Connersville

The CMS 8th grade white basketball team turned in a gritty performance Thursday night but came up just short in a hard-fought overtime loss to Greenfield Central, 30-26. CMS set the tone early, taking a 7-4 lead at the end of the first quarter behind strong defensive play. The Spartans continued to control the tempo in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a 13-7 advantage after limiting Greenfield’s scoring opportunities. Coming out of the break, CMS maintained its edge. They pushed the lead to 19-14 by the end of the third quarter, showing balance on both ends of the floor. However, Greenfield Central responded in the fourth quarter rallying to tie the game at 24-24 by the end of regulation and forcing overtime. In the extra period, Greenfield capitalized on key possessions to outscore the Spartans 6-2, sealing a 30-26 overtime victory despite the Spartans’ effort. I was proud of the boys’ effort and how well they played together last night. We played some of our best basketball for three and half quarters but had a few turnovers and defensive mistakes late in the fourth quarter that allowed Greenfield to get back in the game and send it to overtime. Our effort and toughness were exactly what we wanted to see. If we keep bringing that level of intensity and continue to improve, these close games will start going our way. Asher Ervin led the Spartans in scoring with 8 points. Holland Moore added 6 points, while Xavier Cooley chipped in 4. Graham Pflum, Mason Jones, Daxton Gregory, and Tyler Ellis each scored 2 points to round out the scoring for CMS. The Spartans will be back in action on December 29th when they travel to Batesville to play in the St. Louis Invitational.