02-07-09
BY JACK BULLOCK
NASHVILLE - The Waltonville Spartans game-plan coming into the 2008-09 season was to use its tough schedule to get better.

They are a young team looking for great things in the future.

The future isn’t here just yet.

Nashville – on Saturday night at the Nashville Shootout – turned out to be the toughest of the Spartans opponents.

Using the outside shooting of Sam Brown (four 3-pointers) and his teammates that combined to make 8-of-16 shots from behind the arc – the Hornets improved their record to 23-2 on the season with a 67-53 win in the finale of the Booster Club Shootout.

The 6-foot-2 Brown – just a sophomore - nailed two of his trifectas in the early part of the third quarter as Coach Darin Lee’s club pulled away from Waltonville for the triumph.

For there part – the Spartans held tough and proved to be a worthy opponent for Nashville in this matchup.

Had it not been for a cold shooting night (16-of-43 from the floor) the Spartans may have been right in the game until the end.

However Waltonville started the first and third quarters cold, which coincided with strong scoring quarters by the Hornets.

This proved to be the difference in a game many thought would be a blowout.

While talk around the Internet about this shootout was about switching around the matchups – Coach Lee knew his team would have to play well to win.

“They are a good basketball team and I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t think they aren’t good. They are getting beat by good basketball teams,” said Nashville head coach Darin Lee. “Our depth just wore them down. They played some good teams this week but that is what makes you better. We’ve just have more depth and I’m able to sub some guys in where he (Coach Denault) can’t.”

Nashville put two other players in double-figures with Brock Pries and David Conner scoring 13 and 10.

Waltonville’s Joseph Lewis scored 17-points in the loss while Skyler Witges netted 15.

“They are very good and they shot the ball well. When they shoot it they are hard to beat and tonight they shot the ball well,” said Coach Denault. “Brown was on fire and when they shoot the ball well they are like us. When we shoot the ball well we are tough to beat. We did a great job guarding the post but when you have guys like Brown that can hit shots two or three feet behind the arc it is hard to guard both spots.”

Neither team could put much offense together early as the first points of the game were scored with 4:51 remaining when Brock Wheatley drove the lane for a score to give the Spartans the early advantage.

But Nashville responded with a 9-0 run.

Brown scored on an inbounds play and Conner scored twice with a 3-pointer and a fast break lay in for an 11-2 lead with :49 left.

Wheatley closed the quarter with a pair of free throws but his night was heading for a quick ending.

Waltonville’s best run of the night came early in the second quarter.

An 11-0 sprint - with Lewis and Witges scoring all of the points -gave Waltonville its first lead.

Lewis started and ended the surge with 3-point bombs and Witges converted a conventional three-point play and a pair of other free throws.

When Lewis nailed his second shot from the top of the arc – the Spartans led 15-14 with 4:10 left.

Wheatley fell to the floor bring the ball up the court and his leg injury (ankle) turned into points as Devin Maschhoff took the ball to the basket for a easy lay up before time was stopped.

Wheatley was carried off the floor and didn’t return.

This proved to be a pivotal point of the proceedings losing the main point guard on the team.

“You don’t see many defenses better than them (Nashville) but I thought our kids did a good job adjusting tonight,” added Coach Denault. “In the second half without Brock Wheatley we did a good job taking care of the ball. It was tough without him in there. Skyler had to play all of those minutes and it was tough.”

The Spartans had one final lead following a lay in by Witges with just over a minute left until the half.

But Brown gave the Hornets a huge lift by dropping in his first two 3-point shots of the night to close the second quarter.

His trey from the right wing gave Nashville back the lead for good at 23-21 with :42 left.

Then he nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner with :04 remaining.

This shot sent the Hornets off the floor in control at 26-21.

Brown hit two more 3-pointers in the early part of the third quarter as the Hornets pulled away.

His second score pushed the Nashville lead to 35-25 at the 5:30 mark.

Waltonville cut the deficit under ten points one other time when Derek Ford scored underneath the basket late in the quarter.

But yet another 3-pointer – this time by Michael Wilson – kept the Hornets in command at 49-37 heading into the fourth quarter.

Waltonville would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

When Brock Pries hit his second of two free throws with 1:28 left – Nashville had its largest lead at 67-48.

Waltonville managed to out-rebound the Hornets 25-24 but couldn’t get past their cold shooting evening.

Nashville hit 23-of-48 from the floor that included the strong showing from behind the 3-point line.

The Hornets hit 13-of-16 free throws (8-of-10 in the final quarter) that helped them control the second half.

“We want to play the best and to me, they’re the best,” said Coach Denault. “They (Nashville) have lost a couple of games but pound for pound – night in and night out – they’re the best. We want to play the best teams and tonight our kids gave a great effort on the road. The big key for us is that we got better tonight because of this game.”

Waltonville (53) – Lamke 0 1 0-0 3, L. Kabat 0 1 0-0 3, Askew 0 0 0-0 0, Bassett 2 0 1-2 5, Wheatley 0 0 2-4 2, Witges 3 0 9-9 15, Johnson 1 0 0-0 2, Kash 1 0 0-0 2, Lewis 3 2 5-7 17, Ford 2 0 0-0 4.
2FG-12, 3FG-45, FT-17-22, PF-18.
Nashville (67) – Meyer 0 1 0-0 3, Maschhoff 2 0 0-0 4, Wilson 0 2 2-2 8, Redke 0 0 0-0 0, Pries 4 0 5-6 13, Brown 5 4 3-4 25, Conner 2 1 3-4 10, Sachteleben 0 0 0-0 0, Wreath 1 0 0-0 2, Meier 0 0 0-0 0, Ryterski 0 0 0-0 0. 2FG-15, 3FG-8, FT-13-16, PF-20.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

COLLINSVILLE 81, CAIRO 60
The Pilots steered their way to a pair of shootouts on Saturday losing games at both Benton and Nashville.

The Kahoks (5-17) picked up a much-needed win by pulling away from Cairo in the second half behind the scoring of Austin Ash.

This 6-foot-2 junior set a shootout record with 29-points in the lopsided win.

Robbie Fernandez (15) and Quinton Collins (14) also hit for double-figures for head coach Chris Kusnerick – who formerly coached at Southern Illinois Class A power Effingham St. Anthony.

Cairo (5-13) was led by 18-points from Hershel Graham and 15 from Melvin Johnson.

Arthur Williams tossed in 11 for Coach Tommy Ellis’ crew.

Cairo (60) – W. Thomas 1 1 2-2 7, D. Thomas 0 1 0-0 3, Wright 1 0 0-0 2, Johnson 7 0 1-2 15, A. Williams 3 0 5-10 11, Graham 6 2 1-2 19, Woodson 0 0 0-0 0, Hill 0 1 0-0 3, Jones 0 0 0-0 0, C. Williams 0 0 0-0 0. 2FG-18, 3FG-5, FT-9-16, PF-12.
Collinsville (81) – Collins 5 0 4-5 14, Barney 1 1 0-0 5, Marshall 2 0 0-0 4, Lanter 3 0 0-0 6, Kusnerick 0 0 0-0 0, B. Hails 2 0 0-0 4, Ash 9 3 2-4 29, A. Hails 0 0 0-0 0, Fernandez 6 0 3-6 15.
2FG-30 3FG-4, FT-9-15, PF-12.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.