Once conference opponents, the Manchester and Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball teams met in Akron Tuesday night for a nonconference affair. The Squires took the lead in the opening seconds and never surrendered it, staying in front the whole way for a 54-42 win.
The Squires enjoyed a lightning-quick start to the game, as a tough bucket in the post by Gavin Betten and transition three for Ethan Hendrix gave the visitors a quick 5-0 lead a minute into the contest. A minute later, a corner three for William Mellott put the Vikings on the board. The Viking defense was playing better after the initial spurt, not allowing any points for the next two minutes until another three by Hendrix.
Valley big man Stephen Akase brought the crowd to its feet with a breakaway dunk a minute later, but Manchester remained on top. The three ball continued falling for the Squires, making it difficult for the home side to cut away at the deficit.
In the final minutes of the opening quarter, Valley had its chance, as the shots from distance that were once falling for the visitors were no longer doing so. Manchester still held onto the lead after eight minutes, but the Vikings had gotten to within six and trailed 14-8.
It didn’t stay that way for long, as another burst of points in the first 30 seconds of the second resulted in a 6-0 run that put the visitors on top by double figures. After a three-point play by Betten put Manchester up 12, Valley’s Davis Cowen responded with one of his own a possession later to get the lead back down to nine.
The Vikings were able to get it down to seven before the teams started trading baskets back and forth. A contested layup by Ian Cooksey brought his team to within five midway through the quarter before a nice pass by Betten to a cutting Dallas Martin ended the mini run.
Manchester was able to grow its advantage back up to eight and had a chance to extend it even further, but was unable to capitalize on a series of chances on the offensive end. The Vikings weren’t able to do much better when they had the basketball, leaving it at a six-point game with two minutes to go in the half.
That’s exactly where things stood as the halftime buzzer sounded, as each team added a bucket in the final 120 seconds to give the Squires a 27-21 lead heading into the break.

    Tippecanoe Valley senior Ian Cooksey takes advantage of a pick to go to the basket during Tuesday night's home game against Manchester...Nieter
There wasn’t any serious movement to the score in the opening minutes of the third quarter, with the visitors staying in front, but not by too crazy a margin. It fluctuated between eight and six for a few minutes, with neither team able to seize control of the game.
With about five minutes to go in the third, Valley was able to get to within four, the closest it had been since the first quarter. They didn’t stop there, as an and-one for Akase put the home side in striking distance down two. Needing a bucket and needing it badly, Hendrix answered with a hoop plus the harm on the other end to give his team a bit of breathing room once more.
Manchester was able to extend its lead back up to seven before the Vikings got within a possession once again. A three pointer by Tallon Torpy in the final minute was the last make of the quarter, putting the Squires up 41-34 with eight minutes to play.
While Betten’s usual scoring output wasn’t there at this point in the game, he was making his presence felt on the defensive end, starting the fourth quarter with his fourth block. Right on cue, the big man started to get it going in the final period, scoring the first three points for his team to put Manchester back up by double digits.
To make matters worse for the Vikings, the bench was assessed a technical foul with a little under six minutes to go in the game. Hendrix made both free throws that followed and the Squires were able to pick up multiple offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession. The visitors were able to burn some time off the clock before Hendrix made a layup to complete a four-point possession.
Time was starting to become a factor as the Manchester lead had grown to 13 with just three minutes to go in the contest. With a little over a minute to go, the visitors were still up by 12. With not enough time to mount the comeback, Valley allowed the Squires to burn the clock for the final 30 seconds.
Hendrix and Akase each had 15 points and served as their respective teams leading scorers.
Manchester (3-1) is at home against Huntington North Saturday afternoon, while the Vikings (2-3) are at home against Bremen.