Schuh And Shively Lead Triton To Razor-Thin Win Over Jimtown
December 22, 2022 at 3:06 a.m.
Schuh And Shively Lead Triton To Razor-Thin Win Over Jimtown
By Connor McCann-
The game began with the visitors taking control early. The Jimmies used a noticeable size advantage to pick apart the Trojan defense to the tune of easy buckets inside and out. Jimtown would jump out to a 9-0 lead over the first four minutes of the game before Shively finally took the lid off of the Triton basket by hitting a free throw. Seeing the first one go down would do wonders for Shively, as the junior guard would explode offensively over the final three minutes of the period. At the end of a quarter the Jimmies would lead 17-9, with all nine Trojan points coming from Shively.
The second quarter contained enough drama for an entire game. With Groves yelling at his players to move the ball better, the Triton offense responded well. Shively still got his, but was more willing to move the ball to his teammates. The results were instant as Triton began to chip away at the Jimtown lead. Freshman Julian Swanson would bank in a three to shrink the lead down to one, and a minute later Schuh would convert an and-one layup opportunity to give the Trojans their first lead of the game.
Leads for both teams were slim and did not last long in the second period of action, as both sides flew down the court. Possessions didn’t last long and often resulted in points for both sides. As the quarter neared an end, momentum shifted drastically. Shively was called for a questionable offensive foul on a layup attempt and received a technical foul for voicing his displeasure, giving him three fouls before the half. Shively was forced to sit on the bench for the remainder of the half and watched his teammates take a one-point lead into the locker room.
The third quarter dragged on and didn’t have much if any rhythm as both teams continued to get into foul trouble. Shively picked up his fourth foul seconds into the quarter and wouldn’t return until the fourth. The one constant for Triton in the third was the presence of Schuh. With Shively out of the game, Schuh took over. The junior grabbed every rebound, scored a majority of the team’s second half points and did so in dramatic fashion. Whether it was a tip-in off of a rebound or a layup plus a foul, every shot Schuh hit seemed to energize the rabid crowd at the Trojan Trench.
“Anthony is invaluable to this team,” Triton head coach Jason Groves said. “He makes plays, he plays hard. Nothing phases him and he plays without fear. It’s great to have a player like him.”
The lead continued to change hands in the third but it was Triton who remained on top going into the game’s final quarter. Schuh continued his monster play but Jimtown answered on each of their possessions as well. Eventually the Jimmies would fight back and take their first lead of the fourth quarter with three minutes left, forcing Groves to call a timeout. When both teams returned to the court, Shively was back for Triton. He’d make his presence felt immediately, scoring a quick two points just seconds after checking in.
“We needed him to stay focused. It’s hard to sit on the bench for that long and come back into the game and try to execute at a high level,” Groves said.
With the clock winding down and the Trojans holding onto a narrow lead, possessions began to get longer. A particularly long stint with the ball would bring the crowd to its feet upon conclusion, as Shively would hit Schuh with a nifty pass in the lane, which would be turned into two points plus the foul. After a quick shot attempt missed on the other end, the duo ran the same play back and got the same result. With 40 seconds left, Triton was up six.
A three-pointer by Jimtown’s Biship Williams made it a one-possession game with 30 seconds left. Trying to get the ball past the midcourt line, Triton would turn the ball over three times in the final 30 seconds. Jimtown would hit one of four free throws to get the lead down to two, but the Jimmies would get no further. The visitors had one final shot to send the game into overtime, but the last-second shot by Williams hit off of the front of the rim.
“We’re a young team and these guys haven’t been in these types of situations this year,” Groves said. “It was nice to have a situation like this and we didn’t execute it that well but it’s something we know we have to work on now.”
The Trojans are now 5-3 this winter and are off until after the New Year. Triton hosts Winamac January 6.
The game began with the visitors taking control early. The Jimmies used a noticeable size advantage to pick apart the Trojan defense to the tune of easy buckets inside and out. Jimtown would jump out to a 9-0 lead over the first four minutes of the game before Shively finally took the lid off of the Triton basket by hitting a free throw. Seeing the first one go down would do wonders for Shively, as the junior guard would explode offensively over the final three minutes of the period. At the end of a quarter the Jimmies would lead 17-9, with all nine Trojan points coming from Shively.
The second quarter contained enough drama for an entire game. With Groves yelling at his players to move the ball better, the Triton offense responded well. Shively still got his, but was more willing to move the ball to his teammates. The results were instant as Triton began to chip away at the Jimtown lead. Freshman Julian Swanson would bank in a three to shrink the lead down to one, and a minute later Schuh would convert an and-one layup opportunity to give the Trojans their first lead of the game.
Leads for both teams were slim and did not last long in the second period of action, as both sides flew down the court. Possessions didn’t last long and often resulted in points for both sides. As the quarter neared an end, momentum shifted drastically. Shively was called for a questionable offensive foul on a layup attempt and received a technical foul for voicing his displeasure, giving him three fouls before the half. Shively was forced to sit on the bench for the remainder of the half and watched his teammates take a one-point lead into the locker room.
The third quarter dragged on and didn’t have much if any rhythm as both teams continued to get into foul trouble. Shively picked up his fourth foul seconds into the quarter and wouldn’t return until the fourth. The one constant for Triton in the third was the presence of Schuh. With Shively out of the game, Schuh took over. The junior grabbed every rebound, scored a majority of the team’s second half points and did so in dramatic fashion. Whether it was a tip-in off of a rebound or a layup plus a foul, every shot Schuh hit seemed to energize the rabid crowd at the Trojan Trench.
“Anthony is invaluable to this team,” Triton head coach Jason Groves said. “He makes plays, he plays hard. Nothing phases him and he plays without fear. It’s great to have a player like him.”
The lead continued to change hands in the third but it was Triton who remained on top going into the game’s final quarter. Schuh continued his monster play but Jimtown answered on each of their possessions as well. Eventually the Jimmies would fight back and take their first lead of the fourth quarter with three minutes left, forcing Groves to call a timeout. When both teams returned to the court, Shively was back for Triton. He’d make his presence felt immediately, scoring a quick two points just seconds after checking in.
“We needed him to stay focused. It’s hard to sit on the bench for that long and come back into the game and try to execute at a high level,” Groves said.
With the clock winding down and the Trojans holding onto a narrow lead, possessions began to get longer. A particularly long stint with the ball would bring the crowd to its feet upon conclusion, as Shively would hit Schuh with a nifty pass in the lane, which would be turned into two points plus the foul. After a quick shot attempt missed on the other end, the duo ran the same play back and got the same result. With 40 seconds left, Triton was up six.
A three-pointer by Jimtown’s Biship Williams made it a one-possession game with 30 seconds left. Trying to get the ball past the midcourt line, Triton would turn the ball over three times in the final 30 seconds. Jimtown would hit one of four free throws to get the lead down to two, but the Jimmies would get no further. The visitors had one final shot to send the game into overtime, but the last-second shot by Williams hit off of the front of the rim.
“We’re a young team and these guys haven’t been in these types of situations this year,” Groves said. “It was nice to have a situation like this and we didn’t execute it that well but it’s something we know we have to work on now.”
The Trojans are now 5-3 this winter and are off until after the New Year. Triton hosts Winamac January 6.
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