Triton Boys Fall In Tourney Semifinal
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Taking on the host LaVille Lancers (9-3) in the semifinals of the 48th annual tournament Friday night, the Trojans (8-5) came up short, losing 50-48.
“Proud of my guys,” LaVille coach Michael Edison said. “They just dug it out against a very good team.”
The win is LaVille’s second-straight over the Trojans, but this one puts the Lancers in their first Bi-County title game since 1997 and in a position to win their first title since 1974.
“I was born in ‘76,” Edison said. “It will be a big game, but what we’re going to try to do is focus on the little things.”
Against Triton, the big thing for LaVille was senior Andrew Hostetler.
After hitting just 2 of 6 three-point attempts in the first half, he made 4 of 4 in the third quarter, helping transform a 23-17 halftime deficit into a 35-29 lead going into the fourth.
“I knew Andrew got on a streak there and hit three or four 3s in a row, that were real big for us,” Edison said. “We were down by quite a few, then all of a sudden we were up three. I was kind of shocked, surprised. Not surprised that he hit those, because he’s capable of doing that.”
Triton coach Jason Groves was also aware of Hostetler’s ability, but his teammates made him tough to defend.
“They run him off a zillion screens and it’s tough to get through all of them,” Groves said. “They did a great job of really cranking up their screens in that third quarter.”
Hostetler finished the game making 7 of 13 three-point attempts, scoring 24 points.
“We wanted to hold him to around 12, 14 points, then he ended up with 24,” Groves said. “That’s just way too much.”
While Hostetler heated up in the second half, Triton senior Clay Yeo cooled, scoring 18 of his 24 points in the opening half.
Yeo made just 1 of 5 field goal attempts in the final 16 minutes.
“They were just helping more and making someone else step up and make a play,” Groves said about LaVille’s defense on Yeo in the second half. “They were going to make sure he didn’t get to the hole.”
Outside of Yeo, the Trojans made 7 of 26 shots, making it easy for the Lancers to key on the Valparaiso University-bound Yeo.
“Right now, I think our confidence in our outside shooting isn’t there,” Groves said. “We just have to be able to knock down those shots and free him up. Until we do that, teams are going to continue to take him away.”
After falling behind 45-37 with 1:24 remaining, some of Yeo’s teammates began to find their strokes.
First, junior Tanner Shepherd hit a trey with 1:08 remaining, then senior Drew Mosson hit two threes in the final minute.
And with LaVille missing four free throws down the stretch, Triton had possession with 6.5 seconds remaining, down 50-48.
With that much time, everyone in Dale E. Cox Gym knew Yeo was the one to focus on, and that’s the message Edison relayed to his guys during a timeout.
“I’ve scouted him and watched him hit way too many game winners and buzzer beaters,” Edison said. “I just wanted someone else to beat us.”
Having to go the length of the court, Yeo received the in-bound pass and took a couple dribbles upcourt before drawing a slew of defenders.
“We wanted to put two guys on him and make him give (the ball) up,” Edison said.
Yeo did give up the ball, passing it cross-court to sophomore Joey Corder, who had an open look from the left wing, but his three-point attempt was off.
“They weren’t going to let (Yeo) take the shot,” Groves said. “Credit them, they were going to let someone else beat them. That’s what I’d do. We got a good look, that’s for sure. We just need to knock it down.”
With the miss by Corder, LaVille has a chance to make program history.
The Lancers will meet John Glenn in tonight’s championship game, which will follow the 6:30 p.m girls championship game between Class 1A’s No. 2 Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats and No. 10 Triton Lady Trojans.
On Dec. 15, LaVille picked up a 52-36 win over John Glenn in Walkerton, but Edison doesn’t see things being that easy again.
“Glenn, even though we beat them earlier in the year, we hadn’t beaten them in 17 years,” he said. “They’ve had our number for years and years and years and they are playing so much better.”
While LaVille’s next game is for the Bi-County championship, Triton’s will be Friday at Northern State Conference foe Jimtown.
LAVILLE 50, TRITON 48
(TCU Bi-County, Semifinal)
Tri 9 14 6 19 – 48
Lav 9 8 18 15 – 50
LV – Blake Berger 3-12 6-8 13, Landon Manuel 0-0 0-2 0, Jeff Haygood 0-3 1-2 1, Andrew Hostetler 8-17 1-2 24, Nicholas Amor 3-6 4-4 10, Cameron Gurtner 0-3 0-1 0, Alec Baker 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 15-42 12-19 50.
Triton – Joey Corder 0-3 0-0 0, Clay Yeo 9-19 4-9 24, Tanner Shepherd 3-10 6-6 14, Seth Glingle 2-3 0-1 4, Cody Shively 0-5 0-0 0, Darren Harrell 0-1 0-0 0, Trenton Cooper 0-0 0-0 0, Drew Mosson 2-3 0-0 6, Dillon Meadway 0-0 0-1 0, Skyler Reichert 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-45 10-17 48.
Three-point goals – LV 8-15 (Hostetler 7, Berger), Triton 6-20 (Yeo 2, Shepherd 2, Mosson 2); Team Fouls (fouled out) – LV 17, Triton 17 (Shively); Turnovers – LV 12, Triton 7; Rebounds – LV 27 (Haygood 6), Triton 38 (Yeo 12); Assists – LV 12 (Amor 4), Triton 11 (Shively 7); Steals – LV 4 (Berger 2, Manuel 2), Triton 1; Blocks – LV 7 (Yeo 3, Glingle 3), LV 0; Records: LaVill 9-3, Triton 8-5[[In-content Ad]]
Taking on the host LaVille Lancers (9-3) in the semifinals of the 48th annual tournament Friday night, the Trojans (8-5) came up short, losing 50-48.
