Cougars fall in doubleheader at Parke Heritage

Sunday, December 9, 2018
Kinzey Young of North Putnam goes up for a shot against Parke Heritage on Saturday night.
Nick Wilson photo

By Nick Wilson

For the Banner Graphic

MARSHALL — Taking on the Wolves of Parke Heritage Saturday in doubleheader play, the North Putnam girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams came up short as they tried to spoil the Wolves’ first-ever home games at the new Parke Heritage Middle School.

In the first home matchups for the Wolves this season on their newly- christened floor at the former Turkey Run High School, North Putnam tried to pull off the upset in front of a packed house but lost the girls’ game 44-40 and the boys’ game 66-51.

Both Cougar coaches were disappointed with their losses but were happy with the way their teams played.

“I knew it was going to be tough after playing a really good Sullivan team last night,” North Putnam girls head coach Jarrod Duff said, noting two games in as many nights. “We came out flat in the first half (tonight), but as poorly as I felt like we played in the first half, for us to come back and not only have a chance, but to take the lead in the fourth quarter, I think says something about the toughness our kids have.”

Though the girls’ game was a nail-biter by all accounts, the boys’ game was not so close.

“I thought our energy was a lot better tonight,” boys’ head coach Collin McCartt said. “The separation they had going into the fourth quarter I felt like was there because (Landon) Newnum had hit some really tough shots, and I thought that was the difference. We had a small mental lapse and that’s all it took for them to ice the game.”

Girls’ game

In the first game of the night, the Cougars came into the fourth quarter trailing by 13 points, but despite outscoring the Wolves’ 19-10, lost by a four-point margin in a final stretch rife with lead changes.

Junior Dana Tennis and freshman Kyla Willis led the way for the Cougars, scoring 12 points each. Tennis’s 12 came in the form of four buckets from distance, including one from NBA 3-point range in the early stages.

Junior Baylee Osburn was next with seven points; senior Jaden Day contributed three; and senior Kinzey Young, junior Clarissa Gibson and freshman Brie Miller each had two.

Parke Heritage jumped out to a quick 11-2 lead in the first quarter. Turnovers and fouls plagued the Cougars in the first half, which gave the Wolves five points from the stripe in the first quarter and seven in the second quarter. Despite big contributions from Tennis, the Cougars went into halftime down 24-13.

“We didn’t play with the energy we needed,” Duff said.

The Cougars increased their 11-point deficit to 13 by the end of the third quarter, going into the final period down 34-21.

However, it was all North Putnam from there, coming back and even taking the lead with three minutes to go thanks to two key free throws made by Willis to tie the game at 34.

Though Parke Heritage answered quickly, it was a back-and-forth pace at 36-all and 38-all until Willis again broke North Putnam into the lead with an “and 1” free throw to go up 39-38.

Although Osburn sank a 1-and-1 free throw a minute later to tie the game yet again, this time at 40, Parke Heritage pulled away with four free throws in the final 20 seconds.

Freshman point guard Zach Huff looks over the Parke Heritage defense in Saturday night action.
Nick Wilson photo

“In the first half we were just flat-footed; we got a lot of silly fouls because we were in a bad position,” Duff said, “but we didn’t play like that in the second half. We just have to execute better. We had the lead late in the game but we made some bad decisions with the basketball and forced some things, but I’m proud of the fight our kids showed tonight.”

Boys’ game

Scores were initially close with the Cougars hanging tough, trailing only 19-15 at the end of the first quarter (after a buzzer-beating half-court shot made by Wolves’ star Landon Newnum) and at 32-27 entering halftime.

However, North Putnam was outscored by one point in the third and 11 in the fourth, including a 15-1 run by the Wolves in the final period, to end the game 66-51.

Cougar senior Andrew Pickel put the most points on the board for North Putnam with 22 on the night; senior James Duncan added seven; senior Evan Davies and freshman Zach Huff each added six; and senior Chris Murray and freshman Aaron Pickel had five apiece.

“Obviously we’re disappointed but I don’t think we’re very far away from where we want to be,” McCartt said. “We had two very difficult games against very good teams, and this is a difficult way to lose those; it’s been hard on us, mentally.”

The game started with a 4-3 score within the first 30 seconds in favor of North Putnam with Davies drawing first blood followed by Piickel answering a three-pointer from Newnum with two free throws to regain the early lead.

Pickel and Duncan subsequently added five and three, respectively, to maintain a 9-8 lead with four minutes left in the opening quarter.

However, Parke Heritage junior Jaylen Crull added two to give the lead to the Wolves with 2:30 left in the quarter at 10-9 and North Putnam would trail the rest of the game.

Fast-forward to the fourth quarter, the Cougars entered the final segment trailing by six at 45-39.

Despite exchanging lone free throws by the seven-minute mark, Parke Heritage scored the next 14 points to extend its lead to 20 at 60-40. It was all Parke Heritage from there, which enjoyed its time in the sun on its home floor for the rest of the game.

“I think it’s the little things — at times we took bad shots,” McCartt said. “In the fourth quarter we bounced back from a mini run but then it ended up being a big run. Things like that are going to be really big for us down the line.”

The boys will be back on the hardwood against Northview at home on Friday in a girls/boys Western Indiana Conference doubleheader..

Girls’ box score

NORTH PUTNAM (40) — Tennis 4 0-0 12, Sims 0 1-2 1, Young 1 0-1 2, Osburn 2 2-3 6, Lyons 0 0-0 0, Day 1 1-4 3,Gibson 1 0-0 2, Willis 3 6-7 12, Miller 1 0-3 2. Totals 13 FG, 10-20 FT, 40 TP

PARKE HERITAGE (44) — Dugger 2 4-5 9, McMullen 2 2-3 7, Ramsay 4 3-4 12, Mad.Millspaugh 0 7-8 7, Mac.Millspaugh 1 3-4 6, Jeffries 0 3-5 3. Totals 9 FG, 22-29 FT, 44 TP

North Putnam5881840
Parke Heritage1212101044

3-point goals — Tennis 4, Dugger, McMullen, Ramsay, Mac.Millspaugh.

Boys’ game

Box score unavailable