Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊAn injured Whitko basketball team took a 5-2 lead early in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against Homestead, but that was the only lead the Wildcats would see during the game as they fell 71-47.
Homestead scored the first points of the game on a Ryan Morris basket, but Whitko's Shane Henderson answered with a three-pointer of his own to put the Wildcats up 3-2. A Jeff Martin basket put the Wildcats up 5-2, but Homestead went on a 14-2 run and held a 16-7 lead at the end of the first frame.
Homestead outscored Whitko 13-7 in the second quarter and took a 33-20 lead into the lockers at the half.
With a 13-point lead, Homestead did not let up in the third stanza as the Spartans held Whitko scoreless until Martin netted a basket after two minutes had ticked off the second-half clock.
Behind eight Mike Rhinehart points, Homestead topped Whitko in the third quarter 19-11.
The fourth frame was much like the other three as Homestead outscored the the Wildcats 19-16 on the way to a 71-47 victory.
"We were the walking wounded tonight," said Whitko assistant coach Jim Ryan. "That's no excuse, injuries didn't beat us, Homestead beat us, but we did have several injuries.
"(Michael) Waybright was out with an injury. His knee is bruised and swollen. Joe Grant was having trouble and we didn't know if he would even play tonight, and (Shane) Henderson's ankle is bad, and we took him out because he just couldn't go anymore. Gonzo (Josh Gonzalez) hurt his hand earlier today, and Ben Ryan fell during the game so he has a swollen knee."
Ben Ryan led the Whitko effort, shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 4 of 5 from the charity stripe for a total of 16 points while pulling down five rebounds. Henderson was the next Whitko scorer, racking up 13 points and grabbing three rebounds and three assists.
Four Homestead players -ÊMorris, Rhinehart, Chris Olson and Ryan Moyer -Ênetted points in double figures for the Spartans.
"We knew the (Mike) Rhinehart kid would be tough so we tried to prepare for him," said Whitko assistant coach Jim Ryan. "Coming into tonight, he was shooting 66 percent from the field. We tried to focus on him and take away the inside.
"We took away the inside, they just went outside. I have not seen them shoot from the perimeter like they did here tonight."
The Homestead defense held Whitko's leading scorer, Ben Mohr, scoreless the entire game.
"Mohr wasn't hurt, he was just out of rhythm tonight," said Ryan.
Whitko, 6-7, travels to Bourbon where the Wildcats will face the Triton Trojans Friday night.
Homestead 71 Whitko 47
Whitko 7 13 11 16 - 47
Homestead 16 17 19 19 - 71
Whitko FG FT R A S Pts.
Mohr 0-3 0-2 3 1 1 0
Ryan 5-7 4-5 5 2 1 16
Martin 4-7 0-1 1 2 1 8
Gonzalez 1-3 0-0 0 2 1 2
Henderson 5-9 0-0 3 3 0 13
J. Wendel 0-1 1-4 1 1 0 3
A. Wendel 2-3 0-0 1 2 0 4
Goble 0-2 1-2 2 1 0 1
Grant 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 18-38 6-14 13 14 4 47
Homestead FG FT R A S Pts.
Morris 5-5 2-3 1 2 0 13
Cleaver 4-6 0-1 8 1 2 8
Rhinehart 6-10 2-2 4 0 3 14
Lohman 3-5 0-0 2 2 3 6
Moyer 4-6 0-0 0 1 2 10
Barr 2-2 1-4 1 0 0 5
Prosser 1-3 0-0 0 0 2 2
Olson 3-3 2-2 1 1 0 11
Atwood 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Ankenbruck 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Muff 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 2
Antonios 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 29-43 7-12 16 7 12 71
Three-point goals - Whitko 5-7 (Ryan 2-2, Martin 0-1, Henderson 3-4), Homestead 6-9 (Morris 1-1, Lohman 0-1, Moyer 2-3, Prosser 0-1, Olson 3-3). Turnovers -ÊWhitko 14, Hamoetead 10. Fouled out -Ênone. Total fouls -ÊWhitko 9, Homestead 13.
JV Score -ÊWhitko 63, Homestead 41
JV leaders - Bryan Howard 27 points, Brandon Waller 10 points.
