12-19-02
WEBBER TOWNSHIP v. THOMPSONVILLE
@ Wayne City
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY - First year head coach Clarence Gross is watching his team grow up in a hurry.

And Thursday night's effort against Thompsonville made him beam like a proud father on graduation day.

The Trojans hit 31-of-41 free throw attempts in the game, including 8-of-11 in overtime, to beat rival Thompsonville 86-79 to improve to 2-1 in pool play at the Conrad Allen Holiday Tournament.

His kids overcame a late fourth quarter deficit against their Mid-South Conference rivals to push past the .500 mark at 5-4 overall for the 2002-03 season.

"These kids are finding ways to make plays, and we didn't do that early in the season," said Gross, whose team plays Edwards County Saturday with a chance to get into the championship game. "The effort has been there this week. They are playing hard and it has showed up with our success so far. They are growing up in front of my eyes"

The game started out like a track meet, with both teams getting up and down the floor.

Thompsonville got some early points from junior Aaron Ruzich, who scored six of his 13 markers of the night in the early going.

But the Tigers couldn't shake loose from Webber.

The Trojans got baskets by sophomore Brad Porter and senior Brad Bane, who scored in the paint posting up 5-6 sophomore guard Miles Vaughn, and the quarter ended at 18-16 Tigers.

Webber got its first lead of the night moments into the second quarter as Porter connected from behind the 3-point arc, which made it 19-18 Trojans.

T-Ville got the lead back a few minutes later on a 3-point play from senior Mike Marvel, who scored in the paint while being fouled by Webber's Jabe Michel. His made free throw pushed it to 24-23 Tigers.

Michel was not much of a first half factor, but his play in the second half helped make a difference in the outcome of this close contest.

Thompsonville kept the lead the rest of the quarter but it was never more than three points.

After a pair of free throws by Bane evened things at 33 with 1:04 to play, Vaughn hit a tough baseline shot to send the teams to the locker room at 35-33.

Webber evened things again to open the third quarter with Michel getting his first points of the night to tie it at 35.

But Thompsonville's Ruzich and Vaughn scored the next five points to give the Tigers their biggest spread of the night. Vaughn's 3-pointer pushed it out to a 40-35 advantage.

Michel scored the next five points for Webber on a basket in the paint and 3-of-4 free throws. Ullery then added a score on an inbounds play.

Baskets by Marvel and Thompsonville's Cody Murphy happened during this Webber run and it was 44-42 Tigers with 4:03 left.

Later in the quarter, Thompsonville reserve Chuck Rooker hit a 3-pointer off of a set out-of-bounds play to give Thompsonville yet another four-point cushion.

But Michel scored late in the quarter after a Marvel basket to cut things to 50-47 heading to the final quarter.

Ullery hit a pair of free throws to get things going in the fourth quarter.

But a 3-point play by Vaughn on Michel's third personal foul pushed the advantage back to 53-49.

On the next trip, Ullery scored on a baseline jumper.

Thompsonville got a bucket by Marvel on a rebound put back to make it 55-51.

Webber managed to pull even on a pair of free throws by Porter and a baseline drive by Michel making it 55-all.

Thompsonville responded with another Vaughn 'trifecta' to give Thompsonville a brief 58-55 lead.

However the big run the coach Gross was looking for to get his team back into the game came in the next 2:00.

Porter followed up the Vaughn 3-pointer with one of his own to tie things up at 58.

Then Bane powered to the basket for a score to put Webber on top for the first time since the second quarter at 60-58.

Thompsonville's Marvel would foul out of the game on the next two Webber Township trips into the offensive end. His fifth foul resulted in Michel making 1-of-2 from the line to make it 61-58.

Webber got a score off some good hustle on a loose ball on its next possession. After a scramble in the paint for the ball, Porter ended up with and put up a shot that went in and it was 63-58 Trojans.

However the Tigers had a run left in them that nearly resulted in a Thompsonville triumph.

Six-three junior Brandon Chaplain scored on a rebound basket to cut the lead to three.

Then after a Webber miscue, Vaughn found himself open for a 3-pointer which he made to tie things once again, 63-all.

