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Tiger Cubs rally to beat Northview Knights
The Greencastle boys' basketball team played its best game of the season on Tuesday, coming back from an early hole to beat visiting Northview 57-53.
The Tiger Cubs utilized a game-long 30-4 free throw attempt advantage to come back -- and then pull into the lead -- in the final quarter.
"Once we got down and that (second) group got us within striking distance," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said, "I thought it lifted us up as a team and we made plays on both ends of the floor to get the win."
Greencastle (3-14) has lost at least its last 18 games against Northview, meaning no one currently on either team has been alive to see the Tiger Cubs get a win in the series.
Northview (7-13) began the game looking to be on the verge of a blowout win. The Knights jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the opening three minutes, forcing Greenlee to call two timeouts.
His adjustment, platooning five new players into the game, changed the momentum.
Juniors Luke Brotherton and Holden Kings, sophomores Colyn Foxx and Adam Gerard and freshman Ryan Coble gave the team new life.
"After that start I thought, 'We're in for a long night,' because we weren't guarding them," Greenlee said. "I thought that group that I put in there ... did a great job of competing and battling back. I told them in the locker room, 'The reason we won that game is 'cause you guys competed there.'"
Brotherton hauled in three rebounds and drew a pair of shooting fouls, Coble and Gerard each rattled in a three-pointer and Foxx picked up a pair of steals to help jumpstart the defensive pressure.
The second unit finished the first quarter with 11 points and closed the gap to a manageable 19-13.
With the window open, GHS emerged from halftime down 34-24 then outscored the Knights 19-10 in the third quarter.
After the Tiger Cubs' starting unit was held without a rebound in the first half, the quintet combined for 19 in the second half, including seven on the offensive end. The Knights managed just 10 as a team after the break.
"I wrote on the board before the game that I thought rebounding was going to be the key," Greenlee said. "In the first half I thought they were just going over us and getting the ball. In the second half I thought we did a better job of our guards rebounding and just did a better of job of keeping them off the boards."
Greencastle turned up its aggressiveness to a new height in the final quarter, getting to the basket and drawing fouls. The Tiger Cubs made 10-of-11 from the stripe in the final quarter.
"We knew we had to pressure them," Greenlee said. "Up to this point in the year, we've been pressing, but not pressuring. We made a couple little adjustments in what we're doing and I thought the guys had a better mental focus on pressuring the ball rather than letting them come to us."
For the first time since 2-2, GHS tied the game 51-all after a putback by sophomore Brody Bollman with four minutes left.
Junior Ethan Whitson answered right back for the Knights, but a pair of free throws by senior Nick Gilliam tied it up again at 53.
GHS then held the Knights scoreless for the final three minutes to lock in the win.
"All year we've been practicing about a three-minute stretch. We've got to win that three minutes," Greenlee said. "Tonight, I looked up on the clock and there was 3:08 left and we were tied. I said, 'Guys, we've got to win this three minute-period and they really stepped up and made some big plays. I was really proud of them."
Junior Jim Mace had eight points and a team-high six rebounds for Northview. Senior Peter Tanoos came off the bench to lead the team with 10 points on five-for-five shooting and four steals. Senior Craig Peters also scored 10 points and contributed three assists.
Gilliam had 15 points, three assists and six rebounds to lead the Tiger Cubs. Bollman scored eight points and was perfect shooting (3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 free throws) in the game.
Greencastle returns to action Friday at Southmont at 7:30 p.m.
Northview hosts Clay City Friday at 7:30 p.m.
In the junior varsity game the Knights won 42-26.
At Greencastle
Northview 19 15 10 9 -- 53
Greencastle 13 11 19 14 -- 57
Scoring
Northview (7-13): Peters 5-14 0-0 10, Tanoos 5-5 10, Ellis 3-9 0-0 8, Whitson 3-8 2-2 8, Mace 4-8 0-0 8, Hakman 2-5 0-0 4, Ball 1-2 1-2 3, Clark 1-2 0-0 2, Kimball 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 3-4 53.
Greencastle (3-14): Gilliam 4-6 7-8 15, Bollman 3-3 2-2 8, Winslow 2-8 4-4 8, Gerard 3-9 1-3 8, Christy 2-7 2-2 6, Brotherton 1-3 4-7 6, Foxx 0-6 3-4 3, Coble 1-1 0-0 3, Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, King 0-4 0-0 0, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-48 23-30 57.
3-pt field goals -- Nv 2-13 (Ellis 2), Gc 2-13 (Coble, Gerard). Total rebounds -- Nv 27 (Mace 6), Gc 36 (Gilliam 6, Winslow 6). Total fouls -- Nv 18, Gc 11. Fouled out -- none. Turnovers -- Nv. 15, Gc 16.