MILL CREEK
Can a team with Jamie Eisinger in the lineup ever be considered short-handed?
The Jackson Timberwolves rode an energized effort from the multi-talented Eisinger — 23 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals — to a 58-44 victory over the Mariner Marauders in a Western Conference South Division boys basketball game on Jan. 19.
Jackson entered the contest with three starters suspended indefinitely, one for academics and two for disciplinary reasons.
“I’m really proud of the guys who have stepped up,” Jackson coach Steve Johnson said. “We’ve had a lot of distractions lately with the snow and, obviously, with our team situation. I’m just really, really proud of the effort.”
There was little about Eisinger’s antics that came as a surprise to his coach, including the nine boards.
“(Eisinger) has been one our leading rebounders all year,” Johnson said. “He is just an outstanding player.”
Eisinger showed off a dizzying array of no-look passes, only a couple of which went awry, and Johnson was fine with that.
“He drives me a little crazy sometimes,” Johnson said. “He’s obviously a very creative player. You’ve got to take the good with the bad and I’ll take him any day.”
“I’ve learned coaching him you’ve got to let him feel free to do the good things he does,” Johnson continued. “One thing I know is you’ll never have to question his heart, effort and determination.”
Eisinger scored seven points to jump-start Jackson into a 9-1 lead in the opening four minutes.
He had 13 points in the first half to help the Timberwolves build a 25-15 lead. Mariner never got closer than nine points in the second half.
Eisinger got a lot of help from his teammates, including Matt Henehan, who started at post and drew the tough assignment of containing Mariner’s Damascus Purnell down low.
Purnell finished the contest with nine points and six rebounds.
“I give a lot of thanks to Matt,” Eisinger said. “He was like a miniature Charles Barkley D-ing up tonight. He had the hardest job and stepped up totally.”
“We’re really undersized at this particular time,” Johnson noted. “I was just pleased with the defensive intensity and the rebounding. You go with what you’ve got and I can live with anything as long as we have the effort.”
David Sullivan added four rebounds and guard Chris Reimer had five boards for Jackson. Reimer also threw down a trio of 3-pointers en route to 13 points.
Eisinger shot 9-for-14 from the floor and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line. As a team Jackson shot 19-for-36 from the field.
“We shot the ball terribly from the field and we didn’t play very good defense,” Mariner coach Dexter Griffen said. “We got opportunities (eight offensive rebounds) but we didn’t capitalize on the put-backs.”
The Marauders were led offensively by Joey Dillon, who made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points before leaving the game with his second technical foul — for slapping the backboard in apparent frustration — with less than a minute to play.
Game officials confirmed a player who draws two technical fouls in a game is suspended for the next two games. The second game can be appealed.
Bob Mortenson writes for The Herald in Everett.
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