BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY – It wasn't an offensive “gem” of a game for the Patoka Warriors on Saturday after in the title game of the Conrad Allen Wayne City Holiday Tournament.

However the defensive effort shined like a “diamond” as the Warriors came up with the big stops late in the contest to take home the “gold.”

In spite of a below average shooting night, including just 6-of-18 from the foul line, the Warriors won their second Conrad Allen Holiday Tournament title in three years with a 41-40 win over the host Indians.

After receiving a rude wake up call seven days earlier with an opening game loss to Cisne, Patoka regrouped and refocused to win their next three contests, including the title game victory over previously unbeaten Wayne City.

Coach Joe Eddy saw his club get the job done on the defensive end and escaped with the one-point win.

Patoka improved its overall mark to 11-1 with the win as they continue to silence doubters.

After last season's postseason run they have just one hiccup this winter and now have two tournament titles.

“We played pretty well defensively. Every shot was contested. We really wanted to push on Green and make sure he didn't get any easy looks,” said Coach Eddy. “We could have hung our heads tonight, I don't know how many free throws we missed but it was enough that it shouldn't have been a close game. But every time we missed a free throw, I thought we get went back and got tougher on defense.”

Garrett Belcher, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, continues to be a matchup problem for the teams he faces.

On both ends of the floor, he has been dominating at times.

He led Patoka in this defensive battle with 14-points and seven-rebounds.

Belcher also stonewalled the Indians with a three blocked shots, two of them in the fourth quarter.

Jered Cain added 13-points for Patoka as both he and Belcher were held well below their normal averages by Wayne City.

“We pride ourselves on defense and we held them (Cain and Belcher) well below their averages. We have given up 40-points only two other times this year,” said Wayne City head coach Don Kueper. “But we shot poorly tonight and we didn't shoot well last night (Crab Orchard win) and if we get one more of those shots to go in its a different ball game.”

The Tribe were also stingy on the defensive end as this game stayed close throughout.

Coach Kueper saw his club hold its own against the Warriors with senior forward Chad Dickey leading all scorers with 21-points and seven-rebounds.

He scored seven of the points in the fourth quarter, which included a 3-pointer from the left wing that cut the Indians deficit to just one with :24 left.

“He (Dickey) had to work for everything he got tonight. We wanted to make it difficult for him to score,” said Coach Eddy.

But after Patoka's Skylar Webb missed a pair of free throws with :11 remaining, Wayne City had a chance for a game-winner.

After a missed shot, the Indians had a final inbounds play with :02.4.

WC got the ball in to senior Landon Willett, who already had a half-court 3-point game-winner this season for his team.

But his open look on the left baseline sailed long as Cain grabbed the rebound as the buzzer sounded.

The chances were there for the Indians but they failed to capitalize on the Warriors' foul shooting problem.

After a close first quarter which featured six lead changes, Wayne City made its best move of the night with an 8-0 run to close the quarter and begin the second.

Jordan Greenwalt scored just two-points in the game but his basket to end the first quarter gave the Tribe a 10-9 lead.

Wayne City added two more buckets by senior's Eric Green and Clayten Tubbs.

Tubbs, who missed the last three games with an ankle injury, came off the bench for the Indians and his drive down the middle of the lane kept the run going.

Two free throws from Dickey closed the run at 16-9 and caused a Patoka timeout.

Patoka retaliated with its first run of the contest that gave them back the lead at halftime.

Six-foot-four senior forward Jordan Cobb scored all six of his points with three scores in the paint.

He took assists from both Belcher and Cain and then grabbed an offensive rebound for a stick back and a 19-18 Patoka lead at the break.

Belcher opened the second half with a score on a baseline drive and Webb stole an errant inbound pass by Wayne City and took it to the house on a fast-break lay in, ending the 14-2 run at 23-18.

Dickey cut into the lead by hitting 1-of-2 free throws.

It was the only free throw missed by the Indians as they went 11-of-12 for the game, a stark contrast between the two clubs.

