Daredevils punk Krunk

By Bruce Sayler - 12/22/2007

The teams drew more whistles than Miss December at Camp Pendleton.

But, after 47 turnovers, 55 personal fouls and two technicals were charged, Butte came away with a season-high for points in a 117-92 victory over the Atlanta Krunk.

Rookie forward Benson Callier dunked the Krunk in a 27-point performance to lead the Daredevils’ Continental Basketball Association win Friday night at the Butte Civic Center. It was Butte’s ninth win in 11 games and was worth 6.5 league or quarter points in the CBA standings. It also occurred before a turnout of 1,017 spectators.

The attendance was improved over most crowd numbers the team has drawn to the Civic Center, but still short of the more than 1,800 that Daredevils chief executive Joe Clark said is needed to break even this season and, perhaps, keep the club in town.

Atlanta won none of the full quarter points, but matched Butte’s 25 scored in the second quarter to salvage half of a point.

“I’m happy we held them to 40-percent shooting (from the field) and we shot 60 percent, which was good,” Daredevils head coach Pat O’Herron said. “But they outrebounded us (47-40) and they outrebounded us by 11 on the offensive boards.”

The Krunk fielded a small lineup by pro basketball standards, too, missing 6-foot-9 forward Waki Williams, their No. 2 scorer this season, and 6-8 Larry Williams. Reasons for their absence were not disclosed. Butte was without 6-8 Lionel Davis because of a back injury.

At 6-8, forward Steve Thomas was Atlanta’s tallest player on the court and it was 6-4 Andre Owens who pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

O’Herron expressed disappointment that his bigger Butte lineup did not win on the glass. However, it might have been the team’s best offensive showing to date.

Callier stepped up to join returnee Odell Bradley as the night’s featured Daredevils performers.

Callier, a 6-foot-6 rookie from Western Kentucky, unpackaged an array of dunks that wowed the fans. One was a reverse he pounded down behind his neck, and another was on an almost half-court alley-oop pass from Aaron Cook, one of Cook’s 12 assists on the night.

“It was fun,” Callier said. “I was pretty amped about this game tonight. I am every game, but this one, especially. I wanted to give the crowd a good show.

“Dunking is my favorite thing to do. I’ll take that breakaway dunk anytime I can.”

Bradley finished with 26 points and 6-10 center Jason Miller with 21 for the Daredevils. Also in double figures were Marcus Jefferson with 14 points, Jibril Hodges with 11 and Martane Freeman with 10. Six of the seven Butte players who took shots, made 50 percent or better from the floor. Callier was 8-for-10.

“Our chemistry has been building since the beginning of the season,” he said. “We’re just now starting to gel.”

Callier nailed a 3-point shot to begin the game and the Daredevils led all the way. It was 33-22 after one quarter and 58-47 at halftime. Bradley’s 14 points led Butte in the first half.

“Timing and confidence,” O’Herron pointed to as reasons for the month’s Daredevils surge. “They’re believing in what we’re doing and that’s helping a lot. They’re knocking down the shots, and trusting their teammates. They know their teammates will get their back on a defensive rotation. A lot of our guys haven’t played in this league before, or with each other before. Trusting in each other is the best.”

Assistant coach John Williams, who faced Atlanta head coach Kenny Anderson on National Basketball Association courts much of the previous decade, agreed with O’Herron’s assessment.

“They played good and they played together,” he said of the Butte effort. “I think they’ve bought into Coach’s system. They have more confidence in each other. The more they have, the better we’re playing, especially on the defensive end.”

Terrance Hunter led Atlanta with 27 points, Zack Marbury scored 17, Owens 14, and former And 1 star Grayson Boucher and Renaldo Johnsonn tallied 10 apiece. Hunter netted 13 of 16 free throw attempts while Marbury sank 11 of 13.

“They go to the line 43 times and we go 31,” O’Herron commented. “That makes for a slow game.

“They scored 32 of their points from the free throw line. We knew they average going about 40 times a game to the free throw line and we worked on it. They drive into contact and get calls.”

The teams will play each other again on Saturday at the Civic Center. The tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

ATLANTA (6-9)

Terrance Hunter 7-17 13-16 27, Steven Thomas 4-5 1-2 9, Andre Owens 6-12 2-4 14, Zack Marbury 3-10 11-13 17, Bilal Simmons 2-11 1-1 5, Grayson Boucher 5-11 0-0 10, Renaldo Johnson 3-9 4-7 10. Totals 30-75 32-43 92.

BUTTE (10-7)

Odell Bradley 11-16 1-6 26, Jason Miller 9-15 3-3 21, Benson Callier 8-10 10-15 27, Aaron Cook 3-5 1-2 8, Marcus Jefferson 6-9 2-2 14, Jibril Hodges 4-12 1-1 11, Martane Freeman 4-8 1-2 10, Blake Sholberg 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 45-75 19-31 117.

Atlanta 22 25 20 25 n 92

Butte 33 25 28 31 n 117

League points n Butte 6.5, Atlanta 0.5. 3-point goals n Atlanta 0-7 (Owens 0-3, Marbury 0-1, Simmons 0-3), Butte 8-22 (Bradley 3-5, Miller 0-1, Callier 1-2, Cook 1-3, Jefferson 0-1, Hodges 2-7, Freeman 1-3). Total fouls n Atlanta 23, Butte 32. Technicals n Johnson, Callier. Rebounds n Atlanta 47 (Owens 11), Butte 40 (Jefferson 8). Blocks n Atlanta 1 (Johnson), Butte 5 (Freeman 3, Johnson 2). Assists n Atlanta 13 (Owens 3, Marbury 3, Boucher 3), Butte 23 (Cook 12, Freeman 4, Bradley 3). Steals n Atlanta 10 (Hunter 3), Butte 10 (Miller 2, Jefferson 2, Hodges 2, Freeman 2). Turnovers n Atlanta 25, Butte 22. A n 1,017.