DANVILLE — Toughness has been a staple of Peoria Manual basketball.
In the past 50 seasons, the Rams have won 26 regional titles, made 13 state tournament appearances and captured four straight state titles from 1994-97.
On Friday night, Manual flexed its basketball muscles with a 70-47 triumph over the Danville Vikings on the McPack the Place Night at Danville High.
“It was their toughness,” said Danville coach Durrell Robinson immediately after the game. “They are a tough team that plays hard. We shied away and they put their footprint on the whole game with their toughness.”
And, it wasn’t just physical toughness.
The Vikings (8-14 overall, 2-5 in the Big 12) scored their 47 points on 23 possessions.
The Rams (14-9 overall, 3-4 in the Big 12) answered on the ensuing possession 18 times. Danville’s biggest scoring run was three points.
“That’s where mental toughness really shows and it showed a lot today. They just beat us in every aspect,” Robinson said. “I’m very disappointed that we didn’t match their intensity and their toughness.
“We knew exactly what they were going to do and they had the will and the want to do when they wanted to and they dictated the whole game.”
Manual seemingly put the game away with a 10-1 run midway through the third quarter. Dietrich Richardson, a 6-6 junior guard who is the nephew of former Peoria High and Illinoi guard D.J. Richardson, had all 19 of his game-high points in the first three quarters for the Rams.
He along with junior Terrence Paige and junior Daniel Finley scored several times on simple fast-break baskets as they beat the Vikings down the court.
“Those things are part of mental toughness,” Robinson said. “Give Manual credit, they dominated in every area, especially the small details like 50-50 balls, assists and deflections. They just dominated every aspect of the game.”
Danville’s most experienced players, junior guard Diddy Robinson and senior guard Devan Larkin, were able to keep it close in the first half as they combined for 16 of the Vikings 28 first-half points.
In the second half, Larkin was held to just two free throws, while Robinson scored 10 but the junior was just 4-of-6 at the free-throw line. As a team, the Vikings were just 12-of-24 at the charity stripe.
“That goes along with the mental toughness,” Durrell Robinson said of his team’s struggles at the line. “We have to realize how big the small things, like free throws, are in a game. If we can do that, we will have a chance in the postseason.
“I thought my backcourt did a good job in the first half, but they might have gotten tired in that second half. They were the only ones being aggressive on the floor and we had to have them out there. Manual did a good job of focusing on them and taking them away after halftime. We just didn’t get anyone else to step up.”
Another bright spot for the Vikings, according to Robinson, was junior forward Eric Bryant.
“Eric’s activity is great. He does things that don’t show up on a stat sheet,” Robinson said. “That’s why we missed him in the first half of the season.
“I think he is going to help us the more that he is able to play.”
Up next for the Vikings is a trip to Peoria today for the Manual Shootout where Danville will play Springfield Calvary (17-6 overall) in a noon contest.
In Friday’s junior-varsity game, Manual outscored Danville 39-12 in the second half on its way to a 66-38 triumph. Kinden Mason had a team-high 12 points for the Vikings in the losing effort.
Peoria Manual 70, Danville 47
Manual (70) — Gerrell Trapp 1 0-0 2, London Tolliver 1 0-0 3, Daniel Finley 4 0-2 8, Tony Bradford 0 0-2 0, Dietrich Richardson 9 1-3 19, Naszail Jackson 1 0-0 3, Jakyle Green 1 0-0 2, Josh Humbles 4 2-2 11, Terrence Paige 5 2-4 12, Reggie Postlewaite 2 0-0 4, Amani Breedlove 1 0-0 2, Darren McClendon 2 0-0 4. Totals: 31 5-13 70.
Danville (47) — Diddy Robinson 6 5-7 17, Devan Larkin 4 3-3 11, CL Dye 2 0-2 5, Eric Bryant 0 2-4 2, Jerry Reed 0 1-2 1, Curtis Beasley 1 0-0 2, Jenezen Harris 0 0-0 0, Darius Jay 3 1-4 9, Persiris Menifield 0 0-0 0, Jaymion Avery 0 0-2 0, Tayvion Diltz 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 12-24 47.
Manual `19 `18 `23 `10 `— `70
Danville `12 `16 `11 `8 `— `47
3-pointers — Manual 3 (Tolliver 1, Jackson 1, Humbles 1). Danville 3 (Jay 2, Dye 1). Total fouls — Manual 22, Danville 15. Fouled out — none.
Records — Peoria Manual 14-9 overall, 3-4 in the Big 12 Conference. Danville 8-14 overall, 2-5 in the Big 12 Conference.
JV score — Peoria Manual 66, Danville 38