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EGHS uses free throws to hold off Bulldogs
LITTLE CINCINNATI -- David Gray sank six free-throws in the final minute of play to help Eastern Greene stave off a second-half comeback by Union (Dugger) here Friday night. The Thunderbirds picked up a 58-49 Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference win in boys high school hoops action.
With the win, the Thunderbirds remain spotless in conference play (3-0) and improve to 8-6 overall. The Bulldogs have their brief two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 3-10, 1-3 in the SWIAC.
The final score did not reflect how closely the two teams battled throughout most of the second half. Eastern Greene held a slim 47-45 lead with just 52 ticks left in the game before finishing the game off on a 11-3 run. Nine of the T-Birds final 11 points came from the charity stripe.
"You have to give all the credit in the world to Union tonight," Eastern Greene coach Andy Igel said. "We knew they would come in playing loose tonight. Clarence (Johnson, Union coach) did a great job of getting his kids ready to play tonight."
The game was an offensive struggle through the first eight minutes of play, with the T-Birds holding a slim 8-7 advantage.
Chris Graham came off the bench in the second quarter for the host team and poured in eight points as the Thunderbirds outscored the Bulldogs 15-6 before the half to carry a 10-point lead into the locker room.
"Graham played really well tonight," Igel said. "He got in a groove and we stuck with him the rest of the game."
The senior scored half of his points in the quarter off of offensive put-backs.
"We talked about keeping Graham blocked out and keeping him off the glass," Johnson said. "But he was able to convert some big baskets for them tonight."
J.T. Yoho started the scoring in the second half for the Thunderbirds with an offensive put-back to give the host team their largest lead of the game at 25-13 with seven minutes and 21 seconds left in the third period.
But midway through the period B.J. Howard would connect on back-to-back treys from the right wing to jump start the Bulldogs offense and pull them within 23-27. After a third consecutive defensive stop by the Bulldogs defense, Howard used a strong dribble penetration and found Logan Chesterfield slicing to the basket for a lay-up which closed the gap to just two points -- 25-27.
Zach Johnson would end the nearly five minute scoring drought for the T-Birds with a bucket after a steal by Graham to push the lead back to four points. Chesterfield would then answer with a lay-up in transition to cut the lead back down to two points.
Howard then pulled down a defensive rebound and raced down the court. Sam Jacob cut Howard off just before he reached the hoop and as Howard was going up for the would be game-tying lay-up, Jacob was able to draw a charge on the play to negate the basket to kept the lead in tact.
"That was a big change in momentum had that been ruled a block," Johnson said. "But it did not cost us the win, I thought the kids responded well after that. They never gave up tonight. We just kept clawing and attacking the basket. I can't emphasize enough of how proud I am of their effort tonight."
Zach Ingram, who picked up two early fouls and spent most of the first half on the bench, finished the quarter off with a bucket with just three seconds left to give the T-Birds a 31-27 lead going into the final eight minutes of play.
Eastern would push their lead up to seven points within the first minute of the final period but the Bulldogs did not back down.
Fred Brust connected on a shot from the left block to cut the lead to five points then a steal and an uncontested lay-up by Howard made the score 33-36 with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
Davis Russell would then knock down a 12 footer from the baseline, followed by a trey from Yoho to stretch the lead back to eight points.
Heading into the final period, Russell and Yoho were a combined 3-for-16 from the field.
"I told them (Russell and Yoho) just to keep shooting the ball, to take good shots," Igel said. "That's the thing with shooters, they keep getting good looks and eventually they will start falling and they made some big buckets in the fourth quarter for us tonight."
Trent Collins connected on his only basket of the night from the left corner with 61 seconds left in the game to bring the visitors to within 43-47, and a bucket by Michael Talpas made the score 45-47 with just 52 seconds left but the T-Birds would not miss from the free-throw line to secure the win in the final minutes.
For the game, Eastern Greene connected on 14 of 18 from the line including 13-15 in the fourth period.
"David Gray knocked down some big free-throws for us," Igel said. "But that is what seniors do."
Howard scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Chesterfield tossed in 11. Brust (eight points) and Talpas (six points) combined to score 14 points.
Russell and Graham led the T-Birds with 12 points apiece, while Yoho (10 points) and Gray (nine points) combined for 19 in the win.
Johnson continued to laud his teams performance.
"I think the kids are not content with just competing not," the Bulldog coach said. "If they continue to come out and play like this there are several games out there on our schedule yet that we can win."
Igel had praise for the Bulldogs as well.
"I was telling their kids in the line-up after the game if they continue to play like this the rest of the year they are going to knock some teams off. They are much better than their record indicates.
"But I also have to give my kids credit tonight too. We continued to make plays and kept our composure. We had a lot of different kids step up tonight and we are still trying to find ourselves."
Union (Dugger) will travel to SWIAC foe Linton-Stockton on Tuesday while the Thunderbirds will be off until Saturday Jan. 31 when they travel to Bedford North Lawrence.
UNION (DUGGER) (49) -- B.J. Howard 7-13 2-2 19, Trent Collins 1-1 0-0 3, Logan Chesterfield 3-8 5-8 11, Michael Talpas 3-6 0-0 6, Blane Boyd 1-4 0-0 2, Jacob Wilkes 0-0 0-0 0, Fred Brust 2-3 4-6 8. Totals 17-35 11-16 49.
EASTERN GREENE (58) -- David Gray 1-2 7-8 9, Sam Jacob 0-0 0-0 0, Davis Russell 5-11 1-1 12, Chris Graham 6-7 0-0 12, J.T. Yoho 3-13 3-4 10, Zack Johnson 1-4 3-4 5, Cody Sparks 3-8 0-0 6, Zach Ingram 2-2 0-1 4. Totals 21-47 14-18 58.
Union (Dugger) 7 6 14 22 -- 49
Eastern Greene 8 15 8 27 -- 58
3-Pointers -- Union (Dugger) 4 (Howard 3, Collins), Eastern Greene 2 (Russell, Yoho). Rebounds -- Union (Dugger) 22 (Howard 10), Eastern Greene 27 (Graham 5). Steals -- Union (Dugger) 6 (Chesterfield, Howard 2), Eastern Greene 5 (Gray, Jacob, Russell, Graham Johnson). Turnovers -- Union (Dugger) 16, Eastern Greene 13. Fouls -- Union (Dugger) 16, Eastern Greene 15. Fouled out -- None.