Barometers crumble but Kings still win

SYDNEY – There were three game objectives that Sydney Kings coach Shane Heal set for what he called a must-win game against the Cairns Taipans at the Sydney Entertainment Center the other night. The Kings made good on only one of the three goals but still won, 99-68.

The three objectives were to limit the Taipans to under 40 percent field goal shooting, to commit less than 12 turnovers and to allow no more than 10 offensive rebounds. “If we get those three things done, we’ve got a 99 percent chance to win,” Heal told visiting La Salle head coach Juno Sauler and assistant coaches Allan Caidic and Jun Limpot during an exchange of ideas at the New South Wales Institute of Sport two days before the game. “Those three goals give us a clear pathway to win. It’s a game of possessions. The key is to make it difficult for the opponent to win.”

As it turned out, Cairns hit 45 percent from the floor and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. The Kings delivered on only one yardstick, committing nine turnovers or three below Heal’s limit. Sydney shot 54 percent from the field and registered 54 points in the paint compared to Cairns’ 36 to win pulling away. The last time the two teams met, Cairns won, 78-75, in Sydney the previous season.

The day before the game, the visiting La Salle coaches were allowed to listen in at the viewing session conducted by Heal and assistant coach Damian Cotter and observe practice. That was when Heal told the Kings that against the Taipans, losing wasn’t an option. The visitors were introduced to the players, including imports Charles Carmouche of Lousiana State University and Jesse Sanders of Liberty University in Virginia.

Carmouche, 23, is in the record books as having played in the NCAA Division I for five straight seasons. He saw action for the University of New Orleans as a freshman and sophomore but transferred to the University of Memphis in 2010-11 when his previous school dropped to Division III status. Carmouche played seven games in 2011-12 before hurting his knee and received another year of varsity eligibility as a medical redshirt. The next season, Carmouche relocated to Louisiana State where he averaged 10.7 points and 26.7 minutes as a senior.

When Carmouche was a high school sophomore, his mother Paula and five younger siblings left their New Orleans home which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and moved to Houston. Eventually, they went back to New Orleans. Carmouche said he hoped to make it to the NBA but the offer to play in Australia came. “Coach Shane got in touch with my coach who’s from Melbourne and that led to my moving to Sydney,” said Carmouche. “It’s been a big adjustment for me. I’ve been in Australia only the last three months. I don’t really know much about international leagues. I still have to do my research about the Philippine league.”

Sanders, 24, is also in the record books as the only NCAA Division I player to register a triple double in each of his four collegiate years even as he averaged only 9.7 points in his varsity career.

Against Cairns, Heal leaned on his Aussie gunners Ben (Madman) Madgen and A. J. Ogilvy to seal the win. Madgen, 28, triggered a 12-2 blast to stretch the Kings’ lead to 69-55 in the third period and Sydney was never threatened the rest of the way. Madgen, who played for the Augusta State University in 2006-10, was the National Basketball League (NBL) Rookie of the Year in 2011 and Most Improved Player last season.

Madgen, a 6-4 wing, joined Carmouche and Sanders in the record books, making his mark as the only Augusta State player to be honored with the retirement of his jersey while still on active duty. Augusta State is an NCAA Division II school in Georgia. Madgen has a sister Tess who plays basketball with the Bulleen Boomers in the Women’s NBL. Ogilvy, 25, is a 6-11, 249-pound center who played at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and as an import in Turkey, Spain and Germany before signing with the Kings this season.

Madgen had a quiet five points in the first half where Cairns came back from a 13-point deficit to trim the gap to six at the turn. He went berserk in the third period, erupting for 16 points, and continued to spew fire in the last quarter. Madgen’s fourth triple of the game was the Kings’ final basket. He finished with 31 points. Ogilvy tallied 23 on 10-of-11 field goals, Sanders 15 and Carmouche 11. The Kings public address announcer referred to Sanders as The Colonel and Carmouche as Chucky Buckets. Carmouche was blanked in the second half as Sanders picked up the slack, hitting eight in the period.

Cairns, coached by Aaron Fearne, got a huge lift from import Demetri McCarney who shot 12 of the Taipans’ last 14 points in the second quarter. McCarney finished with 16 points. The Taipans’ other import Jamar Wilson chipped in 12.