Krom Cans Vikings
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WABASH - Before the basketball season began, Tippecanoe Valley coach Gregg Sciarra called Northfield the team to beat in the Three Rivers Conference.
Before the season began, Northfield coach Chris Keisling considered Valley the one team standing between his team and the TRC title.
The two teams met Tuesday night, and the game lived up to the hype. Northfield beat Valley 60-58 on a buzzer-beater shot under the basket by 6-foot-7 senior center Dewayne Krom.
Valley fell to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the TRC. Northfield improved to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the TRC. The Norsemen control their own destiny in the conference with just two TRC games left, Rochester and Manchester. Every TRC team has at least one loss.
Valley changed its lineup and defense for this game.
The Vikings, whose tallest player is 6-3 reserve JayDee Parker, started a three-guard lineup with no center. Their tallest starter was 6-1 forward Jeff Brown. They have played man-to-man defense most of the season, but they went with a 2-3 zone against Northfield.
And they took it down to the wire.
With 4.9 seconds left in a 58-58 game, Valley senior guard Darren Parker had the ball and dribbled out of bounds, giving the ball to the Norsemen. Northfield senior guard Jamie Swihart dumped the ball inside to Krom, who hit the winning basket.
"The last play, we wanted to get in and drive it at them," Keisling said. "We had only five seconds, and they didn't want to foul."
Parker's play happened right in front of Sciarra, who said the referee made the right call.
"I thought he went out of bounds," Sciarra said. "The ball went out of bounds."
How Krom went, the Norsemen went.
Krom left the game with his second foul with three minutes to go in the first quarter. When he sat down, Northfield led 13-5.
When he stepped back on the floor with 4:33 left in the second quarter, Valley led 23-17. The Vikings went on an 18-4 run with Krom out. All 18 points were scored in the paint.
Even with Krom in, the Vikings extended their lead to 33-23 at halftime. Krom entered the game scoring 19.6 points per game, and he had four on 2-of-5 shooting at halftime.
The theme of Keisling's halftime speech: Krom needs to take more than five shots. Get the ball to him the second half.
The Vikings fended off a Northfield run early in the last half.
Krom scored Northfield's first four points of the third quarter and sent Northfield on a 7-0 run. Valley's lead dwindled to 33-30.
The Vikings answered with a 9-0 run to build a 42-30 lead. Senior guard Bryan Lenfestey sparked the charge, scoring the first five on a three-pointer and a layup. The Vikings led 44-34 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was too much Krom and too much Nick Clifton for Valley. Krom scored eight inside. Clifton, a 5-9 sophomore, hit three three-pointers and scored all nine of his points in the last quarter. The duo helped Northfield outscore Valley 26-14 in the fourth.
Krom and teammate Bernie Schuck came up with a four-point play early in the fourth.
Krom scored two inside and drew a foul. He missed the free throw, but Schuck grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in. Just like that, Valley's lead went from 47-39 to 47-43 with 6:18 left.
Clifton knocked down a trey to slice the lead to 47-46. Senior guard Darin Mirante scored two inside, and boom, Northfield was on an 8-0 run. The Norsemen gained their first lead since the first quarter, 48-47 with 5:30 left.
The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way.
Clifton's trey with 58 seconds left pushed Northfield ahead 56-55 lead. Again Valley had an answer. Junior guard Andy Young scored his only bucket with 42 seconds left, a three-pointer that put Valley back on top at 58-56.
Neither team scored again until Northfield went to Krom, who tied it at 58-58 with 10 seconds left. The next possession, Valley turned it over with 4.9 seconds to go, setting up Krom's basket.
"We played a sound game against a real big team," Sciarra said. "We did a lot of things right, but the momentum switched a little bit. We leave a shooter open here and there, and it went down to the wire.
"He (Clifton) got to look at the basket a little too much, and he knocked them down."
After going 2 for 5 the first half, Krom was 5 for 8 the second half. He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Schuck also had 16.
"It's tough to stop a kid who's 6-7 when our biggest is 6-1," Sciarra said. "We're surprised they didn't try to go to Krom sooner. When they did, he either scored or made something.
"Defensively, we made them look real ugly at times. I know Krom ended with 16. He got established in the second half, and that hurt us."
Keisling agreed.
"We were as low as snail slime at halftime," he said. "I was upset with our play. We stood around. We finally figured out maybe the big man inside needs the ball a little more.
"Krom opened up the outside. We got the inside-outside going. Clifton had the biggest nine points. The second half, we played ball."
Jeff Brown led Valley with 15, and Lenfestey scored 14. Nick Stutzman added 13. Despite being outsized, the Vikings outrebounded Northfield 36-31.
Valley is at Rochester on Friday.
"I didn't think we would be blowing out anyone," Sciarra said. "I thought we could win. We had our opportunities. We played hard. I thought we deserved to win.
