Triton Rolls To Easy Sectional-Opening Win
March 4, 2020 at 5:47 a.m.
Triton Rolls To Easy Sectional-Opening Win
By Mark Howe-
Mission accomplished.
Ashton Oviedo hit a layup three seconds off the opening tipoff, then went on to score 11 of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter. Oviedo and the Trojans’ effort allowed Triton to come about as close as a team can to leading literally from start to finish in its 82-34 victory over West Central, also known as the Trojans.
The visitors, wearing home whites per the IHSAA?sectional draw, suited up just 10 players; four juniors, a sophomore and five freshmen, and have struggled mightily under first-year head coach Bobby Aldridge. So Groves said it was important “do what we do,” and get out to a big early lead.
“It was nice to see our guys get out to a quick start,” the coach said. “I told them ‘it’s about us, let’s go out and do what we do.’ I thought we came out and did that from the beginning.”
Triton took advantage of 10 first-period turnovers by West Central to establish a 25-5 lead, and continually expanded on its advantage the rest of the way. Groves used the margin to get all 12 players who suited up at least four minutes of playing time.
Hunter McIntyre was 6-of-8 from the floor and finished with 13 points, while Tyler Heckaman finished with a double-double by recording 12 points and 11 rebounds. Keegan Westafer came off the bench to toss in 10 points in 12 minutes.
With the game well in hand, Heckaman spend quite a bit of time looking for a highlight-reel dunk, and almost got it a couple of times. On one occasion an official was going to issue a technical foul for hanging onto the rim, but after the three referees conferred, it was determined there were players on the floor who might have been in jeopardy had Heckaman not hung on.
From there, the only real drama was how many milestones Triton could reach. Its 60 points by the end of the third quarter was more points than it scored in 17 games this year, and the 82 total points was the most in any game since Dec. 10, 2013 when the Trojans won 85-47 at North Miami, then beat Bethany Christian 83-34 a week later.
Groves has been happy with the progress his team has made over the course of the season, especially with the guard play of Oviedo and Tyson Yates, who had eight points Tuesday night.
“Tyson Yates is a sophomore, as is Ashton, even though he started all year last season. Tyson is coming into his own and they’re both playing with a lot of confidence,” said Graves.
“Our team has a bit more of an identity; we know who we are offensively and we know who we are defensively, and now we’re a little more comfortable in our own skin. It’s nice to see the guys really change how they’ve played this year and how they’ve gotten better.”
Quentin Amsden added eight points, John Gardner had five points, Jared Bules had four. Bruce Johnson hit a three late and Cole McKinney hit a free throw to round out the Triton scoring. West Central committed 28 turnovers to Triton’s eight, and the sectional hosts were credited with 17 assists, led by five by Oviedo.
Next up for Triton (13-10) is LaCrosse (6-15). Graves said he’s already taken steps to avoid Friday’s semifinal from being a “trap game.”
“You see LaCrosse on film, and they’re good. They have multiple guys who can do multiple things. They’re super-balanced. They have a point guard who’s quick and get to the basket, and some bigs who can score inside and out,” he said.
“Our kids saw them once on tape and went ‘oh, these guys are good.’ We know we have to show up and play; that’s for sure.”
On the other side of the bracket, Argos (14-9) beat a one-win culver Community team 30-18. The Dragons will face Oregon-Davis (4-18) in Friday’s second semifinal. LaCrosse and Triton will tip off at 6:30 p.m. with the second game following about 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
Saturday’s sectional championship game will tip off at 8 p.m.
Mission accomplished.
Ashton Oviedo hit a layup three seconds off the opening tipoff, then went on to score 11 of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter. Oviedo and the Trojans’ effort allowed Triton to come about as close as a team can to leading literally from start to finish in its 82-34 victory over West Central, also known as the Trojans.
The visitors, wearing home whites per the IHSAA?sectional draw, suited up just 10 players; four juniors, a sophomore and five freshmen, and have struggled mightily under first-year head coach Bobby Aldridge. So Groves said it was important “do what we do,” and get out to a big early lead.
“It was nice to see our guys get out to a quick start,” the coach said. “I told them ‘it’s about us, let’s go out and do what we do.’ I thought we came out and did that from the beginning.”
Triton took advantage of 10 first-period turnovers by West Central to establish a 25-5 lead, and continually expanded on its advantage the rest of the way. Groves used the margin to get all 12 players who suited up at least four minutes of playing time.
Hunter McIntyre was 6-of-8 from the floor and finished with 13 points, while Tyler Heckaman finished with a double-double by recording 12 points and 11 rebounds. Keegan Westafer came off the bench to toss in 10 points in 12 minutes.
With the game well in hand, Heckaman spend quite a bit of time looking for a highlight-reel dunk, and almost got it a couple of times. On one occasion an official was going to issue a technical foul for hanging onto the rim, but after the three referees conferred, it was determined there were players on the floor who might have been in jeopardy had Heckaman not hung on.
From there, the only real drama was how many milestones Triton could reach. Its 60 points by the end of the third quarter was more points than it scored in 17 games this year, and the 82 total points was the most in any game since Dec. 10, 2013 when the Trojans won 85-47 at North Miami, then beat Bethany Christian 83-34 a week later.
Groves has been happy with the progress his team has made over the course of the season, especially with the guard play of Oviedo and Tyson Yates, who had eight points Tuesday night.
“Tyson Yates is a sophomore, as is Ashton, even though he started all year last season. Tyson is coming into his own and they’re both playing with a lot of confidence,” said Graves.
“Our team has a bit more of an identity; we know who we are offensively and we know who we are defensively, and now we’re a little more comfortable in our own skin. It’s nice to see the guys really change how they’ve played this year and how they’ve gotten better.”
Quentin Amsden added eight points, John Gardner had five points, Jared Bules had four. Bruce Johnson hit a three late and Cole McKinney hit a free throw to round out the Triton scoring. West Central committed 28 turnovers to Triton’s eight, and the sectional hosts were credited with 17 assists, led by five by Oviedo.
Next up for Triton (13-10) is LaCrosse (6-15). Graves said he’s already taken steps to avoid Friday’s semifinal from being a “trap game.”
“You see LaCrosse on film, and they’re good. They have multiple guys who can do multiple things. They’re super-balanced. They have a point guard who’s quick and get to the basket, and some bigs who can score inside and out,” he said.
“Our kids saw them once on tape and went ‘oh, these guys are good.’ We know we have to show up and play; that’s for sure.”
On the other side of the bracket, Argos (14-9) beat a one-win culver Community team 30-18. The Dragons will face Oregon-Davis (4-18) in Friday’s second semifinal. LaCrosse and Triton will tip off at 6:30 p.m. with the second game following about 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
Saturday’s sectional championship game will tip off at 8 p.m.
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