03-09-2019
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA – The figure that stood out the most on the final stat sheet of the IHSA 2A state championship game between Chicago Orr and Nashville???

0-11.

That was the performance from the 3-point line by the Nashville Hornets in their 50-34 title game loss to the now three-time tournament champion Spartans.

Of those 11 missed shots, seven of them occurred during a first half which ended with the Hornets within striking distance at 20-14 heading into intermission.

But Coach Wayne Harre saw his club give up a pair of scoring runs (10-0, 10-2) by Orr; one to start the game and one to begin the third quarter, along with the cold shooting outside game, that doomed the hopes of the program winning its second state title.

“We lost to a pretty good team, we all saw what they could out there, athletic-wise. I won't take another team than this team I got right here,” said Coach Harre. “We asked them to battle, battle every possession, they couldn't have played any harder. I'm so proud of this team.”

Carson Parker and Bryce Bultman, as they did for most of the season, led the Hornets in scoring with 16 and 12 points respectively.

However with most of the other wins this season that trio got more help in scoring.

Most of which would come from shots from outside.

Reserve junior Terry Pelczynski and senior starting guard Tristen Hercules each scored four points.

That was all the offense that Nashville got on the night, nearly 19 points less than its seasonal average.

Other than the desert like drought from the 3-point arc, the Hornets played well enough to hang with the defending champs.

Coach Harre had the game plan he wanted, which wasn't much different than how they played all season.

Spread the floor and let Bultman and Parker get to the rim.

But part of the success story in their 36 victories was the teams ability to nail down outside shots.

The top six players on the Hornets squad who shot the most 3-pointers during the season averaged a combined 38.6 percent from 19'9”.

Coach Louis Adams Orr squad was paced by Sherif Kenney with 19 points while Tujuatae Williams and Greg Outlaw added 10 points each.

Kenney, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward and Williams, who is listed as a 6-foot-6 senior forward/point guard/wing player on the Spartans' roster.

Those position listings usually translates into a players who can “do it all” on the basketball floor.

Outlaw is a 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward.

“This was sweet, they really earned this one. This was really good, they worked really hard, said Coach Adams. “Sherif Kenney was big for us tonight down the stretch, we rode his back. The seniors carried us, did what seniors were supposed to do.”

After Parker scored on a drive to the basket in the opening minute for a brief 2-0 Hornets' lead, Kenney and Company went to work.

Kenney nailed down his first shot of the game, a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 3-2 lead that triggered the first of the two big runs by the Spartans.

Terry Williams III, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, scored on a fast break and added a 3-pointer while 6-foot-1 senior guard Michael Taylor scored on a steal and transition lay in to force a Nashville timeout at 10-2 with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

“We're trying to play by possession, but they still got to the rim on us. We're trying to get in there but it seemed like it only took an inch for them to get to the rim,” said Coach Harre. “They're so big and strong, but these guys from Nashville never backed down.”

Bultman converted a pair of drives to the basket and Parker grabbed his own rebound for a score to close out the quarter as the Hornets trailed just 14-8.

Kenney and Outlaw each scored early in the second quarter and Outlaw added a pair of free throws to take a 20-10 lead.

Nashville closed the gap with Parker getting to the basket for points as did Pelczynski as the Hornets were down just six at the break.

But the elephant in the room in the first half was 0-7 from the arc and just 7-of-20 overall.

In spite of the shooting problems, the Hornets were still in the game.

“They came out and hit some bombs on us and we're (down) 10-2 and that makes it like trying to climb Mt. Everest,” said Coach Harre. “We were there, down six at half. If we get a couple rolls here and there and we'd have it.”

But the worst possible thing could happen at the start of the third quarter for Coach Harre's squad.

Orr opened up the second half with Williams and Outlaw scoring.

Outlaw added two more free throws and Williams scored on a drive to the basket and then just seconds later stole the Nashville inbounds pass for a lay in and a 26-14 lead.

Outlaw and Kenney provided more points with drives to the basket, pushing the Orr lead to 30-16.

Another drive by Bultman and two Parker free throws got the Hornets to within 12.

But Kenney closed out the third quarter with two free throws and he nailed a fall away mid-range shot the beat the buzzer for a 38-22 lead heading to the final quarter.

The last gasp of hope for the Hornets came in the opening moments of the final quarter as Parker and Bultman scored on the inside on consecutive possessions as they were within 38-26 with 6:03 remaining.

The Spartans took care of business in the next few minutes, increasing their lead with Kenney, Outlaw and Williams scoring.

Williams slammed home two dunks to push the lead to its largest at 47-30.

Parker, Bultman and Hercules all scored baskets and Orr got free throws from Taylor and Kenney (3-of-4) to close out the scoring before both teams emptied their benches in the final minute.

Orr was very good in nearly every phase on this night, hitting 19-of-35 shots overall (54.3 percent) and 9-of-10 from the foul line.

Nashville ended up 17-of-40 from the field overall (42.5 percent) and led by Parker with 11 rebounds for a double-double, the Hornets out rebounded the Spartans 20-18.

The Hornets committed 12 turnovers, seven in the second half, while Orr had just nine.

“When we got to the arena we were pressing, we got some turnovers,” said Coach Adams.