Cloverdale struggles against Edgewood

CLOVERDALE -- Coaches talk all year about trying to build momentum for this time of year. They want their teams to be playing their best ball in February so they have momentum and confidence going into the tournament.

That makes Feb. 20 a bad time to have Edgewood on your schedule.

Cloverdale saw a scorching 16-for-26 three-point shooting performance from the Mustangs, as the visitors buried the Clovers 83-33.

Cloverdale's Raine Young pulls up for a first-half jumper.

After the game, Cloverdale coach Pat Rady could do nothing but tip his hat to Edgewood.

"There is no question that they are the toughest team on our schedule and they have a chance to go a long way in the tournament," Rady said of the Mustangs (19-2, 6-0 WIC).

The Clovers (7-13, 3-3 WCC) hung around with the Mustangs for only the first few minutes, as Edgewood missed its first three attempts from beyond the arc.

A Craig Blair bucket actually gave Cloverdale a 4-2 lead, but that was when Edgewood forward Garrett Butcher came to life. In the first half, Butcher scored more or less at will inside, going 6-of-8 for 13 points. He finished with a game-high 22 points.

But it was the three-point shooting of a number of his teammates that blew the game wide open. J.T. Finch was 5-for-5 from distance. Jacob Thornton was 4-for-5 and Tommy Weakley was 4-for-9.

After trailing 23-11 after the first quarter, things got worse for the Clovers in the second as the Mustangs outscored them 21-5.

When the game had hit a lull about halfway through the period, Butcher grabbed an offensive rebound and threw down a dunk. The Edgewood offense took off after that.

At the break, it was 44-16, Edgewood.

In the third, Edgewood obviously slowed its attack, but the Clover defense was solid when the Mustangs actually took shots. Although Edgewood managed just seven points in the third, the Clovers did not do much better with eight.

When the fourth came, though, the Mustangs took off again. Finch led the way in the frame with four three-pointers and 14 of his 17 total points.

The fourth-quarter onslaught took a 27-point game and made it 50 by the final horn.

Rady was frustrated but said his team simply had to move on.

"We have to regroup and put this in the past. You can't change this," Rady said. "The bad thing about a game like this at this time of the year, is you have to put it in the past and focus on Eminence and focus on Speedway and the sectional."

Blair led the Clovers with 16 points. Jason Salter was next with five.

Cloverdale visits Eminence for its regular season-finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

At Cloverdale

Cloverdale (7-13, 3-3 WCC) -- Blair 7-12 0-0 16, Salter 2-3 1-1 5, Young 2-7 0-0 4, R. Dean 1-1 0-0 2, Kukman 1-1 0-0 2, Moon 1-5 0-0 2, Randall 0-0 1-2 1, Hayden 0-2 1-2 1, Glassburn 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 14-33 FG, 3-5 FT, 33 points.

Edgewood (19-2, 6-0 WIC) -- G. Butcher 10-18 1-1 22, Finch 6-7 0-0 17, Thornton 4-6 0-0 12, Weakley 4-9 0-0 12, Baugh 3-8 0-0 8, Garner 2-3 3-3 8, A. Butcher 1-1 0-0 2, Collier 1-3 0-0 2, Narey 0-1 0-0 0, Walton 0-1 0-0 0, Breeden 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 32-57 FG, 4-4 FT, 83 points.

3-pt FG--Ew 16-26 (Finch 5-5, Thornton 4-5, Weakley 4-9, Baugh 2-4, G. Butcher 1-1), Cl 2-8 (Blair 2-3). Total fouls--Ew 11, Cl 9. Fouled out--None. Turnovers--Ew 9, Cl 19.

Next game -- Cloverdale concludes its regular season when it travels to Eminence at 7:30 p.m. Friday.