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Plant Seals Top Seed In District

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By SCOTT PURKS, Tribune Correspondent

Published: January 22, 2008

TAMPA -- As frustrated as Chamberlain coach Doug Aplin was, Plant coach Mike Phillips was pleased after Tuesday key Class 5a, District 10 game at Plant.

Hence the final score: Plant 48, Chamberlain 42

"If I said what I wanted to say, you couldn't print it," Aplin said. "There were several things that bothered me, but I'm not going to get into it. All I'm going to say is that I was surprised with our intensity. In the end, Plant just outplayed us."

Phillips said, "I can't wait to go home and watch it again on tape. It's a satisfying feeling."

The victory not only sealed the No. 1 district seed for Plant, but also made it 19-3 overall and 14-0 in district play. Chamberlain (14-5, 11-3) could have thrown a wrench into the district standings with a victory, particularly with Plant playing tough district-foe Middleton today.

"That's why tonight was key," Phillips said. "Our district is tough (with nine teams) and that No. 1 seed is important."

After the second quarter, in which Plant outscored Chamberlain 15-7, the Panthers led 30-16 and appeared on their way to a rout.

"But we didn't think that," Phillips said. "You can never count out a Doug Aplin coached team. Never. I told our guys that Chamberlain would make a run."

And they did.

In the third quarter, the Chiefs, led largely by the outside shooting of Dontae Aycock, cut the gap to six points and had a shot to trim it to four.

Then, with less than 3 minutes left in the game, Chamberlain trailed by only five and had a three-point shot by Mike Plummer rim out that would have cut it to two.

"If (Plummer's shot) goes in then I call timeout," Aplin said. "But it didn't."

Plant answered the miss with a basket down low.

After another Chamberlain miss, Plant slowed the pace and time soon became Chamberlain's enemy.

More than anything, Phillips credited the Panthers defense with the victory.

"We like to score off our defense and (early in the fourth quarter during an 8-3 run) we made that work for us," Phillips said. "That's how we like to do it. Just like that."

When asked if this victory meant a little more after Chamberlain pulled off a 62-57 quadruple overtime victory in a December tournament, Phillips said, "No. This was all about getting that No. 1 district seed. We really didn't think about that earlier game at all."

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