Gary
Franklin - Sports Writer
In the #58 Sectional Championship
contest held at South Decatur High
School, two overtime periods were
played to prove the equality of
two very deserving teams, however
as the ball bounces only one can
win to advance and as fate would
have it on this Saturday evening,
the fourth day of March, the ever
so slender edge went to Shawe.
The final outcome was decided on
a barrage of missed FT's by Eagle
shooters, a foul lane infraction,
and a pair of FT attempts scored
by Shawe with 2.6 seconds remaining
in the second overtime. A total
heartbreaker for whichever team
did not get to advance, but that's
basketball in Indiana.
In opening the contest, Shawe
controlled the tip leading to,
oddly enough, the first 2 points
being scored by Shawe senior, Andrew
Kring with a FG. The oddity in
that being that the last 2 points
of the game, with 2.6 seconds remaining
in overtime #2, were scored from
a pair of made FT's to give them
the needed lead and victory of
the game.
Eagle junior Justin Huff, a star
in the Eagle line up the past couple
of outings, appropriately drilled
a 3 pointer from long range to
open Eagle scoring, and in doing
so gave JCD their first lead at
3-2. Brandon Gehl, a Eagle junior
added a FG for the score of 5-2.
Following fouls whistled on the
Eagles and the Hilltoppers, Eagle
senior Adam Vollmer's needle threader
pass to teammate junior Tucker
Brown, led to Brown's first FG
and put the Eagles up 5 at 7-2.
Eagle Gehl's passed to Brown in
the paint for another Brown score
edging the Eagles to a 7 point
margin, compelling the Hilltoppers
coach to call for a timeout.
A pair of Eagle fouls ensued,
leading to Shawe's Brandon Lauster
scoring of his first FG of the
game at 1:17. (Lauster was the
key for the Hilltoppers being around
at games end to be competitive)
Eagle Huff posted up for the long
range 3 for nothing but the whisper
of the bottom of the net as it
dropped through for 12-4. Shawe's
answer to end the quarter came
from Todd Ungru with a FG. The
score after one complete. JCD 12-6
Shawe.
The Eagles controlled the ball
out of bounds to open the second
quarter of play. Huff scored his
third 3 pointer of the contest,
Shawe's Nicholas Hall put up a
FG, when the Eagle bench called
for their first timeout with 6:04
remaining in the half. Eagle Gehl
scored a FG to take them to a 17-8
advantage.
Eagle junior Daniel Leonetti entered
the lineup, only to be whistled
for an intentional foul that put
Hilltopper B. Lauster on the line
for 2, of which he made both and
was awarded the ball out of bounds.
The ironic part of this came over
and over as the first foul was
whistled at 4:50, a second followed
at 4:41, and a yet third called
on Leonetti at 4:38. Obviously,
Leonetti's number had become well
recognized and with no alternative,
Coach Bradshaw removed him from
the lineup.
Shawe's Kring scored a FG, Eagle
Huff answered with a FG. A Shawe
foul gave the Eagles the ball with
3:07 left in the half, where the
Eagles 'let the air out' so to
speak, draining the clock to 1:28,
where Huff popped another FG for
a 21-12 Eagle lead. Eagle Vollmer's
foul sent Hilltopper Kring to the
line where he made the pair. Brown
and Tyler Bradshaw were each whistled
for fouls and Shawe's senior Ben
Schafer toed the line, adding the
pair for 21-16. Eagle Huff scored
a FG but missed the following FT.
Eagle Sophomore Coty Horn capitalized
on a FG which led to a halftime
score of JCD 25-16 Shawe.
Shawe opened their third quarter
with possession of the ball, leading
to a Ungru FG. Eagle Huff hit the
driving Gehl for a FG. Hilltopper
Ungru spotted for a FG and again
Gehl answered for the Eagles with
a FG. Shawe took a timeout with
4:46 remaining in the quarter.
B. Lauster quickly drained the
long range 3 drawing the Hilltoppers
to within 6 points at 29-23.
