BOYS' BASKETBALL: Silver Creek beats Hornets for 14th straight time

Senior Christian Reed scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as Silver Creek defeated Henryville 63-35 away from home at H.G. Furnace Gym.

Ryan Baker added 17 as the Class 3A No. 6 Dragons defeated Henryville for the 14th straight time.

"We showed a lot of maturity tonight in a crazy environment," Dragons coach Brandon Hoffman sid. "For us to stick to the game plan and have a lot of poise, I think that bode well for us."

"Going in, we could tell something was going to happen tonight," Reed said. "The question was surrounding our other seniors who haven't played varsity yet, and of course, they stepped up. I think they were the stars. I tried to be vocal and be a leader, but [my teammates] really carried us."

Silver Creek lost several valuable seniors from last year's sectional and conference championship team. However, the junior varsity went 20-1 with a talented group that is now contributing to the varsity.

"We had a lot of guys who played junior varsity last year who were champing at the bit to play varsity," Hoffman said. "Our guys that sat on the bench in varsity last year were champing at the bit to play, so this game has been coming for a long time for them."

Both teams struggled to score from the outset, but once Silver Creek (1-0) took the lead, it began running a full-court press, which created turnovers and led to baskets. The Hornets only managed five points in the first quarter and Silver Creek had 16 until Ryan Baker hit a 3 that beat the buzzer to give the Dragons a 14-point lead through one quarter.

"We've been working hard and getting after it since Day 1 at practice," Baker said. "We're going to keep working hard and do our best to make it up to state."

Baker, also a senior, finished with a team-best six assists to go along with his 17 points.

Silver Creek kept the pressure on Henryville and led 31-8 midway through the second quarter, but the Hornets (0-1) found their game late in the half and cut the score to 33-17 as the teams headed to the locker room for halftime.

"I told my guys at halftime that we played well in the first 16 minutes, but there's still a half to play," Hoffman said.

The Dragons heeded the words from the coach as they kept on the Hornets, only allowing 18 points in the second half and scoring 29 themselves to secure the big victory.

"We didn't handle their pressure," Henryville coach Jared Hill said. "Our guys did not compete and do what we do every day in practice. We got totally outworked and our guys did not play the way we typically play."

Hornets junior Braxton Robertson had 18 points on the game, including his team's only two 3-point field goals.

"Robertson has been battling a bad ankle injury and he's been very limited on how much he can actually go," Hill saud. "He was definitely a bright spot and he wanted to win."

"[Nick] Walker and Robertson are really good players, so our game plan was to focus on those two and for the most part we did a good job of that," Hoffman said. "I'm proud of the effort and togetherness that we played with and you can tell that this group really loves playing together."

Silver Creek will play a rivalry game at Charlestown next Tuesday and Henryville is off more than a week before it hosts Paoli on Dec. 4.

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Henryville tops Silver Creek for first time in 15 years

SELLERSBURG — Tuesday was the season opener for both Silver Creek and Henryville, and the Dragons hadn’t lost to the Hornets in 15 years. Despite the losing streak, Henryville coach Jared Hill said he told players and students the Hornets would win.

He was right.

Henryville outlasted its West Clark rivals in 50-47 overtime win on the road.

“I’ve never been more proud of a basketball team because of the effort they brought tonight,” Hill said. “I think we’re better this year. They might beat us by 30 next year, but we’re a better team this year.”

Silver Creek guard Cameron Stephens hit a 3-pointer with 8 seconds to go to send the game to overtime tied at 42. The Hornets outscored the Dragons 8-5 in the final frame to win it.

Braxton Robertson, who finished with a game-high 25 points, had three in the extra frame for the Hornets. Silver Creek failed to connect on a couple 3-point shots late in overtime.

“There’s a lot we’ve got to work on,” Creek coach Brandon Hoffman said. “We got punked in the first half. Henryville took it to us. We were not the aggressor. We weren’t in attack mode.”

Silver Creek’s Bennett Beyl and Stephens scored to put Silver Creek up 4-0 three minutes into the game, but Henryville fought back.

The Hornets pulled ahead to an 18-12 lead halfway through the second quarter when Walker banked in a shot.

Beyl had a 1-for-2 trip to the line and Jacob Garrett snatched the rebound and found Stephens for a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two.

The Hornets responded with a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 24-16.

Thomas Green went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe to give the Hornets their first point at the 4:54 mark of the first quarter. Henryville outscored Silver Creek 9-4 for the remainder of the quarter.

In the last 30 seconds of the half, Garrett hit two free throws and Stephens found Beyl on a no-look pass to cut the lead to 24-20 at halftime.

