12-28-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
VANDALIA – It's one of those often used basketball proverbs, an adage that has been talked about by coaches since John Wooden was a Indiana child.

“The first three minutes of the game and the first three minutes of the second half are the most important times of the game.”

On Thursday night the St. Anthony Bulldogs were in a “dog fight” with the host Vandalia Vandals at the VHT.

After trading baskets for most of the first half, Coach Cody Rincker's visitors led just 25-20 at intermission.

But beginning the third quarter the defending tournament champions came out with a lot more intensity and much better execution.

The Bulldogs forced Vandalia into 13 second half turnovers, 20 for the game, while holding the Vandals to just 12-points in the final 16-minutes to pull away for a 51-32 victory.

The win improved St. Anthony to 4-0 in Pool A and advanced the squad back into the title game.

While the Bulldogs had some of their own issues in the first half, the second half was a much better result and effort as St. A now stands at 12-2 on the season.

In those first three minutes, St. Anthony doubled its lead and never let up in posting the win.

Balance is always a key for this team and Coach Rincker saw nine different players produce points on the board against Vandalia.

Seniors Adam Levitt and Alex Beesley provided some needed spark, netting 12-points each.

This veteran club also got points from senior Jack Nuxoll who cashed in for nine-points.

“I think it speaks about this senior group and their ability to play the game of basketball. Last year they knew that they had a scorer (Drew Gibson) that was able to go off at anytime and they frequently went to him. But this year they know that the have to do it as a team,” said Coach Rincker. “Beesley has woken up in this tournament and he has managed to stay out of foul trouble. Deters, Nuxoll and Levitt continue to be consistent and they are capable of putting the ball in the hole. When they move the basketball and are patient, they can all score.”

However it was the defensive end of the floor that caused the most difficulty for Coach Brian Buscher's Vandals.

Besides the turnovers, Vandalia wasn't very accurate from the floor as they shot just 9-of-34 overall (26.4 percent).

Only one Vandal; 5-foot-9 junior Blake Morrison, hit for double-figures as he finished with 10.

Senior Nathan Casey and Deven Little both scored six-points in the loss.

The first half featured an amazing 10 lead changes as the hosts hung right with the Bulldogs.

Morrison, Casey and senior Garret McNary each hit first quarter 3-pointers.

McNary, who ended up with seven-points, hit his trey to give Vandalia a 13-12 lead with just over a minute left in the first quarter.

Nuxoll closed out the stanza with a transition score to give back the lead to the Bulldogs at the end of one.

St. Anthony took back the lead for keeps with their first actual scoring run of the contest in the second quarter.

With Nuxoll, Levitt and senior Alex Deters (five-points) all hitting shots.

Deters bucket was a 3-pointer just before the horn to give the Bulldogs a 25-20 lead.

“They (St. Anthony) hit a big three to go up five at the half. We gave up 16-points tonight off of our turnovers and we can't do that. I thought that was the difference in the ballgame,” said Coach Buscher. “I thought defense wasn't bad but I thought that we were also a bit late rotating. I thought offensively we got frustrated and we got out of sync.”

While Coach Rincker's club struggled some offensively in the first half (eight turnovers) they got their act together in the second half as they committed just one turnover in the final minutes of the game after the outcome was decided.

Three different times in the third quarter Effingham St. Anthony scored in their half-court offense on cuts to the basket.

When they weren't getting the ball inside they were working for a good open outside look.

Beesley hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle to go along with an inside shot courtesy of an assist by Nuxoll.

Luke Ludwig got in on the enjoyment, cutting to the basket for another score and a 36-26 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Senior point guard Cade Walsh is one of those players that every coach wants.

He does all of the things that don't show up on the scorebook but are every bit as important.

Walsh, the shortest of the starters on this team, led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds.

He only scored two points on the night, on a steal and fast break lay in.

After a Levitt rebound bucket, Walsh made another steal near mid-court.

But instead of racing for the basket, he found Nuxoll running down the left side of the court.

That pass from Walsh to Nuxoll resulted in one more pass (tip) to a wide-open Beesley for a fast break lay in.

