Easy shots don't fall for Indians in loss to Panthers
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — The lights not only went out at the Hillsboro High School Gym during the second quarter Tuesday night, but the lights went out on any chance the Indians had at victory in the latter stages of the final quarter as the Miami Trace Panthers pulled away from a close game to defeat the host team, 52-40.
The loss was the Indians' fourth of the season as they move to 5-4 overall, 1-3 in the South Central Ohio League. The Panthers move to 4-2 in the SCOL and 8-3 overall.
MT and HHS had a tied score five times through the first three frames but never in the fourth as MT used their 10-player rotation to their advantage as they tried to wear out the Indians in the final eight minutes.
"We were able to get some pressure on them (HHS) in the fourth quarter, but credit Hillsboro, they kept the tempo they wanted most of the game," MT head coach Jon Stauffer said. "They kept us out of the lane for a lot of the game, and that was very unnerving to us.
"It took making a couple shots from the outside and getting a rebound or two for us to break it open a little bit. In the fourth, we were able to add a bit more pressure, and again, I think that comes down to we played a few more players and we were a bit more fresh."
To open the fourth, MT's Blake Baldwin knocked down a 3-pointer for a five-point Panther advantage. Following a 3-pointer from Jarrod Hart, the Panthers once again increased their lead, this time to six points with free throws from Cedric Pettiford.
MT's lead continued to grow as HHS had their troubles converting shots into points, while the visitors took advantage of their opponent's woes with free throws as they moved the point differential to 14 points (a 50-36 lead) with 1:28 left in regulation.
During that span of scoring, the Indians had two starters foul out as HHS made just two shots from the field (2-of-12) in the fourth quarter, as those came from Hart and Trey Moberly with just over 35 seconds left in the game.
HHS head coach Brett Prince spoke about the fourth quarter and the missed opportunities.
"Their (MT) pressure will wear on you, and it may have been a case of us losing our legs, but there is no doubt we missed some open opportunities in the fourth. The second-chance points were a key to this game … they just destroyed us on the boards in the second half and got too many opportunities."
Miami Trace was led in scoring by Pettiford with a game-high 18 points, as he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Twelve of the 18 points came in the final two quarters, including an eight-point third frame.
Pettiford was followed by Blake Baldwin with 16 points and eight points by Jaron Brust.[[In-content Ad]]
Hart led HHS with 17 points (as he was defended by more than one defender for a majority of the game), while Jordan Captain and Trey Moberly each finished with eight points.
"We just didn't execute," Prince said. "They speed you up and make you make quick decisions, and in the fourth quarter, some of the decisions they made us make were poor. I still think we missed a lot of opportunities, especially around the basket, and we didn't shoot free throws like we should.
"We had a lot of guys tired, but when you only play six or seven players, you have to try and fight through that."
The first frame was forgettable for the Indians offensively as they were outscored 10-4 in eight minutes (missing their first five shots), not scoring until there was 1:52 left in the quarter off a 3-pointer from Zach Young, cutting the MT lead to 6-3. The Panthers answered with four straight points by Baldwin and Austin Schoellkopf.
Though the score was tied three times in the second frame, HHS dominated the frame by outscoring the visiting Panthers 17-9, ending the first half with a 21-19 advantage.
Captain and Baldwin exchanged hoops to open the quarter, but from there, HHS went on an 8-2 run in a span lasting four minutes with Hart, Captain and Reese Leibreich for a score of 14-14 with 3:34 left in the half.
HHS later tied the score at 16 with Young making a free throw. With 45 seconds on the second-quarter clock, Hart nailed a 3-pointer with pressure for a 19-16 lead (the first points scored following the lights beaming back to brightness after a quick break in the game due to the darkness), but it was quickly a 19-19 score with Baldwin equaling the feat of Hart with 26 seconds left in the second. Captain ended the frame with points in the paint for the two-point halftime advantage.
Once the third frame was complete, MT took a 37-35 lead, outscoring HHS, 18-14.
For MT in the third, they opened with 10-2 run with Baldwin, Pettiford and Brust combining for the points as they scored their 10 consecutive points after HHS opened the third with a put-back hoop by Moberly.
During the 10-point run of MT, Pettiford had a three-point play, and Brust sank a 3-pointer as MT eventually took a 29-23 lead with 4:46 remaining in the third.
Later in the quarter, Hart tied the score once with a 3-pointer at the 3:37 mark and a jumper with 2:03 left in the quarter, as the second one made it a 32-32 game. MT ended the third, outscoring HHS, 5-3 with a 3-pointer from Baldwin and jumper by Pettiford.
"Jarrod will get everyone's best every game, and we've got to have other guys step up. At times, other guys did, but we just can't sit back and wait for him to do it. Some of the younger guys have to take the bull by the horns and go.
"I forget, and some people forget, some of these kids are being put in situations they just haven't been in. We're asking them a lot of them, but we have to grow up quick."
In JV play, HHS won 33-24 with Alex Vanzant scoring 12 and Caleb Hall totaling 10. For MT, they were led by Josh Golden with 12.
