Second-Half Fold Gives Valley First Loss
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PLYMOUTH - Before the second half of Tuesday's boys basketball game between No. 3 (3A) Plymouth and Tippecanoe Valley, the Vikings began warming up at the wrong end of the court.
While the Vikings quickly corrected the mistake, they never found their way the rest of the night. Valley led 28-14 at halftime but went on to lose 49-47.
Plymouth (2-0) outscored Valley (3-1) 35-19 in the second half, including 19-7 in the third quarter. Plymouth led 3-0 to start the game. Its second lead came at 43-42 with 2:34 left.
"We felt like - I don't want to say we stole one - but as you walk off the floor, you don't want a recount," Plymouth coach Jack Edison said.
Valley managed to lose a game that saw Cody New, who averages 27.3 points per game, score 14 first-half points to equal Plymouth's team output.
Despite the way the Vikings lost, coach Bill Patrick spoke five minutes after the game ended and explained why he was ready to talk so quickly.
"There's not much you can say [to players] when you kick a game away," he said. "We were 10 points better than [Plymouth] tonight. We handed it to them on a silver platter."
The Pilgrims feasted on a combination of Valley turnovers and easy layups.
After committing five turnovers in the first half, Valley threw the ball away five times in the third quarter against Plymouth's aggressive, physical man-to-man defense. Plymouth went to work on the offensive end, hitting 8 of 12 field goals (67 percent) in the quarter.
Point guard Kevin Stuckmeyer and forward Brent Houin ran the show in the third.
If Stuckmeyer wasn't scoring, he was driving through the lane and dumping passes down low to Houin, who hit open layups. Stuckmeyer, who led Plymouth with 13 points, had eight points and four assists in the quarter, while Houin added six points. Houin finished the game with 10 points.
Plymouth hacked Valley's lead to 35-33 at the end of the third quarter.
"Valley extended its defense out on the perimeter to shut down our outside shooting," Edison said, "and for a short period, that opened it up inside for us. I credit Kevin Stuckmeyer for good passing inside. In the second half we got some layups, and that's why our shooting percentage increased."
Valley's 2-3 zone defense got the best of Plymouth in the first half as the Pilgrims hit just 5 of 25 field goals (20 percent). The times the Pilgrims got open on the perimeter, they couldn't get their shots to fall.
After posting brutal shooting numbers in the first half, Plymouth responded by hitting 13 of 20 field goals (65 percent) in the second half. Scoring inside helped the Pilgrims cut the Valley lead to two points at the end of three quarters; scoring outside won them the game in the final quarter.
Trailing 40-37 with 5:21 left, two three-pointers by guard Ben Snyder and another by Stuckmeyer gave the Pilgrims a 46-45 lead with 1:30 left.
Sophomore reserve guard Ryan Clinton hit two free throws with 1:03 left to extend the lead to 48-45. Two Trey Eaton free throws sliced the lead to 48-47 with 47 seconds left, but Clinton hit 1 of 2 free throws with 30 seconds left to make it 49-47.
Valley's Anthony Domenico missed a shot, and after Plymouth's Jon Slein responded with a miss, Drew Shafer heaved a desperation three-pointer that missed the mark as time ran out.
"We helped them," Patrick said. "We had turnovers. We played out of control a few times and had too many breakdowns offensively and defensively. We quit playing defense in the third quarter. We started playing not to lose.
"Plymouth made a run, and we just tightened up and never got our composure."
Valley's second-half collapse made its 28-14 first-half performance a distant memory.
New led Valley with 25 points, while Eaton added 11.
Patrick left the game convinced Valley did not grow overconfident with a 28-14 lead at the half.
"If anything, maybe it was the other way," he said. "The kids looked at the score, said, 'This is Plymouth, Plymouth is better than that.'
"We started playing scared."
The Plymouth game began what Patrick considers Valley's toughest stretch of games this season. The Vikings play at No. 11 (2A) John Glenn (1-1) on Saturday and at No. 9 (3A) Peru on Tuesday. Peru is 2-2, but the Tigers' best player, Brandon Jones, has been suspended. The Mr. Basketball candidate averaged 24 points per game last year as a junior.
His suspension ends this week, and his first game back will be against Valley.
