Knights nail down last three minutes to send Tiger Cubs to lower bracket at Wabash Valley Classic

Greencastle’s Jacob Simmerman (42) and Cody Evans (40) leave Northview’s Josh Fowler (33) little room to operate during Monday’s first round matchup in the Wabash Valley Classic. The Knights closed the game with an 11-2 run, turning what was a 48-48 tie into a 59-50 win.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

TERRE HAUTE — Greencastle has made it a habit of hanging tough, keeping games close and rallying back when needed to during the first third of the boys’ basketball season.

The habit has not applied to the win column as of yet as Northview, having seen the Tiger Cubs take a brief 46-45 lead, scored 11 of the last 13 points of the game, turning a 48-48 tie into a 59-50 Knight win.

“We’re definitely struggling to score when we need a bucket,” Greencastle head coach Bryce Rector said. “That’s coming on tired legs in the second half.

“Our first half production has been good in the first half in the last two games but we’re struggling to score when we’re tired and that’s something we have to learn to fight through.”

Greencastle (1-7) briefly led when Cody Evans knocked down the opening shot of the game but, for the most part, Northview (4-3) led the majority of the opening period, starting with a Drew Cook three to make it 3-2.

Sam Gooch scored the next three Tiger Cub points to tie the game at 5-5 before the Knights scored the next six to make it 11-5.

Cole Hutcheson scored twice, Gooch hit two free throws and Nathan Sutherlin hit a jumper to help tie the game at 13-13 before falling behind 20-15 after a quarter when Cook scored on a floater and a four-chance possession while Kyle Cottee hit a jumper to close the quarter.

The battle on the boards was an area where Northview was winning and heavily, getting multiple second-chance opportunities and converting enough to account for the five-point lead after eight minutes.

“Our effort on the boards, almost the whole season, has been pitiful,” Rector pointed out as the Tiger Cubs lost the boards battle 43-31. “It’s something we work hard on in practice and yet we’re still wasting timeouts trying to remedy the problem and it’s still not working.

“We’re just a bit weak physically. We’re also not pursuing the ball well, even on the plays we block out on.”

Greencastle started to reel the Knights back in after falling behind 23-17, first getting an Evans three, followed by a Sutherlin jumper, getting a second-chance basket from Jacob Simmerman and taking a 28-27 lead after two Evans free throws and a Hutcheson jumper.

Evans would hit a late three that gave the Tiger Cubs a 31-29 lead at halftime while Hutcheson started the second half with a jumper that made it 33-29.

Another pair of multi-chance scores, one each from Christian Roembke and Zac Buell, sandwiching a pair of Cottee steals and scores, flipped the lead back to the Knights while a three from Avery Perry made it 40-33.

Cook hit two free throws and a floater to make it 44-35 though Simmerman was able to get a late basket to make it 44-37 after three quarters of play.

Hutcheson started the final period with a three, followed by a basket down low by Evans to make it 44-42.

A Gooch drive closed the gap to one at 45-44 and Sutherlin gave the Tiger Cubs a brief lead at 46-45 after two free throws.

Cook hit a three that Sutherlin answered with a jumper but from there, the Knights shut the door by scoring the next 11 points.

Buell converted a second-chance look while Simmerman missed the front end of a one-and-one on the other end.

Cook then drove to the lane for a basket before Roembke hit two free throws and was open when Greencastle tried to press Cook, hitting a three from the corner to put the dagger in.

With a final layup, Cook finished with a game-high 23 points while Cottee had a 15-point, 18-rebound double-double.

Sutherlin had has best scoring game of the season for the Tiger Cubs with 12 points. Evans led those in purple with 14 points while Hutcheson added 11 points.

Greencastle faces Casey-Westfield Tuesday in the consolation round starting at 11:30 a.m.

“(Casey-Westfield) has a really good player and a couple of bigs that will be hard for us handle,” Rector said about Tuesday’s opponent. “They played really well but ran into a good Sullivan team.

“We have to battle with their big fellows and keep them off glass. Our guys need to just keep plugging away; the wins will come, it’s a matter of when.”

GREENCASTLE (50) — Gooch 2-8 5-6 9, Sutherlin 4-5 4-6 12, Evans 5-13 2-2 14, Simmerman 2-3 0-3 4, C. Hutcheson 5-12 0-0 11, Adams 0-2 0-2 0, Ensley 0-0 0-0 0, Williamson 0-0 0-0 0, D. Hutcheson 0-0 0-0 0, Clark 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 4-23 FG, 8-16 FT, 17 TP.

NORTHVIEW (59) — Cottee 5-12 5-6 15, Cook 9-28 2-2 23, Goff 2-5 1-3 5, Roembke 3-16 2-2 9, Buell 2-3 0-0 4, Fowler 0-1 0-0 0, Bell 0-1 0-0 0, Perry 1-7 0-0 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Sandifer 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 22-73 FG, 10-13 FT, 59 TP.

3-point shooting — Greencastle 3-8 (Gooch 0-1, Evans 2-5, C. Hutcheson 1-2), Northview 5-32 (Cook 3-13, Goff 0-1, Roembke 1-13, Fowler 0-1, Perry 1-4). Rebounds — Greencastle 31 (Gooch 8, Evans 7), Northview 43 (Cottee 18, Goff 7). Turnovers — Greencastle 9, Northview 2. Total fouls — Greencastle 12, Northview 17. Fouled out — Goff, Buell.