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Dunbar struggles to 'sloppy' victory
'We've been winning ugly out there for three weeks,' coach Pullen says after the defending D-II state champs need rally to beat Cincinnati Hughes.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
DAYTON — Dunbar boys basketball standards are high. After all, the Wolverines are the defending Division II state champions.
That's why the mood in the locker room after Friday's 70-66 home win over Cincinnati Hughes was mostly negative. Dunbar is winning games, but not looking great doing it.
Extras
"Coach was telling us we need to build a better team chemistry, play together, play harder down the stretch," said senior center Aaron Pogue, who is deciding among USC, Florida and Tennessee for college. "We basically have to come out harder, stop taking teams for granted."
Dunbar (11-1) built a 14-point lead but Hughes (8-5) stayed around behind 19 points from Jack Smith. Hughes eventually took a 57-54 with 4:34 left. But the Wolverines hit some free throws, made some shots and hung on for the win.
"We've been winning ugly the past three weeks now," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. "Something out there is broke."
Josh Benson scored 17 points while Daquan Walker and Norris Cole each added 15. Pogue added 12 but hardly touched the ball in the third quarter. "You've got a horse," Pullen said. "You've got to ride him."
Dunbar was just 18-of-33 at the line and turned the ball over numerous times. "We're very sloppy sometimes," said Cole, a multi-sport athlete who signed with NAIA Walsh University to play basketball. "But we'll get it together."
Anthony Oden played sparingly due to a high ankle sprain — an injury that has sidelined him for most of the season.
Pullen figured the post-title team would struggle to mesh last year's returners with new guys, especially being a target.
"I thought we might have had more losses by now," he said. "I see it coming. I'm looking over my shoulder right now. But we still have responded at the end."
If the glass if half-full, Dunbar shows flashes of brilliance and — despite the lulls — is winning.
"We know it's going to be a dogfight every night," Cole said. "Some teams we should beat by more points, but we aren't perfecting what we need to perfect.
"We'll take the win. It's always good to take the win and work on it in practice."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.