Silver Creek came out in the second half a more determined team. The Dragons outscored the Hornets 16-7 in the third quarter, including a 5-0 run to close it.

As it did all night, Henryville fought back. Braxton Robertson grabbed his own rebound before completing an old-fashioned 3-point play to put the Hornets up 41-38 halfway through the fourth. The lead stood until the 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime.

“I thought we had some momentum there,” Hoffman said, referring to Stephens’ shot. “At the same time, we’ve got to find some other scorers. We’ve got to get our point production and our maturity up.”

Stephens led the Dragons with 22 points. The next closest scorers — Zane Gross and Beyl — had seven apiece. Garrett had four points and garnered praise from the opposing coach.

“Jacob Garrett is an animal,” Hill said. “If I ever needed a bodyguard, I’m going to call him. He is a physical specimen. He did a great job. He does stuff that doesn’t show up.”

The Dragons’ varsity roster features just two seniors, but Hoffman says that’s not the reason they lost.

“We’re not making any excuses for being young,” he said. “Any time you shoot 30 percent, you’re not going to win games.”

After the game, the two coaches had nothing but praise for each other’s programs.

“I would hate to be the next opponent for Silver Creek,” Hill said. “Brandon Hoffman will have them ready.”

While the shooting performance for the Dragons was rough, Hoffman had praise for the Hornets.

“Henryville has a really good team,” “We’ve got to work on ourself. We’re going to take ownership for it. Congratulations to Henryville and Jared. They’re doing a good job.”

Silver Creek is at Charlestown in its Mid-Southern Conference opener next Tuesday. The Hornets play at Paoli — a sectional rival — on Dec. 2.

HENRYVILE 50, SILVER CREEK 47

Henryville     10  14    7  11  8—50

Silver Creek       8  12  16    6  5—47

     Henryville (1-0): Braxton Robertson 25, Nick Walker 12, Thomas Green 6, Kade Badger 4, Kasey Robertson 2, Kendal Dunn 1.

     Silver Creek (0-1): Cameron Stephens 22, Bennett Beyl 7, Zane Gross 7, Jacob Garrett 4, Josh Landers 2, Jack Hawkins 2, Hunter Popp 2, Elijah Bays 1.

     3-point field goals: Henryville 2 (B. Robertson 1, Walker 1); Silver Creek 4 (Stephens 4).

     Junior varsity: Silver Creek 34-20.

Pioneers blow by Hornets in first round

MARENGO — The Providence Pioneers avenged an earlier loss to Henryville by defeating the Hornets 46-28 in Tuesday’s Class 2A Crawford County Sectional opening round.

“Last time we played them, they scored 41 and 16 of those points came off offensive rebounds,” Providence coach Andrew Grantz said of the 41-38 defeat on Jan. 23. “I thought we played pretty good defense in that game, we just gave up too many second chance opportunities. It was a lack of effort and I think we overlooked them a little bit. ... The biggest difference in this one was that we didn’t give up as many offensive rebounds.”

The 9-11 Pioneers advance to take on tournament host Crawford County, which Providence defeated 58-49 on Jan. 20, in Friday night’s second sectional semifinal.  In the early contest, Eastern edged Paoli, 62-61. The 13-10 Musketeers take on Clarksville (3-19) in the first game Friday.

In the late matchup, both teams started out tight, combining for eight turnovers over the first four minutes of play. The 9-11 Pioneers took a 10-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, when Juston Betz found reserve forward Sean Morris cutting towards the basket, feeding him for a layup as time expired.

Back-to-back baskets by Griffin Libs and Betz extended the Pioneer lead to 14-6 with 5:48 remaining in the first half. A 6-0 Henryville run following a timeout from Henryville coach Jared Hill, which featured baskets from Emery Dieterlen, Braxton Robertson and Thomas Green, drew the Hornets to 14-12 with 3:40 remaining in the first half.

After Alex Judd hit guard Sam Conrad with a pass under the basket for a layup with 1:48 remaining in the first half, Providence led 17-13. That was the score as both squads headed into halftime.

Libs scored the first two baskets coming out of the half for the Pioneers, who never trailed in the contest, giving his squad a 21-13 lead with 6:55 remaining.

After freshman guard Nick Walker hit a 3-pointer for Henryville to bring the Hornets to within 25-18 with just over 4 minutes in the third quarter, it felt like the game might tighten. Following a Providence turnover, Conrad blocked a Henryville shot attempt, and saved the ball from going out of bounds. The hustle play resulted in a layup from Judd off an assist from Betz that extended the lead back up to 27-18 with 2:33 remaining in the quarter.