"Going in, we thought they'd be the best team in the conference. They're real sound. We're right there. I think think we're getting to where we can play with a lot of teams." [[In-content Ad]]
WABASH - Before the basketball season began, Tippecanoe Valley coach Gregg Sciarra called Northfield the team to beat in the Three Rivers Conference.
Before the season began, Northfield coach Chris Keisling considered Valley the one team standing between his team and the TRC title.
The two teams met Tuesday night, and the game lived up to the hype. Northfield beat Valley 60-58 on a buzzer-beater shot under the basket by 6-foot-7 senior center Dewayne Krom.
Valley fell to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the TRC. Northfield improved to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the TRC. The Norsemen control their own destiny in the conference with just two TRC games left, Rochester and Manchester. Every TRC team has at least one loss.
Valley changed its lineup and defense for this game.
The Vikings, whose tallest player is 6-3 reserve JayDee Parker, started a three-guard lineup with no center. Their tallest starter was 6-1 forward Jeff Brown. They have played man-to-man defense most of the season, but they went with a 2-3 zone against Northfield.
And they took it down to the wire.
With 4.9 seconds left in a 58-58 game, Valley senior guard Darren Parker had the ball and dribbled out of bounds, giving the ball to the Norsemen. Northfield senior guard Jamie Swihart dumped the ball inside to Krom, who hit the winning basket.
"The last play, we wanted to get in and drive it at them," Keisling said. "We had only five seconds, and they didn't want to foul."
Parker's play happened right in front of Sciarra, who said the referee made the right call.
"I thought he went out of bounds," Sciarra said. "The ball went out of bounds."
How Krom went, the Norsemen went.
Krom left the game with his second foul with three minutes to go in the first quarter. When he sat down, Northfield led 13-5.
When he stepped back on the floor with 4:33 left in the second quarter, Valley led 23-17. The Vikings went on an 18-4 run with Krom out. All 18 points were scored in the paint.
Even with Krom in, the Vikings extended their lead to 33-23 at halftime. Krom entered the game scoring 19.6 points per game, and he had four on 2-of-5 shooting at halftime.
The theme of Keisling's halftime speech: Krom needs to take more than five shots. Get the ball to him the second half.
The Vikings fended off a Northfield run early in the last half.
Krom scored Northfield's first four points of the third quarter and sent Northfield on a 7-0 run. Valley's lead dwindled to 33-30.
The Vikings answered with a 9-0 run to build a 42-30 lead. Senior guard Bryan Lenfestey sparked the charge, scoring the first five on a three-pointer and a layup. The Vikings led 44-34 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was too much Krom and too much Nick Clifton for Valley. Krom scored eight inside. Clifton, a 5-9 sophomore, hit three three-pointers and scored all nine of his points in the last quarter. The duo helped Northfield outscore Valley 26-14 in the fourth.
Krom and teammate Bernie Schuck came up with a four-point play early in the fourth.
Krom scored two inside and drew a foul. He missed the free throw, but Schuck grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in. Just like that, Valley's lead went from 47-39 to 47-43 with 6:18 left.
Clifton knocked down a trey to slice the lead to 47-46. Senior guard Darin Mirante scored two inside, and boom, Northfield was on an 8-0 run. The Norsemen gained their first lead since the first quarter, 48-47 with 5:30 left.
The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way.
Clifton's trey with 58 seconds left pushed Northfield ahead 56-55 lead. Again Valley had an answer. Junior guard Andy Young scored his only bucket with 42 seconds left, a three-pointer that put Valley back on top at 58-56.
Neither team scored again until Northfield went to Krom, who tied it at 58-58 with 10 seconds left. The next possession, Valley turned it over with 4.9 seconds to go, setting up Krom's basket.
"We played a sound game against a real big team," Sciarra said. "We did a lot of things right, but the momentum switched a little bit. We leave a shooter open here and there, and it went down to the wire.
"He (Clifton) got to look at the basket a little too much, and he knocked them down."
After going 2 for 5 the first half, Krom was 5 for 8 the second half. He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Schuck also had 16.
"It's tough to stop a kid who's 6-7 when our biggest is 6-1," Sciarra said. "We're surprised they didn't try to go to Krom sooner. When they did, he either scored or made something.
"Defensively, we made them look real ugly at times. I know Krom ended with 16. He got established in the second half, and that hurt us."
Keisling agreed.
"We were as low as snail slime at halftime," he said. "I was upset with our play. We stood around. We finally figured out maybe the big man inside needs the ball a little more.
"Krom opened up the outside. We got the inside-outside going. Clifton had the biggest nine points. The second half, we played ball."
Jeff Brown led Valley with 15, and Lenfestey scored 14. Nick Stutzman added 13. Despite being outsized, the Vikings outrebounded Northfield 36-31.
Valley is at Rochester on Friday.
"I didn't think we would be blowing out anyone," Sciarra said. "I thought we could win. We had our opportunities. We played hard. I thought we deserved to win.
"Going in, we thought they'd be the best team in the conference. They're real sound. We're right there. I think think we're getting to where we can play with a lot of teams." [[In-content Ad]]