Slow start dooms North Putnam

Saturday, February 22, 2014

ROACHDALE -- The North Putnam Cougars welcomed the second ranked team in 1A, the Covington Trojans, to their home court on senior night. The game turned into a physical bout and Covington came out on top, 64-44.

"We are not going to outscore anybody by 10 or 15 points," North Putnam coach Lukas Haworth said. "We are going to grind it out and keep it a low-scoring game. We came out and held them to 22 points in the second half and whenever you do that it's a great effort by our boys because they did not need to have that effort.

"They never quit."

The Trojans got out to a very quick lead via the hot 3-point shot, draining seven in a row to start the game before finishing out the half one-for-five.

"We gave them some wide open looks that we did not want to give up and that happens sometimes and to their credit they hit them," Haworth said.

The game was a tall test for the Cougars since only two Trojans were under six feet tall, and the Cougars have six under that mark.

Despite that size difference and the Trojans having more athleticism, the Cougars did a great job on the boards and outrebounded the Trojans 25-19.

"We were all over it, the problem was they just did not miss enough shots for us to rebound," Haworth said.

North Putnam got better defensively each quarter and after allowing 23 points in the first quarter, only gave up 22 total in the second half.

Even though North Putnam was down 20 after three quarters, the team never gave up and the intensity level seemed to tick up a notch.

Down by 22 with just over two minutes left, the Cougars proved their intense intensity level when seniors Beau Green and Jordan Nauert harassed the Trojan ball handler and poked away the ball. Green dove for the ball and batted it back to the court.

Green saved it and Nauert made a slide for the ball but the CHS player got it and Green and Nauert were after it again and almost stole the ball again.

"I am extremely proud of our boys, whenever they had the chance to make a play they did everything they could to make it," Haworth said.

The Cougars' six seniors, Shane Beaman, Coy Flynn, Bennett Hazelgrove, Green, Josh Munns and Nauert, still have three home games left due to makeup dates but were honored by a packed crowd. Coach Haworth had only good things to say about the seniors.

"I love our six seniors," Haworth said. "I have wanted to be a head basketball coach my whole life and now that I finally am one I could not ask for a better group of seniors. They lead by example, they lead by action, they lead by their words. They never quit, that is the reason that you saw the effort that we had tonight."

Beaman, the team's starting point guard felt like he could speak for the whole team.

"It was the most fun basketball season I have ever played in," Beaman said. "We did not accomplish all of our goals but we are happy with the results. These guys will mean a lot to me forever."

Classmate Hazelgrove had a little something to add.

"This year we have had our ups and downs, but we are a family," Hazelgrove said. "We always stick up for each other no matter what. I love my team."

"They want people to know that win or lose they will give their best effort the whole game and as a coach that is all I can ask for," Haworth said. "Everybody else that comes through this North Putnam program under me will have a lot to live up to after this first group of seniors because I have put them through a lot, I have asked a lot, a lot of new things in one year and they have taken it in stride.

"I honestly could not be more blessed or proud of those six individuals."



At North Putnam
Covington 23 19 12 10 -- 64
North Putnam 9 14 11 10 -- 44
Covington (64):
C. Spring 7-11 7-8 23, Ahrens 6-11 3-3 15, Hegg 3-3 1-2 9, Noble 4-5 0-0 8, Coleman 1-5 3-4 6, G. Spring 1-3 0-0 2, Wright 1-3 0-0 2, McCone 0-1 0-0 0. Total: 21-42 (8-15) 14-17, 64.
North Putnam (44):
Hazelgrove 4-13 2-2 12, Beaman 2-8 2-2 6, Green 2-4 1-2 5, Riggen 2-2 0-0 5, Flynn 2-4 0-0 4, Hall 2-2 0-0 4, Nauert 2-7 0-0 4, Judy 1-1 0-0 3, Roberts 0-4 1-2 1, Munns 0-1 0-0 0. Total: 17-46 (4-16) 6-8, 44.
Rebounds (offensive)
Covington (19-4):
Ahrens 9-3, Coleman 4-0, Wright 3-0, C. Spring 2-1, McCone 1-0.
North Putnam (25-9): Hazelgrove 7-3, Nauert 5-3, Beaman 3-1, Flynn 2-1, Hall 2-1, Green 2-0, Roberts 2-0, Munns 1-0, Riggen 1-0.
Turnovers: C 6, NP 10.
Assists: Roberts 3, Beaman 2, Hazelgrove, Jeter, Riggen. Steals: Beaman, Riggen, Roberts.

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