In the freshman game, HHS won 49-17. Leading HHS was Ryan LeMaster with 13 and Jacob Deatley with 12. MT was led by Brad Card with eight.
HHS will host East Clinton on Friday in a SCOL game.
The loss was the Indians' fourth of the season as they move to 5-4 overall, 1-3 in the South Central Ohio League. The Panthers move to 4-2 in the SCOL and 8-3 overall.
MT and HHS had a tied score five times through the first three frames but never in the fourth as MT used their 10-player rotation to their advantage as they tried to wear out the Indians in the final eight minutes.
"We were able to get some pressure on them (HHS) in the fourth quarter, but credit Hillsboro, they kept the tempo they wanted most of the game," MT head coach Jon Stauffer said. "They kept us out of the lane for a lot of the game, and that was very unnerving to us.
"It took making a couple shots from the outside and getting a rebound or two for us to break it open a little bit. In the fourth, we were able to add a bit more pressure, and again, I think that comes down to we played a few more players and we were a bit more fresh."
To open the fourth, MT's Blake Baldwin knocked down a 3-pointer for a five-point Panther advantage. Following a 3-pointer from Jarrod Hart, the Panthers once again increased their lead, this time to six points with free throws from Cedric Pettiford.
MT's lead continued to grow as HHS had their troubles converting shots into points, while the visitors took advantage of their opponent's woes with free throws as they moved the point differential to 14 points (a 50-36 lead) with 1:28 left in regulation.
During that span of scoring, the Indians had two starters foul out as HHS made just two shots from the field (2-of-12) in the fourth quarter, as those came from Hart and Trey Moberly with just over 35 seconds left in the game.
HHS head coach Brett Prince spoke about the fourth quarter and the missed opportunities.
"Their (MT) pressure will wear on you, and it may have been a case of us losing our legs, but there is no doubt we missed some open opportunities in the fourth. The second-chance points were a key to this game … they just destroyed us on the boards in the second half and got too many opportunities."
Miami Trace was led in scoring by Pettiford with a game-high 18 points, as he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Twelve of the 18 points came in the final two quarters, including an eight-point third frame.
Pettiford was followed by Blake Baldwin with 16 points and eight points by Jaron Brust.[[In-content Ad]]
Hart led HHS with 17 points (as he was defended by more than one defender for a majority of the game), while Jordan Captain and Trey Moberly each finished with eight points.
"We just didn't execute," Prince said. "They speed you up and make you make quick decisions, and in the fourth quarter, some of the decisions they made us make were poor. I still think we missed a lot of opportunities, especially around the basket, and we didn't shoot free throws like we should.
"We had a lot of guys tired, but when you only play six or seven players, you have to try and fight through that."
The first frame was forgettable for the Indians offensively as they were outscored 10-4 in eight minutes (missing their first five shots), not scoring until there was 1:52 left in the quarter off a 3-pointer from Zach Young, cutting the MT lead to 6-3. The Panthers answered with four straight points by Baldwin and Austin Schoellkopf.
Though the score was tied three times in the second frame, HHS dominated the frame by outscoring the visiting Panthers 17-9, ending the first half with a 21-19 advantage.
Captain and Baldwin exchanged hoops to open the quarter, but from there, HHS went on an 8-2 run in a span lasting four minutes with Hart, Captain and Reese Leibreich for a score of 14-14 with 3:34 left in the half.
HHS later tied the score at 16 with Young making a free throw. With 45 seconds on the second-quarter clock, Hart nailed a 3-pointer with pressure for a 19-16 lead (the first points scored following the lights beaming back to brightness after a quick break in the game due to the darkness), but it was quickly a 19-19 score with Baldwin equaling the feat of Hart with 26 seconds left in the second. Captain ended the frame with points in the paint for the two-point halftime advantage.
Once the third frame was complete, MT took a 37-35 lead, outscoring HHS, 18-14.
For MT in the third, they opened with 10-2 run with Baldwin, Pettiford and Brust combining for the points as they scored their 10 consecutive points after HHS opened the third with a put-back hoop by Moberly.
During the 10-point run of MT, Pettiford had a three-point play, and Brust sank a 3-pointer as MT eventually took a 29-23 lead with 4:46 remaining in the third.
Later in the quarter, Hart tied the score once with a 3-pointer at the 3:37 mark and a jumper with 2:03 left in the quarter, as the second one made it a 32-32 game. MT ended the third, outscoring HHS, 5-3 with a 3-pointer from Baldwin and jumper by Pettiford.
"Jarrod will get everyone's best every game, and we've got to have other guys step up. At times, other guys did, but we just can't sit back and wait for him to do it. Some of the younger guys have to take the bull by the horns and go.
"I forget, and some people forget, some of these kids are being put in situations they just haven't been in. We're asking them a lot of them, but we have to grow up quick."
In JV play, HHS won 33-24 with Alex Vanzant scoring 12 and Caleb Hall totaling 10. For MT, they were led by Josh Golden with 12.
In the freshman game, HHS won 49-17. Leading HHS was Ryan LeMaster with 13 and Jacob Deatley with 12. MT was led by Brad Card with eight.
HHS will host East Clinton on Friday in a SCOL game.