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Iacouzze starts to adjust to latest role

Senior helps South start quickly in win

By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
   A year go, Mike Iacouzze would come off the bench and try to give the West Windsor-Plainsboro South boys’ basketball team a lift.
   This year, he’s in a different role as a starter for the Pirates. It’s a role that has given him more of an opportunity to contribute.
   ”I was more of a sixth-man,” Iacouzze said of his role for the Pirates last year. “It’s different this year because I start and I’m playing more minutes. It’s all about consistent effort. Instead of coming in and giving a jolt to the team, I have to be there at all times.”
   Iacouzze was right there from the start on Tuesday night, scoring seven of the Pirates’ first 20 points in a 54-36 win over WW-P North. After falling behind, 4-2, in the opening minutes, the Pirates went on a 27-7 run to open up a 29-11 lead at halftime and they never looked back.
   ”I think that it’s really important, especially in a rivalry game like this, to come out and really set a tone,” said Iacouzze, who finished the game with 11 points. “If you let a team hang around in a rivalry game, they’re going to come back. And anything can happen in the last two minutes.”
   WW-P South’s lead was as large as 34-11 before the Knights’ offense started to click. North got as close as 47-33 in the fourth quarter, but never threatened.
   For the Pirates, the win was a nice bounce back after an 84-52 loss to Trenton in their opener. In that game, South was close for a half before Trenton pulled away.
   ”The Trenton game was good and bad in that we got smoked in the second half, but we also realized we could play with teams at that level,” Iacouzze said. “We realized we could play with anyone in the CVC like we did in the first half. I think we just need to replicate how we played in that first half. Today, I think we came out and did a good job with that.”
   Against North, Andy McKeever led the Pirates with 17 points, while Austin Witter added 11. The Pirates also got seven points and 10 rebounds off the bench from Jack Dennehy.
   ”We have some inexperience, but I think we have some promising talent,” said WW-P South coach Bob Schurtz, whose team was scheduled to play at Bishop Ahr on Thursday and will play at Robbinsville today. “I think the sophomore, Jack Dennehy, came in and played tremendously. As a sophomore, to come in as someone making a transition from a guard to forward, he did a great job.
   ”I thought we started real well, especially on defense. In the second half I thought we let up a little bit and started taking too many chances trying to get the cheap steal and cheap basket. We weren’t doing what we do best.”
   For the most part, the Pirates did everything well in evening their record at 1-1. Iacouzze was just happy to be a part of it.
   ”I feel like we do some good things offensively and defensively,” the senior co-captain said. “We just have to be more consistent at times and really finish the deal. We just have to get rid of those runs that we give up where we lose mental focus and turn the ball over. When we play our best we’re a pretty good team.
   ”We have a lot of skill. We just have to find a way to utilize that talent and work hard at all times. If we do that, we’ll be fine. We lost a few guys, but I feel like we replaced them with people who are plenty capable. We’re still a very talented bunch. I think we can be as good, if not better, than we were last year.”
   Iacouzze is certainly playing a bigger role this year, which is fine with him. And his coach is happy to give him that opportunity.
   ”Roles change and responsibilities change,” Schurtz said. “Mike still brings that energy. He does a great job attacking the rim. Offensively, he does a great job of beating guys off the dribble and really creating offense for us inside. And that makes it easier for some of the other guys, like Austin, to get going.”