NIGHTHAWKS DROP TO 0-2 ON SEASON, FALL TO READING RAILERS 145-121

January 8 , 2008

Box Score: L 145-121, (0-2)

(By: Mike Drago - Reading Eagle)

Reading, PA - Jared Mills was admittedly apprehensive about his foray into pro basketball with the Reading Railers.

Sure, he was the top pick in the inaugural Premier Basketball League draft last fall, but coming from a Division III program at Randolph-Macon he wasn’t sure how he’d stack up against teammates and opponents who had played in the Big East, Atlantic Coast Conference or Big 12.

“After that first (exhibition) game, I said, ‘I think I can do this,’ ” said the 26-year-old Mills. “And after (the season opener) Saturday night, I had more confidence.”

Sunday, with chaos reigning at the Sovereign Center, and the Railers quickly running short of front-court players, Mills told himself to forget about basketball pedigrees and just play.

And that’s exactly what he did, scoring 25 points to lead the Railers to a wild and unforgettable 145-121 victory over the visiting Maryland Nighthawks.

The fireworks started early. Railers coach Sal Mentesana received a bench warning and then a technical foul after he repeatedly complained about the physical play that left several of his players sprawled on the court.

Two of them had to leave the game to get medical attention, including former Alvernia standout Brad Merriweather, who required nine stitches below his right eye.

Early in the second quarter, Railers forward Jerald Brown was ejected when he got tangled up with Kevin Rogus, the Nighthawks guard who wound up being thrown to the floor.

Moments later, Railers guard Tayron Thomas received a warning when he complained about the lack of calls. Later in the quarter, Andre Sweet received a technical just 33 seconds after entering the game for the first time.

“It kind of seemed like it was one thing right after the other,” said Mills, the former Central Catholic star. “The technicals, Jerald getting the flagrant foul . . . When it happens like that, it’s real hard to get everybody back in game mode.”

The Railers finally settled down, guards Ira Miller, Kelvin Green and Rich Baker started raining down 3’s and Mills did just about everything else.

With Brown out, Sweet slowed by a sore back and forward Aaron Williams limited to 22 minutes because of foul trouble — he finished with seven personals, which must be some kind of record — the 6-6 Mills provided the Railers with some inside presence.

“Tonight I felt like I really had to step up,” he said. “It didn’t matter if I could do it or not, I felt like I had to do it.”

He took a couple of charges, finished with nine boards, hit 6-of-7 from the line and 9-of-14 from the field — including three dunks and a 3-pointer that opened the sparsely attended afternoon matinee.

“Every time you turn around he gets a big rebound,” Mentesana said of Mills, “or he makes a shot or he guards somebody or he picks up a loose ball. He’s everywhere at once.”

The Railers were down seven late in the second quarter before Sweet came off the bench and provided some life with a pair of jumpers. Mills scored inside and Ira Miller hit a pair of free throws in a 10-3 closing rush that helped Reading tie it at halftime.

In the second half, with little choice but to utilize three- and four-guard lineups, the Railers ran the floor well and torched the nets from outside. They were good on an amazing 15-of-23 from beyond the arc and shot 69 percent overall in the second half, when they piled up 88 points in 24 minutes.

Green finished with 23 points, Miller with 22 and Lennox McCoy with 18.

“We started preaching about getting back to basketball and forgetting all this other stuff,” Mentesana said of the early distractions. “Man, they really responded.”