Chargers take out North Putnam

Monday, January 29, 2007

LINDEN -- The North Putnam Cougars boys‚ basketball team traveled to Linden Saturday night to play the Class 2A 7th-ranked North Montgomery Chargers, knowing the game would be a challenge.

The Cougars had played emotional game the previous night, losing a close game to Greencastle, 43-49.

Also, the Cougars were playing short-handed as 6-foot-3 sophomore Griffin Dahlstrom was forced to miss the game after suffering an eye injury during the game with Greencastle the previous evening. North Putnam sorely missed his size and presence inside.

North Putnam jumped out to an early lead in the beginning of the game, but North Montgomery caught the Cougars with 5:03 left in the first quarter, then led the rest of the game, handing the visitors a loss, 72-43.

North Putnam trailed at the end of each quarter, 15-10, at the end of the first, 32-18, at halftime, and 50-30, at the end of the third.

North Putnam was dominated by North Montgomery on both ends of the floor, and the Chargers' offense was in top form, generating 16 assists and achieved 61 percent shooting from two-point range, hitting 25-of-41 attempts.

North Montgomery won the game in every statistical category except two.

North Putnam hit 31 percent of their shots from beyond the three-point arc, compared to 27 pecent for North Montgomery, and stole the ball nine times versus eight times for the Chargers.

"They are really a good team," commented North Putnam coach Wes Peek after the game. "North Montgomery's is the seventh-ranked team in 2A, and they play like that. There are not a whole lot of weaknesses in their team.

"Our guys competed with them, and didn't back down and we played as hard as they could. I was proud of our effort."

North Putnam had two players who scored in double figures. Brian Blaydes led the way with 15, and Jake Mullis had 13.

In the junior varsity game, North Putnam lost to North Montgomery, 75-19. Kyle Adams led the Cougars in scoring with seven.

The Cougars (7-6, 0-3 WCC) host Speedway Tuesday night in the second game of a West Central Conference boy-girl double header. The girls' game will begin at 6 p.m.

At North Montgomery

North Putnam 10 8 12 13 -- 43

North Montgomery 15 17 18 22 -- 72

North Putnam (7-6, 0-3 WCC) -- Mullis 4-11 4-9 13, Dahlstrom 3-9 0-1 7, Trent 0-7 0-0 0, Hedrick 3-9 0-1 6, Schreiber 1-2 0-0 2, Blaydes 6-8 0-1 15, Alcorn 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 FG, 4-12 FT, 43 TP.

North Montgomery (12-3, 4-1 SAC) -- Galloway 2-4 1-2 5, Calder 3-7 0-0 7, Sutherlin 6-12 6-8 19, Airey 0-0 0-0 0, Evans 4-5 0-0 8, German 2-5 0-0 4, Byrd 3-9 5-7 12, Bowerman 1-1 0-0 2, Morris 4-6 1-1 9, Brady 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 28-52 FG, 13-18, FT, 72 TP.

3-pt. FG -- NP 5-16 (Blaydes 3-5), NM 3-11 (Calder 1-2, Sutherlin 1-2, Byrd 1-2). Rebounds -- NP 16 (Mullis 5), NM 37 (Sutherlin 11). Blocks -- NP 1 (Hedrick 1), NM 5 (Byrd 2). Assists -- NP 8 (Dahlstrom 5), NM 16 (German 4). Steals -- NP 9 (Mullis 4), NM 8 (Calder 2, Sutherlin 2, Byrd 2, Brady 2). Total fouls -- NP 18, NM 14. Fouled out -- none. Turnovers -- NP 12, NM 14.

Junior Varsity -- North Putnam lost, 75-19.

Next game -- The Cougars (7-6, 0-3 WCC) host Speedway Tuesday night in the second game of a West Central Conference boy-girl double header. The girls' game will begin at 6 p.m.

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