“That was the play of the game,” Grantz said of Conrad’s block. “That play wasn’t all about talent. It was hustle and desire, and we really fed off that.”

The Pioneers opened the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 39-22 lead with 4:29 remaining in the contest.  During the run, the Pioneers sank 6-of-6 attempts from the free throw line.

Providence feasted at the charity stripe, sinking 17-of-27 attempts, while the Hornets only converted 3-of-7.

Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the devastating tornadoes that struck Henryville, destroying the high school and much of the surrounding area. The program suffered through a winless campaign that year and won three games last year before this year’s 9-13 campaign.

The Hornets say goodbye to seniors Bailey Reister, Emery Dieterlen and Alec Perigo, of whom Hill said, “They are great kids. They’re going to go from here and be successful and do great things. I’m excited for their future.”

The Hornets will return starting guards Elijah Weeks and Walker and forward Braxton Robertson, as well as reserves Jacob Janek, Thomas Green and Kasey Robertson, all of whom saw significant playing time in Tuesday’s loss.

“The biggest thing is we’re going to have to get stronger,” Hill said. “The good thing is we have a new weight room. They’re going to have to be in there day after day, but these kids have a good work ethic. I think they’re hungry.”

Christian Academy Continues to Roll

HENRYVILLE — With the regular season coming to an end, Christian Academy continued its dominant play Friday with a 53-35 win over Henryville on Friday.

Christian Academy has been on fire down the stretch and, really, for most of the season. It has won six straight games and 10 of its last 11. Going even further back, since losing its first two games of the season, the Warriors have gone 18-2.

 The Warriors were led by Nic Reed, who scored 21 points. James Martin finished with nine. Christian Academy’s offense stretched down the roster and seven other Warriors scored at least a point in the win.

 Henryville’s Emery Dieterlen led the team with 13 points.

 After dropping its final two games of the regular season, Henryville falls to 9-12. The Hornets will open up sectional play Tuesday against the 7-11 Providence Pioneers. The Hornets beat the Pioneers 41-38 at Henryville on Jan. 23.

 Christian Academy finished with a 19-4 overall record. The Warriors drew a bye and will face the winner of Lanesville or South Central in Friday’s semifinal. CAI beat the defending champion Eagles 59-38 on Jan. 16 and knocked off South Central 52-19 on Dec. 19.

 “Getting the bye was important,” coach Kerberg said. “It gives us an extra week to prepare. We can work on things and fix certain things that will allow us to be ready for the postseason.”

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Devils catching fire at right time

JEFFERSONVILLE — It hasn’t been the kind of senior year Chad Hudson, Ronnie Todd, Nolan Fertig, Triston Kimbrough and Harrison Dale imagined before the season began, but it’s starting to come together for their Red Devils at the right time.

Jeffersonville (8-13) knocked down five first-half 3-pointers and made their first 15 free throws to beat visiting Henryville 73-54 to close the regular season with its third win in four games.

“I just tried to enjoy it, knowing it’s our last game here as senior,” Hudson said.

The game was a last-minute addition to the schedule after Jeff had games with Corydon Central and Castle canceled and the Hornets lost home games to Springs Valley and West Washington due to the winter weather.

“I’m really thankful [to Henryville] for playing us tonight and giving us a chance to have Senior Night,” Jeff coach Matt Pait said.

The setup came naturally. Pait is engaged to Henryville first-year coach Jared Hill’s sister and Hornet volleyball coach Shallon Hill. The two are set to be married in 24 days. Jared Hill joked that he was disappointed his sister sat behind the Red Devil bench.

“I’m a little upset she sat behind the fiancé,” Hill said. “She’s not married yet, so she probably should have been sitting behind my bench. I’m really excited for her and Matt. Matt’s a great guy and she deserves somebody like Matt.”

Both coaches hope the series continues in the future. "I'd love to do it," Hill said. "I'd love for them to come to Henryville and for us to come back here."

“If Jared’s willing to play it, I would be,” Pait said. “It’s up to the athletic directors on that one.”

Junior Demarre Sims got the Red Devils off to a fast start with eight of his 13 points coming in the opening period. Kimbrough and Michael Minton each added a 3-pointer as Jeff grabbed a 20-8 lead after one period.

“I thought we played well defensively and offensively in the first half,” Pait said.

Jeff’s quickness on both ends of the floor caused problems for the 9-11 Hornets, particularly in the first quarter.

“Ronnie and Chad are both really, really good guards,” Hill said. “They do a lot of really good things and we had trouble stopping them. Their speed hurt us.”

