Boys basketball: Can’t-miss, can’t-lose performance carries Morris past Ottawa, 63-42

Morris boys basketball coach Joe Blumberg talks things over with his team just before the start of the second half Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, at Ottawa's Kingman Gym.

OTTAWA - There’s an old basketball adage that goes, “When you’re making shots, everything looks good.”

Everything looked really, really good Wednesday evening for the Morris boys basketball team.

The visitors to Kingman Gym shot an outrageous 71.4% from the field in the first half — including an even more unconscionable 77.8% from 3-point range — and kept that shooting percentage comfortably above 50% for the game to turn back every Ottawa run before it could get started in a 63-42, Interstate Eight Conference win Wednesday at Kingman Gym.

Junior two-guard Myles Johnston, recently returned from injury, didn’t make a single one of those first-half baskets, but he made a whole lot of them possible on his way to eight first-half assists and 10 helpers for the contest, which splits the season series with Ottawa.

“That’s Myles Johnston’s second game back after breaking his hand in football,” Morris coach Joe Blumberg said. “His ability to crack the shell and open up things for teammates, that’s part of the reason I thought we shot it so well, because he was able to draw help and kick it to open teammates.

“To have him back takes a little bit of pressure off our sophomore point guard [AJ Zweeres], who’s done a good job, but Myles is a pretty good ballplayer.

“We wanted to attack. With the pressure Ottawa can play with, we thought if we had a good look we had to take it early [in possession]. ... I thought we took those, and they were good shots.”

Johnston put together a big third quarter scoring to complete a double-double with 11 points and the aforementioned 10 assists. Gage Phillips with 15 points and Zach Romek with 13 did the bulk of the Morris scoring, as the visitors finished the night shooting 55.3% (26-of-47) including 50.0% (9-of-18) from the 3-point arc, outrebounded the Pirates 28-24 and won the turnover battle 8-11.

After three separate 6-0 runs late in the first quarter/early in the second, Morris never trailed. The closest Ottawa cut its deficit after trailing 39-25 at the halftime break was nine points, at 41-32.

Shooting guard Luke Cushing had a deadeye second quarter and post Braiden Miller a strong third period, each finishing the game with 13 points for Ottawa. Miller also tied Morris’ Henry Hensen for the game lead in rebounds with eight, and Levi Sheehan handed out four assists, but the deficit in shooting efficiency — Ottawa finishing at 37.0% (17-of-46) — was simply too much to overcome.

Ottawa boys basketball coach Mark Cooper talks to his Pirates during a timeout Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, at Kingman Gym.

“They were clearly the better basketball team tonight,” Pirates coach Mark Cooper said. “They played very well, and Myles Johnston being back now provides a different dynamic to their team. Their 3-point shooting was a by-product of them getting in the lane and kicking it out to shooters. 3-point shooting is much easier when the ball is coming from inside-out. ...

“We’ve got to get back at it with [La Salle-Peru, Ottawa scheduled opponent Friday] coming in here, and I’ve got to do a better job of having our guys ready to play.”

Morris is scheduled off until a Saturday afternoon visit to Oak Forest.