Squires Start Strong, Avenge Early Season Loss To Wabash
January 14, 2023 at 3:31 a.m.
Squires Start Strong, Avenge Early Season Loss To Wabash
By Connor McCann-
“We showed tonight that we can play with the top of the conference. I love the way we play,” Manchester head coach Eli Henson said. “What I saw tonight gave me a lot of hope going forward that we’re going to be a very good basketball team.”
It was a very on-brand start for the Squires, who began the game by putting up points in a hurry. Whether it was the work of Ethan Hendrix or Tyler McLain from the three-point line or star big-man Gavin Betten getting it done down low, Manchester was met by very little resistance from the Apache defense.
With the Squires scoring at will at the other end, Wabash was able to stay in the game by making a good chunk of its chances from beyond the arc. The Apaches only made four shots in the first quarter, but all four came from behind the line. The Squires would do their own damage from deep to end the quarter however, as Hendrix would hit a deep three as time expired before turning around to show some love to his student section. Despite a raucous crowd and a near-perfect start for the home side, Manchester was only up five after a period of action.
Neither team was able to replicate its offensive success in the first quarter early on in the second. With much of the attention so far this season on the Squire offense, it was the team’s defense that helped them pull away in the second. Wabash was unable to get a shot off on more than a few possessions in the quarter. Manchester totaled eight steals in the first half, a big key to jumping out in front. The three-point shooting that kept the Apaches in the game early had gone cold.
“We wanted to take away their outside shots and that didn’t work out too well but whenever you’re forcing a team to settle for threes on each possession, you’ve got a chance,” Henson said. “They’re going to have a stretch where they hit them but then they’ll have a stretch where they miss six or seven.”
While the defense was clicking, the Manchester defense had suddenly gone cold. Five quick points from Hendrix near the midway point of the quarter would put that to bed and unleash the team from its slumber. The Squires would use Hendrix’s outburst to catapult themselves into a 10-0 run that would lead to the home side going up 12 at the half. Hendrix would finish the game tied for the game-high in scoring with 21 points.
“Ethan was able to create so much for us tonight. I think that’s the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” Henson said. “He stepped up and made his shots while also creating a ton of open looks for his teammates.”
Much like the first quarter, Manchester waited no time going to work in the third. Before the visitors could blink, the Squires had extended their lead to 18 points. As Hendrix carried the offensive load in the first half, Betten started playing more aggressively in the second. The 6’6” sophomore was unguardable in stretches, using a variety of low post moves to stack points in a hurry. He’d tie Hendrix as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points while also adding 15 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
“Our whole offense goes as Gavin goes,” Henson said. “We get it down low to him as much as we can and trust that he’s going to make the right play. He’s only a sophomore but he’s a dang good basketball player.”
Wabash would close the third quarter on a mini-run and trim the lead to 13 going into the final quarter. Manchester would have multiple opportunities to put the game out of reach, but the outside shooting of Wabash made a return. The Apaches were able to hang around but couldn’t put a serious dent in the lead. The visitors finally got the deficit to single-digits with under a minute remaining, but a three from McLain on the next possession (17 points, six steals) would be the final nail in the coffin.
“We knew they’d get hot from deep again, we knew they were going to make a run at us, but we needed to stay calm,” Henson said. “We missed a lot of free throws tonight, with a 54% clip on the year I’d say that’s kind of just what we do but we trusted that eventually we were going make the shots we needed to.”
Manchester is back in action and back at home Tuesday evening against Churubusco. Following that game, the Squires will look to improve on their 3-0 record in Three Rivers Conference play against Rochester on Friday night.
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“We showed tonight that we can play with the top of the conference. I love the way we play,” Manchester head coach Eli Henson said. “What I saw tonight gave me a lot of hope going forward that we’re going to be a very good basketball team.”
It was a very on-brand start for the Squires, who began the game by putting up points in a hurry. Whether it was the work of Ethan Hendrix or Tyler McLain from the three-point line or star big-man Gavin Betten getting it done down low, Manchester was met by very little resistance from the Apache defense.
With the Squires scoring at will at the other end, Wabash was able to stay in the game by making a good chunk of its chances from beyond the arc. The Apaches only made four shots in the first quarter, but all four came from behind the line. The Squires would do their own damage from deep to end the quarter however, as Hendrix would hit a deep three as time expired before turning around to show some love to his student section. Despite a raucous crowd and a near-perfect start for the home side, Manchester was only up five after a period of action.
Neither team was able to replicate its offensive success in the first quarter early on in the second. With much of the attention so far this season on the Squire offense, it was the team’s defense that helped them pull away in the second. Wabash was unable to get a shot off on more than a few possessions in the quarter. Manchester totaled eight steals in the first half, a big key to jumping out in front. The three-point shooting that kept the Apaches in the game early had gone cold.
“We wanted to take away their outside shots and that didn’t work out too well but whenever you’re forcing a team to settle for threes on each possession, you’ve got a chance,” Henson said. “They’re going to have a stretch where they hit them but then they’ll have a stretch where they miss six or seven.”
While the defense was clicking, the Manchester defense had suddenly gone cold. Five quick points from Hendrix near the midway point of the quarter would put that to bed and unleash the team from its slumber. The Squires would use Hendrix’s outburst to catapult themselves into a 10-0 run that would lead to the home side going up 12 at the half. Hendrix would finish the game tied for the game-high in scoring with 21 points.
“Ethan was able to create so much for us tonight. I think that’s the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” Henson said. “He stepped up and made his shots while also creating a ton of open looks for his teammates.”
Much like the first quarter, Manchester waited no time going to work in the third. Before the visitors could blink, the Squires had extended their lead to 18 points. As Hendrix carried the offensive load in the first half, Betten started playing more aggressively in the second. The 6’6” sophomore was unguardable in stretches, using a variety of low post moves to stack points in a hurry. He’d tie Hendrix as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points while also adding 15 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
“Our whole offense goes as Gavin goes,” Henson said. “We get it down low to him as much as we can and trust that he’s going to make the right play. He’s only a sophomore but he’s a dang good basketball player.”
Wabash would close the third quarter on a mini-run and trim the lead to 13 going into the final quarter. Manchester would have multiple opportunities to put the game out of reach, but the outside shooting of Wabash made a return. The Apaches were able to hang around but couldn’t put a serious dent in the lead. The visitors finally got the deficit to single-digits with under a minute remaining, but a three from McLain on the next possession (17 points, six steals) would be the final nail in the coffin.
“We knew they’d get hot from deep again, we knew they were going to make a run at us, but we needed to stay calm,” Henson said. “We missed a lot of free throws tonight, with a 54% clip on the year I’d say that’s kind of just what we do but we trusted that eventually we were going make the shots we needed to.”
Manchester is back in action and back at home Tuesday evening against Churubusco. Following that game, the Squires will look to improve on their 3-0 record in Three Rivers Conference play against Rochester on Friday night.
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