COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
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ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
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NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
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When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
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Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
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With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
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For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
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As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
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WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
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Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
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The Greencastle boys' swimming and diving team came to play on Saturday, winning the 2013 West Central Conference swim meet by 65 points.
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
North Putnam boys' top Falcons
Monday, January 7, 2013
ROACHDALE -- It wasn't their prettiest game -- there were no highlight-reel backdoor cuts or electric blocked shots -- but the North Putnam boys' basketball team did everything it needed to on Friday to get a home win over North Vermillion, 51-44.
The Cougars had a 38-29 rebounding advan tage and turned the ball over just 11 times.
"A win's a win, and we'll take it any way we can get it," NPHS coach Nathan Martindale said. "We were able to control the glass. Any time you control the glass and the paint, you're in pretty good shape as a ballclub."
The hosts dominated in the paint against the much smaller, younger Falcons.
Senior forward Jameson Brewer finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and senior center Jake Haste had 17 and nine.
NPHS shot nearly 50 percent (18 for 40) on its two-point field goals and had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Haste.
"We had a good game from Jake Haste, who was a able to get a little more aggressive on the offensive end, which is what we need from him," Martindale said. "JB (Brewer) came through and helped us out on some things ... He's been a double-double machine. At Western Boone he had 15 (points) and 13 (rebounds). Last night (against Turkey Run) he had 27 and 20."
For the duration of the first half, it looked as though the Cougars would be able to salt away the win simple with ball control, but the Falcons changed the tempo to a halt to start the second half.
NPHS appeared impatient at times as it continues to learn how to play with a lead.
"We're learning how to play, and I think that's the key," Martindale said. "If a team slows you up like that, especially with the lead, we're fine. On the offensive end we're not in a rush to do anything. We've still got to get to the point where we know we've got to feed the inside game, and if we don't have a good shot, we don't need to take it ... As the night progressed we got better at it, and I think as the season progresses we'll get better at it."
With the North Vermillion offense unable to get started in the first half, junior Brayden Woodard took the game into his own hands in the second.
Woodard scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break.
Every time it seemed the Cougars were ready to make a run, Woodard answered, either by getting to the rim for a layup or getting to the free throw line.
The Falcons cut the nine-point halftime deficit to as close as four several times, but the Cougars kept battling -- and kept feeding Haste in the post.
Junior Jordan Nauert and senior Zach Green each knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win.
"There's still things we need to work on as a team and understand," Martindale said. "We're trying to get to the point where we establish an inside game. There was a point there in the second quarter where we started getting three-point happy again and I had to call timeout and really just kind of settle them down."
At North Putnam
North Vermillion 7 7 10 20 -- 44
North Putnam 13 10 8 20 -- 51
Individual scoring
North Vermillion: Woodard 8-13 5-8 21, Wright 3-7 4-6 10, Zumwalt 3-10 0-1 6, Earl 0-2 4-6 4, Hollowell 1-5 0-0 3, Sams 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0.
North Putnam: Haste 8-14 1-5 17, Brewer 6-18 1-2 13, Nauert 1-5 6-7 8, Hazelgrove 1-4 2-4 4, Green 1-2 2-2 4, Beaman 1-4 0-0 3, Roberts 1-2 0-1 2, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
NV 15-40 (1-11) 13-22 44, NP 19-50 (1-10) 12-21 51.
Rebounds (offensive)
NV 29 (7), NP 38 (15).
Turnovers
NV 12, NP 11.
Free throws, 45-point half leave Cubs just short against Sparkplugs
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis gets underneath the Speedway defense to score two of her 13 points on Friday.
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The Greencastle girls' basketball team was hoping Christmas would never come as the team carried a three-game winning streak over a 17-day break.
The layoff took its toll early against Speedway and GHS couldn't overcome the deficit in the 63-59 loss.
"We had a slow start and we could have given up three or four times," Greencastle coach Bradley Key said. "We just kept fighting until the end."
The Tiger Cubs scored 45 points in the second half, including a 28-point barrage in the fourth quarter.
"As long as you have Alex Basile and Callan Taylor, you know that they're going to fight to the end," Key said. "Those two fought to the end. They both had great fourth-quarters."
The pair combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Basile finished with 21 points, and Taylor with 12.
Basile also had six steals.
"I really like how Alex Basile took it upon herself to fighting," Key said. "She's a fighter."
GHS also sank 19-of-20 free throws in the game, an accuracy rating that surprised even its coach.
"We practiced them (over break) but ... that's nice," Key said.
The two teams were curiously evenly matched.
Each finished with 34 rebounds, 12 of them offensive.
Speedway had 20 turnovers, and Greencastle had 22.
Speedway shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the field, Greencastle shot 33.3 percent (18-54).
It was the slow start that doomed the Tiger Cubs.
Senior Rayleigh Amis marked Speedway's star junior guard Allison Nash for most of the game, allowing 24 points but limiting her overall game.
Amis finished with 13 points.
GHS will face conference- and county-rival South Putnam in its next game, a rematch of the County Tournament final.
"We've got to see if we've improved since early November," Key said. "It's good to be back in the gym."
The Tiger Cubs host the Eagles on Friday
at 6 p.m.
At Greencastle
Speedway 14 17 15 17 -- 63
Greencastle 5 9 17 28 -- 59
Individual scoring
Speedway: Nash 10-19 1-2 24, Adkins 5-11 4-9 15, Hall 1-5 2-4 4, March 1-2 0-2 2, Tavis 0-2 2-4 2, McGraw 1-4 0-1 0, Perry 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Basile 6-20 7-7 21, Amis 3-6 7-8 13, Taylor 4-11 2-2 12, Lenihan 4-10 0-0 8, Stoltey 1-3 1-1 3, Earl 0-0 2-2 2, Bridgewater 0-4 0-0 0, Covert 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 24-58 (6-15) 9-18 63, Greencastle 18-54 (4-14) 19-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 34 (12), Greencastle 34 (12).
Turnovers
Speedway 20, Greencastle 22.
Fourth-quarter rally still not enough as Greencastle falls short against Speedway
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Greencastle senior Nick Gilliam works his way to the rim in the fourth quarter of the game against Speedway on Friday.
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The Greencastle boys' basketball team knew it had an athletic mismatch against Speedway on Friday, but the team fought to the finish in a 58-46 loss.
The Tiger Cubs (1-7, 1-0) focused on rebounding and defense in the game, trying to overcome the size and speed the Sparkplugs brought to Greencastle High School.
Sophomore Lane Winslow finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and 5'9" freshman guard Ryan Coble chipped in another five boards.
"We just talked about making sure that we take care of the ball as well as we could and fighting for offensive rebounds," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "For a team that is as experienced and athletic as (the Sparkplugs) are, I thought our kids competed very well."
The hosts were missing starting senior Nate Christy with an injury, and began the game with their eighth different starting lineup in as many games.
While Speedway dominated the ball, the Tiger Cubs were able to leak out and beat them in their execution.
GHS had only three turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 10-9 after one.
The Sparkplugs kept up the pressure and extended their lead to nine at the have, but the Tiger Cubs remained in contention. An 8-0 Speedway run to open the second half changed the momentum.
"We were pretty flat coming out after halftime. I'm not sure why," Greenlee said. "In the first half we got (Speedway) playing more of our type of game. We slowed them down a little bit. We didn't allow them to get as many transition baskets.
"Once they started getting in transition and turning it over on us, we struggled to hang on."
GHS got down, but didn't quit.
Senior Nick Gilliam began to take over in the fourth quarter.
Gilliam seemed inspired by Speedway's style of play and attacked the rim with reckless abandon.
He scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth, getting to the rim and the foul line at will.
GHS scored 20 points in the fourth, but the offense wasn't enough.
"We're getting better a little bit at a time," Greenlee said. "I was a little disappointed with our defense in the fourth quarter. I thought we allowed the idea that they were more athletic and stronger than us to allow us not to be as aggressive defensively."
The Tiger Cubs play again tonight as the team host West Vigo at 7:30 p.m. Another new starting lineup could be in store for the hosts.
"We're going to look at who played well tonight and look at matchups," Greenlee said. "We're going to talk about that game, probably in the morning, and we'll see what kind of starting lineup we can come up with."
At Greencastle
Speedway 10 21 15 12 -- 58
Greencastle 9 13 4 20 -- 46
Individual scoring
Speedway: Furlow 6-10, 2-6, 15; Jones 6-11, 2-3, 14; Ross 4-9, 0-0, 8; Brent 3-6, 2-3, 8; Anderson 3-3, 0-0, 7; Anglea 2-8, 0-0, 5; Kinnick 0-1, 1-2, 1; Ahrens 0-3, 0-0, 0; Dobbs 0-0, 0-0, 0.
Greencastle: Gilliam 5-11, 5-7, 15; Winslow 5-9, 1-2, 11; Bollman 3-8, 0-0, 6; Hughes 1-2, 1-1, 4; Foxx 1-5, 0-2, 2; Coble 1-2, 0-0, 2; King 0-0, 2-2, 2; Mitchell 0-1, 2-2, 2; Gerard 1-3, 0-0, 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 25-51 (3-13), 7-14, 58; Greencastle 16-41 (1-10), 11-16, 46.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 24 (6); Greencastle 30 (9).
Turnovers
Speedway 8; Greencastle 19.
Eagle girls top Eminence 67-19 to end five-game losing streak
Friday, January 4, 2013
South Putnam senior Leanna Masters scores a layup to open the game against Eminence. Masters finished with 11 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
The South Putnam girls' basketball cruised to a comfortable win in its first game since Dec. 13, beating Eminence 67-19 on Thursday.
It was the Eagles' first win since Nov. 20.
"We wanted to set the tone from the beginning of being aggressive and that helped us," SPHS head coach Lindsey Blackman said. "The first half was just not taking anything for granted, play our game, play hard. Once we built the lead it was more, 'OK, let's work on ourselves. Let's work on going through the offense. Not looking for the first shot, but seeing what the best shot is.'"
Eminence (1-10) has struggled this season and the Eagles used the game, and long layoff, to try to jumpstart their team.
"I feel like we started off the year really focusing on (overall team defense)," Blackman said. "We started the season off wanting to be a pressing team, and it didn't work for us. So over break we made that kind of a focus of working on our press; getting Leanna (Masters) in the habit of not getting back in transition and setting it up. We wanted to work on that from the beginning of the game."
SPHS took a 24-7 lead after the first quarter, but still seemed out of sync.
The Eagles' 21-0 run to open the second quarter is when things truly began to click.
Masters, a senior scored seven of her 11 points in the quarter. She also hauled in six total rebounds while sitting out much of the second half.
With all but the final score decided by halftime (SPHS led 45-9 at the break), the Eagles were able to focus on execution for much of the second half.
They had zero three-point attempts after the break, and worked each possession to an extra pass and quality shot.
"The best comment of the game was, (junior) Aubrey Nichols at some point said, 'Wow, our offense works when we run all the way through it.'" Blackman said. "Just being able to do that ... Sometimes we get so much into the heat of the game we just start throwing up that first shot instead of looking for the best one."
Four Eagles reached double-digit scoring, including Masters, senior Mattie Varvel, 11, senior Mallory Cash, 10, and junior Amanda Barnes, 10.
Senior Nikki York pulled in a game-high eight rebounds.
