FREDERICKTOWN — The Freddies stepped on the gas pedal during the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
Loudonville’s tank was on empty.
Fredericktown outscored the Redbirds 12-3 during the final four minutes and held on for a 48-40 win in non-conference action Tuesday at Fredericktown High School.
Trailing 23-14 at the half, Loudonville (8-8) outscored Fredericktown (7-10) 15-4 in the third quarter and took a 29-27 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Redbirds led 37-36 after Matthew Brightbill’s second 3-pointer of the fourth quarter with 4:24 remaining, but Frederictown’s Anthony Caputo knocked down a baseline jumper with 4:08 to play and the Freddies would never trail again.
“We challenged our guys at halftime. We said simply, ‘let’s bring more energy,’ ” Loudonville coach Kelly Seboe said. “Unfortunately, we used up all the gas in the tank.
“We’re in the middle of a stretch where we play six games in 11 days, but I was proud of the effort our guys gave.”
Caputo scored six of his eight points in the fourth, while Nick Cunningham scored eight of his game-high 18 in the closing quarter. The 6-foot-2 junior was 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the fourth as Fredericktown connected on all eight of its free throw attempts in the period.
“We didn’t play with the same amount of energy in that third quarter as we did in the first half,” Fredericktown coach Derek Dibling said. “Fortunately, we did enough good things down the stretch to win the game.
“Nick Cunningham had a favorable matchup and he took it upon himself to score.”
Cunningham scored 10 points in the first half. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first as Fredericktown built a 14-6 lead.
“We knew coming in that, because of our matchups, we were going to have to guard him with someone smaller,” Seboe said. “They caught us a couple times. It was like our feet were in concrete and we got caught watching.”
Cunningham was the only Fredericktown player to reach double figures. Caputo and Xavier Stallard each had eight while Zayde Zolman added seven.
Logan Fisher led Loudonville with 11 points. Brightbill had 10, while Hunter Martin added eight and Garrett Fry had seven.
Loudonville returns to Mid-Buckeye Conference action Friday at Kidron Central Christian. Fredericktown hosts Cardington in a Knox Morrow Athletic Conference game Friday.
