12-12-14
BY JACK BULLOCK
BEECHER CITY - This was a difficult week for the students at Dieterich High School.

One member of the student body, a student athlete, was killed in an automobile accident back on Monday.

Although he wasn't part of the boy's basketball team this season as he was out with a knee injury, 17-year-old Thomas Overbeck was part of the family.

So with heavy hearts and much on the players' minds, the Movin' Maroons' undefeated basketball team took to the court Friday night at Beecher City.

The contest had upset written all over it, with the Eagles celebrating their Homecoming night.

One team was on an incredible emotional high while the other squad had a lot on their minds.

But the talented Dieterich team got focused late in the contest and picked up an emotional 54-41 victory, using a big fourth quarter effort to improve their overall record to 9-0 while moving to 3-0 in the National Trail Conference.

Coach Jeff Staser's club had some difficulty in the first three quarters of play but the final nine minutes, including the end of the third quarter, gave the Maroons the win on the road.

With Alex Bohnhoff getting 17-points to lead the way and 6-foot-6 senior forward Devin Ahern adding 14, Dieterich stayed undefeated on the season with the victory in front of a large crowd at Beecher City.

Six-foot-one junior guard Nick Feldhake added 10-points for the club, who struggled for most of the game but played well enough to get the win.

“They (Beecher City) came into the game well prepared, it was their Homecoming and all the things that have went on this week with us with the emotions I wasn't sure if I could the kids back to square one. It took us a while to get going,” said Coach Staser. “You probably didn't see our best tonight but we survived. They were well prepared tonight and they gave us some problems.”

Beecher City hung tough with the visitors as they were within two points of Dieterich with just over a minute to go in the third quarter before going on a scoring drought that allowed the Maroons to escape with a conference win.

Coach Jason Eirhart and his Eagles played with the state-ranked and ABV Preseason Number Four ranked Maroons and kept the game close.

Austin Rexroad, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, topped all scorers with 19-points.

However no other Eagle scored more than seven points as BC fell to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the National Trail Conference.

A key stat from the totals turned out to be the biggest difference in the matchup.

The Eagles didn't do very well handling the ball, committing 26-turnovers, most of which weren't costly until the very end.

This overshadowed a pretty solid effort defensively by the hosts.

Beecher City held a 30-28 rebound edge and forced Dieterich into a rough go offensively as the Maroons misfired on 32 total shots, going 14-of-46 and just 4-of-25 from beyond the dark.

“I think it was a combination of things, they (Dieterich) picked up their intensity in the fourth quarter and then (Daniel) Harder goes out and we really need him in there against a team that has their kind of size,” said Coach Eirhart. “We need him in there, he is a good passer and our point guard (Jackson Bales) got into foul trouble. And they made free throws in the fourth quarter, they shoot it really well from the line. Like I said it was a combination of things that kind of broke it open.”

Coach Staser's club could have walked out of the gym on Friday night with a tough defeat.

Except his veteran club, with four starters returning from an “Elite Eight” team a season ago, got things going in the right direction in the final countdown.

Dieterich clung to a 34-32 lead with just under a minute left in the third quarter following a basket on a fast break by Rexroad.

Beecher City had a chance to tie the game a few moments later but Bohnhoff, a 6-foot senior guard, made a key steal near mid-court and his score from the left wing just before the quarter ended gave the Maroons a lift heading into the final eight minutes.

As it turned out, the Rexroad bucket was the Eagles last field goal for nearly seven minutes.

In the meantime the Maroons forced Beecher City into four more turnovers and nine consecutive missed shots as Dieterich put the upset bid to rest.

“When he (Bohnhoff) gets going and gets a few steals it sets the table for us,” added Coach Staser. “Tonight was one of those situations where he finally broke loose. He's a solid player and I don't think people can keep him under wraps for a whole game. When he can get a couple of shots to fall in a row then it gets us going.”

Feldhake hit three 3-point shots in the contest and a free throw to account for his 10-points, but none were bigger than his two trey's in the final stanza.

His bomb from the left wing just seconds into the fourth quarter, followed by an Aherin score in the lane forced a Beecher City timeout at 41-32 with 7:13 to go.

If Dieterich did anything exceptionally well on this night, it was getting to the foul line.

The Eagles were charitable to the guest as they sent the Maroons to the charity stripe 37-times (22-of-37) in the game.

Dieterich pulled away from BC by hitting 6-of-8 free throws in a 1:50 stretch.

Bohnhoff, Aherin and both Lance and Travis Niemerg all contributed to the scoring parade for a 47-32 lead with 5:21 remaining.

The Eagles could have made a dent in the Dieterich lead but they didn't convert from the foul line any better than they did from the floor in the fourth.

Coach Eirhart's club was just 2-of-7 from the line, 9-of-20 for the game.

By the time Aherin added an inside score on a rebound stick back and the third 3-pointer from Feldhake, Dieterich led 53-27 with 1:31 to play.

From the opening tap until that pivotal change in momentum in the final moments of the third quarter, Beecher City held tough on their Homecoming evening.

The Eagles got back-to-back scores from Rexroad and 6-foot-1 senior Brady Randall to take a brief 6-5 lead in the early going.

Dieterich led 16-11 at the first horn, despite four early turnovers.

Late baskets by Lance Niemerg and reserve Clayton Compton had the Maroons up by five (pun intended).

Neither club got anything going in the second quarter, as the two combatants slugged out a frame in which produced 12 more turnovers and 6-of-17 shooting.

Rexroad scored twice in the quarter and his bucket in the paint on a drive to the basket cut the Eagles deficit to just 22-20 with 1:11 remaining.

Two free throws by L. Niemerg with :00.8 left sent the clubs to the dressing rooms at 24-20.

The hosts saw their upset bid nearly materialize in the third quarter.

Two more scores from Rexroad and a basket on a rebound by 6-foot-5 junior Daniel Harder gave Beecher City a 27-26 lead that forced Coach Staser to burn a full-time out with 5:12 left in the third.

The next 4:22 of play could have happened in downtown New York City on a Thanksgiving Day as the two teams paraded to the foul line and combined to shoot 17-free throws while they made just nine.

By the time Travis Niemerg failed on a 1-and-1 opportunity with 1:00 left, Dieterich led 34-30 right before the big run to close out the contest for the Maroons road triumph.

Dieterich finished with just 12-turnovers and their defensive effort, especially in the final quarter, helped bail them out of a situation that could have produced a tough loss to close a difficult week.

Nevertheless the Maroons stayed the course and are still unbeaten.

Following Rexroad for Beecher City was Harder and junior guard Westen Giles with seven each.

The Eagles next contest is against Cowden-Herrick at the opening night of the St. Elmo Holiday Tournament.

“We hung tough and we didn't give up. We played hard and I'm not into moral victories but we took some steps forward tonight,” added Coach Eirhart. “But turnovers have been a problem for us. We've just got to get better handling the ball.”

Dieterich heads to Effingham St. Anthony for a key NTC showdown next Friday, December 19 before hosting their own holiday tournament that begins December 26.

“I don't care what conference you play in, going on the road everyone is out to get you. Tonight it was that way, they played a solid ballgame but we finally got a run in the fourth quarter and that was the difference,” added Coach Staser.