The Eagles will face a much stiffer challenge on Tuesday when they play at Riverton Parke (11-1).
At South Putnam
Eminence 7 2 4 6 -- 19
South Putnam 24 21 12 10 -- 67
Individual scoring
Eminence: Gore 3-10, 1-2, 7; Moore 2-2, 0-0, 4; Hall 2-4, 0-0, 4; Stierwalt 1-4, 0-0, 2; Foote 1-2, 0-0, 2; Jobes 0-9, 0-0, 0; Belcher 0-3, 0-0, 0; Ninitte 0-0, 0-0, 0; Storm 0-2, 0-0, 0.
South Putnam: Masters 5-6, 1-2, 11; Varvel 4-10, 3-3, 11; Cash 4-7, 0-0, 10; Barnes 5-9, 0-0, 10; Hewitt 4-8, 0-1, 8; Nichols 3-8, 0-0, 6; York 1-4, 2-2, 5; Cundiff 1-3, 3-4, 5; Birt 0-0, 1-2, 1; Whitaker 0-2, 1-2, 1; Dobson 0-1, 0-0, 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Eminence 9-36 (0-4), 1-3, 19; South Putnam 27-58 (2-4), 11-15, 67.
Rebounds (offensive)
Eminence 19 (5); South Putnam 41 (17).
Turnovers
Eminence 29; South Putnam 14.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
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As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
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WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
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Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
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The Greencastle boys' swimming and diving team came to play on Saturday, winning the 2013 West Central Conference swim meet by 65 points.
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
North Putnam boys' top Falcons
Monday, January 7, 2013
ROACHDALE -- It wasn't their prettiest game -- there were no highlight-reel backdoor cuts or electric blocked shots -- but the North Putnam boys' basketball team did everything it needed to on Friday to get a home win over North Vermillion, 51-44.
The Cougars had a 38-29 rebounding advan tage and turned the ball over just 11 times.
"A win's a win, and we'll take it any way we can get it," NPHS coach Nathan Martindale said. "We were able to control the glass. Any time you control the glass and the paint, you're in pretty good shape as a ballclub."
The hosts dominated in the paint against the much smaller, younger Falcons.
Senior forward Jameson Brewer finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and senior center Jake Haste had 17 and nine.
NPHS shot nearly 50 percent (18 for 40) on its two-point field goals and had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Haste.
"We had a good game from Jake Haste, who was a able to get a little more aggressive on the offensive end, which is what we need from him," Martindale said. "JB (Brewer) came through and helped us out on some things ... He's been a double-double machine. At Western Boone he had 15 (points) and 13 (rebounds). Last night (against Turkey Run) he had 27 and 20."
For the duration of the first half, it looked as though the Cougars would be able to salt away the win simple with ball control, but the Falcons changed the tempo to a halt to start the second half.
NPHS appeared impatient at times as it continues to learn how to play with a lead.
"We're learning how to play, and I think that's the key," Martindale said. "If a team slows you up like that, especially with the lead, we're fine. On the offensive end we're not in a rush to do anything. We've still got to get to the point where we know we've got to feed the inside game, and if we don't have a good shot, we don't need to take it ... As the night progressed we got better at it, and I think as the season progresses we'll get better at it."
With the North Vermillion offense unable to get started in the first half, junior Brayden Woodard took the game into his own hands in the second.
Woodard scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break.
Every time it seemed the Cougars were ready to make a run, Woodard answered, either by getting to the rim for a layup or getting to the free throw line.
The Falcons cut the nine-point halftime deficit to as close as four several times, but the Cougars kept battling -- and kept feeding Haste in the post.
Junior Jordan Nauert and senior Zach Green each knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win.
"There's still things we need to work on as a team and understand," Martindale said. "We're trying to get to the point where we establish an inside game. There was a point there in the second quarter where we started getting three-point happy again and I had to call timeout and really just kind of settle them down."
At North Putnam
North Vermillion 7 7 10 20 -- 44
North Putnam 13 10 8 20 -- 51
Individual scoring
North Vermillion: Woodard 8-13 5-8 21, Wright 3-7 4-6 10, Zumwalt 3-10 0-1 6, Earl 0-2 4-6 4, Hollowell 1-5 0-0 3, Sams 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0.
North Putnam: Haste 8-14 1-5 17, Brewer 6-18 1-2 13, Nauert 1-5 6-7 8, Hazelgrove 1-4 2-4 4, Green 1-2 2-2 4, Beaman 1-4 0-0 3, Roberts 1-2 0-1 2, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
NV 15-40 (1-11) 13-22 44, NP 19-50 (1-10) 12-21 51.
Rebounds (offensive)
NV 29 (7), NP 38 (15).
Turnovers
NV 12, NP 11.
Free throws, 45-point half leave Cubs just short against Sparkplugs
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis gets underneath the Speedway defense to score two of her 13 points on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle girls' basketball team was hoping Christmas would never come as the team carried a three-game winning streak over a 17-day break.
The layoff took its toll early against Speedway and GHS couldn't overcome the deficit in the 63-59 loss.
"We had a slow start and we could have given up three or four times," Greencastle coach Bradley Key said. "We just kept fighting until the end."
The Tiger Cubs scored 45 points in the second half, including a 28-point barrage in the fourth quarter.
"As long as you have Alex Basile and Callan Taylor, you know that they're going to fight to the end," Key said. "Those two fought to the end. They both had great fourth-quarters."
The pair combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Basile finished with 21 points, and Taylor with 12.
Basile also had six steals.
"I really like how Alex Basile took it upon herself to fighting," Key said. "She's a fighter."
GHS also sank 19-of-20 free throws in the game, an accuracy rating that surprised even its coach.
"We practiced them (over break) but ... that's nice," Key said.
The two teams were curiously evenly matched.
Each finished with 34 rebounds, 12 of them offensive.
Speedway had 20 turnovers, and Greencastle had 22.
Speedway shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the field, Greencastle shot 33.3 percent (18-54).
It was the slow start that doomed the Tiger Cubs.
Senior Rayleigh Amis marked Speedway's star junior guard Allison Nash for most of the game, allowing 24 points but limiting her overall game.
Amis finished with 13 points.
GHS will face conference- and county-rival South Putnam in its next game, a rematch of the County Tournament final.
"We've got to see if we've improved since early November," Key said. "It's good to be back in the gym."
The Tiger Cubs host the Eagles on Friday
at 6 p.m.
At Greencastle
Speedway 14 17 15 17 -- 63
Greencastle 5 9 17 28 -- 59
Individual scoring
Speedway: Nash 10-19 1-2 24, Adkins 5-11 4-9 15, Hall 1-5 2-4 4, March 1-2 0-2 2, Tavis 0-2 2-4 2, McGraw 1-4 0-1 0, Perry 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Basile 6-20 7-7 21, Amis 3-6 7-8 13, Taylor 4-11 2-2 12, Lenihan 4-10 0-0 8, Stoltey 1-3 1-1 3, Earl 0-0 2-2 2, Bridgewater 0-4 0-0 0, Covert 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 24-58 (6-15) 9-18 63, Greencastle 18-54 (4-14) 19-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 34 (12), Greencastle 34 (12).
Turnovers
Speedway 20, Greencastle 22.
Fourth-quarter rally still not enough as Greencastle falls short against Speedway
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Greencastle senior Nick Gilliam works his way to the rim in the fourth quarter of the game against Speedway on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle boys' basketball team knew it had an athletic mismatch against Speedway on Friday, but the team fought to the finish in a 58-46 loss.
The Tiger Cubs (1-7, 1-0) focused on rebounding and defense in the game, trying to overcome the size and speed the Sparkplugs brought to Greencastle High School.
Sophomore Lane Winslow finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and 5'9" freshman guard Ryan Coble chipped in another five boards.
"We just talked about making sure that we take care of the ball as well as we could and fighting for offensive rebounds," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "For a team that is as experienced and athletic as (the Sparkplugs) are, I thought our kids competed very well."
The hosts were missing starting senior Nate Christy with an injury, and began the game with their eighth different starting lineup in as many games.
While Speedway dominated the ball, the Tiger Cubs were able to leak out and beat them in their execution.
GHS had only three turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 10-9 after one.
The Sparkplugs kept up the pressure and extended their lead to nine at the have, but the Tiger Cubs remained in contention. An 8-0 Speedway run to open the second half changed the momentum.
"We were pretty flat coming out after halftime. I'm not sure why," Greenlee said. "In the first half we got (Speedway) playing more of our type of game. We slowed them down a little bit. We didn't allow them to get as many transition baskets.
"Once they started getting in transition and turning it over on us, we struggled to hang on."
GHS got down, but didn't quit.
Senior Nick Gilliam began to take over in the fourth quarter.
Gilliam seemed inspired by Speedway's style of play and attacked the rim with reckless abandon.
He scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth, getting to the rim and the foul line at will.
GHS scored 20 points in the fourth, but the offense wasn't enough.
"We're getting better a little bit at a time," Greenlee said. "I was a little disappointed with our defense in the fourth quarter. I thought we allowed the idea that they were more athletic and stronger than us to allow us not to be as aggressive defensively."
The Tiger Cubs play again tonight as the team host West Vigo at 7:30 p.m. Another new starting lineup could be in store for the hosts.
"We're going to look at who played well tonight and look at matchups," Greenlee said. "We're going to talk about that game, probably in the morning, and we'll see what kind of starting lineup we can come up with."
At Greencastle
Speedway 10 21 15 12 -- 58
Greencastle 9 13 4 20 -- 46
Individual scoring
Speedway: Furlow 6-10, 2-6, 15; Jones 6-11, 2-3, 14; Ross 4-9, 0-0, 8; Brent 3-6, 2-3, 8; Anderson 3-3, 0-0, 7; Anglea 2-8, 0-0, 5; Kinnick 0-1, 1-2, 1; Ahrens 0-3, 0-0, 0; Dobbs 0-0, 0-0, 0.
Greencastle: Gilliam 5-11, 5-7, 15; Winslow 5-9, 1-2, 11; Bollman 3-8, 0-0, 6; Hughes 1-2, 1-1, 4; Foxx 1-5, 0-2, 2; Coble 1-2, 0-0, 2; King 0-0, 2-2, 2; Mitchell 0-1, 2-2, 2; Gerard 1-3, 0-0, 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 25-51 (3-13), 7-14, 58; Greencastle 16-41 (1-10), 11-16, 46.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 24 (6); Greencastle 30 (9).
Turnovers
Speedway 8; Greencastle 19.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
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WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle boys' swimming and diving team came to play on Saturday, winning the 2013 West Central Conference swim meet by 65 points.
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
North Putnam boys' top Falcons
Monday, January 7, 2013
ROACHDALE -- It wasn't their prettiest game -- there were no highlight-reel backdoor cuts or electric blocked shots -- but the North Putnam boys' basketball team did everything it needed to on Friday to get a home win over North Vermillion, 51-44.
The Cougars had a 38-29 rebounding advan tage and turned the ball over just 11 times.
"A win's a win, and we'll take it any way we can get it," NPHS coach Nathan Martindale said. "We were able to control the glass. Any time you control the glass and the paint, you're in pretty good shape as a ballclub."
The hosts dominated in the paint against the much smaller, younger Falcons.
Senior forward Jameson Brewer finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and senior center Jake Haste had 17 and nine.
