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Clover train keeps rolling, 71-59
Moore gets 36, Neese adds 20
CLOVERDALE — The Cloverdale Clovers remained undefeated in 2017 and improved their record to 15-5 with a 61-49 win over Sullivan on Friday night, capturing fifth place in the Western Indiana Conference.
The Clovers scored the final nine points of the first quarter to take a 19-8 lead at the first stop, getting a Jalen Moore trey, a Jake Wilkes basket and two hoops from Cooper Neese in the last 2:53 of the period.
Sullivan cut the gap to as little as four points in the second quarter and seven in the third quarter, but couldn’t get closer than nine points in the final period.
“We are getting better defensively,” Cloverdale coach Patrick Rady said. “We are playing better defense for more possessions than we have been, but it’s a gradual process.
“We went from not being very good defensively at all for many stretches of the game to having many more good stretches of defense.”
Rady thought his team’s positioning was better, and at times fatigue caused his players to raise up and get beaten to the basket.
“Our defensive rebounding has to get better,” he said.
The Clovers used a combination of full-court and half-court defenses, both zone and man-to-man, to try to wear down the Arrows.
Cloverdale forced eight first-quarter turnovers, allowing the Arrows to get just treys from Shane Garner and Ty Drake, plus a 2-pointer from Trey Powell.
Moore had seven first-quarter points and Neese added four.
Sullivan cut the deficit to nine points by halftime, keyed by six points from Mason Dean in the second period. Trailing 28-14 after a huge dunk by Neese with 3:47 left in the first half, Sullivan went on a 10-0 run — getting treys from Drake and Evan Conner and 3-pointers from Dean and Trevor Magill.
Moore and Neese closed out the half with the final five points, with Moore scoring on a laup and adding a free throw and Neese getting another dunk just 23 seconds before halftime.
The third period was a near standoff, with the Clovers getting 10 points from Moore and treys from Jake Wilkes and Seth Pfaff.
Moore’s final points came on free throws, as he attempted to throw an 80-foot baseball pass toward the basket at the buzzer and was illogically fouled on the play to bump a seven-point lead back up to 10 at the final stop.
Drake kept his team close in the final period, hitting a trey and a 2-pointer to open the final period.
Neese and Moore scored all 17 Cloverdale points in the period, with Neese scoring on three 2-pointers and Moore hitting four baskets and three more free throws.
Sullivan cut the lead to 66-57 with 2:22 left on a Dean basket, but Neese hit a hoop and Moore added a free throw and another basket to put the game away.
Moore finished with 36 points and Neese had 20. Drake led Sullivan with 20, while Powell and Dean added 10 each.
“Seth Pfaff did a good job for us,” Rady said. “He’s a big key for us. He can hit the three, and he sets good screens. When he’s in the game, he’s the ‘X’ factor for us.”
Cloverdale improved to 15-5 on the season and has won 10 straight since a defeat against Linton-Stockton in the opening round of the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic on Dec. 26.
The Clovers have won 13 of 14 overall since a 2-4 start, and have just four regular-season games remaining. Cloverdale hosts Danville on Feb. 4, will play two games in the Putnam County Classic on Feb. 10-11 and will close out the regular season on Feb. 18 against Shakamak.
Rady is looking forward to having a full week of practice before the next Clover game.
“We haven’t had very many stretches of consecutive practice days,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. We have things to work on, and may put in a few new things.”
SULLIVAN (59) — Drake 8-12 0-0 20, Magill 4-9 0-1 8, Powell 5-13 0-0 10, Dean 5-8 0-1 10, Conner 2-10 3-5 8, Garner 1-6 0-0 3. Totals 25-58 FG, 3-7 FT, 59 TP
CLOVERDALE (71) — Neese 8-14 3-4 20, Moore 12-19 10-15 36, Winders 1-2 0-0 3, Wilkes 3-3 0-3 7, Pfaff 2-3 0-0 5, Watts 0-1 0-0 0, Kelley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-42 FG, 13-22 FT, 71 TP
Sullivan 8 16 20 15 — 59
Cloverdale 19 14 21 17 — 71
3-point shooting — Sullivan 6-20 (Drake 4-7, Powell 0-1, Conner 1-5, Garner 1-6), Cloverdale 6-19 (Neese 1-6, Mmoore 2-8, Winders 1-1, Wilkes 1-1, Pfaff 1-2). Turnovers — Sullivan 15, Cloverdale 11.
Next game — Cloverdale (15-5) hosts Danville on Feb. 4. Sullivan fell to 9-7.
