|
Tivy wins ‘war’ with Billies
Published January 19, 2008
It was late in the game when Tim Kaman’s Fredericksburg team got the ball back and the Billies’ coach called out “Xavier.”
That earned a brief puzzled look from Brian Young, and Kaman told the Tivy coach, “It’s a new play.”
“No it’s not,” Young answered. “Its the double-screen down on the baseline.”
To say the least, these two coaches — after a dozen years of intense meetings on the court — know each other pretty well.
And so, neither were surprised by the hard-nosed nature of the Antlers’ 47-39 win Friday night.
“Tim got it right when he said it would be a war,” Young said after his team improved to 21-4 overall and 3-0 in District 27-4A. “I thought the officiating was as close to tournament-time officiating. They were letting both teams play and both teams got after it.”
That turned the “war” into a war of attrition, with both benches filled by players in foul trouble by the fourth quarter. But Young’s bench proved a little deeper — and he had a little extra ammunition, with sophomore Jonathon Perry pouring in a game-high 25 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter as Tivy pulled away.
“He has so many weapons,” said Kaman after the Billies fell to 16-10 overall and 1-2 in the district. “And Jonathon, he’s just unbelievable. He makes it so hard to match up with them. He can shoot the ‘3.’ He can shoot off the dribble. He can post you up. A true triple-threat — and he’s just a sophomore, which is the really scary part.”
Nearly as frightening as trying to put points up on the board.
Running a trio of defenders at senior guard Travis Eden, the Tivy defense held Fredericksburg to 11-for-37 shooting on the night, including a 4-for-16 first half.
“They did a great an outstanding job on Travis,” Kaman said of Eden, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter with 12 points, but shot just 2-for-11 from the field. “They got him in foul trouble early — drew three charges — and did a good job of taking our best offensive threat out of the game.”
The Antlers, though, struggled as well. With seniors Ethan Welch and Phillip Thompson saddled with early foul trouble, Tivy’s inside game was not a factor in the first half. The Antlers hit just six of 22 shots — en route to a 13-for-38 night — but Perry scored 13 to help his team manage an 18-16 lead by halftime.
“I don’t think of it as a conservative style,” Young said. “It’s just what happens when the two teams playing are the kind that put their nose to the grindstone and get after it defensively.”
Things stayed tight in the second half, and Fredericksburg grabbed a brief lead when Luke Evans nailed a 3-pointer early in the third quarter. But Tivy held its slim advantage thanks to eight points off the bench from Taylor Finley.
“He’s done that pretty much all season,” Young said of the 6-foot-6 sophomore. “He stepped up, but the encouraging thing is I don’t think he played one of his better games. He’s capable of doing a lot more.”
As is Perry, who scored five quick points to put Tivy up 33-25 early in the fourth quarter. Fredericksburg came back, with Evans — who finished with 10 points — hitting another 3, and were within four, 38-34, with 1:33 to go when Cole Lidiak nailed a clutch 3-pointer from the wing.
“That was one of those that had me saying, ‘Yes!’ and I am sure Brian was saying, ‘No!’” Kaman said of the bucket from the Tivy senior, who finished with eight points. “That one was the knife. He misses and we have a chance to pull within two or one.”
Kaman nailed that one, too.
“That was a ‘Noooo-Yes!’” Young said. “That was a big shot.”
To say the least.
TIVY 47, FREDERICKSBURG 39
Fredericksburg — Ben Blake 0-0-0, Travis Maner 0-2-2, Luke Evans 3-2-10, Taylor Eden 0-0-0, Chadd Flick 1-0-2, Travis Eden 2-8-12, Adam Oriti 3-0-8, John Bergman 2-1-5, Logan Lyda 0-0-0. Totals: 11-13-39.
Tivy — Bobby Schreiner 1-0-2, Cole Lidiak 3-0-8, Jonathon Perry 6-11-25, Phillip Thompson 1-1-3, Ethan Welch 0-0-0, Jacob Frausto 0-0-0, John Olgin 0-0-0, Taylor Finley 2-4-8, Tyler Kotson 0-1-1, Conner Overby 0-0-0, Matt Medina 0-0-0. Totals: 13-17-47.
Score by quarters
Fredericksburg 4 16 25 39
Tivy 9 18 28 47
3-point goals: Fredericksburg — Tr. Eden 2, Oriti 2; Tivy — Lidiak 2, Perry 2.
Records: Fredericksburg 16-10 (1-2 District 27-4A); Tivy 21-4 (3-0 District 27-4A).
Junior varsity: Fredericksburg 48, Tivy 41.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
