It’s not often in high school basketball that one sees a slam dunk. Add to the mix two technical fouls, and a fan ejection, and you are left with the entertaining game between Nelsonville-York and Crooksville Monday night.
The Buckeyes topped the visiting Ceramics 71-65 in a make-up game originally scheduled for Jan. 21. It appears that the Buckeyes, who have won three straight, are back to the winning ways that saw them go undefeated for nearly a month through December and January.
Excellent free-throw shooting (25-for-32), as well as strong inside play in the second half allowed the Buckeyes to maintain a steady lead throughout the game. Nelsonville-York big men Daniel Kline and Kyle Moore were challenged by their counterparts Mitchell Swinger and Carder Payton, but were able to outlast the Ceramics’ inside presence.
Nelsonville-York led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter behind seven points from Moore, who finished with a season-high 15. Both teams spread the ball offensively, 14 players had scored before halftime.
The Buckeyes distanced themselves in the third quarter as Kline and guard Austin North found their scoring rhythms. The play of the night came when Kline stole the ball on a Crooksville inbounds pass, broke to the basket, and slammed it home, giving Nelsonville-York a nine-point lead with 3:46 left in the quarter.
Mounting frustration for the Ceramics resulted in a technical foul when Payton was penalized for a hard foul on Kline. In the ensuing uproar, a Crooksville parent was tossed for dissent towards the referee, and escorted from Ben Wagner Gymnasium by a policeman.
Despite the excellent offensive output from the Buckeyes the Ceramics made a valiant comeback attempt in the fourth quarter by battling back from a 62-53 Nelsonville-York lead with 2:14 to go. After a 12-5 run cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 67-65 with 20 seconds left, Crooksville was one possession away from a chance to tie the game.
But Nelsonville-York’s excellence from the charity stripe diminished any hope the Ceramics had, as every Buckeye sent to the line capitalized on the opportunity.
“I thought the difference was tonight we stepped up and hit free throws, hit big free throws,” Nelsonville-York coach Jay Kline said. “It was big because we needed it, because Crooksville just kept coming and even at the end there they got so hot and everything they put up was going in.”
“We feel good that we held them off and we get a win. Any win’s a good win and that gets us to 10 wins. You know, that’s big for us.”
QUICK STATS
Monday
-Nelsonville-York 71, Crooksville 65
-Kyle Moore (N-Y): 15 pts.
-Nelsonville-York: 25-for-32 on free throws
UPNEXT:
-The Buckeyes travel to Wellston on Friday for a TVC-Ohio matchup. They beat the Rockets 69-49 last Tuesday.
nc606411@ohiou.edu
