Clovers edge Bulldogs in OT, 74-71

Thursday, December 22, 2016
Cloverdale defenders Seth Pfaff (33) and Nick Winders (12) force Monrovia’s Max Newman to pass the ball back outside as teammate Jake Wilkes (24) sees if they need his help.
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Neese scores 29, tops 2,000 mark

CLOVERDALE — Bigtime players make bigtime plays to win games, and Cloverdale used huge individual efforts from its two team leaders to hold on for a 74-71 overtime win over Monrovia on Wednesday night in boys’ high school basketball action.

Cloverdale’s Cooper Neese, who led his team with 29 points, gave his team new life at the end of regulation.

Monrovia had scored seven straight points in the final 1:10 left to take a 68-65 lead after trailing for much of the game. Neese got the ball in the backcourt with about 11 seconds left following a pair of Luke Seber free throws, and everyone in the gymnasium knew what was going to happen next.

Neese drove upcourt, made a crossover dribble near the top of the key and faded to the left wing — from where he drained a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.

The Clovers got four points from Moore to open the overtime period and take an early lead, but the Bulldogs responded with three of their own to cut the gap to one with 1:11 left. Neese missed a trey, and the Bulldogs had the ball with 24.3 seconds left when Moore made his most critical play.

The speedy junior put intense pressure on a Monrovia ballhandler as the Bulldogs were deciding how to proceed for a potential game-winning shot. Moore’s pressure forced a loose ball, which he was able to retrieve. He was fouled eight seconds later, and calmly hit both free throws to finish with 25 points and give his team the winning margin.

“We made some key plays defensively,” Cloverdale coach Patrick Rady said. “Jalen getting on the floor there was really big. We haven’t been getting guys on the floor all year. I wasn’t happy with our shot selection at times, but I was proud with the heart we showed to pull out the win.”

Monrovia hit six of its first seven shots to start off the game, but could only manage a 15-10 lead as Neese hit a trey, a pair of free throws and a breakaway dunk following a steal to keep his team close. Moore added the other Clover points.

Inexplicably, Monrovia substituted four players with 3:00 left in the opening quarter and lost the momentum gained by its strong start. The Clovers got a Moore basket and treys from Neese and Moore to take an 18-15 lead at the first stop.

Other Clovers joined in the scoring parade in the second period, as Seth Pfaff and Jake Wilkes each had a pair of baskets on the way to the Clovers increasing their lead to 37-31 at halftime.

Monrovia’s Luke Smith, who led all scorers with 33 points, hit a pair of treys to close out the first half and another for his team’s first points of the third quarter.

The Clovers got more balance to open the third period, as Neese hit a pair of free throws, Pfaff had a basket, Wilkes had a trey and Moore added a hoop to put Cloverdale up 46-34.

Cooper Neese lets one fly against Monrovia on Wednesday night.
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Neese’s free throws allowed him to pass the 2,000-point career scoring mark, a distinction only 46 players have reached in the history of Indiana boys’ high school basketball.

The Bulldogs battled back, cutting the gap to nine at the final stop and getting baskets form Luke Seber and Smith to open the fourth quarter and make it a 55-50 game.

“We didn’t play smart in the fourth quarter,” Rady said. “We have to learn in each situation what is a good shot and what isn’t for that point of the game. We settled for jump shots in stead of driving the ball or getting the ball inside.

“We are going to have to talk more about that and do some special situations in practice,” he added. “I didn’t think they were bad shots, just not good for that point in the game.”

Pfaff, who added 11 critical points for the Clovers, hit a basket and free throw with 5:35 to play and a 58-50 lead.

The Bulldogs wouldn’t go away, however, and lived at the free throw line for the rest of regulation. Smith scored seven straight points as the Bulldogs trimmed their deficit to 63-61 with 2:08 left, but Moore hit two more free throws to make it 65-61 before the Bulldogs took off on their 7-0 run.