Hudson scored 10 points in the second quarter, including three free throws with no time left on the clock before the half. He finished with a game-high 18 points and left to a standing ovation with 1:57 left in the contest.

“Chad’s been playing a lot better lately,” Pait said. “He’s really come along the last month-and-a-half and bought in to what we’re doing as a team. He’s really been a big piece of our success lately.”

Henryville was able to get within striking distance a few times in the second half, but the Devils had an answer each time. Jacob Janek’s 3-point play cut the deficit to 46-32 with 2:33 left in the third period, but Hudson nailed a 3 and Kimbrough hit a floater at the third-quarter buzzer to give Jeff a 53-35 lead after three quarters.

Janek scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, but Todd hit a 3, Cameron Northern scored on an assist from Hudson and Sims hit a pair of free throw for a 60-40 lead.

Henryville scored six straight points on back-to-back 3s from Braxton Robertson and Nick Miller, but a Todd steal and bucket with 4:51 left essentially put the game away.

“We put together some nice stretches,” Hill said.

On the night, the Devils were 22-of-29 from the foul line.

“We’re a decent free throw shooting team,” Pait said. “That’s what we expect.”

The Hornets have their Senior Night on Friday when Class A No. 6 Christian Academy visits. Henryville, which had won just three games over the past two seasons combined, has had a strong season in Hill’s first on the bench. The Hornets will face Providence (7-11) in the opening round of the Class 2A Crawford County Sectional on Tuesday.

Jeff, which drew a bye and will face either Jennings County (10-11) or Bedford North Lawrence (9-13) in next Friday’s Class 4A Seymour Sectional semifinal round, opened the season 2-9 but is 6-4 over its past 10 games.

“I think we’re in the position we’d hoped we’d be in before the season,” Pait said. “We have a chance to have a shot to win the sectional. Obviously, New Albany’s by far the favorite, but we’ve been building and getting better.”

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Hornets hold off Clarksville for ninth win

HENRYVILLE — With sectional play quickly approaching next week, two possible Crawford County sectional opponents faced off at H.G. Furnish Gymnasium on Tuesday as Henryville hosted Clarksville.

The 9-10 Hornets emerged from the game with a hard-fought, 55-49 win over the Generals.

Behind the sharp shooting of Clarksville guard Evan Guenthner, who led all scorers with 21 points, Clarksville fought back twice in the fourth quarter to come to within one but never was able to get over the hump against the hosts.

“I thought our guys competed well,” Henryville coach Jared Hill said. “We made some free throws down the stretch and got some isolations for our big guy [senior forward Emery Dieterlein], but it was tough. We hadn’t played in 12 days, so it was nice to get a win in front of our home crowd.”

During the pregame, both squads posed together for a picture at midcourt in support of Josh Speidel — Columbus North critically-injured center who sustained severe head injuries in an automobile accident earlier this month. A collection was taken in the crowd to be sent to Speidel’s family courtesy of both schools’ fan bases.

The Generals jumped out to an 8-3 lead with 4:31 remaining in the first quarter after guard Nick Bryant’s 3-pointer found nothing but net.

That basket prompted Hill to call a timeout. After the break, the Hornets rattled off seven unanswered points to take their first lead of the game at 10-8, following a putback from guard Elijah Weeks.

The remainder of the first half featured three ties and four lead changes. Emery Dieterlien’s short jumper with 12 seconds remaining before intermission gave the hosts some breathing room.

Henryville entered halftime with a 29-25 lead.

“We got going in the second quarter, played pretty well in the third quarter and things sort of fell apart for us in the fourth with them making some pretty tough shots,” Hill said. “Still, we were able to find enough to win.”

Following a short jumper from freshman forward Thomas Green, Henryville went ahead by double digits at 40-30 with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter. Over the ensuing three minutes, Clarksville outscored Henryville 9-0 with the capper to the run coming courtesy of a 3-pointer from Guenthner with 5:47 remaining in the contest.

Clarksville had a chance to tie after Nick Jones was fouled inside on a successful shot attempt that narrowed the margin again to 42-41, but he missed the free throw with 3:38 remaining.

The Hornets answered with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to essentially put away the contest. Henryville came into the fourth quarter 0-of-6 from the free throw line but sank 10-of-12 in the final period.

Meanwhile, Clarksville had its own struggles from the line, sinking three of its nine free throw attempts. The Generals were hot shooting from beyond the arc; Guenthner sank 7-of-10 3-point attempts for his 21 points and senior guard Nick Bryant, who had 26 points in the Generals’ win over North Harrison on Monday, nailed 3-of-5.