NPHS shot nearly 50 percent (18 for 40) on its two-point field goals and had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Haste.
"We had a good game from Jake Haste, who was a able to get a little more aggressive on the offensive end, which is what we need from him," Martindale said. "JB (Brewer) came through and helped us out on some things ... He's been a double-double machine. At Western Boone he had 15 (points) and 13 (rebounds). Last night (against Turkey Run) he had 27 and 20."
For the duration of the first half, it looked as though the Cougars would be able to salt away the win simple with ball control, but the Falcons changed the tempo to a halt to start the second half.
NPHS appeared impatient at times as it continues to learn how to play with a lead.
"We're learning how to play, and I think that's the key," Martindale said. "If a team slows you up like that, especially with the lead, we're fine. On the offensive end we're not in a rush to do anything. We've still got to get to the point where we know we've got to feed the inside game, and if we don't have a good shot, we don't need to take it ... As the night progressed we got better at it, and I think as the season progresses we'll get better at it."
With the North Vermillion offense unable to get started in the first half, junior Brayden Woodard took the game into his own hands in the second.
Woodard scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break.
Every time it seemed the Cougars were ready to make a run, Woodard answered, either by getting to the rim for a layup or getting to the free throw line.
The Falcons cut the nine-point halftime deficit to as close as four several times, but the Cougars kept battling -- and kept feeding Haste in the post.
Junior Jordan Nauert and senior Zach Green each knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win.
"There's still things we need to work on as a team and understand," Martindale said. "We're trying to get to the point where we establish an inside game. There was a point there in the second quarter where we started getting three-point happy again and I had to call timeout and really just kind of settle them down."
At North Putnam
North Vermillion 7 7 10 20 -- 44
North Putnam 13 10 8 20 -- 51
Individual scoring
North Vermillion: Woodard 8-13 5-8 21, Wright 3-7 4-6 10, Zumwalt 3-10 0-1 6, Earl 0-2 4-6 4, Hollowell 1-5 0-0 3, Sams 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0.
North Putnam: Haste 8-14 1-5 17, Brewer 6-18 1-2 13, Nauert 1-5 6-7 8, Hazelgrove 1-4 2-4 4, Green 1-2 2-2 4, Beaman 1-4 0-0 3, Roberts 1-2 0-1 2, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
NV 15-40 (1-11) 13-22 44, NP 19-50 (1-10) 12-21 51.
Rebounds (offensive)
NV 29 (7), NP 38 (15).
Turnovers
NV 12, NP 11.
Free throws, 45-point half leave Cubs just short against Sparkplugs
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis gets underneath the Speedway defense to score two of her 13 points on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle girls' basketball team was hoping Christmas would never come as the team carried a three-game winning streak over a 17-day break.
The layoff took its toll early against Speedway and GHS couldn't overcome the deficit in the 63-59 loss.
"We had a slow start and we could have given up three or four times," Greencastle coach Bradley Key said. "We just kept fighting until the end."
The Tiger Cubs scored 45 points in the second half, including a 28-point barrage in the fourth quarter.
"As long as you have Alex Basile and Callan Taylor, you know that they're going to fight to the end," Key said. "Those two fought to the end. They both had great fourth-quarters."
The pair combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Basile finished with 21 points, and Taylor with 12.
Basile also had six steals.
"I really like how Alex Basile took it upon herself to fighting," Key said. "She's a fighter."
GHS also sank 19-of-20 free throws in the game, an accuracy rating that surprised even its coach.
"We practiced them (over break) but ... that's nice," Key said.
The two teams were curiously evenly matched.
Each finished with 34 rebounds, 12 of them offensive.
Speedway had 20 turnovers, and Greencastle had 22.
Speedway shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the field, Greencastle shot 33.3 percent (18-54).
It was the slow start that doomed the Tiger Cubs.
Senior Rayleigh Amis marked Speedway's star junior guard Allison Nash for most of the game, allowing 24 points but limiting her overall game.
Amis finished with 13 points.
GHS will face conference- and county-rival South Putnam in its next game, a rematch of the County Tournament final.
"We've got to see if we've improved since early November," Key said. "It's good to be back in the gym."
The Tiger Cubs host the Eagles on Friday
at 6 p.m.
At Greencastle
Speedway 14 17 15 17 -- 63
Greencastle 5 9 17 28 -- 59
Individual scoring
Speedway: Nash 10-19 1-2 24, Adkins 5-11 4-9 15, Hall 1-5 2-4 4, March 1-2 0-2 2, Tavis 0-2 2-4 2, McGraw 1-4 0-1 0, Perry 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Basile 6-20 7-7 21, Amis 3-6 7-8 13, Taylor 4-11 2-2 12, Lenihan 4-10 0-0 8, Stoltey 1-3 1-1 3, Earl 0-0 2-2 2, Bridgewater 0-4 0-0 0, Covert 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 24-58 (6-15) 9-18 63, Greencastle 18-54 (4-14) 19-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 34 (12), Greencastle 34 (12).
Turnovers
Speedway 20, Greencastle 22.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
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As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
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WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
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Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle boys' swimming and diving team came to play on Saturday, winning the 2013 West Central Conference swim meet by 65 points.
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
North Putnam boys' top Falcons
Monday, January 7, 2013
ROACHDALE -- It wasn't their prettiest game -- there were no highlight-reel backdoor cuts or electric blocked shots -- but the North Putnam boys' basketball team did everything it needed to on Friday to get a home win over North Vermillion, 51-44.
The Cougars had a 38-29 rebounding advan tage and turned the ball over just 11 times.
"A win's a win, and we'll take it any way we can get it," NPHS coach Nathan Martindale said. "We were able to control the glass. Any time you control the glass and the paint, you're in pretty good shape as a ballclub."
The hosts dominated in the paint against the much smaller, younger Falcons.
Senior forward Jameson Brewer finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and senior center Jake Haste had 17 and nine.
NPHS shot nearly 50 percent (18 for 40) on its two-point field goals and had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Haste.
"We had a good game from Jake Haste, who was a able to get a little more aggressive on the offensive end, which is what we need from him," Martindale said. "JB (Brewer) came through and helped us out on some things ... He's been a double-double machine. At Western Boone he had 15 (points) and 13 (rebounds). Last night (against Turkey Run) he had 27 and 20."
For the duration of the first half, it looked as though the Cougars would be able to salt away the win simple with ball control, but the Falcons changed the tempo to a halt to start the second half.
NPHS appeared impatient at times as it continues to learn how to play with a lead.
"We're learning how to play, and I think that's the key," Martindale said. "If a team slows you up like that, especially with the lead, we're fine. On the offensive end we're not in a rush to do anything. We've still got to get to the point where we know we've got to feed the inside game, and if we don't have a good shot, we don't need to take it ... As the night progressed we got better at it, and I think as the season progresses we'll get better at it."
With the North Vermillion offense unable to get started in the first half, junior Brayden Woodard took the game into his own hands in the second.
Woodard scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break.
Every time it seemed the Cougars were ready to make a run, Woodard answered, either by getting to the rim for a layup or getting to the free throw line.
The Falcons cut the nine-point halftime deficit to as close as four several times, but the Cougars kept battling -- and kept feeding Haste in the post.
Junior Jordan Nauert and senior Zach Green each knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win.
"There's still things we need to work on as a team and understand," Martindale said. "We're trying to get to the point where we establish an inside game. There was a point there in the second quarter where we started getting three-point happy again and I had to call timeout and really just kind of settle them down."
At North Putnam
North Vermillion 7 7 10 20 -- 44
North Putnam 13 10 8 20 -- 51
Individual scoring
North Vermillion: Woodard 8-13 5-8 21, Wright 3-7 4-6 10, Zumwalt 3-10 0-1 6, Earl 0-2 4-6 4, Hollowell 1-5 0-0 3, Sams 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0.
North Putnam: Haste 8-14 1-5 17, Brewer 6-18 1-2 13, Nauert 1-5 6-7 8, Hazelgrove 1-4 2-4 4, Green 1-2 2-2 4, Beaman 1-4 0-0 3, Roberts 1-2 0-1 2, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
NV 15-40 (1-11) 13-22 44, NP 19-50 (1-10) 12-21 51.
Rebounds (offensive)
NV 29 (7), NP 38 (15).
Turnovers
NV 12, NP 11.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Greencastle boys' swimming and diving team came to play on Saturday, winning the 2013 West Central Conference swim meet by 65 points.
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
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NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
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When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
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At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
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Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
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With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
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For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
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As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Kaelynn Cox swam the final leg for the Greencastle girls' swimming team in the final event on Saturday, staving off her competitors to get a win and secure the 2013 West Central Conference title for the Tiger Cubs.
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
WEST TERRE HAUTE -- As the Cloverdale girls' basketball team continues to make strides toward success, they must deal with tough losses.
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
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NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
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When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
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At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
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Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
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With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
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For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
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As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
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The DePauw Uni-versity women's basketball team faced its stiffest home test of the season on Wednesday, a 57-47 win over Kenyon College.
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
As long as there are no large pieces of out-of-date locomotive equipment at stake, DePauw University seems capable of playing well against rival Wabash.
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
Friday, January 11, 2013
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the third time in five days, the South Putnam boys' and girls' swimming and diving team participated in a competitive meet on Thursday.
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Greencastle hosted senior night for its girls' basketball team on Friday, but sophomore Jessica Lenihan was the team's go-to player, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half of the 59-55 win over South Putnam.
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
With Masters working the high post and senior Mattie Varvel scoring (16 points) and organizing the offense (seven assists), the Eagles looked to have all the momentum.
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
When Greencastle's Nate Christy walked into McAnally on Friday, he was unsure if he'd even play.
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Coming off a hard-fought win on Friday night, the Greencastle girls' basketball battled to the end before losing in the final minute at Brown County on Saturday, 49-45.
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Monday, January 14, 2013
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
ELLETTSVILLE -- Every game can't be a classic, or none of them would be.
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
With the game and an NCAA tournament berth on the line, Memphis freshman Darius Washington Jr. was fouled shooting a three, down two points, with no time left on the clock.
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
He sank the first of three. Memphis trailed by one.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
COLUMN: Free throws, pressure and time
Nate Christy [Order this photo]
The Tigers were playing Louisville in the 2005 Conference-USA title game and Washington -- a high school all-American, the best player on the team, and a consensus first-round draft pick for the NBA whenever he chose to leave -- was confident.
Washington was the first in a now long-line of freshman phenom point guards recruited by John Calipari.
Next came Derrick Rose, then Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague.
None, as a freshman, had the skill and athleticism of Washington. At the McDonald's All-American Game skills contest, he took second-place in both the three-point shootout and the dunk contest.
I can't remember anyone else competing in both.
Washington turned to his coach and teammates on the sideline, winked and said, "I got this."
He bricked the second.
Washington averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and made 73 percent of his free throws.
Against Louisville he had 23 points and six assists.
He was 3-of-5 from the line at that point with one free throw left. Make it and go to overtime with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament.
He missed. He collapsed to the court, covering his head. Calipari rushed to comfort him, but Washington was inconsolable.
With his confidence shot, the guard struggled his next year. His averages dropped across the board and he left school to pursue the NBA.
Undrafted, Washington now plays in Israel on a Macedonian passport.
As a devoted sports fan, the memories of all this came crashing into me last Friday.
