Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
ROCHESTER - One game after becoming Tippecanoe Valley's all-time leading scorer, 6-foot-4 senior Trey Eaton made history again at Three Rivers Conference rival Rochester Friday, dropping in a school record 51 points to lead the Vikings to a 71-66 win in overtime.
Valley, ranked third in Class 3A, improved to 12-0 overall and 3-0 in the TRC, while Rochester fell to 3-7 and 1-2.
Eaton, who broke Ron Dittman's record of 50 set back in 1975, knotted the game at 58 with a pair of free throws with eight seconds in regulation. He then scored 10 in the overtime period, including an 8-of-8 performance at the charity stripe, to lift Valley to the win.
Included in Eaton's school record 51 points were six three-pointers and a 19-of-19 effort at the free throw line. In Valley's last four games, Eaton has scored 32, 34, 38 and 51 points, an average of 38.8 points per contest.
"The kids played hard and played together," veteran coach Bill Patrick said. "They kept plugging away and found a way to win."
The five-point win helped the Vikings equal Valley's best start in school history. In the 1976-77 season, when Eaton's father Kevin Eaton was a senior, Valley started the season 12-0.
To go with Eaton's 51, Cory Vanlaningham added seven, Brandon Cody five, Shane Denny four, and Jeff Parker and Casey Wise two each.
Ryan Spencer led Rochester with 22, while Kyle Felke added 13 and Luke Smith 11.
Valley is in action again next Saturday at home against TRC foe Southwood.
NO. 3 (3A) TIPPECANOE
VALLEY 71, ROCHESTER 66 OT
Valley 11 13 10 21 13 - 71
Rochester 20 11 8 19 8 - 66
Valley - Parker 1 0-0 2, Gibson 0 0-0 0, Vanlaningham 3 1-4 7, Cody 2 0-0 5, Drudge 0 0-0 0, Wise 0 2-2 2, Murphy 0 0-0 0, Eaton 13 19-19 51, Denny 1 2-2 4. Totals 20 24-27 71.
Rochester - Smith 4 3-4 11, Martin 1 2-2 5, Felke 5 2-2 13, Frounfelter 0 0-0 0, Spencer 7 5-7 22, Lett 1 3-7 6. Totals 20 18-29 66.
Three-point goals - Valley 7 (Eaton 6, Cody 1), Rochester 8 (Smith 3, Spencer 2, Martin 1, Felke 1, Lett 1).
