Ryle's Stauffer too much for Brossart

By Marc Hardin • Enquirer contributor • December 27, 2010

Ryle boys basketball coach Alan Mullins said part of his job is being an investigator.  "We're always looking for evidence to show the players that if they play a certain way, they can be successful," Mullins said. "After a game, we like to sit down with them and find the numbers and point out why we were successful with the plan we had and reinforce what we're doing."

On Monday during the first-day of the Lloyd Memorial Invitational, Mullins was able to point to some strong numbers in the locker room after the Raiders downed Bishop Brossart 55-44 behind the dominating post presence of 6-foot-7 senior Bobby Stauffer.

"We're more effective when the ball goes into the post first before we take a jump shot," Mullins said. "But we're still trying to push it to greater than 50 percent of the time when we do that."

Stauffer scored nine of his game-high 20 points in the opening quarter to fuel a 19-11 start for the Raiders, ranked fourth in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll.

Stauffer, who pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, received many of his feeds from guards Tate Mullins, who dished a game-high seven assists, and Zach Perkins, who had six assists.

"We need to realize we have the size advantage in most games and we need to work it to the post. And when we saw Bishop Brossart, we knew we had the advantage," Tate Mullins said. "But it's off and on. Some games it goes well. Sometimes we shoot too much from the outside."

Tate Mullins said he and many of his teammates are hot-wired to shoot the basketball and sometimes it is difficult to resist the temptation to put it up early in the game when an opening is there.

But when he sees the numbers found by his father, coach Mullins, it all makes sense.

"Everybody wants to get their shots. But if you keep missing, you can't keep shooting," the junior point guard said. "It's coming along. We're getting better about going inside and let the confidence build and get momentum and force the defense down low and get those shots later."

Following Monday's win coach Mullins had the evidence to support his findings which show that good things come to those who wait to shoot jump shots.

"We got a good start from Bobby off dribble penetration and he was able to finish," the coach said. "That reinforces what we're trying to do, coaching-wise, because the opponent has to respect us down low. When they go down low, that's when we knock down shots. We shoot better when we wait, and we did that today."

Ryle shot 57.8 percent (22-for-38) from the field, 61.7 percent on two-point shots. The Raiders have been shooting less than 50 percent overall this season.

"Both Bobby and Todd Vollet shot better than 50 percent," coach Mullins said. "That shows we're being more productive inside and doing what we want to do."

Vollet, a senior forward, scored 13 points. Perkins added 10 points for the Raiders (7-5).

"When we go to the post first, we open up the outside," Stauffer said. "A lot of our jumps shots were from 15 feet."

Bishop Brossart (5-3) was led by Joe Jennings 13 points.

BISHOP BROSSART (5-3): Jennings 5 3 13, Saunder 5 1 11, Fardo 4 0 9, Norton 3 1 8, Uebel 1 0 3. Totals 18 5 44

RYLE (7-5): Stauffer 8 4 20, Vollet 6 0 13, Perkins 3 4 10, Stinson 2 2 6, Richards 2 0 4, Mullins 1 0 2. Totals 22 10 55.

Bishop Brossart 11 12 9 12-44
Ryle 19 14 11 11-55

3-pointers: B 3 (Uebel, Fardo, Norton). R 1 (Vollet).

To see the Enquirer article:  Ryle's Stauffer too much for Brossart