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Cougars hang on to edge RP, 58-57
MECCA — Collin McCartt’s North Putnam Cougars needed a win on Monday night to close out the pre-Christmas portion of their boys’ basketball schedule.
The Cougars had struggled to a 1-5 mark in the first six games, losing a majority of those games to bigger schools such as Brownsburg, Northview and Sullivan.
Against a 4-1 Riverton Parke team, the Cougars found themselves in an unusual position with 6:25 left in the game — holding a 15-point lead.
North Putnam proceeded to give up 14 straight points at that juncture, but was able to hold on for a 58-57 win.
“They hit a couple of shots, and we did not do the things to keep our foot on their throat,” McCartt said metaphorically about his team’s near-collapse. “Our guys have played so well in stretches, and we need to get a little bit mentally tougher in situations like that.
“We will learn a lot about game situations from that,” he added. “We were lucky to hold on.”
The Cougars led just 31-29 at halftime, but unleashed a ferocious defensive effort in the third period to increase that lead to 49-37 entering the final period.
“We talk so much about the importance of the start of the second half, and how that’s been killing us lately,” McCartt said. “In the third quarter, we were really, really good defensively.”
Riverton Parke senior Andrew Gregg scored 12 first-half points, and McCartt thought he was the key to the game remaining close.
“He’s a good player, and we changed it up a little bit how we defended him,” McCartt said. “We had Corbin [Judy] to deny him in the second half, and he just did a great job. That took them out of their stuff, and allowed us to break away a little.”
The fourth period couldn’t have started much better. Cougar junior Treyton Smith, who had been held to five points over the first three periods, equaled that total in the first 1:35 of the fourth quarter to give his team a 54-39 lead.
Then, the Cougars relaxed.
Six fourth-quarter turnovers — more than the Cougars had committed up to that point — limited shot opportunities and the attempts they got only hit the mark 4 of 11 times.
Riverton Parke, meanwhile, got an explosion of scoring from senior center Caleb Dickey. Only scoring four points over the first three quarters, Dickey scored 11 of his team’s 12 points in the huge run and the Panthers within one at 54-53 with 2:56 left.
Smith hit another basket for the Cougars for a 3-point lead, while Gregg added a free throw for the Panthers to chip one point off the lead.
Gross got his only basket of the fourth period at a key time a few seconds later, increasing the Cougar lead to 58-54.
The Panthers got a free throw and a basket from junior Avery Briddick in the final 46 seconds, and got a defensive rebound with 2.7 seconds left and called timeout. Dickey’s halfcourt shot was off the mark, and the Cougars escaped with the win.
“I’m proud of our kids,” McCartt said. “We really played well in stretches on Friday against Northview, one of the better teams in the area, and couldn’t close it out. We needed a win.”
The first quarter had been played to a 12-12 deadlock, as Gross had three baskets to help offset an early 8-2 Panther lead.
Gross led all scorers with 22 points, hitting 11 of 14 field goals. He got double figure support from Smith with 12 and Judy with 10. North Putnam got seven crucial points off the bench on a free throw by Luke Mitchel and two 3-pointers from Dylan Webster in the second quarter.
Gregg led three Panthers in double figures with 16, followed by Dickey with 15 and Briddick with 13.
The Cougars are now idle until Dec. 29, when they will play in an eight-team, two-day tournament at Monrovia.
“It’s always good to win your last game before Christmas break,” McCartt said. “We go into a tournament at Monrovia that is really winnable for us. We are going to have to play some very good basketball against good teams.”
The Cougars will play Bethesda Christian at noon on the first day. Other teams in the field are Greenwood Christian, Indian Creek, Daleville, Brown County, Southwestern (Shelby) and the host Bulldogs.
“This tourney comes at the right time, and our schedule has prepared us for something like this.”
NORTH PUTNAM (58) — Smith 4-7 3-5 12, Gross 11-14 0-1 22, Duff 0-4 3-4 3, Porter 2-10 0-7 4, Judy 4-10 2-2 10, Mitchel 0-0 1-2 1, Webster 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 23-49 FG, 9-14 FT, 58 TP
RIVERTON PARKE (57) — Gregg 5-11 4-7 16, Briddick 4-9 5-6 13, Dickey 5-15 4-5 15, Sanders 1-4 2-2 4, Virostko 3-6 1-2 7, Kirchoff 1-3 0-0 2, Steelsmith 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 FG, 16-22 FT, 57 TP
North Putnam 12 19 18 9 — 58
Riverton Parke 12 17 8 20 — 57
3-point shooting — North Putnam 3-14 (Smith 1-2, Porter 0-7, Judy 0-1, Webster 2-3), Riverton Parke 3-14 (Gregg 2-4, Briddick 0-1, Dickey 1-5, Sanders 0-3, Kirchoff 0-1). Rebounds — NP 25 (Judy 6), RP 24 (Dickey 8). Turnovers — North Putnam 11, Riverton Parke 8.
Next game — North Putnam (2-5) plays Bethesda Christian in the Monrovia Tournament on Dec. 29. Riverton Parke is now 4-2.