“Proud of my guys,” LaVille coach Michael Edison said. “They just dug it out against a very good team.”
The win is LaVille’s second-straight over the Trojans, but this one puts the Lancers in their first Bi-County title game since 1997 and in a position to win their first title since 1974.
“I was born in ‘76,” Edison said. “It will be a big game, but what we’re going to try to do is focus on the little things.”
Against Triton, the big thing for LaVille was senior Andrew Hostetler.
After hitting just 2 of 6 three-point attempts in the first half, he made 4 of 4 in the third quarter, helping transform a 23-17 halftime deficit into a 35-29 lead going into the fourth.
“I knew Andrew got on a streak there and hit three or four 3s in a row, that were real big for us,” Edison said. “We were down by quite a few, then all of a sudden we were up three. I was kind of shocked, surprised. Not surprised that he hit those, because he’s capable of doing that.”
Triton coach Jason Groves was also aware of Hostetler’s ability, but his teammates made him tough to defend.
“They run him off a zillion screens and it’s tough to get through all of them,” Groves said. “They did a great job of really cranking up their screens in that third quarter.”
Hostetler finished the game making 7 of 13 three-point attempts, scoring 24 points.
“We wanted to hold him to around 12, 14 points, then he ended up with 24,” Groves said. “That’s just way too much.”
While Hostetler heated up in the second half, Triton senior Clay Yeo cooled, scoring 18 of his 24 points in the opening half.
Yeo made just 1 of 5 field goal attempts in the final 16 minutes.
“They were just helping more and making someone else step up and make a play,” Groves said about LaVille’s defense on Yeo in the second half. “They were going to make sure he didn’t get to the hole.”
Outside of Yeo, the Trojans made 7 of 26 shots, making it easy for the Lancers to key on the Valparaiso University-bound Yeo.
“Right now, I think our confidence in our outside shooting isn’t there,” Groves said. “We just have to be able to knock down those shots and free him up. Until we do that, teams are going to continue to take him away.”
After falling behind 45-37 with 1:24 remaining, some of Yeo’s teammates began to find their strokes.
First, junior Tanner Shepherd hit a trey with 1:08 remaining, then senior Drew Mosson hit two threes in the final minute.
And with LaVille missing four free throws down the stretch, Triton had possession with 6.5 seconds remaining, down 50-48.
With that much time, everyone in Dale E. Cox Gym knew Yeo was the one to focus on, and that’s the message Edison relayed to his guys during a timeout.
“I’ve scouted him and watched him hit way too many game winners and buzzer beaters,” Edison said. “I just wanted someone else to beat us.”
Having to go the length of the court, Yeo received the in-bound pass and took a couple dribbles upcourt before drawing a slew of defenders.
“We wanted to put two guys on him and make him give (the ball) up,” Edison said.
Yeo did give up the ball, passing it cross-court to sophomore Joey Corder, who had an open look from the left wing, but his three-point attempt was off.
“They weren’t going to let (Yeo) take the shot,” Groves said. “Credit them, they were going to let someone else beat them. That’s what I’d do. We got a good look, that’s for sure. We just need to knock it down.”
With the miss by Corder, LaVille has a chance to make program history.
The Lancers will meet John Glenn in tonight’s championship game, which will follow the 6:30 p.m girls championship game between Class 1A’s No. 2 Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats and No. 10 Triton Lady Trojans.
On Dec. 15, LaVille picked up a 52-36 win over John Glenn in Walkerton, but Edison doesn’t see things being that easy again.
“Glenn, even though we beat them earlier in the year, we hadn’t beaten them in 17 years,” he said. “They’ve had our number for years and years and years and they are playing so much better.”
While LaVille’s next game is for the Bi-County championship, Triton’s will be Friday at Northern State Conference foe Jimtown.
LAVILLE 50, TRITON 48
(TCU Bi-County, Semifinal)
Tri 9 14 6 19 – 48
Lav 9 8 18 15 – 50
LV – Blake Berger 3-12 6-8 13, Landon Manuel 0-0 0-2 0, Jeff Haygood 0-3 1-2 1, Andrew Hostetler 8-17 1-2 24, Nicholas Amor 3-6 4-4 10, Cameron Gurtner 0-3 0-1 0, Alec Baker 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 15-42 12-19 50.
Triton – Joey Corder 0-3 0-0 0, Clay Yeo 9-19 4-9 24, Tanner Shepherd 3-10 6-6 14, Seth Glingle 2-3 0-1 4, Cody Shively 0-5 0-0 0, Darren Harrell 0-1 0-0 0, Trenton Cooper 0-0 0-0 0, Drew Mosson 2-3 0-0 6, Dillon Meadway 0-0 0-1 0, Skyler Reichert 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-45 10-17 48.
Three-point goals – LV 8-15 (Hostetler 7, Berger), Triton 6-20 (Yeo 2, Shepherd 2, Mosson 2); Team Fouls (fouled out) – LV 17, Triton 17 (Shively); Turnovers – LV 12, Triton 7; Rebounds – LV 27 (Haygood 6), Triton 38 (Yeo 12); Assists – LV 12 (Amor 4), Triton 11 (Shively 7); Steals – LV 4 (Berger 2, Manuel 2), Triton 1; Blocks – LV 7 (Yeo 3, Glingle 3), LV 0; Records: LaVill 9-3, Triton 8-5[[In-content Ad]]
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