Cloverdale drops to 0-2 after loss to Panthers

Monday, November 28, 2011
CHS senior Mitch Williams was the only Clover to score in double figures Saturday. He scored 11 points on the night.

CLOVERDALE -- Every time the young Cloverdale Clovers take the court this high school basketball season it will be a learning experience.

While losing to Riverton Parke 45-33 on Saturday night, the now 0-2 Clovers learned experience and quickness can overcome size on both ends of the basketball court.

Riverton Parke, starting four seniors and a junior, used its superior quickness and experience to win at Cloverdale for the first time since 1996.

"(Riverton Parke has) got their depth, they got five seniors. They're experienced and they played a lot of basketball throughout the summer and this fall. We've got youth that hasn't been on the court in a varsity game and I thought that was very evident," Rady said.

Cloverdale's 6-foot-10 center Mitch Williams led the Clovers with 11 points and nine rebounds. Joe Fidler, a 6-2 forward had six points and six rebounds.

Riverton Parke's 5-9 senior guard Cody Vauters had 10 points and seven steals and 5-11 senior Wade Stites had 10 points, while 6-foot forward Gary Secuskie had seven rebounds.

Cloverdale never led in the contest. Riverton Parke scored first, led 24-13 at halftime and was up 35-18 in the third quarter.

"As I said earlier, we're going to hit some rough roads early. This team, and our highways to basketball success, is always under construction," Rady said.

Rady tried changing defenses, adjusting the offense and even wholesale substitution. When Riverton Parke went ahead 29-13 on a steal and layup by Vauters at 5:26 in the third quarter, Rady sent five new players into the game.

"I don't know what coach came up with it, but I think it goes something like this: the bench is the best motivator you have in basketball and I think we've got to use it more," Rady said.

Cloverdale, down 35-21 going into the fourth quarter, made a late charge, but ran out of time.

Neither team scored in the first 3:30 of the fourth quarter. Williams put back a rebound for the first points of the period.

Threes by Cloverdale's Fidler and Kade Schroer, cut the deficit to 41-31 with 1:54 to play. A steal and layup by Brody Pfaff got the Clovers to within eight, but Riverton Parke hit free throws to put the contest away.

Cloverdale shot 37 percent (11-30) from the floor for the night, while Riverton Parke hit 53 percent (16-30). The Clovers hit 9-13 free throws (69 percent), while the Panthers hit 64 percent (9-14). Cloverdale owned a 26-21 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 19 times, compared to the nine turnovers by Riverton Parke.

Cloverdale returns to action on Friday in the Putnam County Tourney at Greencastle against South Putnam.

At Cloverdale

Riverton Parke1311 11 10 -- 45

Cloverdale 7 6 8 12 -- 33

Riverton Parke (45) -- Secuskie 2-3 0-2 4, Stites 2-8 4-4 10, Edge 3-9 0-0 7, Vauters 4-7 2-4 10, Haltom 2-4 3-4 8, Bovair 0-1 0-0 0, Hill 0-1 0-0 0, Wilson 1-1 0-0 2, Stohler 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 16-30 FG, 9-14 FT, 45 TP.?

Cloverdale (33) -- Collett 0-0 0-0 0, Fidler 1-2 3-4 6, Williams 4-9 3-3 11, Strunk 0-5 1-2 1, Pfaff 2-6 1-3 5, B. Dorman 2-2 0-0 4, Schroer 2-6 1-1 6, Z. Dorman 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-30 FG, 9-13 FT, 33 TP.

3-point goals -- RP 4-6 (Stites 2-2, Edge 1-2, Haltom 1-1, Bovair 0-1), Cloverdale 2-8 (Fidler 1-1, Schroer 1-5, Strunk 0-2) Rebounds -- RP 21 (Secuskie 7, Team 4, Vauters 3, Stites 2, Edge 2, Stholer 2, Hill 1), Cloverdale 26 (Williams 9, Fidler 6, Strunk 3, Pfaff 3, Team 2, Z. Dorman 2, Collett 1) Turnovers -- RP 9, Cloverdale 19. Steals -- RP 13 (Vauters 7, Stites 2, Bovair 2, Secuskie 1, Haltom 1), Cloverdale 9 (Strunk 3, Pfaff 2, Schroer 2, Williams 1, Collett 1). Total fouls -- RP 15, Cloverdale 13. Fouled out -- None.

JV game -- Cloverdale won 41-27.

Next game -- On Friday, Cloverdale (0-2) will play South Putnam in the Putnam County Tourney at Greencastle.