By DAN SHELTON

SPENCER -- Greencastle started out strong, but couldn't hold on.

The Tiger Cubs season came to end Friday, losing 80-51 to Owen Valley in the semifinal round of the Class 3A Owen Valley Sectional

Greencastle nailed its first two baskets of the game, but the Patriots bounced back fast and hard. Greencastle had a four-point lead with just over 3 minutes left in the first quarter, but four quick points from Jared Maners tied the game for Owen Valley and 40 seconds later Trace Temples gave the Patriots a lead they would never relinquish when he drained a three-pointer out of the corner.

Maner and Temples hit two more three-pointers within seconds of each other and the Patriots ended the first quarter with 10-point, 30-20, lead over Greencastle.

"Several games this year we went out with the mentality that we were going to go and outscore our opponents, but you can't do that with Owen Valley," GHS Coach Troy Greenlee said. "Defensively, we have struggled all season and that is something that we will have to work on in the offseason if we want to compete with a team like this."

Greencastle's defense continued to struggle in the second quarter as Owen Valley's offense refused to slow down. The Patriots struggled in the first two minutes of the quarter while Greencastle's came to life. The Tiger Cubs held a 7-6 advantage over the Patriots until the 5:19 mark when the Patriots went on a 9-0 run to bump their lead to 16.

At the half, Greencastle trailed Owen valley 50-36.

Maners, who led the Patriots in scoring, scored all 25 of his points in the first half of the game.

"I think offensively we were doing good, especially in the first half, but when you don't guard and stop anybody it becomes hard to come back from a couple of shots," Greenlee said.

Owen Valley put the finishing touches on the game in the third quarter with an 8-0 spurt midway through the quarter while their defense held the Tiger Cubs to only seven points. Owen Valley outscored Greencastle 19-7 in the third period.

Owen Valley posted an 11-8 fourth quarter to advance to the championship game of the sectional.

Greenlee said that Brennan Burks would have to be a guy they would need to depend on in the post and he was. Burks paced the Tiger Cubs offense with 20 points while Quinn Fenlon finished his last high school basketball game with nine points. Michael Richardson, Cal Gard and Zac Remsburg chipped in five points each while Brian Troyer, Ashton Marshall, Kendall Faust and Erick Burgeson had two points each.

Greencastle finished the season with a 10-12 overall record and 4-2 in the West Central Confernce.

At Owen Valley

Class 3A Sectional Semifinal

Owen Valley 30 20 19 11 -- 80

Greencastle 20 16 7 8 -- 51

GC -- Burgeson 1 0-0 2, Marshall 1 0-0 2, Fenlon 4 1-4 9, Remsburg 2 0-0 5, Faust 0 1-2 1, Richardson 2 2-4 5, Gard 2 0-0 5, Troyer 1 0-0 2, Smiley 0 0-0 0, Burks 8 3-5 20, Evens 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals -- FG 21-40, FT 7-15, TP 51.

OV -- Cochran 0 0-0 0, Temples 3 0-0 9, Maners 9 4-4 25, Marshall 1 0-0 2, Figg 1 0-0 3, Marshall 7 1-216, Mortimer 0 2-2 2, Madorin 5 2-2 12, Nanny 0 2-2 2, Jones 1 0-0 2, Mullins 1 0-0 2, Madison 3 1-1 7. Totals -- FG 31-61, FT 12-13, TP 80.

3pt -- GC 4 (Burks 1, Remsburg 1, Richardson 1, Gard 1), OV 7 (Temples 4, Maner 4). Rebounds -- GC 16 (Burks 4), OV 26 (Marshall 10). Steals -- GC 2 ( Burgeson 1, Remsburg 1), OV 6 (Marshall 3). Assists -- GC 11 ( Gard 6), OV 11 (Maners 6). Blocks -- OV 1 (Madorin 1), GC 1 (Burks 1). Total Fouls -- GC 11, OV 17. Fouled Out -- None.

Greencastle finished 10-12 for the season.