Neese's last-second shot wins County for Clovers

Cloverdale trailed by nine entering the final quarter of the Boys' Basketball Putnam County Classic championship game on Saturday, but they have Cooper Neese on their team.

Neese, a freshman, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winner with the score tied and 1.4 seconds remaining, to put the Clovers ahead and beat North Putnam 60-58.

"We knew it was going to be a dogfight all day, but the kids just wouldn't quit," Cloverdale coach Pat Rady said. "They played 32 minutes of basketball, and that's what you have to do. ... Putnam County has been known for basketball for years.

"It's a hot-bed of basketball. So when you're fortunate enough to win the county, it's very special."

Neese finished with 21 points. He and junior Marquise Moore scored all 23 of Cloverdale's fourth-quarter points and combined for 43 in the game.

The duo was nearly matched by North Putnam junior Michael Roberts, who scored eight of his 17 in the final period including a pair of free throws to put his team ahead with 59 seconds remaining.

"To have performances like that, with this just being the third game of the year, it's hard to ask for much more as a coach," NPHS coach Lukas Haworth said. "Jordan (Nauert) and Michael just played unbelievable and everybody else filled their roles perfectly."

Roberts' defense was just as important as his offense, as the Cougars (2-1, 0-0 West Central Conference) focused on taking away what the Clovers (5-0, 0-0 WCC) do best -- Neese's 3-point shooting and Moore's ability to drive and create.

For Moore, the Cougars sagged off, leaving him open 3s but trapping if he tried to drive. He was three-for-10 from deep.

For Neese, Roberts and senior Bennett Hazelgrove drew the assignment of chasing him around screens and keeping a hand in his face at all times. He was almost never open from deep and made one-of-seven 3s, but the tight defense left him a chance to drive and by the final quarter he started taking advantage.

The two teams alternated baskets for most of the first quarter until NPHS senior Jordan Nauert caught fire and helped his team pull away.

Nauert had 16 points in the first half on six-of-seven shooting and the Cougars had a nine-point lead at the break.

At halftime, Neese had three fouls and had attempted only four shots. Moore was one-for-nine from the field.

"I told the kids, you don't worry about a mistake; you don't worry about a missed shot," Rady said. "You just keep plugging and keep going."

The Clovers were down, had none of the momentum and had foul trouble. There was hope. North Putnam hit six-of-nine 3s in the first half, an unsustainable percentage. They'd also assisted on seven of their 11 field goals.

Cloverdale adjusted and heated up. Senior Brandon Dorman took over on Nauert, using his length and quickness to fluster the Cougars' top scorer and take him out of the game.

Moore hit a 3-pointer to start the third quarter. Senior Kade Schroer hit another. Moore hit another.

"Cloverdale got the shots and hit the shots they needed to make," Haworth said. "We didn't want Neese to shoot open 3s, we didn't want Moore to drive, and to their credit they took what we gave them and hit the shots."

Hazelgrove and Roberts kept the Cougars ahead, combining for 12 points in the third quarter on five-for-five shooting. They couldn't keep up with Neese in the fourth.

Neese had seven points on three-for-eight shooting entering the final quarter. Less than a minute in, he had 14.

"You've just got to keep shooting," Neese said.

Roberts nearly kept pace, but the Neese-Moore combo wore the Cougars down. As they started to gain offensive momentum, the Clovers began expanding their defense, pressuring the Cougars full court and eventually forcing five turnovers.

Neese was fouled attempting a 3-pointer and he knocked down the trio. Moore buried another from deep, then a 2, then tied it with a pair of free throws at 1:09.

Roberts got to the line and put the Cougars back up two. Neese closed it out, first by tying it at the free throw line. In a scramble for a loose ball at half court, Neese and Roberts collided. Both had four fouls. The call went against Roberts.

Tied with 24 seconds remaining, Nauert took the ball for the Cougars. He drove to the bucket, hoping for a layup or contact. Junior Brantson Scott stepped in and took a charge.

Scott had nine points and eight rebounds in the first half, but did little in the third quarter and didn't attempt a shot in the fourth. But he grabbed six more rebounds, and he took a charge to give the Clovers the ball back with 14 seconds left in a tie ballgame.

Rady called for "baseline," an isolation play where one player creates from the top and the other four get out of his way. Neese took the ball. Hazelgrove, exhausted and recovering from an earlier hamstring cramp that briefly took him out of the game, was guarding him.

The clock ticked down and an extra defender didn't come. Neese jabbed one way, crossed over the other, then deked back. Hazelgrove stayed tight, but Neese had created all the space he needed to get balanced from 18 feet, just above the right elbow.

He pulled up with two seconds remaining and watched as the ball floated through the air and dropped down the center of the net he would soon be cutting down.

North Putnam senior Shane Beaman attempted a desperate heave from beyond half court but it drifted right.

"For this to be the third game of the year, playing this well and knowing we can get better, it's a great feeling," Haworth said. "I think we showed that today, running against South Putnam and then slowing it down versus Cloverdale and having a chance to win the basketball game."

The first win of the tournament, earlier in the day against Greencastle, had put Rady into second-place on the all-time wins list for Indiana High School basketball coaches.

He now has 725 career victories, 81 behind Jack Butcher. Rady grew up in Roachdale, began his coaching career at Bainbridge High School and he said he plans to wrap it up on the opposite side of the county at Cloverdale.

"Putnam County has been awful good to me. The Cloverdale community has really embraced me," he said. "I'm humbled and grateful. I think of all the players that have played for me at every place I've been. As A.J. Foyt used to say, the 500 made him as a driver because of the reputation. Bainbridge made me as a coach. I'll never forget those years.

"The other places I've been--Winchester, Southmont, Shelbyville, Terre Haute South and now Cloverdale--the players have all worked their fanny off for me. Any time a coach gets a mention (with a record) or an award, it's really a player award. ... I'm very grateful that the Lord has allowed me to go for this many years."

The two county-finals teams will meet again on Jan. 24 at North Putnam.

Cloverdale (60): Moore 6-20 7-11 22, Neese 7-15 6-7 21, Scott 3-6 3-5 9, Dorman 2-3 1-2 5, Schroer 1-3 0-0 3, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0, Fislar 0-0 0-0 0. Total 19-47 17-24 60.

North Putnam (58): Nauert 7-9 1-3 19, Roberts 7-12 2-2 17, Hazelgrove 4-9 3-3 13, Hall 3-8 1-2 7, Beaman 1-4 0-0 2, Jeter 0-2 0-0 0, Green 0-2 0-0 0, Flynn 0-0 0-0 0. Total 22-46 7-10 58.

Team stats