Corzine's return gives Bernie hope of snapping 4-game skid

BERNIE - Bernie High School senior guard Hunter Corzine was limited to a mere five points in the Mules’ home loss to Dexter on Friday. However, focusing on that degree of offensive production is missing the forests for the trees.

The fact that Corzine was on the court, is what was important to the Bernie program, and that continues in a tough road test tonight at Oran at 7:15 p.m.

In Friday’s game with the Bearcats, Corzine played for the first time this season after breaking his right hand in practice earlier this season.

“We just got him back,” Mule coach Jason Long said. “He’s a starter for us.”

Friday’s game wasn’t indicative of the impact that the 6-foot athlete can have. Though, in fairness, his five points against Dexter were actually pretty impressive given that Bernie (9-5) only had three players produce offensively and he was one of them.

“Hunter had 13 points for us in the (MSHSAA Class 2) state championship game last year,” Long said. “He is a solid player.”

Corzine not only is a “solid” offensive player for the Mules, against the Eagles (8-6), Long expects him to contribute defensively, as well.

“Hunter is a solid defender,” Long said.

One of the highlights for Bernie on Friday was Corzine, ignoring his health history, and taking a charge on a Bearcat driver.

“Hunter is a good position defender,” Long said, “and he can also knock down the (3-pointer).”

Offensively, Corzine did score from the perimeter against Dexter, but he was also more than capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving it into the paint.

“He’s another ballhandler, too,” Long said. “We’re happy to have him back.”

Flip a coin

Tonight’s winner is anyone’s guess.

The Eagles crushed St. Vincent 74-44 on Friday after dropping four in a row and five of six. That is something that Bernie can relate to.

The Mules got off to an astounding 8-0 start, after graduating a lot of talent off last year’s state runner-up squad but have since dropped four straight and five of their last six games.

“Nobody expected us to be 8-0,” Long said. “Sure, it is no fun to be on a four-game losing streak. Anytime that you get on a losing streak, it’s going to be really easy to say that you should do this or should do that or whatever.

“But we are doing fine.”

A preseason glance from many probably would have expected Bernie to be 9-5 at this juncture, but HOW it got here has just been different than expected, particularly without the services of Corzine.

“Hunter has been out about nine weeks,” Long said. “It’s really easy to get worked up when you’ve lost four games in a row, but I’m just not going to do that.”

The series with Oran has been extremely competitive, as both teams have won three games in the last six matchups between the two programs.

“We’re going to keep working every day,” Long said. “I’m going to watch film. We don’t like losing. But we are not going to make any excuses.

“We’re disappointed in losing, but we’re going to try and come back and play better.”