SYRACUSE - The Tippecanoe Valley Vikings entered sectional play as a favorite, but after the suspension of a main player, they saw their chances shrink - substantially.
Playing without senior guard Chad Hoffer and his 14 points, four assists and three steals per game because of his violation of the Tippy Valley Athletic Code last weekend, the Vikings fell 69-55 to the NorthWood Panthers Friday at Wawasee High School in a Class 3A Sectional 21 semifinal."We had to change and do some things differently offensively," Valley coach Bill Patrick said of the game plan without Hoffer. "I thought the kids adjusted and did a nice job. We just got beat by a pretty good team. That's all you can say."
That pretty good team sports a 13-9 record, but has won 9 of its last 10 games, the only loss coming by a 52-51 margin at Penn High School.
"Our goal the entire year was to be able to compete at the state level, to compete in the (Northern Lakes Conference) and improve as a basketball team," first-year NorthWood coach Aaron Wolfe said of his team, which began the year at 2-6. "In some respects, we were able to accomplish some of those goals. I'm proud of how my guys have persevered through the season."
"We've become a much more balanced basketball team," he added. "We're becoming balanced in all three phases - which is offense, defense and rebounding."
The balance definitely favored the post game against Valley, where 6-2 junior Skyler Titus went for 28 points and 6-5 senior Aaron McDowell finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
"Our guards did a wonderful job of seeing the floor tonight, and we were able to get the ball inside," Wolfe said.
Titus did the most damage, netting 17 first-half points on 8-of-12 shooting.
"Skyler Titus is an exceptional basketball player," Wolfe said. "His competitive spirit stands out."
That spirit allowed him to also post six rebounds, three blocks, three steals and three assists on the night.
"He played really well," Patrick said of Titus. "He shot well, he played hard and smart. We had trouble guarding him."
Playing without Hoffer, Valley still got double-digit scoring out of seniors Steven Tillman, Ryan Scherzer and Shane Salyer, finishing with 14, 13 and 11 points, respectively.
That trio helped Valley hold the lead until McDowell scored with 1:41 remaining in the first half, giving NorthWood a 26-25 advantage.
"We got off to a good start, played well going into the second quarter," Patrick said. "We missed a couple of easy shots, then just didn't do some things well at the end of the second quarter. Once we got down, it was just tough to come back."
Valley did retake the lead at 27-26 following two Tillman free throws a possession later and again at 34-33 with 5:20 left in the third quarter. But after those short-lived leads, it was all NorthWood.
Down 35-34, Salyer was whistled for a charge with 4:33 left in the third, drawing his third foul.
"The third foul on Salyer was a big foul," Patrick said. "I thought it was a close one, Titus may have pushed him, but it was really a key call. When he got into foul trouble, it really made a difference."
The Vikings actually stood their ground following Salyer's third foul, but after he picked up his fourth with 2:17 remaining in the quarter, the wheels completely fell off.
With the 6-7 senior on the bench, NorthWood let loose a 13-1 run that turned a 39-36 lead into a 52-37 advantage with 7:17 left in the game.
"I was proud of how our guys responded in the third quarter," Wolfe said.
With Salyer out of the game, the Panthers' focus turned to the paint, where a small lead was turned into a large one.
"Salyer is obviously a big part of their defense," Wolfe said. "I think our players understood, without his presence in the paint, that we were going to be able to attack the basket a little easier."
Patrick's Valley team ended the year with a 16-5 record, but had hoped for more with so many seniors.
"We're disappointed," the coach said after his 39th season came to a close. "We have a good group of kids."
"Tonight, we just got beat by a good team," he added. "They're playing really well at this point."
The Panthers will look to continue that momentum tonight in the 7:30 p.m. championship game against Lakeland, a 52-41 winner over Columbia City in the second semifinal Friday.