Clarksville coach Brian McEwen said he felt his squad may have let down a ltitle bit following Monday win over North Harrison on Senior Night. The two-time defending sectional champions need to refocus, he said.

“That’s sort of how it’s been for us this year,” Clarksville coach Brian McEwen said. “To be successful in March, you have to string together a couple of wins, and at least a couple of good performances to have a chance. We didn’t do what we needed to defensively tonight. That’s not going to be good enough for us next week.”

Both squads have work to do heading towards the postseason. The 3-18 Generals travel to Borden to face the Braves Thursday night, while Henryville has two games left — a road contest at Jeffersonville tonight and their home finale Friday against Christian Academy.

Henryville and Jeffersonville added tonight’s game after they dropped two apiece last week because of the snowstorm. Hill’s sister, Shallon Hill, is the Henryville volleyball coach and is engaged to Jeffersonville coach Matt Pait.

“We had talked about doing it soon, and it just worked out for us,” Hill said. “It ought to be a lot of fun.”

HORNETS DROP DECISION AT CRAWFORD

MARENGO — The Crawford County Wolfpack beat Henryville 57-48 in a tight back-and-forth game Saturday in Marengo.

Ranger Caffery finished with a game-high 21 points for the Wolfpack. Ethan McMonigle chipped in 13 in the win.

Henryville was led by Braxton Roberton and his 19 points. Emery Dieterlen added 10 and both Jacob Janek and Nick Walker finished with six for the Hornets.

Henryville struggled to get to the foul line and finished the game on the bad side of a 35-5 attempt disadvantage at the charity stripe.

“Again, we really struggled to get to the line in a road game,” Henryville coach Jared Hill said. “I have to find a way to put guys in positions to earn some attempts.”

Henryville will have a chance to improve that stat in its next game, which is on the road against Eastern (8-8), another sectional rival.

HENRYVILLE ROUTS CROTHERSVILLE, 63-41

HENRYVILLE — In a battle of two Southern Athletic Conference teams, host Henryville thumped Crothersville, 63-41 on Friday at Furnish Gymnasium.

Henryville was paced by Jacob Janek and his monster game of 27 points. Alec Perigo helped the Hornets with his 14 points in the victory.

The win pulls Henryville even with a 8-8 record on the year. It also snapped a two-game losing streak. The Hornets (2-3 SAC) will be back in action Thursday, when they go to Eastern to take on the 8-8 Musketeers.

By Greg Mengelt, News and Tribune

Borden Clinches Outright SAC Crown

 BORDEN — Borden feasted at the free throw line against visiting Henryville last night, converting 24 of 33 foul shots in capturing a 43-25 win.

The win gave Borden (10-5) its fifth consecutive Southern Athletic Conference title.

“When you look at Henryville, they’re no shabby opponent,” coach Doc Nash said. “I think coach [Jared] Hill has them going in the right direction. What we got tonight was a good win over a good team, a winning team.”

It was kind of a mystery coming in what both teams may bring to the court. On Friday night, Henryville notched a surprise win over Providence, while the Braves had their hats handed to them by Christian Academy in a 51-22 loss. Both squads have played well throughout the season but have shown the inconsistency you often see with younger squads.

“We walked past that state championship trophy on our way in, and I made sure our kids saw that,” Hill said. “We don’t have one. [Borden has] a great tradition and that’s something we’re aiming to do at Henryville.”

The 7-6 Hornets jumped out to a 6-2 lead following back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman guard Nick Walker inside the first three minutes of the contest.

That was the only scoring for Henryville for the remainder of the first quarter. Borden notched the final six points of the quarter with sophomore guard Nathan Bachman scoring off a dribble-drive to give Borden an 8-6 lead with 2.5 seconds remaining.

The Braves’ defense put the clamps on Henryville throughout the remainder of the first half.

Elijah Weeks accounted for the only field goal for the Hornets during the second quarter, a 3-pointer from the top of the key that narrowed the Braves’ lead to 11-10 with 3:54 remaining before intermission.

Henryville was 3-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first half, and 0-of-5 inside it. Borden led 15-10 at the break.

The Hornets looked poised to tighten up the contest after Braxton Robertson sank two free throws to keep the margin at 27-22 with 5:24 remaining.

Caleb Hart’s 3-pointer on Borden’s next possession gave Borden a 30-22 lead and sparked a 18-3 run over the remainder of the game that closed it out and handed the outright conference title to the Braves.

Borden did most of its scoring from the free throw line down the stretch, notching 13-of-17 foul shots in the final quarter. Sophomore Nathan Bachman led the Braves with 15 points and junior Caleb Hart chipped in with 12.