Eagle Brown added
a pair of FT's. Shawe's Kring
rang up a 3 followed
by Eagle Gehl's scoring of a FG.
Hilltopper Schafer scored a FG,
followed by his teammate B. Lauster
launching and making another 3
pointer for the score of 33-31.
The extensive lead once enjoyed
by the Eagles had been cut to a
mere 2 point difference and the
game with 1:05 remaining in the
third, was once again "ON".
The Eagles were content to sit
on the ball allowing time to wind
down to single digits. Who else
should answer the Eagle call? None
other than Huff, who drained the
30 foot plus 3 at horns blowing,
sending the Eagles back to a margin
of 5 going into quarter #4, 36-31.
The Eagles opened the fourth with
possession but could not gain an
advantage with it as the Hilltopper's
B. Lauster was first to score a
FG. Eagle Brown scored a FG. Eagle
Vollmer's foul sent Topper Ungru
to the line to attempt to complete
the old fashioned 3 point play,
but the FG was all he could earn.
Eagle Brown scored a FG, but Shawe's
B. Lauster took the game to it's
first tie with a 3 point shot connecting
at the 5:18 mark of regulation's
final quarter.
Gehl put the Eagles back on top
with a FG. An Eagle Huff called
foul sent Topper's B. Lauster to
the line where he made 2/2 to tie
the game at 40. Eagle Huff drilled
the 3, and again the Eagles went
out in front as time diminished
to just 2:39 remaining. Shawe's
B. Lauster scored a quick 3 to
again tie the game at 2:24, 43-43.
As play proceeded the Eagles worked
the clock to nothingness but failed
to get their shot off setting up
the first of two overtime sessions.
With five team fouls on each team,
the period opened with Shawe getting
the tip at mid-court. Topper Kring
missed his first attempt
in the period, and the Eagles sat
on the ball down to 1:55 where
Eagle Brown's shot missed for the
Eagles. Shortly following time-outs
called by the two coaches, Eagle
Brown put in a FG to give them
the lead at 45-43 with 52.1 second
left in the first overtime. An
eternity in a basketball game it
sometimes seems.
With 14.5 seconds on the clock,
Eagle Vollmer missed the front
end of a 1+1. At 12.4 seconds,
Brandon Gehl too missed the front
end of a 1+1 attempt, but got the
ball back as Shawe turned it over.
A fourth foul whistled on Eagle
Vollmer sent Shawe's Kring to the
line where he made the pair to
tie the game with 9.7 seconds left
and the Hilltopper bench called
the timeout. The Eagles attempt
from long range missed, thus overtime
#2, knotted at 45.
With eight fouls recorded on each
team, the center court jump opened
the second 4:00 overtime period,
where Shawe again started out with
the ball. Topper B. Lauster missed
shot led to an Eagle rebound and
again they spread the floor to
kill clock. A tie up gave possession
back to the Eagles where a Gehl
to Brown pass for the FG put the
Eagles up 47-45 at 1:30. Topper
Kring's second called foul for
the game sent Eagle Huff to the
line where he made a pair for a
4 point Eagle lead with 57.9 seconds
left.
A third foul on Shawe's Kring
sent Eagle Huff to the line where
he made 1 of 2 attempts. The Eagles
then led 50-45 with 41.6 seconds
remaining. Topper Hall rose to
the occasion with a 3 pointer,
50-48 26 seconds left. Topper Hall's
foul sent Eagle Vollmer to the
free throw line where he made the
first, however the second was not
allowed due to an Eagle lane violation.
With the score 51-48 Eagles, Topper
Kring drilled a 3 to tie it up.
In the process of the Eagles trying
to inbound the ball, Kring got
possession and drove to the basket
where the Eagles fouled him to
send him to the line with but 2.6
seconds left. Kring made both FT's
to gain the win for Shawe, 53-51.
Two very equal playing opponents
offered up an exciting, nail biting,
enjoyable and disgusting event.
All the needed essentials for a
truly hard fought Indiana basketball
game that one team gets to move
on and other does not.
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