After another Webber trip without points, Thompsonville got great ball movement on its next possession, which resulted in Rooker getting a wide-open 3-point look from the top of the key.

His shot banked home and gave the Tigers the lead once again at 66-63 with just 1:01 to play in regulation.

Porter got two of the points back with a runner down the baseline to cut it to a single point deficit.

Thompsonville's Ruzich hit 1-of-2 charities, missing the last one.

After a Webber timeout to set up a final play, the Trojans got a good look at the basket that resulted in a score with :07.3 left.

Bane, the lone senior on the floor for Webber, laid in a shot with his left hand to knot things a 67-all.

Ruzich got a shot off just before the buzzer but Ullery got a piece of it and the two teams headed into overtime.

Webber got the first advantage in the OT with Ullery hitting two free throws to make it 69-67. Vaughn scored on the next trip to even things again for Thompsonville.

Ullery scored again on a drive in the lane to give Webber back the lead.

And after a free-throw by Ruzich got the Tigers back within a point at 71-70, Webber would push ahead and hold the lead for the rest of the game.

Michel scored from the left side of the lane on the next Webber possession.

Then Porter scored on a rebound after a Bane miss and the lead was 75-70. Murphy and Bane exchanged 1-of-2 trips to the line on the next two chances for each team.

Then Murphy hit on an under-handed lay in to cut it back down to 76-73 with :59.2 seconds left.

After a Thompsonville timeout, Michel was fouled by Vaughn and the sophomore calmly hit two free throws to make it 78-73.

The Tigers would not go away as Rooker came up big once again for the Tigers.

He banked home a 15-footer to cut the lead to 78-75.

Then Michel was fouled again, this time by Vaughn who picked up his fifth personal and headed to the bench with :36.4 left.

Michel made both of these charities as well to put a little comfort to the margin at 80-75.

However just when the Trojans (and their fans) started thinking that they had this game in the bag, Ruzich got open from 20-feet and his attempt banked home to cut it back down to 80-78.

Ullery was fouled with :20.9 left. He made both free ones to make it 82-78.

Ruzich hit the first of two free throws and then fouled Ullery again, as the free throw parade was near the end at :13.2 left.

He hit them both again to push the lead to 84-79.

Thompsonville had one last chance but Bane made a steal and went the distance to score the game clincher just before the final horn.

"We made our own breaks tonight against a good team tonight," added Gross. "Now we need to win on Saturday against Edwards County and hope that Thompsonville or Edwards County can beat Cisne for us to reach the title game."

Cisne beat Webber 73-72 Tuesday night.

Cisne is 2-0, Webber Township is 2-1 and Edwards County is 2-0 heading into Friday night's game between the two schools nicknamed 'Lions.'

Ullery pounded home 23 points and Bane added 22 for Webber.

Porter chipped in 19 and Michel scored all 18 of his points in the final two quarters and overtime.

For the Tigers (0-2 at the Conrad Allen) Vaughn had a game high 24. He got help Murphy and Marvel who added 14 and 13 along with Ruzich's 13.

Thompsonville has Sandoval Friday and Cisne on Saturday left in its pool play schedule.

CISNE 68, SANDOVAL 46
After trailing 35-29 at the half, Cisne outscored Sandoval 39-11 in the second half to move to 2-0 in Pool B of the Wayne City Holiday Tournament.

Drew Glover led the Lions with 32 points, including 19-of-22 from the foul line.

Josh Boyd added 14 for Cisne.

Sandoval (0-3) was led by Tyler Crawford with 16 points.

Cisne shot 39 free throws compared to just four by Sandoval in the contest.

SESSER-VALIER 74, CRAB ORCHARD 44
The Red Devils laid 31 points in the first quarter and then cruised to the easy win in the final contest of the evening.

S-V was led by Nick Wingo with 19 points. Tony Martin and Matt Carpenter added 10 each as 11 of the 12 Red Devils hit the scoreboard.

Undermanned Crab Orchard (1-2 in the tourney) was led by Lucas Odom with 24 points with Travis Bailey adding 10, Dustin Copher scored eight and Christian Turner scored two.

Coach Jon Brown's club, because of injuries and transfers, suits up only six players for varsity games and have cancelled the remainder of their JV games this season.