Triple-double aids South in rally win
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Lately, Austin Witter has been putting up the kind of statistical numbers that boggle the mind.
”He’s had four games this year where he has had a triple-double with points, rebounds and blocks,” said West Windsor-Plainsboro South boys’ basketball coach Bob Schurtz. “I’m not sure if that ever happens once in a season for most guys and he’s done it four times. It’s pretty amazing what he has been able to do.”
Witter was at his best on Tuesday night, shaking off a twisted ankle to finish with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 15 blocks as the Pirates rallied for a 43-37 win over Princeton.
South had trailed, 30-23, midway through the third quarter before going on a 16-2 run to grab a 39-32 lead. Witter scored eight points during the run, showing his versatility by making a three-point shot and finishing off the third quarter with a dunk.
”That’s the high he has had this year with blocks,” Schurtz said. “It’s his fourth triple-double and his ninth double-double, at least. He’s making a world of difference. Even when he is not getting to the ball, he’s changing their shots.
”I think one of their two baskets in the fourth quarter was (Brian) Dunlap off the dribble on the right side and he got a real high kiss off the glass. Give the kid credit. That was him making a good play adjusting to how Austin was playing and he finished well.”
Witter played sparingly as a sophomore a year ago, getting into 14 games for the Pirates. This year, he’s grown to 6-foot-7 and he’s made an impact on both ends of the floor.
On offense, he’s averaging 12.9 points a game, which is second on the team. But it is on the defensive end where he has made the biggest impact, particularly with his ability to block shots.
”I think it is pretty much just instinct,” Witter said. “Coach says I have good timing and I try to use that.”
Witter had the rare chance to play against a player his size on Tuesday when he battled in the post with Princeton’s 6-foot-8 junior A.J. Dowers. The two put on a nice show against each other — with each player having solid moments in the game.
”It was great competition,” Witter said. “I usually don’t get to go up against a player who is my size. So I tried to do some different things. It was great competition.”
With a large number of players graduating from last year’s team, Witter knew he would play a bigger role this season. So he came into the year as prepared as he could be.
”I trained a lot with my stepfather, (former Trenton State college star) Greg Grant,” Witter said. “We trained all summer and we still train on Sundays. We did a lot of running and shooting. We worked out a lot together.
”It was hard starting out because I had to jump into a starting position. I got used to it after a while and my teammates really helped me in practice. When our team went to summer camp and the Keystone Camp, we had to stay overnight and we played a lot of games together. I think at that point we got together as a team.”
Because of Witter’s size, Schurtz figured he was a player who could make an impact for the Pirates this season. He’s certainly done as much as the coach could expect.
”He showed the potential,” said Schurtz, whose team improved to 11-7 with the win over the Little Tigers. “Last year it was a matter of trying to get him into a groove and playing better. The transformation came over the summer. He worked a lot with Greg Grant and he had a great offseason. You saw him start to develop and he has continued to work.
”During the early season I spent a lot of time with him. And our assistant, Rahsaan Thompson, spends a lot of time with him one-on-one. What he is most comfortable with right now is not only defensively, where he is doing a great job, but offensively when he steps out and he’s shooting the ball well and taking guys to the basket.”
The win over Princeton was the seventh in the last eight games for the Pirates, who are at Toms River East tonight and will face Palmyra Saturday in the CVC-BCSL Challenge.
”Obviously, I feel good about our team right now,” Schurtz said. “We have a couple more tough games with Toms River East and then Palmyra. So we’re playing some more good teams, which is really what you want to do after the cutoff now. You come in playing well and get a chance to prepare yourself against other good teams.”
Getting a win over Princeton, which is heading to the state tournament, is also a plus. The Little Tigers played well in building a seven-point lead in the third quarter before the Pirates rallied for the win.
”They did a good job in the second quarter and again in the third of forcing some turnovers against us,” said Schurtz, whose team was led by 17 points from Mike Iacouzze. “That gave them a little bit of a lead and we had to fight back from that.
”We took a timeout and I just talked to the guys about making good choices. I felt like we were creating their offense for them. We were taking quick shots and not getting back on defense and it was like a layup drill for them. Most of the credit goes to them for defensively forcing us into that. But also, I think we had to do a better job of recognizing what we’re doing offensively.”
Princeton, which was led by Dunlap’s 12 points, managed to get to within 39-37 before South scored the final four points of the game. The Little Tigers were hurt by a poor night of foul shooting, making just one of 10 shots from the line.
”Our halftime talk was to try to go in and draw contract and possibly get (Witter) in foul trouble,” said Princeton coach Jason Carter, whose team will host Burlington City on Saturday. “We wanted to change some things. But we came out and did the same thing with the same results. We have to learn how to adjust.
”We’re still learning. I told the kids, this is a Group IV qualifier. I don’t think we’ve played a team with a shot-blocker like that. So it was a good experience for us.”