WABASH VALLEY CLASSIC DAY TWO: Tiger Cubs top injury-plagued Clovers in consolation bracket

Cloverdale's Levi Johnson snags a rebound in the lane during Wednesday night's Putnam County tilt against Greencastle at the Wabash Valley Classic. Johnson led all scorers with 17 points, dragging the Clovers back into the game at the end of the third quarter, but the Tiger Cubs eventually won 60-47.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

TERRE HAUTE – Day two of the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic saw the two Putnam County teams in the field square off in the consolation bracket Wednesday evening.

Greencastle and Cloverdale met for the second time this season, the first coming a month prior, with the Tiger Cubs taking the second meeting 60-47 over the Clovers.

Houton Jobe opened the scoring with a jumper and added a three which was answered by baskets from Nathan Sutherlin, Judah Adams and five points from Anothny Adams as Greencastle took a 9-5 lead.

Zack Thomas and Levi Johnson hit threes that tied the game at 11-11 and Cloverdale took a brief lead after a pair of Trey Schabel free throws at 13-11.

The Tiger Cubs answered with the next nine points as Sam Gooch hit a three, Taygan McRoberts had a tip-in and Sutherlin missed out on a three-point play but an offensive rebound eventually found its way to Gooch for a layup.

Injuries added to the Clover woes as Noah Betz and Jobe both went down with leg injuries, the former missing the rest of the game and the latter missing the rest of the half.

Johnson hit another three to trim the gap before the end of the period as Greencastle led 21-16 after eight minutes of play.

Scoring slowed in the second quarter with the Tiger Cub lead growing as large as nine at 26-17 off an Amis hook shot before a Thomas three and free throw and another Amis basket saw the teams head into halftime with the score at 28-21.

Gooch scored the first six points for Greencastle out of the break but was matched by five points from Jobe to start the second half.

The Tiger Cubs looked like they might break things open after two Cody Evens threes, a Sutherlin basket and a McRoberts three doubled the lead to 45-30 but Johnson scored eight points late in the third quarter to keep Cloverdale close at 45-38.

Any comeback ideas for the Clovers were dashed early as the sophomore trio of Gooch, Evans and Sutherlin all scored to start the fourth quarter and pushed the lead back out to 51-38 as Greencastle would not let the lead out of double digits the rest of the way.

Greencastle plays Casey-Westfield Wednesday for a spot in the consolation bracket final at 2:30 p.m. while Cloverdale rounds out its stay at the Classic with Shakamak at 11:30 a.m.

Scoring

Greencastle (18-28 2FG; 7-25 3FG; 3-7 FT) — Evans 13, Gooch 13, Sutherlin 10, Adams 8, Amis 6, Sullivan 5, McRoberts 5

Cloverdale (7-20 2FG; 9-24 3FG; 6-13 FT) — Johnson 17, Jobe 10, Thomas 7, Schabel 7, Kelley 6

Statistics