CHS falls to Linton-Stockton

TERRE HAUTE -- The Cloverdale Clovers participated in a win or go home game in the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic against the Linton-Stockton Miners. The Clovers were defeated by the Miners, 67-51.

"They have a great program," Cloverdale head coach Patrick Rady said. "We want to have the kind of program Linton has. That is our goal and that is where we want to be."

The first half was a struggle for the Clovers as they only scored 20 points and allowed the Miners to shoot 50 percent from the floor.

Cloverdale only got 11 points from junior Butler commit Cooper Neese and struggled to score the ball. They also had 11 turnovers in the half which hurt them as well. Linton scored 10 points off of those turnovers.

In the second half Cloverdale tried to come back but the athleticism of Linton-Stockton was too much to overcome.

"I thought they were fresher," Rady said. "The offensive foul on Cooper really shifted the momentum, it was a bang-bang play."

When Neese picked up his fourth foul of the game and three other players having three fouls apiece late in the third quarter, the life seemed to go out of Cloverdale but Neese scored five quick points less than a minute into the fourth and they trailed just 54-42.

After two buckets by Linton-Stockton to stretch the lead to 58-42, Cloverdale had to play the last five minutes of the game with three players with four fouls which hurt them on the glass.

Cloverdale tried to make a run but due to foul trouble and Linton keeping the ball and doing so effectively the Clovers could not get much going at the end of the game.

The Clovers did learn some things playing in this very competitive tournament and will only be better suited for the sectional tournament in March even though they came out of the tournament with two losses.

"This definitely showed us what we have to do," Rady said. "From that standpoint we will be able to build and learn from this which will only make us better in March."

At Terre Haute North Vigo

Linton-Stockton 10 16 24 17 - 67

Cloverdale 12 8 17 14 - 51

SCORING

Linton-Stockton (67): Meurer 8-12 2-3 20, Josh Dieball 4-8 6-8 16, Clothier 4-8 5-6 15, Clark 2-5 2-3 6, Joe Dieball 2-4 0-0 4, Passan 1-2 0-0 2, Morris 0-0 1-4.Totals: 22-45 (7-18) 16-24, 67.

Cloverdale (51): Neese 8-18 10-10 30, Moore 2-7 6-12 10, Wilkes 4-6 0-0 8, Winders 1-4 0-0 3, Watts 0-2 0-0. Total: 15-37 (5-16) 16-22, 62.

REBOUNDING (Total-offensive)

Linton-Stockton (26-8):Josh Dieball 5-2, Clothier 4-0, Meurer 3-2, Morris 3-2, Joe Dieball 3-0, Clark 2-1, Williams 1-0.

Cloverdale (27-7): Neese 8-2, Wilkes 6-3, Winders 2-1, Hall 2-0, Watts 2-0, Moore 1-0.

Assists: LSHS 12 (Meurer 3), CHS 5 (Neese 3). Steals: LSHS 13 (Joe Dieball 6), CHS 11 (Neese 5). Blocks: LSHS 0, CHS 0.

Turnovers: LSHS 13, CHS 18. Fouls: LSHS 18, CHS 22.