Marmion survives IC

The Immaculate Conception boys basketball team threw its third different defense at Marmion to start the fourth quarter.

The results were not what Knights coach Darren Howard envisioned, though.

"I thought they would probably stall," Howard said of the Cadets' response to his box-and-one designed to stop Marmion guard Sean Fichtel. "But I thought our production at the offensive end would be better."

Scoring virtually ceased in the final quarter of the Suburban Catholic Conference game in Aurora on Friday, but Marmion had enough to fend off IC for the 41-37 victory.

Marmion (5-4, 4-1) never trailed, building early double-digit leads behind the play of Fichtel and David Brouch, who drained four 3-pointers for all 12 of his points.

"That's kind of my job, to spot up and get open," said Brouch.

"(Brouch) is our shooter, that's his role," said Marmion assistant coach Robert Szorc, who filled in for Rashon Burno (serving a one-game suspension). "He had just enough separation to hit those shots."

With Fichtel scoring on an array of drives and pull-up jumpers and Brouch the only player from either team to find the range from beyond the arc, the Cadets' inside-outside attack was needed to slow down IC post Matt Purdom.

The Knights' senior center posted game-highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds, single-handedly keeping IC (6-4, 2-3) in the game.

Marmion extended its 24-17 halftime lead midway through the third. Brouch duplicated his two 3-pointers on consecutive attempts from the opening quarter, and Sam Duffield scored inside to restore the Cadets' double-digit advantage to 34-24.

But Purdom had the last of his 7 points in the period to narrow the Cadets' advantage to 36-30 entering the peculiar fourth quarter.

"We wanted to take the ball out of Fichtel's hands," Howard said of the Knights' fourth-quarter defensive strategy. "He had been hurting us all night."

Fichtel had scored his team-high 16 points to that point, but the senior refused to alter his play to combat the Knights' defensive adjustments.

"We would rather run our offense than force it," Fichtel said. "(In the first three quarters) our guys were setting good picks for me, and I was able to get open."

Mark Peters' tip-in proved to be the lone Marmion field goal in the fourth quarter, but IC was held without a bucket until Michael Randick converted a 3-point play with 20 seconds remaining.

"It's an ugly win, but it's still a win," Szorc said.