It took two overtimes and some tense moments along the way, but the New Richmond boys basketball team was able to subdue Chippewa Falls 59-57 at the NRHS gym last Friday.
The Tigers needed clutch play at the end of regulation and the overtimes for the Tigers to survive this marathon.
It appeared the game was unlikely to reach overtime when the Tigers trailed 47-41 with less than three minutes left in regulation. The Tigers cut into that margin on a hoop by Jake LaMirande and a three-pointer from Joe Deppe with 1:10 remaining. Chippewa Falls sank one of two free throws with nine seconds left to lead 48-46. Tiger point guard Joey Miller rushed the ball upcourt, firing a pass from midcourt to LaMirande, who was stationed under the basket. LaMirande was barely able to snare the pass with his fingertips, putting in the layup with :02 left on the clock.
At the end of the first overtime the Tigers were in a similar situation, trailing 54-51. The Tigers took a timeout with 18 seconds left, with Coach Rick Montreal diagramming a play to get Deppe a three-point shot. Chippewa Falls was aware of Deppe's scoring ability and had him blanketed. The Tigers made several hurried passes, with the ball ending up in the hands of senior guard Isaiah Hobbs as time was running out. Hobbs launched a shot from beyond the arc that swished through the cords to send the game into a second overtime.
"Isaiah's been a really nice surprise," Montreal said. "That shot was good to see. He wants to help the team so badly."
New Richmond took a 59-55 lead in the overtime on a hoop and a three-pointer by Deppe. There were still some tense moments, with CF scoring off an offensive rebound with 1:25 left. The Tiger guards turned the ball over twice in the final 45 seconds. Chippewa Falls had a final shot, setting up for a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot was off line.
Deppe was the Tigers' offensive standout, finishing with 31 points. LaMirande finished with 10 points and Taner Hoppe scored a career-high eight points. Montreal said getting scoring from LaMirande and Hoppe becomes more important as opponents focus their defensive energy on stopping Deppe.
"Taner is becoming more offensive. He never takes bad shots," Montreal said.
One of the trademarks the Tigers have developed this season is an unselfish attitude toward scoring. In Friday's game, Miller, Hoppe and LaMirande each recorded five assists.
"If there's a main strength, it's that this team understands roles really well," Montreal said.
Montreal said that goes beyond getting Deppe open shots. He pointed to the tireless work of Miller pressuring the ball around the perimeter when the Tigers are on defense. The work of Hoppe and LaMirande on defense is another of the assets the Tigers can count on each game. LaMirande also led the team with eight rebounds on Friday, with Deppe contributing six rebounds.
The win raises the Tigers' record to 3-1. Three of their opponents have been Big Rivers Conference teams. Montreal said that playing four games in November, especially considering the tough opposition, has helped the Tigers get ready for the Middle Border Conference schedule. The Tigers face a difficult stretch of MBC games starting next Tuesday, when they host Durand. That's followed by games against Baldwin-Woodville and Somerset.
"That's a big stretch against three of the (conference) heavyweights," Montreal said.
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