by JOHN HOWLEY / sportingpumpkin.com
KINNIKINNICK — New Hope Christian limited Fisher Catholic to a single point in the third quarter on the way to a 53-48 win at the Zane Trace Tip-off Classic Saturday.
It was 30-26 coming out of halftime in favor of the Irish and neither team was able to make things happen in the opening moments.
Hunter Cavanaugh broke through for the Statesmen with a bucket three minutes in, Lane Bruning scored a minute later to tie the game and Cavanaugh came back with a three 25 seconds later to put New Hope in the lead.
Cavanaugh had New Hope’s remaining nine points in the period.
On the other end, Fisher Catholic was struggling to find its shot and, with two minutes left in the quarter, finally added to its total when Hyde O’Rielley hit one of two free throw attempts. That was all the Irish would score in their eight minutes as the teams headed to the fourth with New Hope up 42-31.
New Hope coach Shane Roese said the team got a bit of a third-quarter defensive lift off the bench.
“The matchups weren’t very good for us, so we went with Landon Krouse, we brought him into the game to get some more ball pressure,” Roese said. “We had Hunter on (Peyton Owens) and had Xander on (Hyde O’Rielley) – but we didn’t have ball pressure. Landon came in and was a real good spark for us.
“We talk about in the locker room that the tougher team sets the rules. In the first half they were the tougher team and in the second half, we were the tougher team,” Roese added. “We only gave up one point in the third quarter and that’s the game.”
The teams traded a couple of scores in the early minutes of the fourth before the Irish had three consecutive buckets to close to 46-42 with 2:55 left.
Both offenses failed to convert over the next two-and-a-half minutes and the Irish resorted to fouling, sending Bruning to the line with 31 seconds showing. He hit one of two for a 47-42 lead and the Irish came down and Peyton Owens nailed a three-pointer to close to two points.
New Hope got the ball into Cavanaugh who was immediately fouled and then sank both throws.
The Irish worked the ball and found Owens again who sank his seventh trey of the night with seven seconds left to make it a one-point game.
Again, Cavanaugh got the ball on the inbounds, was fouled and made both free throws with 5.4 on the clock.
New Hope’s defense managed a turnover and Cavanaugh was fouled with .3 seconds where he capped a 26-point night by hitting those last two free throws.
“I felt we got a little passive the first four or five minutes of the fourth quarter. We allowed them to dictate the pace,” Roese said. “We lost our rhythm; they made a couple buckets and then it was a game.”
With three starters back from last season, who averaged around 35 points, Roese said you feel good about your chances but they did lose Bob Bowsher Award winner Clayton Rhine who was their go-to guy when the game was on the line.
The Statesmen looked to Bruning but the Irish did a good job double-teaming the 6-7 senior when he was inside and face guarding when he had the ball outside.
It was Cavanaugh, a junior, who made the plays the Statesment needed when they needed them.
“A guy like Hunter Cavanaugh, who is extremely capable and, in my opinion, he’s one of the best players in the county. The kid is athletic, he can shoot it, he can get to the rim, he can defend,” Roese said. “He showed up in the third quarter and, in the fourth quarter, he took over. Without him, we don’t win.”
Cavanaugh was 8-17 from the field and 8-8 from the line.
Rink was 5-5 from the field in the first quarter as the junior had 12 points.
Sophomore Nathaniel Ames had 10 and Bruning had five.
On the strength of seven threes, Owens led the Irish with 25 points. O’Rielley had 19.
New Hope 53, Fisher Catholic 48
Fisher Catholic — Peyton Owens 8-2-25, Grant Keefer 1-0-2, Hyde O’Rielley 7-3-19, Sam Teneza 1-0-2. Three-point goals — Owens (7), O’Rielley (2). Total — 17-5-48.
New Hope Christian — Hunter Cavanaugh 8-8-26, Xander Rink 5-2-12, Nathaniel Ames 3-2-10, Lane Bruning 2-1-5. Three-point goals — Cavanaugh (2), Ames (2). Total — 18-13-53.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Fisher Catholic 13 17 1 17 48
New Hope 14 12 16 11 53