Greencastle outplayed South Putnam for most of the game but still trailed late.
Tiger Cubs senior Nate Christy took an outlet pass to the rim and was fouled, down one, with no time on the clock.
Christy was injured coming into the game and, during the contest, he fell and split his chin wide open.
With blood on his first jersey, Christy switched into a backup that was at least three or four sizes too big.
He approached the free throw line, bobbing his head, swaying with confidence, ready to shoot.
The referee called him back. Blood on the replacement jersey needed to be cleaned up. Christy had more time to think about the pending shots.
He nodded, stayed loose and sank them both.
The pressure of the lengthening moment should have dragged him in, should have weighed on him, but Christy ignored it.
He ignored the crowd, the players, the coaches and the photographer who ran to a place just above him in his line of sight.
There's no way to know what the consequence of missing would have been, both for Christy and the team.
Until the season is over, we won't know the importance of making the shots. But Christy stared at the pressure on Friday and made it back down to him.
The young Tiger Cubs began the year playing scared. They have now found a leader who is unafraid.
Edgewood sidles past Greencastle
Greencastle junior Holden King gets two Edgewood defenders to bite on his pump-fake under the basket before putting in an easy layup on Saturday. King finished wtih 15 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
Such is conundrum the Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team found itself in on Saturday night, a 59-51 loss at Edgewood.
The young Tiger Cubs wrapped up the most intense game of the year less than 24 hours earlier against South Putnam, their county adversary.
"One of the things I told them before the game was, I was curious how we would respond after a big win last night," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said.
The Mustangs came out with a physical presence, a swagger, that Greencastle attempted to match.
The result in the first quarter was 10 Tiger Cub turnovers , nine Tiger Cub fouls and at 13-9 deficit.
"Initially (Edgewood's) physical play on the ball hurt us," Greenlee said. "We were a little bit caught off guard, even though we tried to tell them it's going to be physical.
"Once we understood, (Edgewood) is going to be physical, we're not going to get a lot of calls, we played through it."
The Cubs got their turnovers, and fouls, under control, then got junior guard Holden King going.
"For a while there in the first half, we weren't even getting shots," Greenlee said. "When you dig yourself a hole like that, it's tough to come back."
King had 13 points in the first half, sinking three-of-five treys and making up for the loss of five players (Nate Christy, Colyn Foxx, Brody Bollman, Nick Gilliam and Adam Gerard; two each) to foul trouble.
GHS is inexperienced, and inconsistent, but they're also deep. As King became an afterthought in the second half, Bollman took over the offense.
He scored 10 of his 12 points after the break, reeling the Mustangs in.
GHS took a one-point lead on a Bollman free throw with 6:53 left in the fourth, but Edgewood's 9-2 run that followed put the game away.
"We were right there until the fourth quarter," Greenlee said. "It could have gone either way. A couple plays here and there and we're right where we want to be."
Greencastle (2-9, 2-0) plays at West Central Conference opponent Cascade on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
At Greencastle
Greencastle 9 12 14 16 -- 51
Edgewood 13 16 8 22 -- 59
Individual scoring
Greencastle: King 6-13 0-0 15, Bollman 4-7 4-6 12, Gilliam 3-6 2-2 8, Mitchell 1-3 2-2 4, Foxx 2-2 0-2 4, Christy 1-5 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 1-1 3, Winslow 1-3 0-2 2, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Hughes 0-2 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Edgewood: Black 6-10 4-5 16, Newman 5-9 3-4 14, Selburg 5-6 2-5 12, Settle 2-4 0-0 6, Bowman 1-5 3-4 5, D Driver 2-4 0-2 4, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Collier 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, A Driver0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Greencastle 19-56 (4-14) 9-15 51, Edgewood 22-43 (3-11) 12-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 25 (10), ED 29 (12).
Turnovers
GC 17, ED 14.
Brown (County) can do in the Tiger Cubs
Greencastle sophomore Jessica Lenihan goes in for a layup against Brown County.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Tiger Cubs were just hours removed from beating county-rival South Putnam when they made the long trip to Nashville and the crew came out flat in the first quarter, falling behind 17-12.
In a preview of things to come, junior Whitney Williamson and senior Sasha Robinson combined for 12 points in the frame.
The pair eventually finished with 37 of the team's 49.
"We knew going into it those were the two we had to stop, we just did not do a very good job," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "We did a good job on the initial series and made them shoot a low-percentage shot, but then we gave them that second chance."
The Cubs got back to their game in the second, picking up the tempo and crashing the boards.
The Eagles' duo combined for another 11 points, but GHS surrendered only two to the rest of the team and closed the gap to two points at the half, 30-28.
GHS outrebounded the hosts 21-12 in the first half and shot a very-solid 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the field.
They also drew only five fouls, and got to the free throw line only once. The Tiger Cubs appeared bothered by the length of 6'0" Robinson and Williamson.
"They were able to block shots without having to foul," Key said. "We've got to understand that. You can't get your shot blocked five times and then wonder why you're not getting fouled. "
Robinson had four blocks and altered several other shots.
The two teams struggled in the third but GHS eventually got all the way back, taking a 39-38 lead with 5:35 left after a pair of free throws by sophomore Jessica Lenihan, the Tiger Cubs' leading scorer with 14.
That's when Robinson and Williamson took over. The pair scored 10 straight Eagle-points and dominated the paint and spurring an 11-4 run in the final few minutes.
Even when GHS got an initial stop, Williamson still found a way to score. She hauled in four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 rebounds in the game.
GHS senior Rayleigh Amis had 15 rebounds of her own, but it wasn't enough.
"We talked about (in the huddle), when the shot goes up, they only get one opportunity. It doesn't matter if you're playing Brown County or the state champions," Key said. "Hopefully this is a game we can learn from."
Key said playing back-to-back close games will help the team later in the year.
"It's never easy coming back after an exciting South Put victory, after an emotional high," he said, "but I like it to prepare for sectional. Hopefully we learn from this experience. We had a big game last night, that's fine, but we've got to rally back and play again.
"I think we're getting better."
At Brown County
Greencastle 12 16 7 10 -- 45
Brown County 17 13 6 13 -- 49
Individual scoring
GC: Lenihan 6-14 2-3 14, Taylor 4-11 0-0 8, Basile 3-12 0-0 7, Amis 2-4 0-0 4, T Stoltey 2-4 0-0 4, Earl 1-4 0-0 3, Bridgewater 1-4 0-0 3, Covert 1-4 0-2 2.
BC: Robinson 9-21 1-4 21, Williamson 8-11 0-0 16, Chapman 2-9 1-2 5, Wedan 1-11 0-0 3, Brady 1-6 0-2 2, Southerland 1-3 0-0 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
GC 20-59 (3-11) 2-6 45, BC 22-61 (3-16) 2-7 49.
Rebounds (offensive)
GC 43 (16), BC 36 (14).
Turnovers
GC 22, BC 15.
Christy's free throws beat South Putnam
GHS senior Nate Christy and his teammates react to the game-winning free throw he sank against South Putnam on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The senior has been nursing a groin injury for the past few weeks and his pregame warm-up, he told his coaches he was 100 percent.
"I knew I wasn't going to start," Christy said. "But I knew coming off the bench I had to make an impact, and that's what I tried to do."
With blood oozing from a gash on his chin as he stared from the free throw line, down one with the game clock reading 0:00, Christy's injury was the last thing on his mind.
"I was pretty much just thinking, 'I've got to hit these,'" Christy said. "Just how my game was going, I was pretty confident when I stepped up to the line. I was a little bit nervous on that first one, because it was bouncing around the rim. When it fell down, I knew I'd make my second."
Christy made them both, lifting Greencastle past South Putnam 53-52.
The Tiger Cubs reclaimed the bucket and avenged a loss to South Putnam in the Putnam County Classic.
After the early-season tournament game, South Putnam head coach said Greencastle was a team you don't want to play in March. He was a couple months off.
"Give them all the credit," Burgess said. "They played their butts off. They won the game."
Christy hit four-of-five threes en route to 13 points in the first half, but GHS trailed South Put by one at the break, 26-25.
The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter with GHS sophomore Brody Bollman scoring seven of his team's 12 points
SPHS senior Justin Bumgardner had nine in the quarter and finished game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (10).
Greencastle trailed by four entering the fourth but a three-pointer by sophomore Anthony Mitchell tied the game with five minutes left.
The teams traded baskets again and, following a South Putnam turnover, Christy brought the ball up the court looking for a lead.
He was trapped on the sideline and lost the ball. In his attempt to save possession he fell and split a large gash open on his chin.
Christy was removed from the game, covered in blood, and the Eagles regained control.
Junior forward Trey Moore (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists in the game) led South Put back on top as the Eagles carried a four-point lead into the final minute.
Christy, No. 12, returned, wearing a new jersey, No. 50, that was several sizes too big for him.
"My pants and everything were huge," Christy said.
Trailing by two points with 42 seconds remaining, Greencastle committed its sixth foul of the half and the Eagles prepared to take the ball out from under the Cubs' basket.
Moore was called for an offensive foul before the ball could be inbounded, but GHS failed to capitalize.
Christy threw an errand pass that was tipped by Bumgardner, who dove to save the ball from going out of bounds and lofted it to senior Ryan Chestnut.
Chestnut was sent to the line for a one-and-one.
He missed the first, but Bumgardner hauled in the rebound.
Bumgardner made one-of-two from the line to secure a three-point lead.
Before Greencastle could get a shot, Chestnut fouled Bollman, who sank both free throws.
SPHS senior Sawyer Arnold was fouled on the inbound play, up one with 5.8 seconds remaining.
"We talked about, know the situation of the game," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "If we need a two, take it to the basket, if we need a three, penetrate and try to kick it out."
Arnold missed his free throw and Bollman pulled in the board, spun and fired a pass to Christy.
The senior headed straight for the basket, but his layup attempt rattled out as the final horn sounded.
The sound of a whistle drowned out the horn. The Eagles fouled the shooter.
Christy walked up to the line, and an empty lane, ready to shoot for the win.
More blood. Christy stepped to the sideline to get cleaned up.
"Our kids did a great job of executing when they had to," Greenlee said. "My gosh, what an incredible two free throws by Nate. I thought, 'There is a lot of time between the fouls and him actually shooting it. That's hard to do. He just seemed so confident.
"I told him, 'I've been coaching a long time, but I don't know if I've ever had a kid have a performance like that."
The win moved GHS to 2-8 for the season, but more importantly, 2-0 in the West Central Conference.
"It was great team effort," Greenlee said. "I thought we had great contributions from just about everybody tonight."
GHS will look to carry the momentum into tonight's game when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:30 p.m. start.
South Putnam senior Logan Pell splits through the Greencastle defense to score a finger roll layup on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
At Greencastle
South Putnam 6 20 15 11 -- 52
Greencastle 8 17 12 16 -- 53
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Bumgardner 7-13 5-7 20, Moore 4-4 2-2 10, Arnold 3-9 2-3 8, Pell 2-5 0-0 4, Chestnut 1-5 2-5 4, Franklin 1-2 1-2 3, Vittetow 1-3 0-0 3, Long 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Christy 5-9 3-4 18, Bollman 4-9 3-4 11, Mitchell 3-5 0-0 7, King 2-9 0-0 6, Winslow 2-7 0-4 4, Foxx 1-2 0-0 3, Gerard 1-3 0-0 2, Brotherton 0-0 2-2 2, Gilliam 0-7 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 19-45 (2-7) 12-19 52, G 17-50 (9-21) 8-14 53.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 41 (12) G 23 (8).
