Huskies get it together, keep on running, take down Northwestern
By RICHIE HALL
ARCADIA – Sometimes, you’re in the right place at the right time.
Hamilton Heights’ John Irion was in the right place (under the basket) at the right time during the last few seconds of the Huskies’ Hoosier Conference East game with Northwestern Friday night. With the score tied, Irion grabbed the rebound of a 3-point attempt, then sent it sailing through the basket at the buzzer to give Heights a 55-53 home victory.
There are three reasons why the win was significant. First, it kept the Huskies unbeaten in the division at 2-0. Second, Heights evened its overall record at 6-6. Third, it proved that when everyone is back and healthy, the Huskies can be a good team.
“We’re getting guys back,” said Heights coach Chad Ballenger. The Huskies had started the season without key players such as Tyler Champion and Sam Dawson, as well as Landen Scheiber, a transfer from Avon.
All three are playing now, with Scheiber making his debut in the second quarter after Champion and Dawson had returned to action a couple weeks ago. And all three of them were part of a hot-shooting night for the Huskies, who made 12 3-pointers in the game. Champion drained four triples, Dawson had three and Scheiber one.
Irion also had four 3-pointers, in addition to his game-winner. Irion saw that Tillman Etchison was going to make a last-second 3-point attempt, “so I decided to crash the boards,” he said. With little time after getting the rebound, he threw the ball up and it went in.
“I thought that I might as well go get it,” said Irion.
Irion
The Huskies were trailing 51-48 during the game’s final minutes before Champion hit one of his triples to tie the game. Dreydin Serna’s layin put Heights up by two, but the Tigers’ Preston Sims tied the game at 53-all with a layin. The Huskies ran down the clock to around six seconds before setting things in motion.
“We’ve talked a lot,” said Ballenger. “We’ve worked on situations. We didn’t want to call timeout because we thought they could change something up.”
It was a close game throughout, with neither team leading by more than six points. Both teams scored 22 points in the first quarter, a period when Heights drained six 3-pointers. Irion had three of those triples, finishing the quarter with 11 points.
Northwestern went up 33-27 in the second period before a 7-0 run got the Huskies ahead by one. Dawson made two 3s in that run, with Rees Knapp hitting a free throw in between. Sims made a last-second free throw to tie the game at 34-34; that would be the halftime score.
Heights jumped ahead 42-37 midway through the third quarter for its largest lead of the game. Scheiber’s triple got the Huskies up by five. The Tigers worked their way back to tie the contest at 44-44 before Etchison’s two free throws at the end of the period put Heights up 46-44.
Champion opened the fourth quarter with a layin, and the Huskies led 48-44. Northwestern used a 7-0 spurt to go up by three, but that would be the Tigers’ last lead of the game.
Champion and Irion both scored 16 points, while Dawson got nine points out of his three 3s. Champion led the rebounds with five, while Etchison dished out four assists. Ballenger pointed out other players helping out as well.
“I thought our bench did a good job,” said Ballenger. “Phoenix Vondersaar didn’t get a ton of minutes, but he took two charges. We talk a lot about roles.”
Ballenger also noted Carson Felger, who had a key offensive rebound.
“He plays good defense and he plays hard,” said the coach.
Heights is off until next Friday, when it hosts Lapel.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 55, NORTHWESTERN 53
Heights FG FT TP PF
Tyler Champion 6-13 0-0 16 1
Dreydin Serna 3-6 0-0 6 3
Tillman Etchison 1-5 2-2 4 4
John Irion 6-7 0-0 16 4
Sam Dawson 3-8 0-0 9 1
Phoenix Vondersaar 0-3 0-0 0 0
Carson Felger 0-1 0-0 0 0
Isaiah Grimsey 0-0 0-0 0 0
Landen Scheiber 1-6 0-0 3 1
Rees Knapp 0-2 1-2 1 0
Totals 20-51 3-4 55 14
Score by Quarters
Northwestern 22 12 10 9 – 53
Heights 22 12 12 9 – 55
Heights 3-point shooting (12-32) Champion 4-7, Irion 4-5, Dawson 3-8, Scheiber 1-3, Serna 0-3, Vondersaar 0-2, Knapp 0-2, Felger 0-1, Etchison 0-1.
Heights rebounds (19) Champion 5, Serna 4, Knapp 2, Etchison 2, Vondersaar 1, Scheiber 1, Felger 1, Grimsey 1, Irion 1, Dawson 1.