MADISON TOWNSHIP — Clear Fork went toe-to-toe with the defending state champ for three quarters Tuesday night before Norwalk’s George Friend delivered the knockout blow.
Friend hit a pair of 3-pointers during the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter and the Truckers pulled away for a 70-58 win over the Colts in the nightcap of a Division II sectional doubleheader at Madison Middle School.
The game was tied 45-45 going into the fourth before Friend sparked a 9-0 run with his sixth triple of the night. Seth Staley followed with a 3 before Friend drilled another trey to give Norwalk (12-12) a 54-45 lead with 6:27 remaining. Clear Fork (7-16) never recovered.
“They hit three 3s right away and that nine-point lead was too much to overcome,” Clear Fork coach Steve Bechtel said.
A 6-foot sophomore who only recently broke into the starting lineup, Friend scored a career-high 35 points. Six of his seven 3-pointers came in the second half.
“It was tied and in about 30 seconds we’re up nine and the game is over,” said Norwalk coach Steve Gray, the former Lexington coach who piloted the Truckers to the Division II state championship last March. “George has been shooting it really well for the last month or so. He struggled early in the year, but that’s a heck of a jump to go from freshman ball to varsity.”
Streaks: The Colts jumped out to a 12-4 lead during the first 3:17, forcing the Truckers into a timeout. Kadin Chrastina scored nine points during the stretch, while Griffen Robinette had a 3-pointer.
“It was all about Chrastina and Robinette,” Gray said. “The thing that hurt us was our initial defense was OK, but they would get that long rebound and kick it out and Chrastina would knock it down.
“Chrastina is as good as advertised. He’s one of the top two or three players in our district.”
The Colts cooled significantly after the torrid start. After hitting 6 of its first 10 field goal attempts, Clear Fork misfired on 13 straight floor shots as Norwalk took a 15-14 lead after the first quarter.
“We started really well. We attacked the basket and got open looks,” Bechtel said. “Then we went through a stretch where we weren’t scoring, but we were still in the game because our defense was playing well.”
Out in Style: Chrastina capped his career with 25 points. Robinette added 11.
“We’re going to miss all of those seniors,” Bechtel said. “The reason why we are in a position to win the game is because of all of their effort.
“I love our kids at Clear Fork. We know what we can expect from them.”
