The Press-Dispatch
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B-2 Sports Wednesday, Januar y 24, 2018 The Press-Dispatch "We weren't bringing the effort that we needed to on defense or rebounding the basketball," Elliott added. "They came out in a zone and slowed us down a little bit, and I think that hurt us." However, three consec- utive baskets by Booker would give Pike Central an 18 -12 lead with 5:21 left in the second period. A fter a three-pointer by junior Brandon DeCoursey cut the deficit to 18 -15, the Chargers scored sev- en straight points – on a three-pointer by senior Ty- ler Tormohlen and a basket and two free throws by Nal- ley – to stretch Pike Cen- tral's lead to 25 -15 with 3:38 remaining in the first half. Following a basket by Brocksmith, Tormohlen hit the second of two free throw attempts and then scored off an assist by Booker to give the Chargers a 28 -17 lead with 2:19 left in the second quarter. A free throw by De- Coursey subsequently cut the deficit to 28 -18 at half- time. Pike Central would score the first six points of the second half – on baskets by Booker and senior Camer- on Henson and a pair of free throws by Nalley – to stretch its lead to 34-18. A fter Thomas scored to pull the Warriors to within 34-20, the Chargers scored six straight points – on two baskets by Booker and one by Nalley – to extend their lead to 40 -20 with 4:50 left in the third period. North Knox would get no closer than 18 points the rest of the game. "We got in transition then, and we started finding the open man," Elliott said. "I thought we did a really nice job making that extra pass tonight. Once we start run- ning, it's fun for the kids, and they started finding that open guy and hitting their teammates for layups. It was a lot of fun." "I wasn't real relaxed ear- ly, after that first quarter, but then they came out and really stepped it up," Elliott added. "It was nice for them to be able to get out and run and play some basketball." Tormohlen came off the bench to add 10 points for the Chargers while also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out a pair of as- sists. "Tyler came in and hit a three and was aggressive," Elliott said. "He got a couple of rebounds and kind of got some scraps, kind of clean- ing up some messes, and stepped to the free throw line and hit his free throws. He did a nice job." Senior Kyson Western, meanwhile, added six points and grabbed four rebounds. "Kyson came out aggres- sive again," Elliott said. "Getting four to six points, eight points, out of him is huge for us, and we need him to keep playing that way." Henson, who shot 2-for-10 from the field, including 0 -for-5 from beyond the three-point line, added four points, five rebounds and three steals for the Char- gers. "I really thought Camer- on played a heck of a game again," Elliott said. "I think really these last two games are probably the best games we've had from him. To- night, he won our hustle chart and really rebounded well, had a lot of steals, a lot of deflections, and was play- ing hard. I think when he fo- cuses on those things, the shots are going to come." For the game, Pike Cen- tral made 30 of 53 field goal attempts – a 56.6 percent av- erage – and hit 11 of 16 tries from the free throw line while turning the ball over eight times. Thomas and DeCoursey paced North Knox with 10 points each. DeCoursey and Brocksmith led the War- riors in rebounds with five each. For the game, North Knox made 13 of 45 field goal at- tempts – a 28.9 percent av- erage – and hit three of nine tries from the free throw line while turning the ball over 13 times. Pike Central, which im- proved to 3-0 in home games this season, will return to action this weekend, when the Chargers will host South Spencer on Friday, Jan. 26, and Barr-Reeve on Saturday, Jan. 27. "The boys love being at home," Elliott said. "It's a comfortable environment, and we get to play in front of our home fans and our band and everything. I think they really thrive off of that." "A fter the Wood game, we said we were three games from the halfway point of the season, and we were re- ally focused on getting those next three, getting back to that .500 mark," Elliott add- ed. "We got the first two, we've got one more to go, and we've got another one on Saturday." HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL Pocket Athletic Conference Standings PAC Overall Team W-L W-L Forest Park .......................................... 2-0 .................12-1 Gibson Southern ................................. 2-0 .................. 