This completed an 11-2 run for a 47-30 lead with 2:28 left.

“I tell the coaches all of the time, I'm spoiled and I don't even know it. He (Walsh) is a three-year starter and what he is able to do in this game of basketball is something else,” said Coach Rincker. “Throwing outlet passes, rebounding, all of the little things that don't show up in the boxes. He wants to win more than he want personal glory. He is a huge part of our team.”

After a pair of free throws by Morrison, St. Anthony got the ball back and spread their offense out.

Levitt cut to the basket for an easy lay in to make it 49-32 before both coaches went to their reserves to finish out the last 1:10.

“They (St. Anthony) have a very high basketball IQ. They can find that shooter who is open. On the other end we aren't finding the shooters and we aren't creating the shots,” said Coach Buscher.”

For the Bulldogs the the shooting was much better as they knocked down exactly half of their attempts, going 22-of-44 from the field and 4-of-11 from the arc.

They held a slight rebounding edge (23-21) and they gifted the Vandals by sending them to the line (10-of-13) but they were stingy in all other categories.

“I think we rebound pretty well but because of our defense (forcing turnovers) we never seem to get a lot of defensive rebounds,” said Coach Rincker. “We seem to get turnovers and points off of transition. Tonight our defense was on point and that was the real reason that we won tonight.”

Vandalia saw its overall mark slip to 8-6, but their 3-1 mark is good enough to put them in the third place game on Friday night against Shelbyville.

“I think we were a bit frustrated early because some of our shots weren't falling but definitely the start of the third quarter I thought we were more focused,” said Coach Rincker. “Offensively we were patient and had more movement.”

Coach Phil Leib, who reached 300-wins earlier in this season, saw his club hit 26-of-47 from the field in the win.

They also were a sharp 7-of-11 from the foul line.

Woodrow and Brown both hit three 3-pointers apiece in the triumph.

Shelbyville (11-2 overall, 3-1 in Pool B) got 18-points from 6-foot-5 senior Malcolm Miller and 16-points from Kade Kull.

Turner Pullen tossed in 15 for the Rams who were 20-of-45 from the field.

Shelbyville (57) – Spears 0 1 0-0 3, MIller 4 3 1-3 18, Watson 2 0 1-1 5, Pullen 5 0 5-10 15, Kull 1 4 2-2 16, Reed 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-12, 3FG-8, FT-9-16, PF-14.
Flora (66) – Schafer 0 1 0-0 3, Woodrow 2 3 4-4 17, Brown 5 3 1-3 20, Leib 7 0 1-3 15, Carder 1 0 0-0 2, Moses 3 0 1-1 7, Warren 0 0 0-0 0, Hout 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-19, 3FG-7, FT-7-11, PF-11.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

Coach Jamie VanScyoc got 14-points each from senior Trent Geiler, junior Logan Lotz and sophomore Hunter Brandt in the lopsided win.

South Central was 12-of-15 from the foul line as they moved into the fifth place game on Friday with the win.

The Vandals were led by Garrett Austin with 11-points and 10-points from Bryce Davis.

Ramsey fell to 0-4 on the week with two losses on Thursday.
Hayden Seaton and Jalen Roberts posted 12 and 10 for the Rams.

Patoka (59) – Jolliff 3 1 1-5 10, Alexander 1 1 0-1 5, Walker 1 0 0-0 2, Gebke 8 2 2-3 24, Burks 2 0 0-0 4, Hill 3 0 8-10 14, Back 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-18, 3FG-4, FT-11-19, PF-16.
Ramsey (44) – Ke. Adermann 2 0 3-4 7, Dunn 0 0 0-0 0, Roberts 2 1 4-4 11, Forbus 0 1 1-4 4, Ko. Adermann 2 0 1-3 5, Seaton 3 0 6-6 12, Carroll 0 0 0-0 0, Cook 2 0 1-2 5.
2FG-11, 3FG-2, FT-16-23, PF-19.
Fouled Out – Seaton - Ramsey.
Technical Fouls – None.