Read More...
News
Poseyville Fire Truck in holding pattern
North Posey Relay plans set in motion
Marrs, West will pick up Hedges kids
Under the Beams concert set for March 13
Sports
North Posey falls victim to Mater Dei’s assault defense
Local age group swimmers dominate
North Posey Elementary wrestlers achieve
Other Sections
Contact Us
Online Features
Links
Employee Tools
Thank You for Visiting Us at:
THE POSEY COUNTY NEWS
We are Posey County's Definitive Source for News in the Mount Vernon, New Harmony, Poseyville, Saint Philip, Saint Wendel and Wadesville areas. Period.
Posey County Sports
North Posey falls victim to Mater Dei’s assault defense
By Dave Pearce
The Mater Dei Wildcats may not have won the Class 2A sectional championship
but they did lead the field in one statistic, they out-fouled each of their
opponents. And that was just the ones that were called.
The Wildcats used every foul in the arsenal in an attempt to turn Friday
night’s game against the North Posey Vikings into a slugfest and in the end,
it had worked. The Wildcats had hung on to defeat North Posey by a 52-50
count. The Vikings closed out a stellar 18-3 PAC championship season with
the loss. Mater Dei would advance to see another night but it was only one.
There is nothing in the rulebook that prohibits the hard-nosed,
body-checking, hand-slapping, shirt-grabbing defense the Wildcats used to
eliminate North Posey on Friday. But a similar gameplan back-fired on the
Wildcats against another Pocket Athletic Conference foe on Saturday as the
game was called more tightly and before the Wildcats knew it, they faced an
insurmountable mountain after the first quarter break and were never able to
really make a game out of it, with Forest Park’s Rangers eventually winning
66-44.
But despite the defensive “intensity,” the Wildcats had all they could
handle in beating probably the best basketball team North Posey has fielded
in it’s 50 years of existence.
“This was one of those games that all of us will replay in our minds over
and over,” an obviously dejected North Posey Coach Matt Wadsworth said,
following the game. “Or at least until the nest season starts.”
The teams played virtually even throughout the contest with Mater Dei
holding slim leads of 15-14 at the end of the first quarter and 30-29 at
half-time.
Starting the second half, it was obvious that it was a sectional contest as
nerves seemed to come into play and both teams valued possessions.
The first points of the second half came on an out-of-bounds play at the
6:40 mark of the third period to give Mater Dei a 32-29 lead. A Hank LaRue
drive put the Wildcats up 34-29 before senior Bryce Pearson finally got
loose (literally) inside for two points to pull North Posey back to within
34-31 at the 4:15 mark.
Pearson then picked up a pair of fouls in less than a minute shortly after
scoring and Mater Dei opened up a 38-31 lead before the Vikings called time
out with 2:11 showing on the third-quarter clock.
Out of the time out, Pearson got loose again inside and before LaRue and
Caleb Voegel traded 3-point baskets in the final minute of play to leave
Mater Dei with a 41-35 cushion heading into the final period.
To open the fourth quarter, Jordan Cox appeared to have an open lay-up and
used a head fake to shake would-be defenders when the 5-10 LaRue came from
nowhere and it appeared that he had hammered Cox but no foul was called on
the block and Mater Dei recovered.
Everyone on the court was surprised at it appeared play would be stopped but
no whistle sounded and Mater Dei then scored on a run-out and was fouled, as
well, and the Wildcats led by eight. And North Posey seemed to have trouble
inbounding the ball all evening.
“They did a nice job defensively of zoning off on the inbounds and their
guards are quick so they were able to take away two or three cutters and we
just couldn’t get that deep look over the top that we thought we could get,”
Wadsworth said.
Voegel drove the lane with 6:50 showing and a bucket cut the lead to 44-38.
On the other end, Mater Dei held a lead and decided to hold the ball until
North Posey came out of the zone defense that had been so effective
throughout the game. Finally, with 5:28 showing LaRue was fouled and hit one
of two free throws to restore a 45-38 lead.
But it appeared the Vikings had one more miracle in them.
Bryce Pearson was fouled down low and hit both free throws and the Vikings
forced a turnover and Voegel nailed a 3-pointer and suddenly, it was a game
again, with Mater Dei leading 45-43 with 3:42 remaining.
Mater Dei then took a time out and right out of the time out, with no
pressure out front, a Mater Dei pass went through the hands of the intended
receiver and the Vikings had the ball, down by two.
But neither team was able to hold onto the ball or get to the basket until
the Wildcats came up with an offensive rebound bucket at the 1:50 mark to
own a 4-point lead.
Pearson scored the next two Viking baskets as Mater Dei had no one who could
stop him in the post area. His last basket came with 22 seconds remaining
and brought the Vikings back to within two at 49-47.
Mater Dei called a time out with 20.8 showing, and another after the Viking
defense kept Mater Dei from getting the ball in.
But LaRue got the ball and was fouled. He hit one of two before North Posey
got the ball and a time out. Dillon Davenport then drove the lane and again,
appeared to be fouled on the play but the scoreboard said 50-49 with 6.6
seconds to play.
North Posey could only foul and hope. Coudret went to the line and rattled
in the first free throw and then swished the second to give the Wildcats a
3-point lead with 4.7 remaining.
Davenport took the inbounds pass and appeared to be driving to the basket
with the intention to kick the ball to an open shooter behind the 3-point
line when the Wildcats elected to (what else) foul the sophomore. He hit the
first one with 1.1 showing and an inadvertent horn stopped play after he was
handed the ball. However, a quick-shot and intentional miss was rebounded
and Mater Dei had sprung the upset.
“It was just a tremendous effort this year,” Wadsworth said despite the
loss. “We told them that if they would dedicate themselves, they could be a
championship team. We accomplished that in the conference but we did come up
short in the sectional. But that’s a lot like life. You can set goals and
your chances are much better if you prepare for them. That doesn’t always
mean you will always accomplish all of them.”
Despite the defense, Pearson managed to finish with 16 points but was an
uncharacteristic 2-of-5 from the free throw line. Davenport led the team
with 17 while Voegel finished with 13. Nick Scheller had only two points,
both from the line and no other Viking scored. That, too, was a first as the
Vikings have prided themselves all season on a balanced scoring attack.
“We have talked all year about the sectional being a lower scoring game and
tonight was 52-50 while over there (in the regular-season win over Mater
Dei), it was 86-79,” Wadsworth recalled. “You know that you are going to
have to execute in the sectional. We executed once there at the end and got
the basket but on a good basketball decision by their staff, they sent us to
the line there at the end when we needed three points. Maybe they learned
something from the game over there. We had a plan and it was in motion and
they stepped up and fouled.”
When all was said and done, both teams had hit 18 field goals but Mater Dei
had hit 11-of 16 free throws to 10-of-15 for North Posey.
