|
|
Franklin Monroe junior Grant Brown goes high over several players
looking to score two of his 18 points
Tuesday at Arcanum. Brown yanked
down a dozen rebounds as the Jets soared to a 58-44 conference victory.
CNO Photos by Dylan Knoop
|
|
Franklin Monroe
stops Arcanum on the road
Jets put three in double figures
By George Starks
ARCANUM- It’s no secret that when the Franklin Monroe Jets are
successful, it has a lot to do with the offensive output of senior
Martin Maksvytis and junior Zach Hyre.
Tuesday, it was three unlikely FM suspects that proved to be poison for
Arcanum.
Led by senior Marcus Horner with 18 and Daniel Wiseman’s 11 points, it
was junior Grant Brown that made the difference in the final outcome.
Brown netted 18 points, 11 in the first quarter and pulled down 12
rebounds, five offensive boards Tuesday in a 58-44 Cross County
Conference victory over the Arcanum Trojans.
“Our guys really locked in when we got on the bus tonight,” said Jets
coach Troy Myers. “I’m really pleased with those guys (Brown and
Horner). They (Arcanum) tried to take us out there in the second half.
They were playing a triangle and two and they did a good job of taking
Martin and Zach out of the game. Grant’s got to do what Grant does and
if he’s not on the glass, I don’t know if he’s helping us. I think he’s
really taken that to heart right now. Just doing what he can do. I
thought from the get go tonight he was outstanding getting on the glass
and keeping their guys in check underneath. I’m extremely happy with
him.”
With the guns in double figures, it was once again the defense that
that did its job.
Allowing the Trojans only 11 points per quarter average, Franklin
Monroe held senior Collen Habel to nine points and junior Connor Pohl
to only seven.
Well under the season average of both players.
“We knew we had to run them off the three point line,” said Myers. “We
knew that’s how they get their energy and that’s from the stripe. We
wanted to run them out of there a force then in to some tough twos and
I thought we did that. The Habel kid hit a couple of shots early and
that was the shot we were willing to give. We were able to slow them up
a little bit and they weren’t getting the looks they typically do.”
It was a solid defensive effort by Horner on Pohl that helped spark the
Jets as Pohl was held to less than half of his scoring average.
“Marcus is asked to do a tremendous amount for us,” Myers stated. “He’s
asked to run the point, he’s asked to get into our stuff, he’s asked to
score and he’s asked to defend their best player. He’s a four year
starter and I think he really locks in and accepts challengers like
that. His effort was an all-conference effort tonight.”
If offense and defense wasn’t enough, the Jets hit 26 of 33 shots from
the foul line (78.8 percent)
“We were close to 80 percent from the line tonight and we were prepared
for it,” Myers stated. “Our guys shot free throws tonight and
fortunately it paid off.”
Now 6-9 on the year and 3-5 in the conference, the Trojans are making
progress over the last two years of disappointments.
Even with the game plan in place, it wasn’t enough for the Trojans to
pull off a win.
“We knew there were some things we were going to have to take away,”
said Trojans coach Marcus Horner. “I told my kids that we did exactly
what we needed to do and we never let Maksvytis and Hyre get going and
we were going to make the other three step up and make plays. You’ve
got to give those three credit. Whether it be at the foul line or in
the paint that was the strategy we were going to take.”
Trailing 33-25 at the break, the Trojans found themselves trailing by a
44-33 count at the end of the third quarter of play.
“I thought we did exactly what we needed to do in the third quarter,”
admitted Bixler. “I thought we forced them into some really tough shots
and I as very pleased to get a lot of one and dones. I though on the
offensive end we were too quick to pull the trigger on some quick
three’s and not attack. We sat outside and settled for some jump shots
and when the jump shots aren’t falling you end up getting yourself beat
and that’s what happened tonight.”
Now 8-6 (5-2) on the year, Franklin Monroe will tangle with Twin Valley
South Friday at The Hangar while the Trojans will go to Bradford and a
date with the Railroaders.
|
|
Franklin Monroe's Daniel Wiseman looks to take a charge from Arcanum's
Austin Baker.
|
|
|
|
