Indians fall to Ironmen in OT
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Hillsboro Indians held a four-point lead with under one minute left in regulation. But a four-point play from Jackson’s Payton Speakman, and then the ensuing overtime period where the Ironmen took the lead for good with under 3:00 left on the scoreboard, left the Indians with their second consecutive loss by a 58-56 score.
Not only was it a loss in overtime, but it counted in the Frontier Hills Athletic Conference standings as well, as the loss drops the Indians to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the FAC. The win by the Ironmen leaves them at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
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How did the Ironmen go from being 40 seconds away from a loss to converting a four-point play? JHS looked to Speakman as he gained possession of the ball near his own bench, and while shooting a 3-pointer, a Hillsboro player fell into him. While falling to the ground, the ball swished through the hoop and the foul was called on the Indians. Speakman converted the free throw for the four-point play, tying the score at 50 with 40.1 seconds left in regulation sending the away crowd into massive cheers.
Speakman led the Ironmen with 20 points, while Carson Spahn followed with 14 points.
JHS was first to score in overtime with a layup five seconds into the OT with Kendall Neal scoring two points after the Ironmen scored on the tip-off. Hillsboro’s Josh Keets later sank a free throw at the 3:14 mark, only to see Speakman make another clutch 3-pointer for the visitors with 2:55 on the scoreboard.
HHS cut the Jackson lead to a single point at 55-54 with another free throw make, this time by Phillip Mycroft. Mycroft led the Indians with 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Indians had a chance for the lead but missed a basket on a fast break, only to see the Ironmen grab the rebound and score on a fast break of their own from Cooper Donaldson with 1:58 left in OT for a 57-54 lead.
Following timeouts by both teams, HHS got back to within a point off a put-back basket from Mycroft, but the Ironmen had one final free throw by Caleb Wallis for the two-point win.
The Indians were 4-of-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, and in overtime, they were 4-of-6.
“Free throws down the stretch have killed us,” HHS head coach Bruce Miles said. “We’ve missed crucial ones on Saturday and missed them (Tuesday), and it caught up to us again. We have to make free throws down the stretch, but they (JHS) also made offensive rebounds against us at crucial times. We missed a wide-open layup, and that hurt. When you get freebies, you have to make them.
“I was proud of the guys. I know Saturday is not who we were. It was a crazy day, and I knew tonight we were coming out and playing a good team. Jackson is solid, and they play you well. We have to execute better down the stretch. We can’t just rely on our transition game all the time, and we have to execute better in the half court.”
The Indians controlled the first quarter in the FAC contest with an 18-8 lead after the first quarter was complete with eight points from Ethan Watson (who finished with 14 points), including two 3-pointers. Also in the first, HHS had three points from Mason Swayne, a 3-pointer from Jakwon Clark and four points from Mycroft.
Controlling the second quarter wasn’t in the Indians’ favor with the Ironmen leading the frame 16-10, as the Indians led 28-24 when halftime arrived. For HHS in the second frame, Caleb Crawford scored five points, including a 3-pointer. Hayden Haines added three points for HHS in the second as well.
The Ironmen scored 17 points, while the Indians added 11 points to their total, for a 41-30 score in favor of Jackson in the third.
In the fourth, the Indians led the frame at 11-9, with HHS tying the score 30 seconds into the fourth with a jumper from around the foul line by Keets. HHS took a 42-41 advantage with a free throw from Mycroft, but two points by Donaldson pushed the Ironmen back in front with 5:37 left in regulation.
The Indians eventually took a four-point lead at 50-46 with two free throws from Ward and a free throw by Swayne with 49.3 seconds on the fourth quarter scoreboard. That lead was erased by the aforementioned four-point play.
“With the four-point play … I just don’t know,” Miles said. “When you have a four-point lead with a minute to go, you have to protect it. I’m in disbelief … I don’t know what happened. I’ll have to see what happened on film.”
For the game, the Ironmen were 15-of-21 from the free-throw line, also totaling five rebounds and 14 two-point field goals. HHS was 11-of-20 from the free-throw line with five 3-pointers and 15 two-point baskets.
Next for the Indians is a FAC game at home against the Miami Trace Panthers. MT stands at 1-4 overall and 1-1 in the FAC.
