02-06-09
BY JACK BULLOCK
THOMPSONVILLE - Gallatin County came up short in its rally against Thompsonville Friday night on the road in the Greater Egyptian Conference.

Just barely short to be exact.

Trailing the entire game – the Hawks gathered themselves together for one last run which nearly resulted in a come from behind win. Coach Radar Patton’s team whittled the lead down to one point in the final minute.

However the Tigers held their ground and hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final :45 to seal the important league win.

Jacob Nielsen – Thompsonville’s 5-foot-9 senior guard and one of the team leaders – hit four of those important charities as the Tigers improved to 10-13 overall and 5-7 in the GEC.

Ethan Kerley topped the Tigers with 15-points while Jordan Browning and Nielsen scored 12 points each.

“Our kids did a better job of moving without the ball than we have before tonight,” said Thompsonville head coach John Robinson. “We got up nine but we weren’t very smart with the lead. We didn’t want to see it get back to one I told the kids that the good thing is that we have five seniors out there we came right back after they made their run and made some free throws.”

Gallatin County (6-16 overall, 3-8 in GEC) got a game-best 17 markers from Jared Hunt while teammate Quinton Drone added 16.

The Hawks – even though the got close to the lead – never led in the contest in which they shot just 18-of-50 from the floor overall.

Coach Patton’s club couldn’t take advantage of the Tigers’ 18-turnovers to pick up the victory.

Gallatin County trailed from the outset but didn’t give up the scrum.

“There is no question that our kids don’t know how to win games at the end yet. They work hard and didn’t quit and that is all I ask,” said Coach Patton. “Give me 110 percent and we will throw it up and see what happens. If we lose we will still hold our heads up.”

Thompsonville’s Kerley scored twice in the beginning of the game to help spot his Tigers an early ad.

He rebounded his own missed shot in the paint and his stick back gave the Tigers a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

His score made it 6-4 with 4:05 left in the opening quarter.

Josh Fisher connected on a 3-pointer at the 1:38 mark and Thompsonville was in command at 13-7.

Following a 3-pointer by Gallatin County’s Drone cut the lead down to just three – Coach Patton was whistled for a technical foul arguing a foul call - which pushed the lead at the end of the quarter to 15-10 after Nielsen hit both technical free throws.

“We do it every game and why, I don’t know?” added Patton. “Every game we are nine, ten, eleven points behind and tonight I got a technical and that didn’t help them. That isn’t their fault that is my fault.”

The Hawks started out cold from the field with 4-of-13 in the opening eight minutes.

Gallatin County put together their first rally of the game in the second quarter with Hunt scoring four points – first and last of the frame – for Coach Patton’s team.

His drive to the basket with 1:20 left cut the Thompsonville advantage to 25-23. That was the score heading to intermission but Gallatin County had a shot at taking the lead.

However the Hawks missed their opportunity to end the half.

Following a Thompsonville turnover – their seventh of the quarter – Gallatin County held the ball for nearly a minute looking for a last second shot but turned it back over to the Tigers with :04.3 left.

Thompsonville could have put the outcome to rest in the third quarter with an 8-1 beginning of the half scoring sprint to push the lead to 33-24.

Nielsen scored twice in the run and when his spinning shot in the lane from 10-feet out found the mark – the Tigers led by nine.

But Gallatin County closed the frame with a pair of nice scores.

Hunt hit a shot on a baseline drive and freshman Bryant Aud hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to 35-30 heading into the final quarter.

The Tigers Kerley and Browning each took an assist from senior guard Jesse Williams in the fourth quarter for scores in the lane.

Browning’s bucket pushed the lead to 41-35 and the Tigers appeared safely headed for a Friday night win.

Except Thompsonville allowed the Hawks off the mat by committing four fourth quarter turnovers.

Hunt, Drone, Aud and Brandon Fromm scored points in an 11-4 scoring march to cut the lead to one-point.

Following two made free throws by Fromm – the Tigers’ Josh Fisher committed his fifth personal foul while pushing a Gallatin County player out of the way trying to get the ball.

This “team offensive foul” gave the Hawks possession.

Just seconds later Aud drained his third 3-pointer of the contest and suddenly it was 45-44 Thompsonville with :58 left.

But at this point – Thompsonville held firm.

After Kerley hit one-of-two free throws to increase the lead to two – Gallatin County’s Hunt missed on a bank shot that was rebounded by the Tigers.

Nielsen hit four consecutive free throws sandwiched around a Gallatin County turnover that made winners out of the Tigers on this night.

“These games are never easy and we played them down at their place and beat them by 16 but tonight they played a lot better,” said Robinson. “You have to give them credit – they came in here and battled. Every time we play in the GEC it is going to be a battle.”

Thompsonville finished with a 21-of-40 field goal effort on the night and were 7-of-10 from the foul line.

The Hawks were 5-of-12 from behind the 3-point arc but just 13-of-38 in close.

Thompsonville held a slight 26-21 rebounding edge.

“We have had some ups and downs this year but that is two-in-a-row for us and we get to get back after it tomorrow at 10:30 in the morning at the SEC/GEC Shootout,” Robinson said.

Both teams’ head back into action on Saturday with the first every SEC/GEC Shootout to be held at Shawnee Community College.

Thompsonville will play at 10:30 against Egyptian while Gallatin County will face Century at noon.

“They are young and we have a couple of seniors that have never won and I feel sorry for those guys. They are good kids and work hard,” finalized Patton. “Maybe we can get a win or two before the season is over.”

Gallatin County (46) – Casteel 1 0 0-0 2, Drone 4 2 2-4 16, Steele 0 0 0-0 0, Hunt 8 0 1-3 17, Lowery 0 0 0-0 0, Aud 0 3 0-0 9, Charleton 0 0 0-0 0, Fromm 0 0 2-2 2.
2FG-13, 3FG-5, FT-5-7, PF-12.
Thompsonville (50) – Williams 1 0 0-0 2, Browning 6 0 0-2 12, Nielsen 3 0 6-6 12, J. Fisher 3 1 0-0 9, Lindsey 0 0 0-0 0, Kerley 7 0 1-2 15, Z. Fisher 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-20, 3FG-1, FT-7-10, PF-12.
Fouled Out – J.Fisher - Thompsonville.
Technical Fouls – Gallatin County Bench.