FREDERICKTOWN – It’s about what you’d expect when two rivals meet.
The Fredericktown Freddies looked like they would decide Wednesday’s anticipated first showdown with the Centerburg Trojans very early. But the Freddies and their fans watched as their 21-point third-quarter lead slowly dwindle to five points with under a minute in the game.
Fredericktown’s eventual 68-60 victory was a relief, but it wasn’t satisfying.
“We kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit,” Fredericktown coach Derek Dibling said. “We made some miscues defensively. They took the momentum back.”
Dibling’s team built a 35-14 lead late in the first half with the help of a 14-4 rally to start the game, and an 11-0 run early in the second period. Blake Sipes highlighted the first run with a steal that led to a Brode Davis putback. The second run featured three buckets from Davis and a 3-pointer by Carson Rinehart.
In the second half, Fredericktown (6-5, 4-2 KMAC) had a 12-1 run that built the lead back to 51-30 late in the third quarter.
It took 30 seconds for the Freddies to begin to claw back.
Bennett Hill hit three 3-pointers over a five-minute stretch to bring the Trojans (6-5, 4-2 KMAC) back to within single digits. A 3 by Grayson Reynolds dropped the lead to 62-57 with just over a minute remaining.
“We, and some of our younger guys, figured out the process and brought a lot of energy,” Centerburg coach John Marhefka said. “Miles Marshall, Jackson Ballinger, they stepped up. It’s a process. They kept focus.
“Later, our veterans remembered. But the young guys stepped up and kept the standard. We came up short. We came so close. But, that’s the story of KMAC basketball.”
On the Trojans’ next possession, sophomore Gavin Toombs get a key steal – his fifth of the game – and Sipes (also a sophomore) scored on a perfect pass to shatter Centerburg’s hopes.
“We don’t have a ton of experience to lean on in the end,” Dibling said. “Those guys know we’re going to rely on them down the stretch. Fortunately, they rose to the occasion.”
It wasn’t Centerburg’s only rally. The Trojans responded to their first 21-point deficit with a 13-2 run that extended into the second half. A 3-pointer by Reynolds began the run, followed by a 3 by Hill.
Reynolds led all scorers with 21 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Hill had 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Isaiah Sule added 11 points.
Sipes led the Freddies with 20 points, while Toombs chipped in 18. Davis finished with 11.
Fredericktown hosts KMAC co-leader Cardington-Lincoln on Saturday. Centerburg, which fell to third place following Wednesday’s loss, hosts the other co-leader on Saturday, Northmor.