In JV play, the Indians defeated Jackson, 31-29. Caleb Crawford led HHS with 10 points, and he was followed by Silas Simmons with six points. In the freshmen game, HHS won 41-36. Gavin Puckett led the Indians with 15 points, and also in double figures was Nick Lewis with 13 points.
Not only was it a loss in overtime, but it counted in the Frontier Hills Athletic Conference standings as well, as the loss drops the Indians to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the FAC. The win by the Ironmen leaves them at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
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How did the Ironmen go from being 40 seconds away from a loss to converting a four-point play? JHS looked to Speakman as he gained possession of the ball near his own bench, and while shooting a 3-pointer, a Hillsboro player fell into him. While falling to the ground, the ball swished through the hoop and the foul was called on the Indians. Speakman converted the free throw for the four-point play, tying the score at 50 with 40.1 seconds left in regulation sending the away crowd into massive cheers.
Speakman led the Ironmen with 20 points, while Carson Spahn followed with 14 points.
JHS was first to score in overtime with a layup five seconds into the OT with Kendall Neal scoring two points after the Ironmen scored on the tip-off. Hillsboro’s Josh Keets later sank a free throw at the 3:14 mark, only to see Speakman make another clutch 3-pointer for the visitors with 2:55 on the scoreboard.
HHS cut the Jackson lead to a single point at 55-54 with another free throw make, this time by Phillip Mycroft. Mycroft led the Indians with 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Indians had a chance for the lead but missed a basket on a fast break, only to see the Ironmen grab the rebound and score on a fast break of their own from Cooper Donaldson with 1:58 left in OT for a 57-54 lead.
Following timeouts by both teams, HHS got back to within a point off a put-back basket from Mycroft, but the Ironmen had one final free throw by Caleb Wallis for the two-point win.
The Indians were 4-of-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, and in overtime, they were 4-of-6.
“Free throws down the stretch have killed us,” HHS head coach Bruce Miles said. “We’ve missed crucial ones on Saturday and missed them (Tuesday), and it caught up to us again. We have to make free throws down the stretch, but they (JHS) also made offensive rebounds against us at crucial times. We missed a wide-open layup, and that hurt. When you get freebies, you have to make them.
“I was proud of the guys. I know Saturday is not who we were. It was a crazy day, and I knew tonight we were coming out and playing a good team. Jackson is solid, and they play you well. We have to execute better down the stretch. We can’t just rely on our transition game all the time, and we have to execute better in the half court.”
The Indians controlled the first quarter in the FAC contest with an 18-8 lead after the first quarter was complete with eight points from Ethan Watson (who finished with 14 points), including two 3-pointers. Also in the first, HHS had three points from Mason Swayne, a 3-pointer from Jakwon Clark and four points from Mycroft.
Controlling the second quarter wasn’t in the Indians’ favor with the Ironmen leading the frame 16-10, as the Indians led 28-24 when halftime arrived. For HHS in the second frame, Caleb Crawford scored five points, including a 3-pointer. Hayden Haines added three points for HHS in the second as well.
The Ironmen scored 17 points, while the Indians added 11 points to their total, for a 41-30 score in favor of Jackson in the third.
In the fourth, the Indians led the frame at 11-9, with HHS tying the score 30 seconds into the fourth with a jumper from around the foul line by Keets. HHS took a 42-41 advantage with a free throw from Mycroft, but two points by Donaldson pushed the Ironmen back in front with 5:37 left in regulation.
The Indians eventually took a four-point lead at 50-46 with two free throws from Ward and a free throw by Swayne with 49.3 seconds on the fourth quarter scoreboard. That lead was erased by the aforementioned four-point play.
“With the four-point play … I just don’t know,” Miles said. “When you have a four-point lead with a minute to go, you have to protect it. I’m in disbelief … I don’t know what happened. I’ll have to see what happened on film.”
For the game, the Ironmen were 15-of-21 from the free-throw line, also totaling five rebounds and 14 two-point field goals. HHS was 11-of-20 from the free-throw line with five 3-pointers and 15 two-point baskets.
Next for the Indians is a FAC game at home against the Miami Trace Panthers. MT stands at 1-4 overall and 1-1 in the FAC.
In JV play, the Indians defeated Jackson, 31-29. Caleb Crawford led HHS with 10 points, and he was followed by Silas Simmons with six points. In the freshmen game, HHS won 41-36. Gavin Puckett led the Indians with 15 points, and also in double figures was Nick Lewis with 13 points.