the Cutthroats were just too deep.

Six different Cutthroats scored in the fourth, when the home team (14-for-22 free throws second half) went on a game-clinching 12-2 run. In the second half, the ‘Throats out-rebounded Camas 30-10, finishing ahead 48-29 on the glass.

McIlhenny had a nice, quiet 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals for the winners. Hayes was limited to a season-low 4. Travis Van Gelder added 12 points and 4 rebounds for Camas (4-2, 2-2 league).

The Cutthroats traveled to Dietrich Tuesday and go to Bliss Friday, Jan 9. Results from the Camas County game:

Cutthroats 54-44 over Camas: Jim Fairchild 25, Dylan McIlhenny 12, Luc McCann 5, Andrew Durtschi 5, John Hayes 4, A.J. Beesley 2, Logan Koffler 1. Rebounds (48)—Fairchild 24, McIlhenny 10, Durtschi 7, McCann 4. Steals—McIlhenny 3. Assists—Hayes 3, McIlhenny 2. Blocked shots—Fairchild 2.

Season stats: Rebounds—Fairchild 99 (12.4 per game), McIlhenny 47, McCann 47, Durtschi 47. Blocked shots—Fairchild 15. Assists—Hayes 27, McIlhenny 25. Steals—McIlhenny 28, Hayes 20. 3-pointers—Hayes 16, McCann 10. Team field goal percentage—46%. Team free throw percentage—59%.

 

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