6 -3 Pike Central ........................................ 1-0 .................. 5 -6 Heritage Hills ...................................... 3-1 .................12-2 North Posey ........................................ 2-1 .................. 8 -4 South Spencer ..................................... 1-2 ...................5 -7 Tell City ................................................ 1-2 .................. 8 -4 Southridge ........................................... 1-4 ................... 7-7 Tecumseh ............................................ 1-4 .................5 -10 Results of January 19 Forest Park 59, Jasper 44 Heritage Hills 66, Southridge 54 North Posey 69, South Spencer 52 Evansville Mater Dei at Tell City, postponed Results of January 20 Pike Central 47, Washington 39 Evansville Mater Dei 61, Gibson Southern 57 Forest Park 81, Tecumseh 43 North Posey 57, Southridge 52 Tell City 56, Crawford County 52 Results of January 22 Pike Central 72, North Knox 32 Heritage Hills 75, Tecumseh 50 Southridge 77, Perry Central 60 Games of January 23 Princeton at Gibson Southern Tecumseh at North Posey Game of January 24 South Spencer at Tell City Games of January 26 South Spencer at Pike Central – Junior Varsity, 6:30 p.m.; Varsity, 8 p.m. Evansville Mater Dei at Heritage Hills Gibson Southern at Mount Vernon (Posey) North Posey at South Knox Wood Memorial at Tell City Games of January 27 Barr-Reeve at Pike Central – Junior Varsity, 6 p.m.; Varsity, 7:30 p.m. Forest Park vs. Southridge at Hoosier Gym Gibson Southern at Washington Heritage Hills at South Spencer North Posey at Princeton Tell City at Springs Valley Washington Catholic at Tecumseh Game of January 29 South Spencer at Hancock County, Ky. Games of February 1 Pike Central at North Posey – Junior Varsity, 6:30 p.m.; Varsity, 8 p.m. Boonville at Heritage Hills Cannelton at Tell City Forest Park at Evansville Mater Dei Southridge at Gibson Southern Tecumseh at Evansville Day School Games of February 3 Pike Central at Vincennes Lincoln – Junior Varsity, 1 p.m.; Varsity, 2:30 p.m. Bloomington South at North Posey Heritage Hills at Jasper Lanesville at Tecumseh South Spencer at Perry Central Washington at Southridge UPCOMING SPORTS SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 Middle School 6th Grade Girls' Basketball: Washington vs. Pike Central at Otwell Community Center, 6 p.m. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 High School Girls' Basketball: Pike Central at Heritage Hills – Junior Varsity, 6:30 p.m.; Varsity, 8 p.m. High School Girls' and Boys' Swimming: Evans- ville Mater Dei at Pike Central, 6 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Boys' Basketball: Pocket Athletic Conference Tournament – Pike Cen- tral at Heritage Hills, 7:45 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Girls' Basketball: Pocket Athletic Conference Tournament – Pike Cen- tral at Heritage Hills, 6:30 p.m. Middle School 6th Grade Boys' Basketball: Fort Branch at Pike Central, 6 p.m. Elementary School 5th Grade Girls' and Boys' Basketball: Winslow at Oakland City, 5:30 p.m. Elementary School 5th Grade Boys' Basketball: 10th Street at Petersburg (A & B), 6 p.m. Elementary School 5th Grade Girls' Basketball: Petersburg at 10th Street, 6 p.m. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26 High School Boys' Basketball: South Spencer at Pike Central – Junior Varsity, 6:30 p.m.; Varsity, 8 p.m. SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 High School Boys' Basketball: Barr-Reeve at Pike Central – Junior Varsity, 6 p.m.; Varsity, 7:30 p.m. High School Wrestling: Pike Central in Sectional Tournament at Southridge, 10 a.m. Middle School 6th Grade Boys' Basketball: Barr-Reeve at Pike Central, 9:30 a.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 29 High School Freshmen Boys' Basketball: Barr- Reeve at Pike Central, 6 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Girls' Basketball: Gib- son Southern Tournament – Pike Central vs. Owens- ville, 5:30 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Boys' Basketball: Gib- son Southern Tournament – Pike Central vs. Owens- ville, 6:45 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 High School Girls' Basketball: Sectional Tour- nament at Princeton – Southridge vs. Vincennes Lin- coln, 6:30 p.m.; Pike Central vs. Washington, 8 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Girls' Basketball: Gib- son Southern Tournament – Pike Central-Owensville winner vs. North Posey, 5:30 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Boys' Basketball: Gib- son Southern Tournament – Pike Central-Owensville winner vs. North Posey, 8 p.m. Middle School 6th Grade Boys' Basketball: Pike Central at South Spencer, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 High School Boys' Basketball: Pike Central at North Posey – Junior Varsity, 6:30 p.m.; Varsity, 8 p.m. High School Girls' Swimming: Pike Central in Sectional Meet at Jasper – Swimming preliminaries, 5:30 p.m. Middle School 8th Grade Girls' Basketball: Pike Central in Gibson Southern Tournament, TBD. Middle School 8th Grade Boys' Basketball: Pike Central in Gibson Southern Tournament, TBD. