SOUTH WHITLEY — With the winter weather putting the Whitko boys basketball team on hold for two weeks, the squad was looking for a chance to end its eight-game losing streak at home Friday night against the Wabash Apaches. The Wildcats looked prepped to snap that skid, leading by as many as four points in the fourth quarter, but fell late as the Apaches won 49-45 on the road. “This snow kind of helped us a bit I think,” said Whitko head coach Scott Wessel. “This is kind of a starting over point for us. It was a good time to re-focus ourselves.” It was the first time the Apaches (5-5, 2-1 TRC) defeated the Wildcats (1-12, 0-4 TRC) since Jan. 26, 2007, and also put an end to their three-game skid. The Apaches’ Christian Hall paved the way with 13 points, with Taylor Vigar adding 12 points and Roger Davis’ 11 points. Senior Dylan Cumberland led all scorers with 18 points for the Wildcats, with freshman Nate Walpole adding 17 points in the loss. The Apaches caught fire early, bursting out of the gates with an 11-0 start, while Whitko did not get on the board until the 3:35 mark in the first quarter with a Devon Adkins’ free throw. At the start of the second quarter, the Wildcats used a quick 8-0 run to get within two points and a couple three-point shots from Seth Patrick and Walpole kept the Cats in the game, maintaining a single-digit deficit going into halftime. In the beginning of the second half, Walpole sank another three, and Cumberland hit a shot from behind the arc to tie the contest for the first time since the opening tip. With 1:34 to go in the third, a bucket from Roger Helblig gave Whitko its first lead and brought the home fans to their feet. During the fourth, the teams traded baskets down to the wire and it was not until the last 30 seconds that the game was determined. Down by two, Walpole’s three-point shot bounced off the front of the rim, and on Whitko’s next possession, Helblig was called for over-and-back, turning the ball over and killing any chance for a win. Despite the loss, the Wildcats did have a different look to them compared to the past several games. “We had a meeting on Thursday and talked what Whitko basketball was about – this was it,” Wessel said. “We’re about toughness, competing and attitude. After the (season opening) Columbia City game, we kind of lost our fire. I think we got that back a little bit tonight, but now our next challenge is can we sustain that going forward? Because if we keep playing like that, we are going to be fine.” Wessel will look to take his new-look team and change its luck when they host Southern Wells Tuesday.
WABASH 49, WHITKO 45 Wa 13 11 8 17 – 49 Wh 3 19 11 12 – 45 Wabash – Christian Hall 13, Taylor Vigar 12, Roger Davis 11, Cody King 6, Grant Sailors 4, Kodi Clemons 2, Jordan Blair 1. Whitko – Dylan Cumberland 18, Nate Walpole 17, Seth Patrick 5, Roger Helblig 2, Ian Keirn 2, Devon Adkins 1. Records: Wabash 5-5 (2-1 TRC), Whitko 1-12 (0-4 TRC) JV – Wabash 35, Whitko 27 Whitko JV – Kyle Whelpley 15, Devon Adkins 9, Tyler Baugher 3
