Menu
Stiff defense not enough for Tiger Cubs
The Greencastle boys' basketball team gets better every game. The problem, on Saturday, was that it hosted a team that's a few steps ahead on that same path.
Tri-West beat the Tiger Cubs' 47-35.
"(The Bruins) are very solid. They don't beat themselves," GHS coach Troy Greenlee said. "They make you handle the ball and try to get you in uncomfortable positions."
The Tiger Cubs were coming off a tough loss on Friday to North Putnam, and the young team bounced back by fighting hard against the Bruins.
GHS (2-12) played a consistent game and avoided lulls, but part of being consistent is avoiding peaks as well.
The Tiger Cubs' longest rally of the game was six unanswered points spanning between the third and fourth quarters.
It's tough to put a run together, GHS found out, without offensive rebounds. Its only two in the first half came on consecutive plays by senior Nick Gilliam.
Gilliam led the team with 12 points in the game.
Tri-West (8-6) played consistent as well, but their level was just a bit higher than GHS.
Sophomore Trevor Waite scored 12 of his game-high 16 points in the first half, helping the Bruins to a 30-17 lead at the break.
Greenlee said he was pleased to see his team stay close, primarily because of its defensive effort.
"I thought tonight was a step forward," he said. "We were very disappointed with last night's loss, but the kids came in today with the attitude that they were going to compete. That may not sound like a great victory ... but I was very pleased."
The Bruins entered the game averaging more than 60 points per game and the Tiger Cubs held them well below that. 47 is their second-lowest total of the season (a 53-37 loss to Lebanon on Jan. 11).
"Defensively we were so much better tonight that last night," Greenlee said. "We moved so much better. We took away cuts. We switched well on ball screens. All the little things we talked about (after last night)."
Greencastle will look to play spoiler in its next game. The Tiger Cubs play at Monrovia Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the West Central Conference and already locked up the regular season title, but a GHS win would be a strong statement.
At Greencastle
Tri-West 12 18 10 7 -- 47
Greencastle 6 11 8 10 -- 35
Individual scoring
Tri-West (8-6): Waite 6-8 5-6 16, Musial 3-6 1-2 7, Gadberry 1-3 5-8 7, Alexander 2-4 0-0 5, Burks 2-4 1-2 5, Koelling 1-5 0-1 3, Lynn 0-1 1-2 1, Stamm 0-1 1-2 1, Phelps 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0.
Greencastle (2-12, 2-2 WCC): Gilliam 3-10 6-6 12, Girard 1-3 4-4 6, Foxx 2-6 1-2 5, Coble 1-5 0-0 3, Hughes 1-2 0-0 3, Bollman 1-1 0-0 2, King 0-3 2-2 2, Winslow 1-2 0-0 2, Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Brotherton 0-2 0-0 0, Christy 0-3 0-0 0, Newgent 0-0 0-0 0.
Team scoring (three-pointers)
TW 15-35 (3-9) 14-23 47, GC 10-38 (2-16) 13-14 35.
Rebounds (offensive)
TW 23 (6), GC 26 (8).
Turnovers
TW 9, GC 15.