12-11-06
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY - Most coaches like to see their team jump out to an early lead and maintain its advantage and intensity throughout the full 32 minutes of action.

On the opening night of the Conrad Allen Wayne City Holiday Tournament, Thompsonville head coach John Robinson got to see his club roar out to an impressive 17-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

However the intensity wasn’t there the rest of the way.

Allowing the turnover prone Patoka Warriors to hang around, the Tigers saw nearly all of that 15 point lead vanish in the fourth quarter.

But some key buckets in the final quarter by Josh Fisher and a team-high 18 points from Jordan Browning allowed Thompsonville to win its opener, 68-52, Monday night in the second game of the evening.

Crab Orchard won the first game of the night, beating Webber Township, 68-50, while the host Indians handled Clay City, 51-33.

Thompsonville improved its record to 4-5 overall while Patoka fell to 4-4.

“We didn’t play with the same intensity throughout the whole game as we did in the first quarter,” said Robinson. “After we got the 17-2 lead, it was a disappointing effort.”

The Tigers survived a 28-point barrage by Patoka’s Jordan Potter.

The Warriors cut the lead down to nine twice in the fourth quarter but could get no closer in the final three minutes in the loss.

“You are not going to dig yourself a 17-2 hole and commit 32 turnovers and expect to win a game against someone as good as Thompsonville,” said Patoka coach Joe Eddy. “We need some kids to step up besides Potter offensively.”

Twelve of those turnovers came in the first eight minutes.

No one else hit for double figures for Patoka.

Thompsonville got three other players besides Browning over 10 points.

Fisher pitched in 15 for the contest while Alex McClerren and Seth Sickmeyer each finished with 11.

In the beginning it was the Tigers that looked like they were going to completely blow Patoka away.

After the Warriors Tyson Murray scored an inside basket to tie the game at two with 7:42 to go, Thompsonville dominated the rest the period.

Seven points by Browning, four points from McClerren and two baskets by Sickmeyer and Fisher added up to a 15-0 run.

When Browning finished a fast break on a pass from teammate Jacob Nielson, it was 17-2 at the first horn.

But Patoka’s Potter got rolling in the second quarter with three of his five 3-pointers in second quarter giving the Warriors some hope.

Patoka scored the final eight points of the half, with two of those Potter trifectas and another in close score by Murray cut the Thompsonville advantage to 28-17 at the break.

An 11-4 run to open the second half lifted the Tigers back into a comfort zone.

Sickmeyer scored seven points in the quarter. A fast break lay in by the 6-foot-5 junior and another transition score from Browning ended the quarter at 49-32.

A Potter 3-pointer with 3:45 left cut the Thompsonville advantage to 53-44.

That was the last hurrah for the Warriors.

Thompsonville closed out the victory with a Fisher 3-pointer and a back door score from Browning on a pass from McClerren.

The Tigers were 28-of-58 from the field (6-of-11 from behind the arc) and committed 20 turnovers, a number that would have gotten Thompsonville beaten on most any other night.

Patoka finished 18-of-44 overall and 7-of-15 from downtown.

The Warriors out rebounded T-Ville 29-22.

“We didn’t show the type of intensity that I expect tonight,” added Robinson.

Thompsonville (68) – McClerren 4 1 0-0 11, Fisher 3 3 0-1 15, Browning 5 1 5-7 18, Sickmeyer 5 0 1-2 11, Ja. Nielson 3 1 0-0 9, Householder 0 0 0-0 0, Gaither 1 0 0-0 2, Jo. Nielson 0 0 0-0 0, Kerley 1 0 0-2 2, Loss 0 0 0-0 0, Rumsey 0 0 0-0 0, Williams 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-22, 3FG-6, FT-6-12, PF-13.
Patoka (52) – Murfin 0 0 0-0 0, Whisler 0 0 0-0 0, Cain 0 0 0-0 0, Belcher 0 0 0-0 0, Baldridge 0 0 0-0 0, Meyers 0 1 0-0 3, Back 0 2 1-2 7, Potter 5 5 3-4 28, Hames 2 0 1-2 5, Murray 3 0 0-0 6, Carroll 1 0 1-5 3.
2FG-11, 3FG-8, FT-6-13, PF-16.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

WAYNE CITY 51, CLAY CITY 33
In the Monday nightcap, the Indians kept the Clay City Wolves at bay for most of the game in producing a relatively easy win.

Hitting exactly half of their field goal attempts (19-of-38) and winning the rebounding battle convincingly 26-11, Wayne City improved to 4-4 on the season with the victory.

Ryan Clevenger topped all scorers with 14 points while teammate Aaron McCormick added 11.

Cody Lewis managed 10 points for Clay City before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

He was the only one of the Wolves to reach double-digits.

Having more turnovers than rebounds, Clay City saw its record dip to 2-5.

Wayne City took control with an early 8-2 surge.

McCormick, who at 5-foot-11 is a strong kid in the middle, scored six of his points in the run.

A rebound basket opened the games scoring and his score from the left side of the lane with 2:53 left in the stanza forced a Clay City timeout.

The Wolves got within six points one time in the second quarter and trailed just 34-27 heading into the final quarter after a Blake Fehrenbacher bucket at the buzzer to end the third.

However the Indians ended the Clay City hopes with a 7-0 run to begin the final frame.

Six-foot junior Travis Deitz scored a pair of baskets in the run, all on passes from Kory Blank.

When the run ended, Wayne City led 41-27.

Following Clevenger and McCormick, the Indians received nine points from Jason Tubbs.

CRAB ORCHARD 68, WEBBER TOWNSHIP 50
CO jumped on WT with a 21-6 opening QT.

Crab Orchard evened its overall mark at 5-5 with the win.

David Brainard topped all scorers with 26 points, including three 3-pointers.

Tommy Kissing added 19 and freshman Adam Perry chipped in 13 as Coach Jon Brown’s club won its tournament opener.

Webber (2-5) dropped to 0-1 in the tournament with the loss.

Nick Skorch led the defending tournament champs with 21 points.

Tournament Schedule: When play resumes on Tuesday night; Midland Trail Conference rivals Clay City and Cisne will hook up at 5:30 PM, Patoka meets Crab Orchard at 7 PM and Wayne City hosts Mid-South Conference sibling Grayville at 8:30 PM.

Webber Township (50) – Scott 0 0 4-6 4, Show 0 1 1-3 4, Sheilds 0 0 0-0 0, Kiel 4 0 1-3 9, Skorch 8 1 2-2 21, Lowery 0 0 2-2 2, Catron 1 0 0-0 2, Beal 1 0 0-0 2, Martin 2 0 0-0 4, Austin 0 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-17, 3FG-2, FT-10-16, PF-17.
Crab Orchard (68) – Kissing 3 2 9-11 19, Brainard 5 3 7-8 26, Perry 6 0 1-1 13, Morris 2 0 0-0 4, Boester 0 0 0-0 0, Anderson 1 0 0-0 2, Evetts 0 0 2-4 2, Pierce 0 0 0-0 0, Hutchins 0 0 0-0 0, Killen 0 0 0-0 0, Marks 0 0 0-0 0, Carter 0 0 0-0 0, Davis 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-17, 3FG-5, FT-19-24, PF-13.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.