MEDORA
With five minutes remaining in Saturday’s game, Medora’s boys basketball team led 30-23.
Visiting Washington Catholic then rallied to outscore the host Hornets 13-3 over the final 3:45 to go home with its first win of the season 36-33.
Medora coach Mark Morin said little things turn into big things in a close game.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
“We didn’t have enough offense. They played hard, but sometimes, they confuse playing hard with playing out of control,” he said.
“It kills us when J.D. Fish gets in foul trouble,” he said. “We made some mistakes there at the end. J.D. and Owen (Sullivan) had fouled out. We get a rebound and step on the end line, and they get the ball. We give up a layup on an out-of-bounds play.”
Two free throws by Sullivan with 48 seconds remaining put the Hornets on top 32-31.
Morin said a key point in the game came on Medora’s next possession when Sullivan missed a layup on a fast break and then committed his fifth foul trying to grab the rebound.
“We could have been ahead by three points,” Morin said.
Tristin Turner converted a three-point play with 24 seconds remaining to put the Cardinals on top 34-32.
Medora’s Jayvin Spurgeon split a pair of free throws with 8.5 seconds remaining to make it a 34-33 game before Payton Robinson added two free throws for the visitors with 7.3 seconds remaining to close the scoring.
Both teams struggled on offense throughout the first half, resulting in a 12-10 lead for the Cardinals at the break. Medora shot 4 for 17, and Washington Catholic was 5 for 27.
Morin liked the way his team showed improvement in the third quarter when Sullivan and Fish both scored five points and Isaiah Myers had two baskets. The Hornets outscored the Cardinals 14-10 to lead 24-22 going into the fourth quarter.
Sullivan topped the Hornets (3-18) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Brock Craney was high scorer for the Cardinals (1-20) with 18 points.
Medora finished 13 for 38 from the floor, and the visitors made 9 for 52, including five 3-pointers, and were 13 for 18 in free throws.