By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Bolivar Liberators have brought back their cheat code.
In their terms: the Death Lineup.
With Kyle Pock playing the role of NBA star Nikola Jokic, the Liberators have a wrinkle for teams that want to press and hound the Northern Iowa signee for four quarters.
Play Pock in the post, surround him with shooters and force the other team to adjust.
“We hope we can make life easier for Kyle and our team,” said Bolivar coach Robby Hoegh. “If Kyle’s one-on-one in the post, that’s usually a great matchup for us. He’s got Goldilocks hands – he can catch everything. He missed some shots today, but he always sticks with it.”
An undersized Ash Grove squad couldn’t muscle up against Pock and the Liberators, as Bolivar prevailed 69-46 in the Blue Division quarterfinals on Tuesday morning.
Pock, a Northern Iowa signee, finished with a game-high 31 points. Teammate Mason Wilson, a 6’6” post, added 17 points.
“It’s a throwback to (7th and 8th grade) when we were teammates,” Pock said of Wilson. “We’re just playing off each other as we can. He’s a big kid with really great hands and can finish around the rim. It’s been fun getting to play with him again.”
When Wilson would come out of the game, the Liberators moved Pock to center.
While he’ll play guard or wing at the next level, Pock doesn’t mind the change of pace that comes with playing in the post.
“It’s nice to get off the point guard spot just a little bit and have a little bit less responsibility in the front court,” Pock said. “Playing down low and running the offense from inside-out has been good for us.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
“I was kind of used to playing in a bigger position already. I like starting in the post and playing that inside-out game. I’ve been getting comfortable down there.”
As a freshman, Pock had a similar role for a guard-oriented Bolivar team.
“We called it the Death Lineup,” Hoegh said. “He’s got guard skills, he can play anywhere. When you play him at the five, the scoring can go in and out.”
This year, the Liberators have added six new varsity players into their rotation.
Bolivar, the top seed in the Blue Division, will face Sparta in Wednesday’s semifinal round. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield.
The Class 5 Liberators, who won the Gold Division title last season, quickly asserted themselves against Class 2 Ash Grove.
The Liberators led 27-14 at halftime and 53-30 after three. Entering Tuesday, Ash Grove (8-2 overall) was averaging 69 points per game.
“Our gameplan going in, we were going to pound the ball inside, get them in foul trouble and finish at the rim,” Pock said. “With them only playing six guys, I think that style wore them out.”
After a shaky first half, the shots started falling for Bolivar after halftime.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The Liberators made five 3-pointers in the second half after making only one from behind the arc in the first half.
Bolivar’s coaching staff offered a simple halftime adjustment to their players: Don’t shoot so far out.
“We were spotting up at the college 3,” Hoegh said. “It happens every time we play here. Our shots were falling short. It was driving us nuts, because we were missing short. For the most part, they were good shots.”
Bolivar 69, Ash Grove 46
Ash Grove 6 8 16 16 — 46
Bolivar 14 13 26 16 — 69
Ash Grove (8-2 overall) – Nicholson 20, Morrison 9, Mooneyham 6, Tummons 5, Rust 4, Davis 2
Bolivar (6-2 overall) – Pock 31, Wilson 17, Gardner 6, Gooding 5, Patke 5, Griswold 5