Turnovers
SP 21, G 10.
Tiger Cubs edge Eagles 59-55
Greencastle sophomore Callan Taylor gets past the entire South Putnam team on her way to the basket on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Tiger Cubs held off a late rally from SPHS, securing the win with the defensive abilities of seniors Rayleigh Amis and Jessi Covert.
"This is the best game (Covert) has played in four years and I couldn't be more proud of her," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "South, no matter when you play them, it's going to be a close game. We proved that the last three times we've played them. It's a game of runs, and we got up on them, they were able to come back. Give credit to their players. They always play hard."
The two teams were locked in a 53-all tie with 1:50 remaining but Greencastle executed better down the stretch, making four-of-six free throws, and another hoop by Lenihan, late in the game.
The Cubs were put on the ropes early when SPHS senior Mallory Cash started the game by scoring 19 first-half points on seven-of-10 shooting.
When Eagles' senior Leanna Masters was sent to the bench after picking up her second foul, the game opened up for the Cubs.
"Our game plan was, No. 1, to take (Masters) away," Key said. "We did that, but then Cash showed up, just like she did in the County (Tournament)."
Four players scored at least six points for GHS in the first half, led by Covert's seven, and the Tiger Cubs went to the break with a 30-27 advantage.
With Masters returning to the court for the start the third quarter, the Eagles got back into the fight.
Until she picked up her third two minutes later.
GHS got back on the run it started in the second quarter and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Then Masters, and junior Aubrey Nichols (also with three fouls) got back in game.
"It was a combination of (Masters returning) on the inside and Aubrey Nichols, our best perimeter defender," SPHS coach Lindsey Blackman said. "When they're not on the floor, it hurts."
With Masters and Nichols back on the court, the Eagles made their move.
Masters picked up a pair of assists, one to Nichols for a corner three, and the comeback was on.
South Putnam ripped off 11 straight points to tie the game with five minutes left.
South Putnam senior Mattie Varvel scores a layup against Greencastle after putting a delay move on the Tiger Cubs' Lauren Bridgewater.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Fouls again emerged as a problem. Masters picked up her fourth and played with more restrain for the rest of the game.
In all, GHS was fouled 22 times, eventually attempting a ridiculous 32 free throws.
They sank 17, but it was enough to secure the win.
Masters finished with two points and 10 rebounds in her limited minutes.
Amis (12 points, 11 rebounds) and GHS sophomore Callan Taylor (10 points, game-high 13 rebounds) each finished with a double-double.
"The last couple weeks in practice we're looking better as a team," Key said. "Our overall goal is to play our best basketball in February."
The Tiger Cubs won't have long to enjoy the victory as they play again today at Brown County at 1:30 p.m.
For the Eagles, a chance to forget the painful loss comes quickly as well. They'll host the South Putnam Classic today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a game against Turkey Run.
The consolation game is at 12:30 p.m., and the finals is at 2 p.m.
"It was tough tonight," Blackman said. "When those two (Masters and Nichols) are on the bench, it's hard for us to be successful."
At Greencastle
South Putnam 13 14 11 17 -- 55
Greencastle 11 19 17 12 -- 59
Individual scoring
South Putnam: Cash 7-13 4-4 21, Varvel 8-24 0-1 16, Nichols 2-8 3-4 8, Masters 1-5 0-0 2, Birt 1-5 0-0 2, Barnes 1-7 0-2 2, York 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 0-6 2-2 2, Cundiff 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Lenihan 6-14 7-10 19, Amis 5-9 1-3 12, Taylor 3-7 4-4 10, Covert 3-5 1-9 7, Basile 1-8 2-4 4, Earl 1-3 2-2 4, Bridgewater 1-1 0-0 3.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
SP 21-69 (4-10) 9-13 55, G 19-47 (2-6) 17-32 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
SP 45 (21), G 43 (12).
Turnovers
SP 11, G 17.
South Putnam gets comforting win over Owen Valley
South Putnam swimmer Morgan Deszi competes in the 100 backstroke event against Owen Valley. Deszi edged out teammate Katie Jo Beasley by one one-hundredth of a second in the back, and also picked up a win in the 200 individual medley.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
For the first time, both squads were able to pick up a team win with the girls topping Owen Valley 124-48 and the boys winning 117-57.
"A lot of people swam different events today," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "Some of that is due to people being sick ... but some meets we just try to try new things, and we did a little bit of that today."
Several swimmers competed in events that were either brand new or unfamiliar to them, including Morgan Deszi and Tayler Arnold.
"I don't know that (Deszi) has ever swam (the 200 IM) in her life, but she won it today," Edwards said. "Tayler Arnold has a history of swimming backstroke ... we put him back in it tonight just so he wouldn't forget it all together. He did great. He saw a great time. He's got the (school's) backstroke record."
Deszi also picked up wins in the 100 back, and as a member of two relays.
Arnold has been focusing on sprints this year and picked up wins in the 50 free and on two relays.
Ben Albright won each event he participated in, the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
It was also a solid night for the diving team.
Because Owen Valley had such a small team, they had no divers competing. Edwards said this his athletes to focus on themselves, and their technique, when they dived.
"This is the time of year when we're starting to look toward sectional meets and we're starting to get our 11 dive lists set in stone and figure out the dives that we're going to work on the rest of the season," Edwards said. "All of the divers tried a new list tonight with higher D.D. (degree of difficulty) dives tonight, and it was nice for them to not have that pressure. They were really nice and relaxed, and they did great.
"All of them (Maddison Plunkett, Courtney Sullivan and Tyler Neumann) had different lists, dives that they haven't done in any meets this year, and they handled it really well."
Sullivan got a personal best 149.20 but was edged out by her teammate's 152.50.
The Eagles will have a short break before going to Cascade on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At South Putnam
Girls -- final
South Putnam 124, Owen Valley 48
Boys -- final
South Putnam 117, Owen Valley 57
Event results
Girls 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Deszi Morgan, Katie McHugh, Lyndsie Beasley, Katie Hansel) 2:20.28; 2. OVHS A (Ariel Holcombe, Canon Cattorini, Paige Wetzel, Becca Walcott) 2:27.40; 3. SPHS B (Maddison Plunkett, Katie Kiste, Katie Shaw, Megan Arnold) 2:35.04.
Boys 200 medley relay: 1. SPHS A (Tayler Arnold, Zeke Evens, Matthew Lund, Zane Crosby) 1:59.96; 2. OVHS A (Jared Peterson, Johnathan Carey, Eli Carlson, Michael Megenhardt) 2:01.52; 3. SPHS B (Zach Rayce, Tyler Neumann, Wyatt Nees, Dakota Kiste) 2:05.66; 4. OVHS B (Eric Hellman, Jacob Smithson, Hunter Stogsdill, Jacob Staley) 2:31.04.
Girls 200 free: 1. Cattorini, O, 2:36.20; 2. McHugh, S, 2:36.83; 3. Macy Sutkowski, S, 2:54.12; 4. Tori Kiste, S, 3:03.16.
Boys 200 free: 1. Ben Albright, S, 2:10.54; 2. Lucas Booher, O, 2:29.13; 3. Staley, O, 2:33.31; 4. Nick Chambers, S, 2:44.25.
Girls 200 IM: 1. Deszi, S, 3:05.23; 2. Arnold, S, 3:06.03; 3. Maddie Summerlot, O, 3:13.95; 4. Jodi Hicks, O, 3:22.54; 5. Tasha Kelley, S, 3:28.86.
Boys 200 IM: 1. Rayce, S, 2:42.57; 2. Nees, S, 2:44.51; 3. C Evens, S, 2:55.54; 4. Peterson, O, 2:59.84; 5. Smithson, O, 3:09.82.
Girls 50 free: 1. Hansel, S, 30.04; 2. Walcott, O, 30.90; 3. Wetzel, O, 33.21; 4. T Kiste, S, 33.46; 5. Holcombe, O, 33.62; 6. Sutkowski, S, 34.78.
Boys 50 free: 1. Arnold, S, 25.17; 2. Carlson, O, 25.68; 3. Crosby, S, 26.07; 4. Megenhardt, O, 27.76; 5. Duggan, S, 30.19; 6. Hellman, O, 33.87.
Girls diving: 1. Plunkett, S, 152.50; 2. Sullivan, S, 149.20.
Boys diving: 1. Neumann, S, 147.30.
Girls 100 fly: 1. L Beasley, S, 1:24.70; 2. Shaw, S, 1:31.04; 3. Wetzel, O, 1:36.69; 4. Hicks, O, 1:37.07.
Boys 100 fly: 1. Carlson, O, 1:02.66; 2. Lund, S, 1:07.69; 3. Nees, S, 1:17.52; 4. Stogsdill, O, 1:22.48.
Girls 100 free: 1. Katie Jo Beasley, S, 1:07.66; 2. Walcott, O, 1:11.56; 3. Kiste, S, 1:16.73; 4. Makayla Hettich, S, 1:23.46.
Boys 100 free: 1. Crosby, S, 57.19; 2. Megenhardt, O, 1:03.30; 3. Kiste, S, 1:04.50; 4. Carey, O, 1:06.91; 5. Duggan, S, 1:09.05; 6. Jonathan Soderqvist, O, 1:17.88.
Girls 500 free: 1. Hansel, S, 7:05.64; 2. Wilson, S, 7:15.92; 3. Summerlot, O, 7:31.05; 4. Kelley, S, 8:17.37.
Boys 500 free: 1. Albright, S, 5:53.15; 2. Z Evens, S, 6:21.01; 3. Staley, O, 6:53.36; 4. Stogsdill, O, 7:36.72; 5. Chambers, S, 7:39.22.
Girls 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, L Beasley, McHugh, Hansel) 2:05.50; 2. OVHS A (Cattorini, Wetzel, Summerlot, Walcott) 2:11.31; 3. SPHS B (Arnold, Sutkowski, K Kiste, Shaw) 2:12.14; 4. SPHS C (T Kiste, Hettich, Kelley, Wilson) 2:26.37.
Boys 200 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Arnold, Albright, Lund, Crosby) 1:45.44; 2. OVHS A (Megenhardt, Peterson, Carey, Carlson) 1:53.30; 3. SPHS B (Fields, Neumann, Duggan, Chambers) 2:01.96.
Girls 100 back: 1. Deszi, S, 1:18.00; 2. K Beasley, S, 1:18.01; 3. Holcombe, O, 1:46.19; 4. Plunkett, S, 1:47.67.
Boys 100 back: 1. Arnold, S, 1:03.34; 2. Peterson, O, 1:18.67; 3. Fields, S, 1:20.94; 4. Rayce, S, 1:32.16; Hellman, O, 1:58.67.
Girls 100 breast: 1. Cattorini, O, 1:21.72; 2. McHugh, S, 1:29.60; 3. K Kiste, S, 1:37.85; 4. Arnold, S, 1:41.99.
Boys 100 breast: 1. Carey, O, 1:16.31; 2. Z Evens, S, 1:18.19; 3. Neumann, S, 1:19.17; 4. C Evens, S, 1:28.23; 5. Smithson, O, 1:29.60.
