Wildcats drop opening joust to Knights
November 30, 2021 at 9:59 p.m.
Wildcats drop opening joust to Knights
By Will Fehlinger-
The Knights' 6-foot-3-inch senior forward was a headache for the host Cats in the season opener and debut of new coach Mark Foster. Willoughby dropped in 13 points before and after the halftime break to finish with 26 as SD used a 18-7 fourth quarter to post a 58-42 Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference win.
FC trailed by just one score (38-35) late in the third quarter after senior Bridger Bolos' theft and conversion. The other Willoughby, Ryan, then hit a jumper for a 5-point Knight lead with a period to go.
The hosts' next field goal didn't come until the 4:52 mark of the final frame, when junior Brant Ertel collected his first basket of the game to make it 47-39 ahead of a Wildcat timeout.
Ertel then scored again to get FC within six, but those would be the final points for the Wildcats save for an Ertel free throw with 3:14 on the clock. Brodie Teke had an immediate answer from long distance for the visitors to make it 50-41 just under the 4-minute point. Approaching three minutes to go, the Cats started putting their foes on the foul line; the Knights hit all six of their attempts to go with a Ryan Willoughby bucket.
Single FTs by seniors Chad Cox and Austin Hill were all FC could muster early in the fourth. At the other end, the elder Willoughby hit from inside and outside the arc and Teke got to the rack for two.
Cox got the season underway by connecting on 1 of 2 at the line 30 seconds after the tip. Reese Willoughby's three gave SD its first lead a minute later. On an inbound play, the Knights' senior guard Eli Hoffman released a good 3-pointer to make it 6-1. Willoughby later shook off a defender for his second triple and Foster called time with 4:29 showing.
The first FG of the year for the home team came via Cox's three with 4:02 left in the stanza. Teke fed Reese Willoughby for two just under the 3-minute mark but junior Jace Lee found Bolos for a trey to make it an 11-8 game. A Lee basket (Ertel assist) set the score at 13-10 but Willoughby finished off an 11-point period with a last-second 3.
Senior JD Stokes drove to the hoop to open the second frame. Willoughby added to his quick start with two more but at 4:45, Cox brought the crowd to its feet with a two-handed slam off an Aden Gerrian bounce pass. The fervor died down when Reese Willoughby passed to Hoffman for a 3-point answer.
Down 21-16, Cox completed a traditional 3-point play. Hoffman scored on the block, followed by an Ertel to Stokes hoop. Late in the half, a would-be tie was negated when Bolos was whistled for a charge.
Bolos hit from 15 feet early in the third to make it 25-23 but SD went on an 11-3 run to go up by double digits. A Stokes 3-ball from the top of the key was offset by Hoffman's triple and Drew Probst finding Ryan Willoughby for a pair.
Out of a timeout at 3:32, FC rallied. Cox and Reese Willoughby traded layups before Ertel found Gerrian in transition and back-to-back steals by Hill aided the 9-2 run.
Cox led FC with 16 points while Hoffman added 13 for the Knights. SD hit eight 3-pointers to the Wildcats' three.
FC had its second straight conference matchup Tuesday at Lawrenceburg (result not available at press time). Saturday night is a Cat and Bulldog show at Centerville.
Scoring
SD (2-0, 1-0) – Re. Willoughby 26 (4 3s), Hoffman 13 (3 3s), Probst 4, Kunkel 2, Ry. Willoughby 6, Teke 5 (3), Shackelford 2
FC (0-1, 0-1) – Cox 16 (3), Ertel 6, Hill 2, Stokes 7 (3), Gerrian 2, Lee 2, Bolos 7 (3)
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
The Knights' 6-foot-3-inch senior forward was a headache for the host Cats in the season opener and debut of new coach Mark Foster. Willoughby dropped in 13 points before and after the halftime break to finish with 26 as SD used a 18-7 fourth quarter to post a 58-42 Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference win.
FC trailed by just one score (38-35) late in the third quarter after senior Bridger Bolos' theft and conversion. The other Willoughby, Ryan, then hit a jumper for a 5-point Knight lead with a period to go.
The hosts' next field goal didn't come until the 4:52 mark of the final frame, when junior Brant Ertel collected his first basket of the game to make it 47-39 ahead of a Wildcat timeout.
Ertel then scored again to get FC within six, but those would be the final points for the Wildcats save for an Ertel free throw with 3:14 on the clock. Brodie Teke had an immediate answer from long distance for the visitors to make it 50-41 just under the 4-minute point. Approaching three minutes to go, the Cats started putting their foes on the foul line; the Knights hit all six of their attempts to go with a Ryan Willoughby bucket.
Single FTs by seniors Chad Cox and Austin Hill were all FC could muster early in the fourth. At the other end, the elder Willoughby hit from inside and outside the arc and Teke got to the rack for two.
Cox got the season underway by connecting on 1 of 2 at the line 30 seconds after the tip. Reese Willoughby's three gave SD its first lead a minute later. On an inbound play, the Knights' senior guard Eli Hoffman released a good 3-pointer to make it 6-1. Willoughby later shook off a defender for his second triple and Foster called time with 4:29 showing.
The first FG of the year for the home team came via Cox's three with 4:02 left in the stanza. Teke fed Reese Willoughby for two just under the 3-minute mark but junior Jace Lee found Bolos for a trey to make it an 11-8 game. A Lee basket (Ertel assist) set the score at 13-10 but Willoughby finished off an 11-point period with a last-second 3.
Senior JD Stokes drove to the hoop to open the second frame. Willoughby added to his quick start with two more but at 4:45, Cox brought the crowd to its feet with a two-handed slam off an Aden Gerrian bounce pass. The fervor died down when Reese Willoughby passed to Hoffman for a 3-point answer.
Down 21-16, Cox completed a traditional 3-point play. Hoffman scored on the block, followed by an Ertel to Stokes hoop. Late in the half, a would-be tie was negated when Bolos was whistled for a charge.
Bolos hit from 15 feet early in the third to make it 25-23 but SD went on an 11-3 run to go up by double digits. A Stokes 3-ball from the top of the key was offset by Hoffman's triple and Drew Probst finding Ryan Willoughby for a pair.
Out of a timeout at 3:32, FC rallied. Cox and Reese Willoughby traded layups before Ertel found Gerrian in transition and back-to-back steals by Hill aided the 9-2 run.
Cox led FC with 16 points while Hoffman added 13 for the Knights. SD hit eight 3-pointers to the Wildcats' three.
FC had its second straight conference matchup Tuesday at Lawrenceburg (result not available at press time). Saturday night is a Cat and Bulldog show at Centerville.
Scoring
SD (2-0, 1-0) – Re. Willoughby 26 (4 3s), Hoffman 13 (3 3s), Probst 4, Kunkel 2, Ry. Willoughby 6, Teke 5 (3), Shackelford 2
FC (0-1, 0-1) – Cox 16 (3), Ertel 6, Hill 2, Stokes 7 (3), Gerrian 2, Lee 2, Bolos 7 (3)
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092