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 High School Girls' Basketball: Sectional Tour- nament at Princeton – Sullivan vs. Southridge-Vin- cennes Lincoln winner, 6:30 p.m.; Princeton vs. Pike Central-Washington winner, 8 p.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 High School Boys' Basketball: Pike Central at Vincennes Lincoln – Junior Varsity, 1 p.m.; Varsity, 2:30 p.m. High School Girls' Swimming: Pike Central in Sectional Meet at Jasper – Diving preliminaries and semifinals, 9 a.m.; Consolation and Finals, 1 p.m. High School Girls' Basketball: Sectional Tour- nament at Princeton – Championship game, 8:30 p.m. High School Wrestling: Pike Central in Regional Tournament at Bloomington South, 9:30 a.m. BOOKER Continued from page 1 Above: Pike Central High School senior Kyson Western (14) goes up for a shot over North Knox junior Keagan Thomas (30) during high school varsity boys' basketball action on Monday, Jan. 22. Western scored six points in the Chargers' 72-32 victory over the visiting Warriors. Ed Ca- hill photo Left: Pike Central High School senior Nick Hillyard drives toward the basket during high school varsity boys' basketball action against vis- iting North Knox on Monday, Jan. 22. Hillyard scored two points in the Chargers' 72-32 victo- ry. Ed Cahill photo By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Senior Bryant Nalley scored a game-high 19 points and senior Breyton Booker added 11 more as the Pike Central High School boys' basketball team held off Washington for a 47-39 victory at the Hatchet House on Saturday, Jan. 20. With the win, the Char- gers – who had not played a game since a 63-50 loss at Wood Memorial on Fri- day, Jan. 5, due to inclement weather – improved to 4-6, while Washington slipped to 4-7. "A lot of the kids have a lot of good memories from that place, and they were talking about that, too – cut- ting down the nets there last year in sectional, and even the regional and stuff," Pike Central head coach Hunter Elliott said. "It's a little bit of a rivalry from soccer, too, carrying over with us beat- ing them and them beating us in the sectional there." "I knew it was going to be an intense game," Elliott added. "We came out and I really thought we just played with intensity and just want- ed it a little more than they did. And we came out on top." Nalley scored 10 of Pike Central's first 14 points as the Chargers took a 14-8 lead with 6:33 left in the second period. The Hatchets rallied, how- ever, as senior Gage Latham scored six straight points – including two on a put-back of a missed shot by senior Billy Fleetwood – to pull even at 14-14 with 5:21 left in the second quarter. A fter Booker hit one of two free throw attempts to give Pike Central a 15 -14 lead, freshman Trey Reed grabbed an offensive re- bound of another missed shot by Fleetwood and scored, propelling Washing- ton to a 16 -15 lead with 3:29 left in the first half. A three-pointer by Nal- ley and a three-point play by Booker spurred the Chargers ahead 21-16 be- fore a basket by junior Ty- son Wright and a free throw by Fleetwood narrowed the deficit to 21-19 at the inter- mission. During the first half, the Nalley, Booker lead Chargers past Washington, 47-39 Pike Central High School senior Brey- ton Booker (11) goes up for a shot as Washington freshman Trey Reed (30) tries to block it during high school var- sity boys' basketball action on Saturday, Jan. 20. Booker scored 11 points in the Chargers' 47-39 victory over the host Hatchets. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Kaleb Clar- idge (13) drives toward the basket during high school varsity boys' bas- ketball action at Washing- ton on Saturday, Jan. 20. Claridge scored one point in the Chargers' 47-39 vic- tory. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Camer- on Henson (10) goes up for a shot over Washing- ton freshman Trey Reed during high school varsity boys' basketball action on Saturday, Jan. 20. Henson scored eight points in the Chargers' 47-39 victory. Ed Cahill photo See CHARGERS on pg 4