Girls 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (K Beasley, Shaw, Deszi, L Beasley) 5:08.72; 2. SPHS B (Sutkowski, T Kiste, Wilson, Plunkett) 5:21.87.
Boys 400 free relay: 1. SPHS A (Albright, Nees, Rayce, Lund) 4:08.95; 2. SPHS B (Kiste, Chambers, C Evens, Fields) 4:48.10; 3. OVHS A (Staley, Smithson, Stogsdill, Booher) 4:49.31.
DPU tops rival Wabash 60-49
DePauw junior Michael Wilkison attempts a floaters over Wabash freshman Daniel Purvlicis in the rivalry game on Wednesday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
That showed with a 60-49 win in men's basketball on Wednesday.
DPU (9-5) trailed 24-20 at the half, then went on an 11-2 run to open the second frame.
Freshman Adam Botts and sophomore Connor Rich each hit a three-point bucket to spark the second-half run.
"That's kind of our strength. We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball," DePauw coach Bill Fenlon said. "We shot it better, but that was the result of better ball movement."
The Tigers shot a scorching 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mostly from outside shooting.
No one on DePauw scored in double figures. The scoring was spread almost equally between starters (34) and bench points (26).
"The ball was really kind of sticking on one side of the floor a lot in the first half," Fenlon said. "We really tried to emphasize at halftime to stop holding it and staring and just ... move it."
Senior Barry Flynn led the Tigers with seven rebounds.
Wabash opened the game with a 17-11 lead, working the offensive glass with eight boards on that end in the half.
DPU couldn't get a foothold on the boards, and momentum, until after the break.
"Our objective (offensively) was to work the ball to at least three sides of the floor to get the defense moving," Flynn said, "and then to keep moving it and wait for the defense to break down and seize the opportunities they provided us."
Following the scoring spree to start the half, the DePauw defense stepped up.
The Little Giants shot just 34.6 percent after the break.
Fenlon said he believes his players came out excited to play against their rival school and once the adrenalin settle down, they were able to get back to execution.
"I felt like in the first half we didn't do a good job defensively at all, even though they only had 24 points," Fenlon said. "Because (playing Wabash) is a bigger deal to other people, it becomes a bigger deal to the players ... I'm happy that they're excited to play, but they can't be so excited that they can't execute. I don't think we really executed well in the first half in a lot of the things we were doing, and that could be a result of that."
The two schools square off each fall in the Monon Bell Classic football game, but the rivalry carries over to hoops as well.
Wabash has won the last 4 football games, but DePauw has now won two of the last three games on the hardwood.
"They fought us tough; they always do, but it's nice to get a home win against them," Flynn said.
The Tigers play again at Wooster at 3 p.m. Saturday.
At DePauw
Wabash 24 25 -- 49
DePauw 20 40 -- 60
Individual scoring
Wabash: Purvlicis 6-8 4-8 16, Nicksic 5-10 5-5 15, Sponsler 2-13 3-5 7, Hawn 2-6 0-0 5, Wagner 2-2 0-0 4, Burton 1-2 0-0 2, Hodges 0-5 0-0 0, Kammrath 0-0 0-0 0, Surenkamp 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-4, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Botts 2-6 3-4 9, Johnson 3-4 3-4 9, Wilkison 4-11 0-0 8, Rich 3-7 0-1 8, Haggin 3-5 0-0 7, Burns 3-5 0-0 6, Flynn 2-6 1-2 5, Fernitz 2-3 0-0 4, Patton 1-2 2-2 4, Dillon 0-0 0-0 0, Sustarsic 0-0 0-0 0, Fey 0-2 0-1 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
W 18-55 (1-16) 12-18 49, D 23-51 (5-15) 9-13 60.
Rebounds (offensive)
W 32 (11), D 34 (8)
Turnovers
W 10, D 10
DPU women take wire-to-wire win over Kenyon College 57-47
DePauw sophomore Savannah Trees drives to the basket in the second half of the women's basketball game against Kenyon College on Wednesday. Trees finished with 11 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The top-ranked Tigers (14-0) led throughout the contest but allowed a late Kenyon run to make the game close.
"It's a great win for us at home," DPU coach Kris Huffman said. "Kenyon is a very talented team and we're two teams that like to grind it out defensively, so it's hard to score."
Kenyon (11-4) trailed 31-15 at the half, but with DePauw's defense making it seem like much more.
Second-half lapses allowed the Ladies to fight their way back.
DPU never got the lead to more than 17 as Kenyon refused to back down from the highly-regarded hosts.
"I didn't know their record (coming in), but I knew they were good and undefeated in the conference and so are we," senior Ellie Pearson said. "Everybody wants to knock us off because we've got that big target on our back being No. 1, so I was definitely expecting a tough game."
Kenyon senior Kayla Ernst scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.
"They have two of the greatest scorers that we'll face this year in Ernst in the post and Kriete on the perimeter," Huffman said. "We expected this type of outcome."
Sophomore Lauren Kriete finished with 15.
DePauw began the game with an edge, led by sophomore guard Savannah Trees, who scored five of the team's first seven points. It soon became clear Kenyon wasn't afraid.
Sophomore Lauren Kriete hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the DePauw lead to 11-8 with 15:46 remaining in the half.
Pearson (13 points, 6-of-8 shooting in the game), the teams' leading rebounder, got aggressive offensively, making 3-of-4 shots in the half.
"I think if you do something aggressively and decisively, you're not going to make a mistake," Pearson said. "more."
Senior point guard Kate Walker scored all 12 of her points in the first half to give DPU a burst, but she appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury and was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.
Pearson (13, 6-8) and junior center Alex Gasaway (10, 5-13) were the only Tigers who found room to work in the second half.
The humble Tigers were slowed by Kenyon's defense, but they were just as relentless as their unranked opponents.
The Ladies shot 42.3 percent in the second half as they upped the tempo in the comeback effort, but just 32.7 percent for the game.
Pearson said despite the team's success and talent that dwarfs many of its opponents, it's easy to prepare defensively for tough games.
"Our practices are so competitive, and we've got such a deep team ... that keeps engaged. Even if the game is a blowout, our practices aren't blowouts," Pearson said. "(Being ranked No. 1) is not talked about in a positive way, it's more of a, 'heads up, you have a huge target on your back. Don't get cocky.'"
DePauw will look to continue its perfect season on Saturday when the play at Wooster at 1 p.m.
At DePauw
Kenyon 15 32 -- 47
DePauw 31 26 -- 57
Individual scoring
Kenyon: Ernst 7-15 1-2 16, Kriete 6-11 0-0 15, Hirt 3-13 2-2 8, Adlam 1-8 0-0 3, Boelter 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-0 0-1 0, Ladson 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw: Pearson 6-8 1-3 13, Walker 4-6 3-4 12, Trees 4-12 2-2 11, Gasaway 5-13 0-0 10, Stephens 2-6 1-1 6, Abendroth 1-2 0-0 3, Molloy 1-3 0-0 2, Ross 0-4 0-2 0, Ondik 0-1 0-0 0, McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
K 18-55 (6-20) 5-7 47, W 23-55 (4-14) 7-12 57.
Rebounds (offensive)
K 31 (14), D 40 (17)
Turnovers
K 12, D 13
Clovers lose heartbreaker at West Vigo
Cloverdale senior Amillia Nally draws a foul driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to West Vigo on Monday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Such was the case Monday when the Clovers lost a heartbreaking game to West Vigo, 38-37.
Cloverdale took over the lead in the second quarter, maintaining it until last in the fourth, but despite phenomenal defense and effort, the squad couldn't make a shot when it needed to.
"It's tough because you're so proud of the girls for battling," Clovers coach Matthew Langdon said. "We've not talked to the girls about some of our close games, but those close games have been seven, eight point losses. Tonight we stayed in there mentally and battled all the way to the end."
CHS had numerous chances to seize the game, but couldn't convert.
They made only 2-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, missing their last five.
"(We) put ourselves in so many chances to just put away the game because of our defense," Langdon said. "What do you say? We didn't seize the opportunity? But every single time we didn't seize the opportunity we came back with another big stop and another big steal and another big effort play."
Senior guard Amillia Nally made numerous defensive plays down the stretch, getting two late steals and attacking the basket.
Syndey Shrum, a senior who led the team in the first half with her scoring, pulled in four late defensive rebounds in traffic.
Cloverdale struggled in the first quarter, making only 2-of-10 shots and trailed 9-4 going into the second, but they caught fire.
The Clovers (5-10) shot the ball with their most confidence all season, stepping up for each open chance as soon as it was presented.
They made 8-of-11 two-point shots in the 20-point quarter and led at halftime 24-20.
"I think we go a lot with confidence," Langdon said. "When we're confident with the ball, everything improves for us. We're not a great shooting team, but it usually keeps us in the game. When we just handle the ball confidently, we're a different team."
For all the good in the first half against West Vigo (4-10), there was also the bad.
The Vikings hauled in 23 rebounds to the Clovers' 12 and made up for a turnover disadvantage by capitalizing on several of their 12 second-chances.
West Vigo junior Lexis Elkins had eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half, five of them on the offensive end.
Cloverdale's shooting confidence remained, but the shots stopped falling in the third quarter.
Tough defense kept the Clovers ahead, but Charity Lane scored all nine Vikings points, on three-of-four three-point shooting, in the third, trimming the deficit to 30-29.
Senior Paige Gruener and Shrum each scored to extend the lead to four points with 6:16 left. The pair finished with team-high 11 points each.
Beginning at the 4:30 mark, the Vikings scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a two point lead with 2:28 left on freshman Kylie Cardinal's shot from the high post.
Gruener got to the line and trimmed the deficit to one, but another three from Lane followed with 1:54 left.
Cloverdale got to the charity stripe with 1:08, but missed both free throws.
They battled for the board, gaining possession back.
Senior Bristy Skiles worked herself open in the left corner and sank a three with :54 left. The Clovers trailed by one.
Nally got a steal and drew another foul.
She missed the pair, then stole it back again.
Gruener missed. Cloverdale got it back.
Nally pushed the ball up the court with 15 seconds remaining, worked it around the perimeter, then took a three from the top of the key.
It rimmed out, and Cardinal was fouled after getting the rebound. She missed on the front end of the one-and-one. Shrum pulled in the rebound with three seconds left and pushed it up court to Gruener, but she couldn't get a shot off from half court.
Monday's game was only the second one-possession contest the Clovers have played this season. The first was a three-point win over Union (Dugger) on Nov. 8.
"It's tough to fault the girls," Langdon said. "It's one that was fun to be a part of. It's fun to be in these types of games now. It's just not a fun one to be on the other side of it."
At West Vigo
Cloverdale 4 20 6 7 -- 37
West Vigo 9 11 9 9 -- 38
Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Gruener 4-12 3-4 11, Shrum 4-10 2-4 11, Stevens 4-9 1-4 7, Nally 2-9 0-4 4, Skiles 1-5 1-3 4, Walters 0-0 0-0 0, Wellington 0-1 0-0 0.
West Vigo: Lane 5-8 0-0 14, Cardinal 2-8 3-5 8, L Elkins 3-4 0-2 6, Voils 2-10 0-0 4, S Elkins 2-8 0-0 4, Morrison 1-6 0-0 2, Byrley 0-1 0-0 0, Edington 0-3 0-0 0, Houser 0-2 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
C 14-45 (1-5) 8-20 37, WV 15-49 (5-15) 3-7 38.
