Photo by Keith Stewart
Okaw Valley's Pierce Bradford watches his 3-point attempt Tuesday evening. Bradford sank three from the arc in an attempt to lift his team to a comeback that ultimately fell short.

December 26, 2014

Rebounding and free throws go in favor of Redskins

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

For Sullivan and Okaw Valley, Tuesday evening’s second round game of the Team Soy Holiday Tournament in Decatur was a familiar one. It was a rematch from December 9 when the Redskins edged the Timberwolves 50-44 in Findlay. But this time around, not only did Sullivan nab the victory, but did so in a more convincing fashion and ultimately 54-44.
Sullivan held a strong lead throughout the night, doubling up the Timberwolves several times in both the first and second quarters, and at the end of the third, Sullivan held a 15-point lead at 45-30, despite a 3-pointer by Okaw Valley sophomore guard Pierce Bradford.
But the Okaw Valley youngster would nearly help his team to a comeback in the fourth.
After Devon Still opened the final period with a 2-bucket, Layne McMahon answered with his own score from deep in the paint. But then it was Bradford from beyond the arc to cut Sullivan’s lead to 12. The sophomore then drew a charge on McMahon given the mismatch.
Junior Drew Fructhl then drew a foul from Nick Frerichs, and from the line, he sank both shots to pull OV within 10. But Frerichs would come back downcourt, pull up, and sink a jumper off the glass.
Joe Jeffers, who was in foul trouble most of the night, answered with his own score from down low to keep the margin at 10. Back and forth the teams went until with under a minute to go, Jeffers fouled out, prompting the double bonus for Sullivan’s Alec Ballinger, who hit just one of two free throws to keep an 11-point lead.
Bradford’s trey with 40 seconds would cut Sullivan’s lead to eight, the smallest since the beginning of the second quarter, but his followup foul on Ballinger resulted in both shots this time. Bradford would attempt another 3-pointer once back downcourt, but it would bounce hard off the glass. Then with 18 seconds remaining, an Okaw Valley turnover finished the game.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.

“They beat us up on the glass pretty hard last game,” said Sullivan head coach Chester Reeder. “We still didn’t shoot it that well, but at the start of the game, our defensive intensity and rebounding was the deciding factor. We really frustrated them and didn’t let them get easy shots. Everything was contested,so that was really good to see, and that was the game. Our three keys going into the game were rebounding, pushing the tempo, and containing Peyton. I think we executed all three of those pretty well so that’s what, in the end, got us the win.”
The Timberwolves, who had foul trouble with not just Jeffers but also Peyton Hagerman and Dylan Park, suffered the consequences with Sullivan going 19-of-24 from the charity stripe–a stat that was not all that different from the first matchup earlier this month.
“That was the key to the game last time we played them, and this time also,” said OV head coach Tony Sparks. “They won the battle of getting to the free throw line. That’s the difference in the game, once again. Part of our game plan was to attack the rim, but we kind of got complacent with the pass and the cut, and they gave us that, and we took it, and they were taking the drive away, so hats off to them. They play a lot of pack line man to man defense, and that’s what it’s designed to do, to take the drive away from you, so that’s good execution on their part.”

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan's Alec Ballinger tries to squeeze past Greg Walker's screen to get to Peyton Hagerman Tuesday.

The loss was Okaw Valley’s second of the tournament after previously falling to Riverton 49-43, and it also marked the Timberwolves fourth game in five days.
“We’ve been on the road the last two weeks, and our legs just kind of caught up with us, kind of showed in our jump shots,” said Sparks. “We just weren’t as enthusiastic about running the offense, and we didn’t do a real good job in the second quarter of sliding our feet. We gave up quite a few layups. That’s just a product of us being fatigued, but Sullivan played a good game, and executed their game plan.”
The Timberwolves must have looked forward to the three-day break before Saturday’s contest against Cerro-Gordo-Bement, whom Sullivan defeated in round one 70-59, but who beat Riverton narrowly Tuesday.
“We’ll have to shut down Lovekamp,” said Sparks of the Cerro Gordo-Bement guard. “I think he scored 40 some points. When he’s shooting like that, he’s unstoppable and hard to guard, so hopefully he won’t be shooting like that Saturday when we play them.”
For Sullivan, with back-to-back wins in the Soy Tournament, a win Saturday against Riverton would secure a shot at the championship Monday.
“We’re going in with the mentality that we’re going to compete and play hard and defend as best we can,” said Reeder. “Riverton is a good team; they have a great coach; and they always compete. It will be a tough matchup. It should be a pretty good game, and we’re excited for the opportunity to possibly get into the championship game.”
Sullivan plays Saturday against Riverton at 7:30 p.m., while Okaw Valley will face Cerro Gordo-Bement at 4:30.