MADISON — Madison’s boys basketball team will have to wait for their first Hoosier Hills Conference win of the season.
Seymour (6-10, 3-4 HHC) limited the Cubs to seven fourth quarter points, while hitting all eight of their free throw attempts in the waning minutes, to gut out a 44-36 HHC win on Thursday.
In a slow paced first quarter, the Cubs (5-11, 0-6 HHC) built a 9-4 lead by the 3:52-mark in part of a 7-0 run, which was led by four points from Daniel Anderson.
Jordan Miller and Tiller Cummings hit back-to-back baskets to cut the Owls’ deficit to 9-8 after eight minutes of play.
Mason Welsh opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, but the Owls answered in a big way by scoring nine unanswered points. A trey from Dylan Wilson capped the run, as the Owls went up 17-12 with 3:54 in the half.
Tyler Bloom and Alan Perry each got a field goal before the Cubs’ Cooper Yancey drained a corner three at the buzzer.
SHS held a 21-18 advantage at the break, with four players leading the Owls with four points. All nine of the Cubs’ second quarter points came off shots from behind the arc.
The Cubs retook the lead twice in the first 4:15 of the third quarter, but the Owls remained composed.
From the 3:22 to 47-seconds mark, the Owls scored seven straight points — which ended with a 3-pointer from Ty McCory — to go up 31-26.
Anderson hit a three with 28 seconds on the clock, but the Cubs trialed 31-29 after 24 minutes.
The Cubs struggled to find the bottom of the basket in the fourth quarter, but kept it within four points up until 52 ticks left in the game.
In the final minute, the Owls held steady on defense while making all of their shots from the line.
Perry led the Owls with 11 points, Cummings added eight and Bloom scored seven.
SHS won the rebounding battle 32-23, with Alex Hofer and Cummings each pulling down 8.
Hofer saw some more minutes in the game, as starter Seth Ragon was limited due to an injury.
“Seth (Ragon) kind of has a bum foot, and Alex had a great week of practice,” Phillips said. “We told him that he would get the opportunity, and he cashed-in. He’s going to see some extended minutes going forward.”
The Owls limited their turnovers to 10 giveaways in the contest.
Seymour made 16 of 38 shot attempts and Madison was 13-for-50.
“It was just one of those nights,” Owls coach Tyler Phillips said of the shooting. “I was watching us shoot when we first got here, and we weren’t making a whole lot. If you’re not making them when you’re open, you’re probably not going to make them when there’s a hand in your face. Madison did a great job of not giving us clean looks.
“What I was really proud of was that we didn’t shoot the ball well and we found a way to win. A month and a half ago, I don’t think we would win that game. Tonight, we found a way to win.”