It’s only two games into the season and Jesse Heiny already leads all of junior college basketball in winks to the audience.

Saturday, November 20, 1999

It’s only two games into the season and Jesse Heiny already leads all of junior college basketball in winks to the audience.

Even I got one.

It’s not always a wink.

Sometimes with the Austin High grad you get a lip-sync, a nod of the head, or unmistakable eye contact.

Sometimes when he’s going good, he dishes out his variety of winks like he were driving 90 and top down on the campaign trail.

Heiny’s crowd-pleasing game was an equal part poison as he guided the Blue Devils to a 72-68 home-opening win over Milwaukee Area Techincal College.

"In our first game I didn’t do so well," said Heiny, who shot a miserable 3-of-17 in an season-opening loss. "But I felt good today. If I could get space I was looking to shoot."

Heiny dropped 20 on the Stormers, including four three pointers. He also collected six rebounds as Heiny and Co. outdid Milwaukee (1-3) in all the little ways that matter in winning a basketball game.

The Blue Devils outrebounded the Stormers, 38-29, and won the turnover battle, committing just 13 to Milwaukee’s 19.

"Our defense set the tone," Coach Dave Lillemon said. "We were only giving them one shot on every trip."

The Blue Devils went up 6-4 on back-to-back three pointers by sophomore sharpshooter Garrett Ulrich and never looked back.

In the second half, a Heiny three pointer gave Riverland its biggest lead at 50-38.

The Blue repeatedly weathered Stormers runs and answered with their own.

After walking into the lockerroom with a 32-24 first-half lead, the Blue Devils came out in the second and showed off their arsenal.

Sophomore point guard Beau Blake twice drove to the hoop on designed plays and scored to kickstart the second half.

"Once they know they have to respect my scoring," Blake said, "it opens things up."

Things like the inside, where freshman wide body Brett Rogers – who’s saving money to take his driver’s license test – took the wheel and control of the game.

After Milwaukee closed to 53-47, Rogers put the breaks on the Stormers run by converting first a short bank shot, then a baby hook. He capped his personal 6-3 run with 15-footer and Riverland pulled away to a 71-59 lead in the final minute.

Milwaukee closed the gap with some late threes. But even Lillemon didn’t look worried. He looked right at home.

"We want to make this a tough place to play," Lillemon said. "This is our house."

And Heiny let everybody in the crowd know it.

Riverland (72)

Brett Rogers 14, Tom Yost 2, Jesse Heiny 20, Brandon Kettner 4, Garrett Ulrich 13, Zak Ulwelling 2, Nick Peters 6, Beau Hartman 8, Steve Shinhault 3. Three pointers: Heiny 4, Ulrich 3. Rebounds: Kris Brose 6, Rogers 7, Heiny 6.

Milwaukee Area Tech (68)

Archie Brown 20, Justin Warford 2, Jason Wuestenberg 8, DeAngelo Johnson 6, Jeff Knox 4, Marvel Taylor 6, Delvyn Crawford 13, Marlon Lock 6. Three pointers: Brown 3, Lock 2.