| 12/5/2009 9:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | 'We are learning how to win'
Cubs hang on for 55-52 win at Jennings
Ron Nutter
Courier Staff Writer
What appeared to be a comfortable cruise to victory for most of the game turned into a nail-biter for Madison boys basketball Friday at Jennings County.
The Cubs led by as many as 11 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Jennings made a frantic comeback. A final 3-point attempt by Matt Flora bounced off the rim to give the Cubs a 55-52 Hoosier Hills Conference win.
"To be on the road and get a conference win is big for us," said Madison coach Ryan Crick. "We came out with a 'W', and we are learning how to win."
It was a tight affair in the early going, with the Cubs holding a 14-12 lead over the Panthers at the end of the first quarter.
Madison was able to break the game open, however, during a just-over-one minute span in which the Cubs hit three 3-pointers, one by senior Luke Jones and two by junior Ross Hensler. When the smoke cleared, Madison held a 25-14 lead with 4:40 remaining in the second period.
Madison missed a chance to extend the lead as it managed only four more points the rest of the quarter. The Panthers weren't any better, however, as they were only able to match Madison's four points for the rest of the period, leaving the halftime score at 29-18 in favor of the visiting Cubs.
Scoring was difficult for both teams at the beginning of the third quarter, each team managing just two points for more than four minutes.
Finally, the Cubs managed their largest lead of the game at the 3:18 mark when Jones hit two free throws to extend their margin to 13 at 33-20.
Scoring came fast and furious the remainder of the period as Jennings County outscored the Cubs 12-6 over the last three minutes, ending the quarter down only seven at 39-32.
The Panthers were able to cut the lead in part by applying more defensive pressure all over the court.
Cutting the lead to only five with two free throws by Flora, Madison was able to gain breathing room again when sophomore Sean Hoevener popped a 3-pointer from the left baseline, making it a 42-34 game with 7:27 left to play.
Junior Donnie Malcomb made a power-move lay-up soon after, and the Cubs appeared comfortably in the lead by 10 points, 44-34.
When Jones hit the second of two free throws with 5:10 remaining, the Cubs had their largest lead of the quarter at 47-36.
But then came Jennings County.
The Panthers scored the next six points to be down by only four with half of the quarter yet to be played.
A Seth Pennington lay-up after a terrific assist from Hoevener lifted Madison to a 49-42 lead. But Pennington's basket was answered by two free throws by Jennings County's Dustin Lawson to make it 49-45.
Madison worked toward controlling the ball and looking for back-door plays or other good one-on-one opportunities. Just such an opportunity happened at the 2:58 mark when Jones attempted a spin move on his defender. The referee called a walking violation on Jones, however. And to add injury to insult, Jones ended up with a muscle cramp on the play.
The Cubs had already lost Hensler earlier in the period to muscle cramps, and Madison was forced to play without two of their starters. Jones was able to come back later, but the Panthers were on the prowl.
A free throw by Panther Garrett Jackson and a short jumper by Nick Taulbee brought them to within three at 51-48.
A Seth Pennington steal and lay-up under the basket lifted Madison to a 53-48 lead, but a short jump shot by Kane Barker with 39 seconds remaining brought it back to three, 53-50.
Jones came back into the game at this point and promptly lost the inbounds pass on the sideline.
An effective inbounds play resulted in a lay-up for Flora and a fragile one-point lead for the Cubs with 22 seconds remaining.
Jones showed his cool under pressure, though, when he sank two free throws with 12 seconds remaining, which led up to Flora's last-second attempt beyond the 3-point line which was rebounded by the Cubs.
"I was proud of how we held on down the stretch," Crick said, "but we need to learn to protect the basketball at the end of games."
He knows the next game, tonight against conference foe Providence, will be a sterner test. "We can't play this way against Providence," he said.
But for now, Madison is 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Hoosier Hills Conference.
And he'll take that anytime.
at North Vernon
Madison 55, Jennings Co. 52
Madison 14 15 10 16 - 55
Jennings Co. 12 6 14 20 - 52
Madison (2-0, 1-0 HHC) - Jones 14, Malcomb 13, Hensler 11, Hoevener 6, Povaleri 5, Pennington 4, Zehren 2,
Jennings Co. (0-3, 0-1 HHC) - Lawson 14, Barker 12, Taulbee 12, Flora 8, Jackson 5, Gasper 0.
3-Point Goals - Madison 6 (Hensler 3, Hoevener 2, Povaleri 1), Jennings Co. 1 (Lawson). Free Throws - Madison 10-16 (63%), Jennings Co. 8-11 (73%). Fouled Out - None. Next Game - Madison hosts Providence tonight. Jennings Co. visits Switzerland Co. tonight.
|
Article Comment Form
|
