Dom Rome, resurgent Sandwich run away from Morris in second half

SANDWICH – Dom Rome’s game, like Sandwich’s record, is a bit deceiving.

Sandwich’s 6-foot-5 senior, who plays line in football, has the height and frame of a kid who should live in the post.

But the lefty with curly red locks can handle and shoot like a guard, and runs the floor like a gazelle.

“It’s a nightmare trying to guard him,” Sandwich coach Matt Chalfin said. “I would have nightmares trying to game plan for him.”

Morris certainly has seen enough of him.

For the second time in less than two weeks, Rome had his way against them.

He had 23 points and six rebounds, and Rome and Griffin Somlock’s hot shooting helped Sandwich pull away from visiting Morris 62-44 on Friday night.

Somlock scored 15 points on five 3-pointers and Simeion Harris seven points and five assists for Sandwich (6-9). Brett Bounds scored 20 and Jack Wheeler 10, all in the second half, for Morris (6-6).

Rome was one of four starters back from an 18-win team last year for Sandwich, so a 1-7 start was surely not what first-year coach and Sandwich alum Chalfin had in mind.

Chalfin, though, noted that the Indians were hit early with the perfect storm of a brutally tough schedule and bad health. Diego Gomez missed time, Harris was in and out with kidney stones, Quinn Rome missed a full week with sickness and Brady Behringer, another returning starter, missed three games.

“I’ve been trying to balance getting to know them while also coaching them,” Chalfin said. “It’s been tough but we have responded. Outside of Kaneland and a couple of stinkers against Ottawa, we have competed.”

Sandwich has indeed won five of its last seven, going 2-2 at the Plano Christmas Classic with a three-point loss to Mendota in the consolation championship.

“Rough start to the season, but we’ve been working hard in practice, playing together as a team,” Rome said. “Our defense is flying around, getting tipped balls, steals, passing the ball.”

Sandwich beat Morris 53-47 at Plano, a game in which Rome went for 20 points and 14 rebounds. He had 12 points in the first half Friday, and Rome’s basket in transition capped off a 13-0 run for a 40-30 lead with 4:31 left in the third quarter.

“We’ve seen way too much of Dom Rome,” Morris coach Joe Blumberg said. “He plays hard and he’s physical. We haven’t matched his physicality and his intensity. The kid plays hard, give him credit.”

Chalfin said Rome’s taken a step forward in Sandwich’s last six games, evident Friday.

He hit two of Sandwich’s five 3-pointers in the first half, and scored multiple times in transition.

Later in the fourth quarter, Rome drove and kicked to Somlock for his fifth 3.

“We’ve talked to him, you’re a 6-5 guard. He can get 20 and 10 every night, and he has been,” Chalfin said. “He’s in the lane getting his shots, and his 3-point shots fall. You look at him and just say sit in the post, but outside he’s deadly.

“He’s the guy this year. We had Chance Lange and other guys last year, but this is the year for him.”

Rome said he’s always worked on his guard skills with an eye toward playing at the next level.

“Six-foot-5, I feel like I should be able to handle the ball. 6-5 is the size of a point guard in college,” Rome said. “In college centers are 6-10. I had to start working on my handles. I always had the ability, working hard with my old coach Kevin Kozan.”

Sandwich led 24-16 two minutes into the second quarter on Rome’s coast-to-coast score, but from there went nearly six minutes without a point.

Morris surged ahead 28-27 at halftime, Bounds scoring 16 of his 20 in the first half.

Wheeler scored out of halftime to put Morris up 30-27, but Somlock’s three 3-pointers sparked Sandwich’s 13-0 run.

No surprise to Chalfin, who has seen him hit seven in a game.

“Griff is one of those guys that once he starts finding his consistency, we’re going to take that next step,” Chalfin said. “If we can spread teams out it’s who do you guard? He has a good stroke when shooting with confidence.”

Morris, meanwhile, managed just 14 points over the game’s final 15 minutes in dropping its third straight game. The team hit nine 3s but attempted just five free throws.

“We settled for perimeter shots,” Blumberg said. “We tend to fall into spurts where we either don’t want to or can’t get by the initial line of defense and force rotations. We’re not getting to the rim and scoring at the rim. We are living and dying by the 3.”