Rebounding (offensive)
C 28 (7), WV 48 (16).
Turnovers
C 16, WV 26.
Tiger Cub girls slip past Cascade for 2013 conference swim title
The Greencastle High School girls' swim team celebrates its 2013 West Central Conference championship by jumping into the pool together on Saturday at DePauw.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
Libby Brush, Rosio Gomez, Corrie Romer and Cox entered the event knowing it would determine for than just the fastest 400 freestyle relay team.
"The girls' meet was a dead-heat, a pure tie, going into it based on the seeding," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "(Our 400 free relay swimmer) knew that to win the meet they had to win that relay, and all went into the water with that goal in mind and were able to seal the deal for us."
The Tiger Cubs finished with 377 points, edging out second-place Cascade by three. The Cadet relay team finished 1.66 seconds behind the Cubs in the final event.
South Putnam was third at the meet with 237. North Putnam finished with 120.
Cascade dominated the individual events in wins, but Greencastle's depth kept the team in the hunt.
The Cadets had wins from Alexis Brown (200 free), Hayley Rosales (200 IM, 100 fly), Regina Solik (50 free, 100 breast) and Victoria Breeding (100 and 500 free).
The only individual events not won by Cascade were the 100-yard backstroke and diving.
GHS swimmer Rachel Custis was credited with a win in the back, surpassing teammate Mallary Meyer.
South Putnam diver Maddison Plunkett picked up the Eagles lone win.
The Tiger Cubs started the swimming portion of the day with medley relay win by Meyer, Emily Wheeler, Brush and Amelia Smith.
GHS also had a number of events they finished in second- and third-place, racking up points and putting itself in position to get a win in the final race.
"I told the girls' they need to find ways to be great today; find ways to be extraordinary," Menzel said. "From the final result you can see that they were able to do that.
"There were some great swims by the Cascade girls, particularly in the 200 IM and the 200 free, that created a little bit of concern for us, but then our backstrokers and our breaststrokers ... just brought the meet right back for the girls."
For the Eagles, coach Matthew Edwards said his team got off to a great start and carried that momentum throughout the competition.
"It was a really good performance by our divers scoring first and second (Courtney Sullivan)," Edwards said. "Being that we did diving in the morning, the rest of the girls got here and found out that we got a great start, so we needed to maintain that."
For North Putnam, a small, inexperienced team, the WCC meet was about more than winning.
"We had a personal best, at least one, by every single swimmer that swam tonight, so I was really, really enthused by that" NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The No. 1 objective for them is just to have fun. As long as they have fun, it's been a successful meet for them. With their numbers, they weren't going to be able to win these types of meets but as long as they keep having fun and swimming their personal bests, its going to be a success."
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
"You hope that whether you win or lose is not as important as how you swim," Menzel said. "But that being said, for both (boys' and girls') teams to be able to jump into the pool together and celebrate like that is an amazing thing and a great thing.
"It's easier that way, and certainly a lot more fun."
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Girls - Final
1, Greencastle 377. 2, Cascade 374. 3, South Putnam 237. 4, North Putnam 120.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Meyer, Wheeler, Brush, Smith, GHS
200 Free: Brown, CAS
200 IM: Rosales, CAS
50 Free: Solik, CAS
Diving: Plunkett, SPHS
100 Fly: Rosales, CAS
100 Free: Breeding, CAS
500 Free: Breeding, CAS
200 Free Relay: Solik, Rosales, Heegan, Breeding, CAS
100 Back: Custis, GHS
100 Breast: Solik, CAS
400 Free Relay: Brush, Gomez, Romer, Cox, GHS
GHS boys take WCC swimming crown
The Tiger Cubs boys' swimming and diving team celebrates after winning the 2013 West Central Conference championship.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Tiger Cubs won eight total events, including the bookend relays, en route a 349 points. North Putnam had three wins and finished second with 284 points. South Putnam (255) and Cascade (220) rounded out the field.
"Going into the meet, we felt that the boys had a little bit of an edge (on the competition)," GHS coach Kent Menzel said. "We worked hard the last two weeks, but paid attention to our technique and paid attention to the way we thought about races, and I think that helped the boys come through."
Nathan Gardner, Elijah Brattain and Nash Firebaugh each had four wins for the Cubs, two individual each and wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Taylor Secrest swam the fly for GHS in the medley relay, and Jason Ummel swam the second leg of the 400 free relay.
"Our county competitors, both North Put and South Put, showed great things today," Menzel said. "The South Putnam relays are outstanding, and they have some very good freestyle swimmers who are always on our mind.
"North Putnam is a great swim team as well. I thought they had some outstanding swims. Dane Gray, particularly, swam well and had a good day. I know that they were working hard the last couple weeks so they will be on our radar for the county meet, and also the sectional meet."
North Putnam was led by a strong performance from Dane Gray.
He picked up wins in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam the second leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.
"Dane Gray has to stand out," NPHS coach Tony Gray said. "The other members on the relay team, Trevor Troyer, Jonah Creamean and Nick Kaufman all deserve the credit for their all-conference effort."
The Cougars' coach said he used as much strategy as he could to help put the team in position to score points, stacking the teams' 200 freestyle relay team, rather than the 400.
"We knew coming in that we weren't going to beat (Greencastle's) 4x100 relay team, so I put my better resources in the 4x50 relay team so we could win that event," Tony Gray said. "The boys swam pretty well. We didn't taper or rest for this meet. Maybe that was the coaches mistake, but I knew coming in it was going to be a difficult hill to climb beating Greencastle, so I decided just to keep us in training.
"When we get to county (on Feb. 7) hopefully we can turn the result around."
South Putnam started the day with a second-place finish by diver Tyler Neumann but couldn't carry momentum into the swimming events.
Tayler Arnold finished second in the 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay team of Zane Crosby, Ben Albright, Matt Lund and Arnold took second.
"With Tyler Neumann getting second in diving, that was a great start," SPHS coach Matthew Edwards said. "It was a really good job by our seniors today. We've also been dealing with some sickness over the last week, so we had to switch some relays at the very end. But they didn't let it get to them. They did everything they could, and everything they needed to."
Cascade diver Kyle Trent won the one-meter event with a 192.00.
Greencastle hosts Cascade in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
North Putnam hosts Cascade and Covington on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
South Putnam hosts North Montgomery on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
At DePauw
2013 West Central Conference Swim Meet
Boys - Final
1, Greencastle 349. 2, North Putnam 284. 3, South Putnam 255. 4. Cascade 220.
All-conference swimmers
200 Medley Relay: Gardner, Secrest, Firebaugh, Brattain, GHS
200 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 IM: Gray, NPHS
50 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
Diving: Trent, CAS
100 Fly: Gardner, GHS
100 Free: Firebaugh, GHS
500 Free: Brattain, GHS
200 Free Relay: Troyer, Gray, Creamean, Kaufman, NPHS
100 Back: Gardner, GHS
100 Breast: Gray, NPHS
400 Free Relay: Brattain, Ummel, Gardner, Firebaugh, GHS
North Putnam boys' top Falcons
The Cougars had a 38-29 rebounding advan tage and turned the ball over just 11 times.
"A win's a win, and we'll take it any way we can get it," NPHS coach Nathan Martindale said. "We were able to control the glass. Any time you control the glass and the paint, you're in pretty good shape as a ballclub."
The hosts dominated in the paint against the much smaller, younger Falcons.
Senior forward Jameson Brewer finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and senior center Jake Haste had 17 and nine.
NPHS shot nearly 50 percent (18 for 40) on its two-point field goals and had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Haste.
"We had a good game from Jake Haste, who was a able to get a little more aggressive on the offensive end, which is what we need from him," Martindale said. "JB (Brewer) came through and helped us out on some things ... He's been a double-double machine. At Western Boone he had 15 (points) and 13 (rebounds). Last night (against Turkey Run) he had 27 and 20."
For the duration of the first half, it looked as though the Cougars would be able to salt away the win simple with ball control, but the Falcons changed the tempo to a halt to start the second half.
NPHS appeared impatient at times as it continues to learn how to play with a lead.
"We're learning how to play, and I think that's the key," Martindale said. "If a team slows you up like that, especially with the lead, we're fine. On the offensive end we're not in a rush to do anything. We've still got to get to the point where we know we've got to feed the inside game, and if we don't have a good shot, we don't need to take it ... As the night progressed we got better at it, and I think as the season progresses we'll get better at it."
With the North Vermillion offense unable to get started in the first half, junior Brayden Woodard took the game into his own hands in the second.
Woodard scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break.
Every time it seemed the Cougars were ready to make a run, Woodard answered, either by getting to the rim for a layup or getting to the free throw line.
The Falcons cut the nine-point halftime deficit to as close as four several times, but the Cougars kept battling -- and kept feeding Haste in the post.
Junior Jordan Nauert and senior Zach Green each knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win.
"There's still things we need to work on as a team and understand," Martindale said. "We're trying to get to the point where we establish an inside game. There was a point there in the second quarter where we started getting three-point happy again and I had to call timeout and really just kind of settle them down."
At North Putnam
North Vermillion 7 7 10 20 -- 44
North Putnam 13 10 8 20 -- 51
Individual scoring
North Vermillion: Woodard 8-13 5-8 21, Wright 3-7 4-6 10, Zumwalt 3-10 0-1 6, Earl 0-2 4-6 4, Hollowell 1-5 0-0 3, Sams 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0.
North Putnam: Haste 8-14 1-5 17, Brewer 6-18 1-2 13, Nauert 1-5 6-7 8, Hazelgrove 1-4 2-4 4, Green 1-2 2-2 4, Beaman 1-4 0-0 3, Roberts 1-2 0-1 2, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
NV 15-40 (1-11) 13-22 44, NP 19-50 (1-10) 12-21 51.
Rebounds (offensive)
NV 29 (7), NP 38 (15).
Turnovers
NV 12, NP 11.
Free throws, 45-point half leave Cubs just short against Sparkplugs
Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis gets underneath the Speedway defense to score two of her 13 points on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The layoff took its toll early against Speedway and GHS couldn't overcome the deficit in the 63-59 loss.
"We had a slow start and we could have given up three or four times," Greencastle coach Bradley Key said. "We just kept fighting until the end."
The Tiger Cubs scored 45 points in the second half, including a 28-point barrage in the fourth quarter.
"As long as you have Alex Basile and Callan Taylor, you know that they're going to fight to the end," Key said. "Those two fought to the end. They both had great fourth-quarters."
The pair combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Basile finished with 21 points, and Taylor with 12.
Basile also had six steals.
"I really like how Alex Basile took it upon herself to fighting," Key said. "She's a fighter."
GHS also sank 19-of-20 free throws in the game, an accuracy rating that surprised even its coach.
"We practiced them (over break) but ... that's nice," Key said.
The two teams were curiously evenly matched.
Each finished with 34 rebounds, 12 of them offensive.
Speedway had 20 turnovers, and Greencastle had 22.
Speedway shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the field, Greencastle shot 33.3 percent (18-54).
It was the slow start that doomed the Tiger Cubs.