"This is not a good way to start this stretch," Patrick said, "because the next two teams are better than Plymouth. Now we're at John Glenn and at Peru, and Plymouth may have been the weakest of the three teams."
No. 3 (3A) PLYMOUTH 49
T. VALLEY 47
Valley (3-1) 15 13 7 12 - 47
Plymouth (2-0) 8 6 19 16 - 49
Valley FG FT A S R Pts.
New (F) 7-12 7-8 1 1 7 25
Eaton (C) 4-7 3-3 1 1 6 11
Martin (G) 2-5 1-1 2 2 2 5
Shafer (G) 2-4 0-0 3 2 0 4
Domenico (G) 1-7 0-0 1 1 5 2
Wise 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Harmon 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Stutzman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 16-35 11-12 8 7 21 47
Plymouth FG FT A S R Pts.
Stuckmeyer (G) 5-7 2-4 6 2 4 13
McNeil (F) 4-12 0-0 0 0 2 11
Houin (F) 5-10 0-0 2 3 7 10
Snyder (G) 3-8 0-0 0 1 3 9
Slein (C) 1-3 0-0 2 1 2 2
Clinton 0-3 3-4 0 0 2 3
Delp 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1
Davis 0-2 0-0 2 2 1 0
Scott 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 18-45 6-10 12 9 21 49
Three-point goals - Plymouth 7-17 (Snyder 3-6, McNeil 3-6, Stuckmeyer 1-2, Davis 0-2, Clinton 0-1), Valley 3-6 (New 3-6). Turnovers - Plymouth 8, Valley 12. Fouled out - None. Total fouls - Plymouth 15, Valley 13.
JV: TIPPECANOE VALLEY 42, PLYMOUTH 37
Valley (2-2) scoring - David Beyers 9, Kyle Bruner 7, Eric Carnes 7, Andrew Kramer 6, Kory Fields 6, Blaine Hartzler 5, Chuck Sterk 2.
Plymouth (1-1) scoring - Dan Chamberlin 14, Kyle Wallace 13, Kyle Schoof 3, Scott Bucher 3, John Pulliam 2, Adam Foust 2. [[In-content Ad]]
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PLYMOUTH - Before the second half of Tuesday's boys basketball game between No. 3 (3A) Plymouth and Tippecanoe Valley, the Vikings began warming up at the wrong end of the court.
While the Vikings quickly corrected the mistake, they never found their way the rest of the night. Valley led 28-14 at halftime but went on to lose 49-47.
Plymouth (2-0) outscored Valley (3-1) 35-19 in the second half, including 19-7 in the third quarter. Plymouth led 3-0 to start the game. Its second lead came at 43-42 with 2:34 left.
"We felt like - I don't want to say we stole one - but as you walk off the floor, you don't want a recount," Plymouth coach Jack Edison said.
Valley managed to lose a game that saw Cody New, who averages 27.3 points per game, score 14 first-half points to equal Plymouth's team output.
Despite the way the Vikings lost, coach Bill Patrick spoke five minutes after the game ended and explained why he was ready to talk so quickly.
"There's not much you can say [to players] when you kick a game away," he said. "We were 10 points better than [Plymouth] tonight. We handed it to them on a silver platter."
The Pilgrims feasted on a combination of Valley turnovers and easy layups.
After committing five turnovers in the first half, Valley threw the ball away five times in the third quarter against Plymouth's aggressive, physical man-to-man defense. Plymouth went to work on the offensive end, hitting 8 of 12 field goals (67 percent) in the quarter.
Point guard Kevin Stuckmeyer and forward Brent Houin ran the show in the third.
If Stuckmeyer wasn't scoring, he was driving through the lane and dumping passes down low to Houin, who hit open layups. Stuckmeyer, who led Plymouth with 13 points, had eight points and four assists in the quarter, while Houin added six points. Houin finished the game with 10 points.
Plymouth hacked Valley's lead to 35-33 at the end of the third quarter.
"Valley extended its defense out on the perimeter to shut down our outside shooting," Edison said, "and for a short period, that opened it up inside for us. I credit Kevin Stuckmeyer for good passing inside. In the second half we got some layups, and that's why our shooting percentage increased."
