Johnsburg leans on Dombrowski

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CRYSTAL LAKE – With Johnsburg’s floor leader and leading scorer senior guard Mike Dixon out for the second consecutive game with a hip pointer, coach Luke Ravlin called on junior Mike Dombrowski to step in and run the floor for the Skyhawks. 

Dombrowski responded as well as Ravlin could have expected.

“Mike did a great job for us tonight, he really stepped up” Ravlin said. “ He handled the ball well, made good passes to C.J. [Fiedorowicz] down low and really controlled the game.”

He also scored a career-high 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter to lead Johnsburg (21-2 overall, 8-2 FVC Fox) to a 50-41 Fox Valley Conference Fox Division win against host Crystal Lake Central on Friday night.  

Dombrowski penetrated the lane on numerous possessions and found the 6-foot-6 center Fiedorowicz, who led all scorers with 23 points, around the basket. When the Tigers collapsed on defense to double-team Fiedorowicz, Dombrowski made the pass to an open teammate or took the shot. 

“When [Dixon] got hurt, coach asked me to step up,” Dombrowski said. “We worked hard on it in practice all week,” Dombrowski said. “And we were able to get the open shot tonight.”

Central (8-16, 5-6) had difficulty getting the ball inside against the Skyhawks’ 2-1-2 zone defense for any type of shot within 15 feet. The Tigers were forced to shoot low percentage jumpers most of the game.

“We battled hard tonight and didn’t give up,” Central coach Rich Czelawski said. “Our execution wasn’t where it need to be. Our lack of experience showed tonight.”

The Skyhawks forced 11 first-half turnovers and led, 20-14, at halftime.

After the Tigers pulled to within four at 25-21 on Joe Pijanowski’s three-pointer with 4:15 left in the third quarter, Ravlin called a timeout to get the Skyhawks back to running their offense, playing tough defense and rebounding.  

The Skyhawks responded, going on a 13-2 run to pull ahead 38-23 with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter.  Dombrowski hit 7of 9 free throws in the final period to help put the game away.

‘When we rebound well out of our zone defense and don’t give the second shot, we can win,” Ravlin said. “Tonight, we did that.”