Senior Rayleigh Amis marked Speedway's star junior guard Allison Nash for most of the game, allowing 24 points but limiting her overall game.
Amis finished with 13 points.
GHS will face conference- and county-rival South Putnam in its next game, a rematch of the County Tournament final.
"We've got to see if we've improved since early November," Key said. "It's good to be back in the gym."
The Tiger Cubs host the Eagles on Friday
at 6 p.m.
At Greencastle
Speedway 14 17 15 17 -- 63
Greencastle 5 9 17 28 -- 59
Individual scoring
Speedway: Nash 10-19 1-2 24, Adkins 5-11 4-9 15, Hall 1-5 2-4 4, March 1-2 0-2 2, Tavis 0-2 2-4 2, McGraw 1-4 0-1 0, Perry 0-1 0-0 0.
Greencastle: Basile 6-20 7-7 21, Amis 3-6 7-8 13, Taylor 4-11 2-2 12, Lenihan 4-10 0-0 8, Stoltey 1-3 1-1 3, Earl 0-0 2-2 2, Bridgewater 0-4 0-0 0, Covert 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 24-58 (6-15) 9-18 63, Greencastle 18-54 (4-14) 19-20 59.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 34 (12), Greencastle 34 (12).
Turnovers
Speedway 20, Greencastle 22.
Fourth-quarter rally still not enough as Greencastle falls short against Speedway
Greencastle senior Nick Gilliam works his way to the rim in the fourth quarter of the game against Speedway on Friday.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN) [Order this photo]
The Tiger Cubs (1-7, 1-0) focused on rebounding and defense in the game, trying to overcome the size and speed the Sparkplugs brought to Greencastle High School.
Sophomore Lane Winslow finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and 5'9" freshman guard Ryan Coble chipped in another five boards.
"We just talked about making sure that we take care of the ball as well as we could and fighting for offensive rebounds," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "For a team that is as experienced and athletic as (the Sparkplugs) are, I thought our kids competed very well."
The hosts were missing starting senior Nate Christy with an injury, and began the game with their eighth different starting lineup in as many games.
While Speedway dominated the ball, the Tiger Cubs were able to leak out and beat them in their execution.
GHS had only three turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 10-9 after one.
The Sparkplugs kept up the pressure and extended their lead to nine at the have, but the Tiger Cubs remained in contention. An 8-0 Speedway run to open the second half changed the momentum.
"We were pretty flat coming out after halftime. I'm not sure why," Greenlee said. "In the first half we got (Speedway) playing more of our type of game. We slowed them down a little bit. We didn't allow them to get as many transition baskets.
"Once they started getting in transition and turning it over on us, we struggled to hang on."
GHS got down, but didn't quit.
Senior Nick Gilliam began to take over in the fourth quarter.
Gilliam seemed inspired by Speedway's style of play and attacked the rim with reckless abandon.
He scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth, getting to the rim and the foul line at will.
GHS scored 20 points in the fourth, but the offense wasn't enough.
"We're getting better a little bit at a time," Greenlee said. "I was a little disappointed with our defense in the fourth quarter. I thought we allowed the idea that they were more athletic and stronger than us to allow us not to be as aggressive defensively."
The Tiger Cubs play again tonight as the team host West Vigo at 7:30 p.m. Another new starting lineup could be in store for the hosts.
"We're going to look at who played well tonight and look at matchups," Greenlee said. "We're going to talk about that game, probably in the morning, and we'll see what kind of starting lineup we can come up with."
At Greencastle
Speedway 10 21 15 12 -- 58
Greencastle 9 13 4 20 -- 46
Individual scoring
Speedway: Furlow 6-10, 2-6, 15; Jones 6-11, 2-3, 14; Ross 4-9, 0-0, 8; Brent 3-6, 2-3, 8; Anderson 3-3, 0-0, 7; Anglea 2-8, 0-0, 5; Kinnick 0-1, 1-2, 1; Ahrens 0-3, 0-0, 0; Dobbs 0-0, 0-0, 0.
Greencastle: Gilliam 5-11, 5-7, 15; Winslow 5-9, 1-2, 11; Bollman 3-8, 0-0, 6; Hughes 1-2, 1-1, 4; Foxx 1-5, 0-2, 2; Coble 1-2, 0-0, 2; King 0-0, 2-2, 2; Mitchell 0-1, 2-2, 2; Gerard 1-3, 0-0, 2.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Speedway 25-51 (3-13), 7-14, 58; Greencastle 16-41 (1-10), 11-16, 46.
Rebounds (offensive)
Speedway 24 (6); Greencastle 30 (9).
Turnovers
Speedway 8; Greencastle 19.
Eagle girls top Eminence 67-19 to end five-game losing streak
South Putnam senior Leanna Masters scores a layup to open the game against Eminence. Masters finished with 11 points.
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
(Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)[Order this photo]
It was the Eagles' first win since Nov. 20.
"We wanted to set the tone from the beginning of being aggressive and that helped us," SPHS head coach Lindsey Blackman said. "The first half was just not taking anything for granted, play our game, play hard. Once we built the lead it was more, 'OK, let's work on ourselves. Let's work on going through the offense. Not looking for the first shot, but seeing what the best shot is.'"
Eminence (1-10) has struggled this season and the Eagles used the game, and long layoff, to try to jumpstart their team.
"I feel like we started off the year really focusing on (overall team defense)," Blackman said. "We started the season off wanting to be a pressing team, and it didn't work for us. So over break we made that kind of a focus of working on our press; getting Leanna (Masters) in the habit of not getting back in transition and setting it up. We wanted to work on that from the beginning of the game."
SPHS took a 24-7 lead after the first quarter, but still seemed out of sync.
The Eagles' 21-0 run to open the second quarter is when things truly began to click.
Masters, a senior scored seven of her 11 points in the quarter. She also hauled in six total rebounds while sitting out much of the second half.
With all but the final score decided by halftime (SPHS led 45-9 at the break), the Eagles were able to focus on execution for much of the second half.
They had zero three-point attempts after the break, and worked each possession to an extra pass and quality shot.
"The best comment of the game was, (junior) Aubrey Nichols at some point said, 'Wow, our offense works when we run all the way through it.'" Blackman said. "Just being able to do that ... Sometimes we get so much into the heat of the game we just start throwing up that first shot instead of looking for the best one."
Four Eagles reached double-digit scoring, including Masters, senior Mattie Varvel, 11, senior Mallory Cash, 10, and junior Amanda Barnes, 10.
Senior Nikki York pulled in a game-high eight rebounds.
The Eagles will face a much stiffer challenge on Tuesday when they play at Riverton Parke (11-1).
At South Putnam
Eminence 7 2 4 6 -- 19
South Putnam 24 21 12 10 -- 67
Individual scoring
Eminence: Gore 3-10, 1-2, 7; Moore 2-2, 0-0, 4; Hall 2-4, 0-0, 4; Stierwalt 1-4, 0-0, 2; Foote 1-2, 0-0, 2; Jobes 0-9, 0-0, 0; Belcher 0-3, 0-0, 0; Ninitte 0-0, 0-0, 0; Storm 0-2, 0-0, 0.
South Putnam: Masters 5-6, 1-2, 11; Varvel 4-10, 3-3, 11; Cash 4-7, 0-0, 10; Barnes 5-9, 0-0, 10; Hewitt 4-8, 0-1, 8; Nichols 3-8, 0-0, 6; York 1-4, 2-2, 5; Cundiff 1-3, 3-4, 5; Birt 0-0, 1-2, 1; Whitaker 0-2, 1-2, 1; Dobson 0-1, 0-0, 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
Eminence 9-36 (0-4), 1-3, 19; South Putnam 27-58 (2-4), 11-15, 67.
Rebounds (offensive)
Eminence 19 (5); South Putnam 41 (17).
Turnovers
Eminence 29; South Putnam 14.
Huffman's Hall of Fame induction 'truly an honor'
DePauw University's women's basketball head coach Kris Huffman has lad the Tigers for more than 20 years, led the team to a 2007 national championship and won more than 400 games.
Huffman has won four different national coach of the year awards and she learned recently she will be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
"It's truly an honor," Huffman said. "It still doesn't seem real, although I've been notified."
Huffman received a call recently from Donna Sullivan, a hall-of-fame coach herself, explaining that Huffman would be the 2013 Silver Medal Award recipient.
The Silver Medal Award is presented each year based on outstanding contributions to Indiana high school basketball.
Aside from offering many Indiana high school basketball players an opportunity to continue their careers at the college level, Huffman has had several former players go on to become high school coaches.
This includes current South Putnam head coach Lindsey Blackman.
"Some of our best players have been Indiana born and bred," Huffman said. "To think that some of them have stayed in the profession is also very rewarding."
Huffman had another explanation for her honor.
"'They must not know I'm from Iowa' was one of my first reactions," Huffman said. "I think (IBHF) would want to take care of one of their own before they'd invite a guest, and I feel like I'm a guest in this state in many ways."
Huffman has been coaching at DePauw for more than 20 years, and also works as an assistant athletic director and part-time instructor for the school.
She won the 1985 Iowa Miss Basketball award, leading her Ford Dodge team to a state championship, then graduated Northern Iowa as the school's second all-time leading scorer.
Huffman was elected to the Iowa Girls' Basketball Hall of Fame previously, but said being elected in Indiana is an entirely different honor.
"I think of the Iowa Hall of Fame and the induction was kind of from your high school athletic performance," she said. "And we had great teams and great coaches. I felt like I kind of carried the torch for the successful teams that we had.
"This one is maybe more special being in a state that kind of reveres basketball."
Along with Huffman, 10 other new members will be elected into the 12th Women's Induction Class on April 27.
They are:
Laura (Lori) Augustyniak, Leo, 1978: All-State as a senior at Leo High School, she went on to play at Northwestern University where she remains the record holder for career games played (122).
Nancy (Cowan) Eksten, Crown Point, 1984: Scored a then school-record 1,778 points and led her team to a state championship in 1984. Played one season at the University of Kentucky before finishing her eligibility at Indiana University.
Annie (Kvachkoff) Equihua, Crown Point, 1985: Broke Eksten's record for career points (1,910). Averaged 23.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 steals and 6.8 assists as a senior. Won state championships in 1984 and 1985. Played in 101 games at Purdue University, where she was named the team's most valuable player in 1989.
Joe Johnson, Ben Davis, 1969: Won 288 games in 21 years as inaugural head coach at Mooresville, reaching seven regionals and one final four.
Milissa (Kilgore) LaGrange, Rushville, 1983: Scored 986 points in high school before becoming a four-year starter at Butler, where she set numerous records.
Kim Land, North Central (Indianapolis), 1979: Scored 1,235 points as a four-year starter. Played one season at Ohio State University before transferring to IU.
Lisa Sanchez, East Chicago Roosevelt, 1980: Won a state title as a junior, then went on to become a three-time MVP at California Lutheran University.
Karen (Bauer) Stenftenagel, Jasper, 1979: Made the state finals in 1979, then became Ball State University's first woman to receive a full-ride athletic scholarship. She was inducted into the BSU hall of fame in 2000.
Vicki Vaughan, Lawrenceburg, 1981: Set school records for career (1,062) and single game (41) points. Two-time all-state, she played for four years at Illinois State University.
Alan Vickrey, Decatur Central, 1968: Won 469 games as a coach over his 32-year career, including two state championships.
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