Rough start plagues Tiger Cubs

Saturday, February 15, 2014
Having taken the ball off the hands of Indian Creek guard Alexis McGregor (15), Greecastle sophomore Paige Bragg dribbles toward a layup at the other end (below). The Tiger Cubs forced a number of key turnovers and got as close as two points, but could never overcome their sluggish start, falling to the Braves 41-34 in the sectional semifinal Friday at Danville. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)

DANVILLE--Down by four with 1:28 left in the game the Greencastle girls' basketball team had revenge on its mind against the team who knocked them it of the tournament last year.

(Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)

After a sluggish start, the Tiger Cubs willed their way back into the contest, but in the end but failed to convert, losing 41-34.

With a winter storm suddenly attacking Friday and being more vicious than many thought, many IHSAA sectional semi-finals were postponed to Saturday, but sectional 27 braved it out.

Greencastle (13-9, 4-1 West Central) took on last year's foe, the Indian Creek Braves (10-12 5-4 Mid-Hoosier) who beat the Tiger Cubs' 53-39 in a regional game at the same host site, Danville High School.

A quick start had to be the emphasis for Greencastle to dominate. Instead of attacking the rim, Greencastle rarely looked inside and they held the ball along the arc where they continuously shot threes.

"We definitely settled for some early shots, which I'm sure we'll go back and wish we would've done different," GHS coach Brad Key said, "If we did it again I'm sure we would attack more. You can't go into a sectional game and only shoot three free throws."

In the first half, the Tiger Cubs shot more than three times as many shot from beyond the arc as inside. To make matters worse they only hit a sixth of them.

"We had a little too many threes tonight," Key said, "If we could go back I'm sure we would have changed it up."

Looking to the inside is the start of Greencastle's game and the three-point line comes with it, but Friday they could not get either.

The Braves took advantage of the Tiger Cubs carelessness and got out to a 7-0 lead. It was not a simple task because Greencastle put the pressure on all shots, but great accuracy was no match.

This seven-point start would hurt the Tiger Cubs at the end of the game.

Indian Creek sophomore Candace Danz was the most trouble, going 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from outside, for 13 first-half points. All her shots were contested, but she was precise on them.

"Danz, who averages a bunch of points per game, we let her get some quick, easy ones and (Alexis) McGregor got a couple of threes, which we knew she would," Key said, "But in the second half I thought we corrected ourselves. We just let some easy ones go in the first and that was the difference."

Greencastle tried speeding things up, but only quick, three-point shots were taken.

Even though Greencastle beat the Braves in offensive rebounding through the first half, 8-6, it did not matter. Indian Creek made the most of it by getting 8 second-chance points and the Tiger Cubs just pulled it back out and had multiple turnovers.

Despite the troubles, Greencastle gained ground on the Braves. It went from a 12-point first quarter lead to a nine-point halftime lead. They pulled even closer in the third, cutting it to seven.

The third quarter, for the Tiger Cubs, started off well when they got three straight offensive rebounds. The issue was they only turned it into three points. They also had six turnovers.

The defense was improving for Greencastle during this time, though. They were starting to learn the Braves' plays, forcing them into turnovers or missed shots.

The Tiger Cubs forced 20 total turnovers and began to really disrupt the rhythm of their opponent. They also held Danz to only three points in the second half.

With this defensive pressure, Greencastle was able to inch closer. They cut the lead to two points with a 7-2 run in the early stages of the final quarter.

Greencastle made a number of small runs throughout the night, but was unable to sustain any of them. Following the 7-2 run, the Tiger Cubs had three straight turnovers and the Braves took advantage, propping the lead back up to as many as nine.

"Turnovers hurt us tonight," Key said, "Sometimes there just isn't an answer for it and it just wasn't our night. There is no fault in my girls. They played really hard and when you do so, you make mistakes."

The biggest problem with sustaining success came in being unable to get stops and make baskets at the same time.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Tiger Cubs seemed to have one last run in them. It was either win or take a long, sorrowful ride back to Greencastle where they would have to wait until next season.

"When you have five straight wins you kind of feel something is going to go your way," Key said.

Tiger Cubs' junior Callan Taylor got it started by draining a monster three to help cut the lead to four.

Next Greencastle forced back-to-back turnovers and a missed shot. Those miscues by the Braves led to chances for Taylor, senior Alex Basile and junior Jessica Lenihan, but they could not knock their shots down.

Immediately, the Tiger Cubs had to foul and Indian Creek knocked down 3-of-4 from the line to seal it, winning by seven.

The game started off on a 7-0 run for Indian Creek and that made the difference for Greencastle. They lost by seven and a slow start could possibly be to blame.

"You know, you can't come into sectionals with a slow start and expect to dig yourself out of a hole against a good team like Indian Creek," Key said, "I know their record isn't great, but they've played some really good teams and they're on a roll. We had some shots they just didn't fall down."

This was a strong, and sometimes surprising season for the Tiger Cubs.

"Super proud of the girls," Key said, "There was a time after Owen Valley on whether we would even have a winning season or not. Then we (ran) off some really good wins and fought hard."

Basile, one of only two seniors to play for the Tiger Cubs, will go home as one of Key's best players, the coach said. She is in the top three in steals at Greencastle all time and has had many deflections this year.

She and classmate Melody White both were big contributors for Key.

"I'm especially proud of Alex Basile and Melody White who had long careers," Key said, "I am especially proud to have worked with them for so long, Alex being five and Melody two years. Alex was top three in steals in her career and had a large amount of deflections. I am so honored to have had them."

Greencastle is a young team and will have a lot to build on for the season to come.

"We have a fairly young team still," Key said, "We have Bethanie Burgeson, a sophomore, she'll be a good player and Paige Bragg, a sophomore, will be good for us. We look to have a better offense next year and with (Delanie) Stoltey coming off an ACL injury we really have a lot to look forward to."

Indian Creek faces Tri-West for the Danville Sectional title at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Even in defeat, Greencastle's trapping defense forced 20 turnovers and kept Indian Creek out of rhythm for much of the night. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)



At Danville High School
IHSAA Sectional 27
Semifinal
Indian Creek 17 7 6 11 -- 41
Greencastle 5 10 8 11 -- 34
Indian Creek (41):
C. Danz 16, Knight 12, McGregor 11, Haste 2, R. Danz 0, C. Smith 0, M. Smith 0. Totals 13-38 9-14 41.
Greencastle (34):
Bridgewater 11, Bragg 7, Taylor 5, Lenihan 4, A. White 4, Basile 3, Stoltey 0, M. White 0. Totals 13-50 2-3 34.
Individual Rebounding (OFF-DEF)TOT
Indian Creek (8-18)26:
L Haste 9, C. Danz 6, J. Knight 4, McGregor 3, R. Danz 2, M. Smith 2.
Greencastle (12-16)28: Lenihan 9, A. White 7, Bragg 5, Stoltey 4, Bridgewater 3.
Assists IC 7, GHS 9. Steals IC 6, GHS 9. Turnovers IC 20, GHS 20. 3-pt (M-ATT) IC (6-13), GHS (6-34).

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