Smith took 26 shots in order to get his 33 points, many of which were fadeaway 3-pointers almost impossible to defend.

“He’s very good,” Rady said. “I thought we did a good job on him, but he’s an outstanding player.

“Our defense was good at times. In the second quarter and early part of the third, it was outstanding. The matchup zone got them to stand a little bit, and we were able to get a couple of possessions.”

The taller Bulldogs were able to get many of their fourth-quarter free throw opportunities from being fouled on repeated offensive rebound putbacks, sometimes as many as three in the same possession.

“Rebounding was the issue,” Rady said. “We have to make contact on rebounding, but having inside position is not enough. If we are going to continue to win down the road, we have to shore that up.”

Rady was pleased that Pfaff was able to step up, and looks forward to the time when several players besides Neese and Moore will have simultaneous breakout games.

“Our passing has gotten better, and we are looking for other guys and getting them the ball,” Rady said. “I am pleased with that. Last week it was Jake who had a big game for us, and this week Seth stepped up.

“We talk about whose night it may be, and you have to be ready,” he added. “We are really close to getting to where all five guys have that night, and when that happens then you’re going to seen an offensive explosion.”

MONROVIA (71) — Smith 10-26 8-10 33, Seber 5-12 6-6 19, Cottrell 0-1 1-2 1, Newman 7-14 0-0 14, Sprague 1-6 0-0 2, Eller 0-1 0-0 0, Stader 1-2 0-1 2, Whitaker 0-0 0-0 0, McCloud 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 FG, 15-20 FT, 71 TP

CLOVERDALE (74) — Neese 9-21 6-7 29, Moore 8-19 8-10 25, Winders 1-2 0-0 2, Wilkes 3-5 0-0 7, Pfaff 5-7 1-5 11, Rossok 0-0 0-0 0, Watts 0-1 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-53 FG, 15-22 FT, 74 TP

Monrovia 15 16 15 22 3 — 71

Cloverdale 18 19 18 13 6 — 74

3-point shooting — Monrovia 8-20 (Smith 5-11, Seber 3-7, Cottrell 0-1, Sprague 0-1), Cloverdale 7-21 (Neese 6-11, Moore 1-4, Winders 0-1, Wilkes 1-2, Pfaff 0-2). Turnovers — Cloverdale 12, Monrovia 13.

Next game — Cloverdale (5-4) plays Linton-Stockton on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic at Terre Haute South. Monrovia is now 3-4.

Cascade 64, Greencastle 56 — At Clayton, the Tiger Cubs had their best offensive output of the season and led 39-38 after three quarters, but were outscored 26-17 in the fourth period on Tuesday.

Cascade led 10-7 after one quarter and 23-19 at halftime.

The Cadets hit 24 of 32 free throws, including 12-of-13 in the fourth quarter. Greencastle hit five of its seven free throw attempts.

Colin York paced the Tiger Cubs with 19 points, while Gavin Bollman had 11 points, Jack Hutcheson had 10 and Nick Costin added nine.

GREENCASTLE (56) — York 7 2-2 19, Clar 0 0-0 0, A.Costin 2 0-0 5, N.Costin 3 0-0 9, Nichols 0 0-0 0, Matthews 1 0-0 2, Hutcheson 4 2-3 10, Bollman 5 1-2 11, Lucas 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 FG, 5-7 FT, 56 TP

CASCADE (64) — Hopper 0 5-6 5, Compliment 0 0-0 0, Alderson 5 8-9 20, Stephenson 1 3-4 5, Walker 0 2-2 2, Edwards 0 0-0 0, E.Burch 5 4-8 17, Dubois 6 2-3 15. Totals 17 FG, 24-32 FT, 64 TP

Greencastle 7 12 20 17 — 56

Cascade 10 13 15 26 — 64

3-point goals — York 3, A.Costin, N.Coston 3, Alderson 2, E.Burch 3, Dubois.

Next game — Greencastle (0-6) plays at Northview on Jan. 6. Cascade is now 6-3.

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