Valley's 2-3 zone defense got the best of Plymouth in the first half as the Pilgrims hit just 5 of 25 field goals (20 percent). The times the Pilgrims got open on the perimeter, they couldn't get their shots to fall.
After posting brutal shooting numbers in the first half, Plymouth responded by hitting 13 of 20 field goals (65 percent) in the second half. Scoring inside helped the Pilgrims cut the Valley lead to two points at the end of three quarters; scoring outside won them the game in the final quarter.
Trailing 40-37 with 5:21 left, two three-pointers by guard Ben Snyder and another by Stuckmeyer gave the Pilgrims a 46-45 lead with 1:30 left.
Sophomore reserve guard Ryan Clinton hit two free throws with 1:03 left to extend the lead to 48-45. Two Trey Eaton free throws sliced the lead to 48-47 with 47 seconds left, but Clinton hit 1 of 2 free throws with 30 seconds left to make it 49-47.
Valley's Anthony Domenico missed a shot, and after Plymouth's Jon Slein responded with a miss, Drew Shafer heaved a desperation three-pointer that missed the mark as time ran out.
"We helped them," Patrick said. "We had turnovers. We played out of control a few times and had too many breakdowns offensively and defensively. We quit playing defense in the third quarter. We started playing not to lose.
"Plymouth made a run, and we just tightened up and never got our composure."
Valley's second-half collapse made its 28-14 first-half performance a distant memory.
New led Valley with 25 points, while Eaton added 11.
Patrick left the game convinced Valley did not grow overconfident with a 28-14 lead at the half.
"If anything, maybe it was the other way," he said. "The kids looked at the score, said, 'This is Plymouth, Plymouth is better than that.'
"We started playing scared."
The Plymouth game began what Patrick considers Valley's toughest stretch of games this season. The Vikings play at No. 11 (2A) John Glenn (1-1) on Saturday and at No. 9 (3A) Peru on Tuesday. Peru is 2-2, but the Tigers' best player, Brandon Jones, has been suspended. The Mr. Basketball candidate averaged 24 points per game last year as a junior.
His suspension ends this week, and his first game back will be against Valley.
"This is not a good way to start this stretch," Patrick said, "because the next two teams are better than Plymouth. Now we're at John Glenn and at Peru, and Plymouth may have been the weakest of the three teams."
No. 3 (3A) PLYMOUTH 49
T. VALLEY 47
Valley (3-1) 15 13 7 12 - 47
Plymouth (2-0) 8 6 19 16 - 49
Valley FG FT A S R Pts.
New (F) 7-12 7-8 1 1 7 25
Eaton (C) 4-7 3-3 1 1 6 11
Martin (G) 2-5 1-1 2 2 2 5
Shafer (G) 2-4 0-0 3 2 0 4
Domenico (G) 1-7 0-0 1 1 5 2
Wise 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Harmon 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Stutzman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 16-35 11-12 8 7 21 47
Plymouth FG FT A S R Pts.
Stuckmeyer (G) 5-7 2-4 6 2 4 13
McNeil (F) 4-12 0-0 0 0 2 11
Houin (F) 5-10 0-0 2 3 7 10
Snyder (G) 3-8 0-0 0 1 3 9
Slein (C) 1-3 0-0 2 1 2 2
Clinton 0-3 3-4 0 0 2 3
Delp 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1
Davis 0-2 0-0 2 2 1 0
Scott 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 18-45 6-10 12 9 21 49
Three-point goals - Plymouth 7-17 (Snyder 3-6, McNeil 3-6, Stuckmeyer 1-2, Davis 0-2, Clinton 0-1), Valley 3-6 (New 3-6). Turnovers - Plymouth 8, Valley 12. Fouled out - None. Total fouls - Plymouth 15, Valley 13.
JV: TIPPECANOE VALLEY 42, PLYMOUTH 37
Valley (2-2) scoring - David Beyers 9, Kyle Bruner 7, Eric Carnes 7, Andrew Kramer 6, Kory Fields 6, Blaine Hartzler 5, Chuck Sterk 2.
Plymouth (1-1) scoring - Dan Chamberlin 14, Kyle Wallace 13, Kyle Schoof 3, Scott Bucher 3, John Pulliam 2, Adam Foust 2. [[In-content Ad]]