On The Court

MANCHESTER AT OAK HILL

TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Friday at Converse

COACHES: Gary Goshert (Manchester), Bryan Alexander (Oak Hill)

RECORDS: Manchester 5-3, 2-0 TRC; Oak Hill 1-1 TRC

LAST GAME: Manchester 67, Wabash 56

MATCHUP: ... In a game post-New Year's Three Rivers Conference matchup, an overachieving Squire squad goes up against an almost underachieving Eagle team. Two injured players, Brandon Reimer and Jon Price, return for the Squires. For Oak Hill, Jared Odle is third in the state in scoring at 30.8 points per game.

GAME TALK:

Goshert... "He (Odle) is doing a lot of good things for them at the offensive end of the floor. He is does it in a lot of different ways too. He posts up around the basket, and he does it sometimes off the dribble. He is a nice asset for a team. He is a good college prospect. But they also have other kids who are capable. Their perimeter players are very capable also. You can't put all your eggs in one basket because the other kids will hurt you. You have to work and make it as difficult as possible for the Odle kid and still be able to contest the perimeter and contain the dribble penetration. ... We are continuing to adjust and should be that much better from the previous week in the county tournament. We have to improve with our patience with the basketball."

Saturday's games

CULVER AT TRITON

TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Saturday at Bourbon

COACHES: Kent DeKonick (Culver), Kevin O'Rourke (Triton)

RECORDS: Culver 3-5, Triton 6-2

LAST GAME: Caston 78, Culver 65, Triton 64, Argos 53

MATCHUP:... Triton has two streaks going. The Trojans have won seven straight conference games and eight straight home games. In the first eight games, no Triton opponent scored more than 59 points, and no opponent scored less than 50. The Trojans have gone to the free throw line 31 times or more in five of the eight games. They have made 166 of 234 free throws this season, 71 percent. Cory Monesmith leads Triton with 18.4 ppg. Jeff Rupe scores 13.6 ppg, and Philip Reed adds 13.3 ppg. Monesmith and Reed have scored in double figures seven of the eight games.

GAME TALK:

O'Rourke... "Culver is a much improved team over last year. They have a number of kids back from last year. Obviously the (Eric) Hurley kid is a four-year starter and fantastic player. I know he's one of the top scorers in the area. He's one of those kids who can put a bunch on the board in a hurry. He's had a couple games in the 30s. Your defense has to understand where he is at all times. Their team has proven two or three times this year when they get down early, they have the potential to come back. They have Adam Geik inside. He's a 6-4 or 6-5 kid who had 18 against us last year. His size inside concerns me. Culver was a .500 team, but they had a couple of tough losses in the Culver Tourney. I'm sure they're hungry to get 1997 started on a positive note."

WHITKO AT CASTON

TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Saturday at Fulton

COACHES: Dave Henson (Whitko), Craig Teagle (Caston)

RECORDS: Whitko 3-4, Caston 6-2

LAST GAME: Huntington 55, Whitko 43, Caston 78, Culver 65

MATCHUP:... A game after facing the slowdown, defensive oriented Huntington team, the Wildcats will get into more of a game they will like with the Comets, who like to extend the floor and run up and down the court.