TERRE HAUTE - The effects of Christmas break showed Tuesday at the Terre Haute North gymnasium

TERRE HAUTE - The effects of Christmas break showed Tuesday at the Terre Haute North gymnasium.

The Greencastle boys' varsity basketball team failed to overcome a sluggish first half, falling to Northview, 58-38, in the opening round of the Wabash Valley Classic.

Brennan Burks led the Tiger Cubs with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Northview's 6-foot-8 senior Nick Wells recorded 14 points and 11 boards.

Northview outrebounded Greencastle 35-18 in the game.

"They're a big team," Greencastle Coach Troy Greenlee said. "That gives us some problems. Anytime we had some opportunities, they had a hand in there."

Both teams started with frigid shooting in the game. The Tiger Cubs missed their first nine shots, going 1-of-14 in the first quarter, while the Knights were just 4-of-13 from the field in the quarter.

Combined, they were shooting 19 percent in the opening period.

After Northview started with a 9-0 run, Erick Burgeson connected with Burks for a baseline jumper to put Greencastle on the board with 1:50 remaining. The Tiger Cubs went into the second quarter facing a 9-2 deficit.

When Zac Remsburg hit Quinn Fenlon with a bounce pass through the lane for a right-handed layup, Greencastle appeared to be gaining momentum. Burks hit two free throws with 4:22 remaining, and then buried a hook shot from Burgeson with 3:20 remaining, making the game 18-7.

However, the Knights were not backing down. Brodee Miller made a no-look pass under the bucket to Josiah Brock on the following play, proceeding to take a 25-12 lead into haltime.

The Tiger Cubs came out in the second half hitting their shots. Remsburg connected with Richardson for two points, and Burks hit a three-pointer from the elbow to cut the deficit to 12 points at 29-17.

However, Northview responded with a 10-4 run, and Greencastle never came closer in the game.

Despite only being outscored 33-26 in the second half, the slow start to the contest put the Tiger Cubs in a tough position early. Greencastle shot just 5-of-27 from the field in the first half, but shot an improved 8-of-20 in the final two periods.

"We had to kind of change the game we played a little bit to try to get back in the game," Greenlee said. "Basically, it was too late."

Richardson scored eight points, shooting 3-of-6 in the game, while Burgeson added five points including a three-pointer.

Brock had 11 points and five rebounds for the Knights, while Miller had five points and six rebounds. Jared Timm and Matt Stuckey each added nine points for Northview.

The Knights move on to face Bloomfield Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Terre Haute North, while Greencastle faces Monrovia Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Although Greenlee was able to get some scouting done after Tuesday's loss, his main focus is on the performance of his own team.

"We're more worried about ourselves," he said. "They've lost some guys from last year, but we're going to have to go out and play well against them."

Greencastle is now in the consolation bracket of the tournament, facing eight other teams from the Wabash Valley. Others competing for the consolation championship are West Vigo, Riverton Parke, Bethesda Christian, Marshall, Sullivan and Turkey Run.

The Tiger Cubs are guaranteed at least one more game. Depending on Tuesday's outcome, they will play either West Vigo or Rockville Wednesday.

"We're just working on getting better," Greenlee said. "We can't get too low and we can't get too high."

At Terre Haute North

Greencastle 2 10 12 14 -- 38

Northview 9 16 18 15 -- 58

Greencastle -- Burgeson 2 0-0 5, Fenlon 1 1-2 3, Remsburg 0 0-0 0, Richardson 3 2-2 8, Gard 1 0-0 3, Troyer 2 0-0 4, Burks 4 5-7 13, Miller 0 2-2 2. Totals FG 13, FT 10-13, TP 38.

Northview - Meunier 1 2-2 4, Timm 4 1-2 9, Stuckey 4 0-0 9, Chamberlain 1 0-0 2, Medearis 1 0-0 3, Miller 2 1-2 5, Brock 4 3-6 11, Wells 7 0-0 14. FG 24, FT 7-12, TP 58.

3 pt. - Greencastle 3 (Burks 1, Gard 1, Burgeson 1), Northview 3 (Meunier 1, Stuckey 1, Medearis 1), Rebounds - Greencastle 18 (Burks 7), Northview 35 (Wells 11), Assists - Greencastle 7 (Burgeson 2, Richardson 2, Remsburg 2), Northview 12 (Stuckey 4), Steals - Greencastle 4, Northview 4.

Next game -- Greencastle plays Monrovia today at 11:30 a.m. at Terre Haute North.

Other scores

Owen Valley 79, West vigo 38

T.H. South 51, Bethesda Christian 41

Crawfordsville 69, Rockville 61

Riverton Parke 53, Marshall 42

T.H. North 69, Sullivan 46

Bloomfield 58, Monrovia 36

South Vemillion 62, Turkey Run 47