(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, December 4, 2019)
Take away the first eight
minutes and the Allen County-Scottsville Patriots and the South Warren Spartans
played an even game Tuesday night. However, add in the first quarter and a
different picture comes into focus. The Spartans sprinted to a 31-12 first
quarter lead and went on to post an 87-68 win over the Patriots in the
season-opener at South Warren.
The Spartans looked in
mid-season form with an offensive explosion in the first eight minutes. Shooting
60% from the floor (12-20), South Warren exploded out of the gate building as
much as a 22-point lead in the first.
A stunned Patriot team
regrouped in the final five minutes of the second. AC-S trailed by 27 points
(39-12) before Jax Cooper sank a 3-pointer at the 5:32 mark. Mason Shirley and
Tyler Ford would add 3-point buckets to enable AC-S to close the first half on
an 18-10 lead, a charge that pulled the Patriots to within 19 at the break.
The team’s traded baskets for most of the third frame as the Patriots made offensive and defensive adjustments to counter the athleticism of the Spartans. Offensively, senior Owen Stamper and junior Michael Smith began to make shots on the perimeter and in the paint. Still, South Warren’s continued solid play left the Spartans with a 65-45 lead going to the fourth frame.
AC-S mounted a late charge to
start the fourth. A Cooper lay-up, a three-point play by Smith, and three free
throws from Shirley pulled the Patriots to within 14. Just over a minute later,
a lay0in by junior Kayden Whitney brought AC-S to within a dozen (71-59) with
5:04 left. South Warren answered with a flurry of baskets from Caleb
Mitchell-Franklin, Parker Stobaugh, and Tayshaun Jones. The Spartans outscored
the Patriots 16-9 the rest of the way to record the win.
The loss overshadowed a career-night for Smith. The AC-S forward went seven-for-seven from the floor and made three free throws to finish with a career-high 17 points in just under 19 minutes of court time. Smith also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Shirley added 16 points and dished out six assists. Stamper had 13 points while Cooper also reached double figures with 10 points. South Warren’s Jace Carver led all scorers with 24.
AC-S finished the game
shooting 27-53 (50.9%) from the floor but struggled at the foul line. For the game,
AC-S was 10-26 (38.5%). South Warren was 32-66 (48.5%) from the floor and 16-23
(69.9%) at the line. AC-S outrebounded South Warren 44-29. The Patriots
committed 23 turnovers which led to 22 Spartan points.
The Patriots (0-1) travel to
LaRue County Saturday to participate in the Corky Cox classic. AC-S will face
the home standing Hawks in a game slated to tip at 6 p.m. (CST). Tuesday, AC-S
hosts Adair County in the back end of the girl-boys doubleheader at AC-S. The
game is a first round regional 2A Championship game. If AC-S wins, the Patriots
will advance in the 2A championships and play at Warren Central in January.