“I kind of feel like we had control of the game but we were having a hard time making shots,” Nash said. “Credit their defense. ... Although we weren’t playing great offensively, we continued to compete defensively. I’m so proud of our kids about the way they came out and competed, especially after the embarrassing outing we had last night. They were great.”

Offensively, it didn’t get much better in the second half for the Hornets. They started to look inside early after intermission but simply had difficulty finding the basket from any area of the court.

The Hornets finished 3-of-21 from beyond the arc and were 8-of-33 (24 percent) from the field in the contest.

“We just got too passive. Our guards never got into the seams of the zone they were playing,” Hill said. “You can’t pass the ball 35 feet from the basket and be successful. I guess that’s on me, because I couldn’t seem to get them in the right spots.”

Walker led Henryville with 8 points.

Borden hits the road on Friday night to face Class 3A No. 3 Orleans. The Hornets travel to South Central for a Southern Athletic Conference contest the same night.

By Jon Reiter, News and Tribune

Hornets overcome Providence, 41-38

 HENRYVILLE — The host Hornets led the entire way and withstood a late charge by visiting Providence to capture a 41-38 win over the Pioneers at H.G. Furnish Gymnasium last night.

It was the first win Henryville notched against the Pioneers since the 2003-04 season, an accomplishment coach Jared Hill reflected upon following the upset.

“It’s big. It’s the first win we’ve had over Providence in a long time, and there haven’t been many wins over the last few years,” Hill said. “It’s very encouraging. They are a very good team. Defensively, we were tremendous early. They played better and made a run at us, but we found a way to win.”

The first half was a slow-paced affair. The Hornets (7-6) took the lead after forward Emery Dieterlen sank a jumper from the free-throw line for the contest’s first field goal with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter.

The hosts would cling to a 14-11 lead at the half. The Pioneers (6-7) could only muster one second-quarter field goal — a floater in the lane by guard Sam Conrad that narrowed the margin to 12-11 with 5:17 left.

Braxton Robertson answered with a short jumper that gave Henryville the three-point lead then went in ball-control mode for the remainder of the half.

“I thought we came out very timid and unsure of ourselves,” Providence coach Andrew Grantz said. “They had a good defensive plan against us. I probably didn’t have them as prepared as they needed to be. I’m trying to give them some freedom in the offense, and they’re trying to figure out how to make plays. We played too timid and too scared offensively.”

The Pioneers committed six turnovers in the first half. That number isn’t astoundingly high, but with the Hornets protecting the ball well and Providence struggling to find the basket, the visitors went into the locker room a frustrated bunch.

It was 26-15 at the end of the third quarter, and following a putback from guard Braxton Robertson, the Hornets led 32-19 with 5:54 remaining in the contest.

Providence began pecking away at the lead after that point. Parker Graf notched six consecutive free-throws over the next 2:23, and after 6-foot-5 junior center Griffin Libs and  Conrad nailed 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Pioneers, the lead shrunk to 33-31 with 2:26 remaining.

Libs, who notched 14 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, tied the contest at 33 with a left-handed jump hook in the lane with 1:43 remaining.

It was 35-35 after Libs scored again with a minute remaining, but Providence missed two three-point attempts inside the final minute and committed two turnovers. That allowed the Hornets to go 6 of 7 from the free throw line in the closing moments and salt away the game.

The Pioneers came into the game a hot team, having won four of their last five contests, including a 58-49 win over No. 14 Crawford County on Tuesday.

“I thought we had a good week of practice, thought we were ready to play today,” Grantz said. “I didn’t think we’d have a hangover from the win over Crawford County, but I guess we did. We didn’t come up with the loose balls, we didn’t make the hustle plays we needed to get the win.”

Robertson led the Hornets with 11 points.  

Henryville travels to Borden tonight to face the Braves in a Southern Athletic Conference showdown. The Braves fell to Christian Academy 51-22 on Friday.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” Hill said. “We’re going to get in, go through some things and try and get refocused — when it’s Henryville-Borden, it’s always a lot of fun.”

Providence heads to Sellersburg tonight to take on Class 3A No. 2 Silver Creek.

By Matthew Cress, News and Tribune

Hornets fight for 55-44 win over New Wash

HENRYVILLE - At times, it's tough to tell Henryville and New Washington apart. Similar records, both overall and in the Southern Athletic Conference. Similar records against common opponents. Two seniors and a group of underclassmen in the starting lineup.

In the end, the Hornets found a way to separate themselves from the Mustangs - aggressiveness. 