A basket by Cain on a spin move near the basket gave Patoka a 25-19 spread.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, the shots from the foul line simply wouldn't go in, as they missed 4-of-5 in the quarter, which could have extended their lead.

Dickey converted a three-point play on a drive in the lane, which forced the fourth foul on Cobb.

Belcher, a few seconds later, turned the trick on the other end of the floor getting to the basket while being fouled by Tubbs.

But the bad streak of foul shooting continued for the Warriors, as the frame closed at 28-24 Patoka heading into the fourth.

“They are a lot better than what they were defensively, they guard the ball a little harder. Belcher is that good of a player where he can uses his length and quickness,” said Coach Kueper.

A Tubbs three-point play getting to the basket opened the final frame.

But when they needed points the most, Belcher and Cain again stepped up for the Warriors.

Three different times during the contest Belcher took interior passes from Cain for buckets.

They hooked up again on the next possession with Cain hitting Belcher on a nice lob pass for an easy score.

Cain grabbed an air ball on a 3-point attempt by senior Mark Herrin for a stick back which was followed by Belcher points.

The senior again scored while being fouled but this time his made free throw gave Patoka another six-point lead at 35-29 with 4:51 remaining.

“He (Belcher) is a matchup problem on both ends of the floor. If you try to guard him with a guard he goes straight to the basket to post up. If you put a bigger guy on him he can go outside,” said Coach Eddy. “We have worked hard on that high-low seal and he has really taken advantage of it.”

Wayne City, to its credit, never wilted.

Dickey scored twice in the lane and Green hit four consecutive free throws in a stretch where Patoka only made 4-of-8 free throws.

But two of the made tosses came from senior Bailey O'Brien with :45.8 left, which gave the Warriors a 41-37 lead.

Dickey's 3-pointer, only his third long range attempt of the season, found the mark to cut the score down to the final margin.

Wayne City had the open look at the basket that they wanted at the end but the miss gave the Warriors the title.

“We got what we wanted (final shot) but it didn't go in. But it was good for us to see some adversity. I am proud of the kids for making it through this week without Clayten. I thought we would have struggled a lot more. We kind of breezed through our pool side but we have to get tougher,” said Coach Kueper. “Everyone knows we are a good ball club but we have to play better in crucial moments. The kids at the end are the ones who are going to have to do it.”

The battle on the floor on this cold afternoon produced a heated defensive effort by both teams and the result was tough sledding offensively for both squads.

Patoka was a bit better from the field, at 17-of-36 overall (47 percent) and 1-of-5 from the arc.

The problems from the foul line kept the Warriors from pulling away.

Wayne City was just 14-of-38 (36 percent) and 1-of-7 from 3-point range.

The rebounding edge went to Patoka, 24-20, but the key figure was the Indians only managed two offensive rebounds in the contest.

The Indians committed just eight turnovers, but five came in the final eight minutes.

Patoka's 10-turnovers were spread out throughout the contest.

“We re-focused after the Cisne game (a loss to begin the tournament). We ran into a team with a bit more length and athleticism. Our practices the following days went up immensely,” said Coach Eddy. “We told the kids, teams know we have guys who can score, especially our big two. But what if teams start saying 'man, we have to play against that Patoka defense'. We are going to have to play both ends of the floor. That is what is going to make us be able to take the next step that we want to take.”

Trailing entering the final quarter, Coach Adam Book saw his young Mules outscore Red Hill, 21-10 to pick up the victory.

Freshman Wyatt Gilbert netted 13-points, all in the second half, for Fairfield while sophomore Derek Estes added 12-points. Sophomore Cody Cantrell tossed in 10-points and freshman Kane Hixenbaugh added nine.

Gilbert netted the game-winning shot on a drive to the basket to break a 56-all tie with :43 remaining and the Mules survived a scare from Red Hill.

The Salukis got 21-points from sophomore Drew Moore and 14-points from senior Kameron Vinsel.

Five-foot-eight sophomore Parker Havill added three 3-pointers for nine-points for Red Hill (5-7).

Junior guard Corbin Shoulders had a look at the basket in the final seconds for a wide open 3-pointer that misfired at the buzzer.