Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
CHURUBUSCO - Before the starting five for the Churubusco Eagles took to the court, they did what they normally do before every home game: They ran by their loyal fans on the sidelines, giving them high-fives and encouraging words.
It was easy to recognize the Eagles basketball team had the full support of its fans Friday night. It was also evident the Eagles were prepared to take on their opponent: The No. 2-ranked Manchester Squires.
But being psyched and ready wasn't enough for Churubusco to defeat Manchester, as the Squires beat the Eagles 54-48.
The Squires didn't hesitate on either side of the court the first quarter, forcing turnovers and hitting jumpshots inside the key. Manchester center Chris Enyeart grabbed four rebounds and scored six points, most on fastbreaks.
Churubusco got a break on several controversial travel calls on Manchester. Churubusco's David Keister made six of his 13 points in the first quarter, keeping the Eagles within five at the end of the quarter.
Churubusco's offense had several communication problems in the second quarter, when Manchester's Michael Hendrix stole the ball from the Eagles for an easy fastbreak layup.
"In the second quarter, we had problems with our offense," Churubusco coach Ross Hales said. "We only got off six shots to Manchester's 17 that they were able to get on us. We made an effort, but our offensive execution wasn't there."
In the second half, the Squires' domination of the boards proved too much for Churubusco. The Eagles' fastbreak attempts came out unsuccessful on key situations when it mattered the most.
Manchester's Heath Simcoe, who usually doesn't start, played for the injured Steve Fawcett and led the Squires with 21 points.
"This week has been real unorganized," Manchester coach Gary Goshert said. "We lost players due to injuries and sickness, and we haven't had many practices, so it's good to know that we have players like Heath Simcoe that will stand up and take charge."
Throughout most of the third quarter, the Squires held a 10-point lead over Churubusco. At the end of the third, the scoreboard read 44-31 in favor of Manchester.
Through the middle of the fourth quarter Churubusco's James Ford hit a three-pointer to break Manchester's 10-point control of the board. The Eagles went on an 8-2 run to pull within six. The Squires did well to hold their lead from Churubusco, as Enyeart caught the Eagles' defense in a daze to score two points on a layup and another two on a turnover.
"For the most part, our defense penetration was excellent in the second half," Goshert said. "We knew our defense had to be aggresive, but at the same time it had to be smart. And I think we handled it pretty well."
Churubusco dropped to 7-9, while Manchester improved to 15-2.