Henryville forced the point on the glass in the first half - all nine of the second-quarter points coming off offensive boards - and at the foul line in the second, getting to the stripe 23 times in a 55-44 win over New Washington at Furnish Gymnasium on Friday night. The win gave the Hornets their first SAC win of the season and got them to 6-6 on the season, rallying all the way back from a rocky 1-4 start under first year coach Jared Hill.

"They play extremely hard and they fight,' Hill said. "We make plenty of mistakes, but they will absolutely battle until the end. We're very, very happy with this win." 

New Washington (6-8, 1-2 SAC) likewise had a chance to get to .500 on the year after a similarly-tough 0-4 start, but instead watched the Henryville lead progressively grow after the Hornets embarked on a 13-3 first-quarter run to take control. 

The frustration finally boiled over when the New Washington bench was assessed a technical foul midway through the fourth quarter, undoubtedly prompted by Henryville's numerous trips to the charity stripe. The Hornets scored 14 of their final 16 points from the foul line, and already led by double figures, at 43-33, when the technical was given.

"It was a physical game, but there are several things that we are not doing well enough to allow us to succeed," New Washington coach Jonathan May said. "I'm not taking anything away from Henryville and they played well, but it's difficult for us to defend and rebound when the free-throw discrepancy is so great. That's not an excuse, but it certainly made things more difficult."

Adding to New Wash's trouble was a solid performance from Henryville freshman Nick Walker, who made his debut in the SAC rivalry with 12 points and seven rebounds. Walker had eight points in the final quarter, as Hernyville opened a 33-27 lead at the start of the fourth quarter to a 45-33 edge with 4:39 left and cruised from there.

The Mustangs got off to a hot start, scoring the game's first five points on a jumper from Zack Moore and a 3 from Logan Miles, but the Hornets fought back with three quick 3's of their own. One of those treys, this one from Elijah Weeks, bounced high off the front of the rim and down through the hoop, giving Henryville a 6-5 lead that the Hornets would never lose. 

By the time Jacob Janek Delivered the third Henryville 3, the Hornets led 11-6 and would finish up the first quarter holding a 13-8 advantage.

New Washington managed to rally - on a score from Jesse Clemons and a pair of free throws by Andrew House - to within 13-12, but the Mustangs would score just three points over the next 5:38. Meanwhile, Henryville pressed its edge on the glass, outscoring the Mustangs 9-3 before the intermission. Four of those points came on cutbacks from Alex Perigo, while Thomas Green added a outback after a missed 3 from Walker than helped the Hornets to a 22-15 edge at the break.

"Alex Perigo, at the beginning, was an animal in there," said Hill. "Nick and Thomas Green made great efforts. Really, it was a team effort. We all chipped in."

A 3 from House sparked a Mustang rally midway through the third period, cutting the New Washington deficit to just four, at 26-22. Moments later, a three-point play from James Clemons made it 27-25 and the Mustangs would have more than one chance to tie or take the lead, but could never reclaim the lead. Henryville turned back the charge with a layup from Green and a dazzling steal by Janek that he converted for a layup.

New Washington would have gotten into the fourth quarter with a manageable 31-27 deficit, but Janek drew a foul on a desperation 3 at the buzzer, converting two of the resulting free throws to make it 33-27 and set up a fourth quarter where the Hornets found enough ways to get to the stripe to notch their first SAC victory of the season and first since Jan. 31, 2014. The Hornets have also doubled their win total from the last two seasons combined with 10 games left to play.

James Clemons had a game-high 18 points for New Washington and he was the only Mustang in double figures. The Mustangs will have a full week off before hosting Providence next Friday.

Janek led Henryville with 13 points, while Weeks added nine points. 

TRINITY PROVES TOO MUCH FOR HENRYVILLE

SEYMOUR - Henryville came up just short of picking up the road win at Trinity Lutheran, falling 58-48 Saturday. 

The Hornets led 19-18 at the half, but a dreadful third quarter in which they were outscored 18-7 doomed them. Jacob Janek led the Hornets with 16 points. 

Henryville (5-6) will be back in action Friday night when they host 6-7 New Washington in a Southern Athletic Conference contest. 

HENRYVILLE HANDLES SOUTH DECATUR

HENRYVILLE - Henryville picked up its fifth win of the season with a 53-38 victory over South Deactur on Friday. With the win, the Hornets pull even on the year at 5-5 in their first season under Jared Hill after winning just three total their previous two seasons combined. 

Henryville was led by Braxton Robertson's 15 points. Jacob Janek also scored in double digits with 13. 

