Boys basketball: Munster edges West Side

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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:52AM

GARY — Consider Munster a team of quick learners.

Last weekend, the Mustangs could not squeeze their lead against Merrillville and lost the game. On Thursday at West Side, Munster once again saw a sizeable lead vanish but this time, gritted its teeth and held on for the 56-50 victory.

Junior Mike Schlotman, who finished with 13 points, hit big shots in the fourth quarter to guide Munster (14-3) back to the winning column. When West Side (10-8) fought back in the fourth quarter — overcoming a deficit that had once swelled to 13 points — and took the 40-39 lead, Schlotman stole momentum back by scoring five straight.

“He was huge at that point once we got the lead,” Munster head coach Mike Hackett said of Schlotman’s solo run. “I was proud that the kids were able to maintain that lead.”

In the final two seconds of the third quarter, Munster must have had Merrillville on the mind as the Cougars senior Rashaad Armstrong leaked out beyond the right arc and drained the 3-pointer. This capped a quarter in which the Cougars outscored the Mustangs 16-8 and cut the lead to 39-35. West Side took its first lead since the first quarter when sophomore Arnold Wilson made two free throws after a steal and fast break layup attempt.

With a fourth-quarter collapse imminent, Schlotman took over.

West Side fell back into a 2-3 zone, daring Munster to shoot from long distance. Schlotman hit a 3 with 4:42 on the clock and gave his team the 42-40 advantage.

“They’re going to make shots,” West Side coach Winston Garland said. “They’ve got guys that can stretch the defense.

“We still had ample time to get something going.”

However, on the next Munster possession, Schlotman pump-faked from beyond the arc and snaked inside for the layup. Later with 2:37 to go, Munster took a 49-43 lead when junior Craig Dedelow stole the ball and zipped a pass to junior Nate Bubash for the fast break layup. Bubash finished with a team high 14 points while Wilson poured in 17 for West Side.