By George Starks |
PITSBURG-It will go down as one of the greatest games in the 60 years of the Franklin Monroe Holiday basketball tournament.
It will also go down as one of the most devastating losses in the history of the tournament for the Jets.
It all came down to the final 4.5 seconds in overtime.
With Maumee Valley up 54-52 and the Jets having possession of the ball on the sideline, the ball was triggered in with junior EB Hall receiving the inbounds pass. Hall took two dribbles and unloaded from 15 feet.
The ball was on target but hit off the lip of the rim before falling to the floor.
“With four and a half seconds on the clock, you figure that’s four dribbles,” said a disappointed Jets coach Troy Myers. “The shot was there and it looked good. It was heartbreaking to see it fall short but I really don’t think I would change anything about the way we played tonight.”
It was obvious right from the beginning that the Blackhawks had a game plan and it nearly worked to perfection.
With Hall and Eric Brenner being the offensive threats for Franklin Monroe, the Hawks would focus on shutting one of them down.
Their focus would be on Hall.
Hall would be held to just eight points on the night, all coming from the foul line.
“I really can’t say enough about the way these kids played tonight. They gave it everything they had. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Meyers.
Franklin Monroe held the lead the majority of the night, leading by four at the end of the first quarter and the same at the break.
The third and fourth quarters would end in ties as the scores would be0 32-32 and 47-47 at the end of regulation.
“It all came down to the final two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter,” said Myers. “We didn’t get the stops when we needed them.”
While Maumee Valley executed its game plan to near perfection, the Jets did the same and for three quarters it worked.
“We wanted them to take their shots from the perimeter and we were able to do that, ” Meyers admitted. “In the end, they were able to get the shots where they wanted them and that was the difference in the end.”
The loss dropped the Jets to 7-2 on the season and will host Bradford on January 5 in a Western Ohio Athletic Conference battle.
In the consolation game, Mississinawa Valley found thegoing rough against Brookville, losing 79-18.
The Hawks will see action again on January 2 at Ansonia.
CNO Photos by George Starks. Featured photo left: Junior Eric Brenner hits for two of his game high 27 points against Maumee Valley Thursday. Featured photo right: Senior Gage Wackler gets trapped on the baee line as Maumee defenders were relentless against the Franklin Monroe offense.