INTERNATIONAL SHOCKS HENRYVILLE AT BUZZER

INDIANAPOLIS - With a half-court heave from Skyler Kolli, Indianapolis International (5-5) banked home the game-winning shot at the buzzer to beat Henryville 44-42 in Indianapolis on Saturday Night.

Kolli's game-winner was the 5-5 Gryphons' only lead of the contest.

Henryville is now 4-5 and will look to rebound against struggling South Decatur (1-7) on Friday.

HORNETS WIN MCKEE MUNK INVITATIONAL

HENRYVILLE - In his first season as the Henryville head coach, Jared Hill and the Hornets accomplished something special Tuesday.

With wins over Crothersville and Madison Shawe, Hill's team claimed the McKee Munk Invitational championship. That alone would be a special feat for a rookie coach with a program that was winless just two years ago.

Throw in that the tournament is named after his grandfather and Hill had something to celebrate following Tuesday's dual victories.

"Winning this tournament is great. We named it a few years back after my late grandfather McKee Munk and it is such a great feeling to win this tournament in his honor." Hill said.

Henryville trailed Shawe 8-7 after one quarter before taking control of the title game with a 19-7 advantage in the second period en route to a 53-37 victory. Three Hornets scored in double figures in the championship game. Jacob Janek, who outscored the Hilltoppers by himself in the second quarter, led the way with 15 points. Braxton Robertson added 12 and Nick Walker finished with 10 as Henryville improved to 4-4 on the year.

"We had a big-time effort from all our guys," Hill said. "We had one guy sick, another guy with a bad ankle and they got tired. Jacob Janek played the best game of his career tonight and we needed it."

The Hornets earned their way into the championship with a 57-44 victory over Crothersville on Tuesday morning.

Elijah Weeks had a game-high 16 points and Walker contributed with 15 in the win. Eli Mollet and Clayton Byrd had 10 each for the 1-8 Tigers. The Southern Athletic Conference rivals meet again Feb. 6 in a league contest.

FIRST ROUND

HENRYVILLE 57, CROTHERSVILLE 44

CHAMPIONSHIP

HENRYVILLE 53, MADISON SHAWE 37

Hornets Struggle on the Road

CHARLESTOWN — Junior Lex Smith scored a game-high 13 points to lead the Charlestown boys’ basketball team to a 56-49 home win over Henryville on Tuesday night at Charlestown Sports Arena.

Teammates Tristan Chester and Hunter Crace also scored in double figures for the Pirates (2-2). Chester had 12 points and Crace recorded 10.

Despite the victory, Charlestown head coach Jason Connell was not pleased with his players’ effort in the fourth quarter. The Pirates led 45-26 after three quarters, but got outscored by the Hornets (1-2) in the fourth 23-11.

“The score doesn’t indicate how well we played for three quarters,” Connell said. “We fell apart defensively in the fourth. On offense [in the fourth], we took quick shots. We’re still learning and we’ve got some things to work on.”

Henryville sophomore Braxton Robertson matched Smith’s game-high with 13 points. Also for the Hornets, Nick Walker had 11 points and Elijah Weeks tallied 10.

Charlestown will travel to Clarksville on Friday. Henryville will host Austin on Friday.

CHARLESTOWN 56, HENRYVILLE 49

Henryville    12 10  4 23—49

Charlestown    18 17 10 11—56

Hornets Pick up Road Win at Paoli 

Braxton Robertson, Elijah Weeks and Jacob Janek scored 11 points apiece as a balanced Henryville attack won at Paoli 54-51 to give coach Jared Hill his first varsity victory Friday.

“We competed until the end and made a few free throws with the game on the line,” Hill said. “Each of our starters had at least nine points tonight and they played very unselfish. Our guys deserve this win. They have battle and fought hard in practice to get a great win on the road.”

Emery Dieterlen added 10 pionts and freshman Nick Walker scored nine in the Hornet victory. Henryville went 13-for-20 at the foul line.

“It was great to come out with a win in a tough contest that went down to the wire,” Weeks said.

The Hornets are 1-1 after their first road victory since a 66-49 win at New Washington on Jan. 13, 2012.

“First road win in three years feels spectacular,” Dieterlen said.

The Hornets will try to make it two road wins in a row Tuesday when they go to Charlestown to face the 1-2 Pirates.

HENRYVILLE 54, PAOLI 51

Henryville 20   8 10 14—54

Paoli           9 14 15 13—51

    Henryville (1-1): Braxton Robertson 11, Elijah Weeks 11,  Jacob Janek 11, Emery Dieterlen 10, Nick Walker 9, Thomas Green 2.