Friday, March 14, 2008 11:07 PM CDT
National Trail stops Little Illini
By MIKE MONAHAN, Staff Writer
mmonahan@jg-tc.com
TOLEDO -- In the lowest scoring Central Illinois All-Star Game and the closest margin since 2005, the National Trail Conference team prevailed again.
The NTC overcame an eight-point first half deficit and led by as much as 21 before the Little Illini Conference battled back to within six with three minutes left. The NTC held on for an 84-74 victory in the 15th annual Central Illinois All-Star boys’ basketball game Friday at Waldrip Gym.
The NTC led 68-52 after a basket by St. Elmo’s Wade Nevergall when the LIC, coached by Cumberland’s Josh Forsythe and Nick Toothman of Edwards County, used a 16-6 run to climb to within six. The run began with a three-pointer by Martinsville’s Chase Lee and basket by Lee before substitutes entered the game (subs came in every five minutes and the final five minutes of the half and game were up to the coaches.) Back-to-back three-pointers by Casey-Westfield’s Logan Boyd made it 72-63. Another three by Boyd, who is headed to Greenville College, made it 74-66. Boyd scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the final 7:53 and earned the MVP for the LIC.
Effingham St. Anthony’s Anthony Hecht made back-to-back buckets for the NTC, pushing the lead back to 10 points and the LIC didn’t get any closer than seven the rest of the way.
“It was fun,” said Boyd. “I was hoping to get an open look, but I like to pass the ball more. It was so much fun to play with these guys. I never expected to get the MVP. It (high school career) couldn’t have ended any better than this.”
The NTC scored the final 19 points of the first half to led 43-30. A 36-7 run during a span of 9:56 of the 42 minute game by the NTC helped them open a 54-33 lead with 17:07 remaining.
The run began with a basket by Neoga’s Logan Hoene with 3:52 left in the opening half in front of a large crowd. Ben Giertz, who is headed to Lake Land, drilled a three-pointer and St. Elmo’s Colton Booher’s put the NTC ahead to stay. Geirtz, who finished with 15, tying for high scoring honors for the NTC, made a pair of free throws and the NTC ended the half by making six of their final seven field goal attempts. Effingham St. Anthony’s Anthony Hecht started the final string of baskets and gave the NTC the momentum going into the half.
“It was pretty exciting playing with people your age,” said Giertz. “They know how to play ball and we got up and down the floor pretty quick. It was pretty fun. We only had one practice so I think we played pretty well. It was pretty fun playing in an all-star game and getting the win.”
The NTC has now won 13 of the 15 contests.
For the NTC Booher, who was named the MVP, and Giertz had 15 points, while Hoene had 13 and Hecht had 10. The NTC was coached by St. Anthony’s Matt Britton and Cowden-Herrick’s Greg Reynolds. Other area participants were Phil Wetherell of Stew-Stras; Alex Walk of Neoga and James Strowmatt of Windsor.
The LIC had two other players in double digits as Flora’s Ian Ridge, who had a dunk, scored 10 points and Lee also had 10 points. Other area participants were Kye Butler and Levi Sudkamp of Cumberland.
Each player and coach received a plaque for participating.
Three-point contest
Four contestants from each side won their own team contest held in practice. Shooting for the NTC were Richard Waterman of St. Elmo; Tyson Robertson of Cowden-Herrick; Hoene and Giertz.
The LIC participants were Travis Johnson of Marshall; Alex Bullock of Marshall; John Winters of Oblong and Chris Wampler of Red Hill.
The top four advanced to the finals. They were Johnson, Wampler, Waterman and Hoene. Wampler won by making seven compared to four for Waterman.
Dunk contest
Four LIC players (Ryan Roberts of Hutsonville-Palestine; Kye Butler of Cumberland; Ridge and Lee) and three from the NTC (Waterman, Cole Rhodes of Brownstown and Booher) participated in the dunk contest.
Each participant went through three rounds and the top two, Ridge and Roberts, advanced to the finals. Ridge earned the title.
NTC 43 41 —84
LIC 30 44 —74
NTC: Deters 0-0-0; Hoene 6-0-13; Booher 7-0-15; Waterman 1-0-2; Wetherell 3-0-6; McKay 2-0-4; Laue 0-0-0; Nevergall 3-0-7; Giertz 5-3-15; Hecht 4-2-10; Fearday 2-0-4; Strowmatt 0-0-0; Rhodes 1-0-2; Roberson 3-0-6; Walk 0-0-0; Totals 37-5-84
LIC: Butler 2-1-6; Roberts 1-2-4; Bullock 1-0-2; Lee 4-0-10; Wampler 1-0-2; Boyd 6-3-19; Sudkamp 1-1-3; Kinsey 1-0-2; Erbachr 1-3-5; Sackoicz 1-0-3; Johnson 0-0-0; Winters 2-0-4; Padgett 1-0-2; Totals 22-10-74
3-point field goals: NTC 5 (Giertz 2, Booher, Nevergall, Hoene); LIC 9 (Boyd 4, Lee 2, Ridge 2, Butler); Shooting percentages: NTC .430 (37-of-86); LIC .290 (22-of-76); Turnovers: NTC 18, LIC 16
Contact Mike Monahan at mmonahan@jg-tc.com or 238-6854.
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