Connersville

The 7th Red boys basketball team was in action once again Thursday night as Greenfield Central made their way to Spartan Arena. Connersville fought hard throughout the game but was edged out in a close battle, 40-35. The Spartans came out great offensively in the first half scoring 12 and 13 points respectively. The Cougars also came out looking to score as they were down 12-11 after one and tied 25-25 at the half. Both offenses slowed down in the second half with Greenfield grabbing a 2-point lead after three, 33-31. Eight turnovers plagued Connersville in the third quarter. I was happy with our defense most of the second half but we must limit turnovers a little better than we have lately. It's tough to win games against good teams when we give away extra possessions. All of Connersville's points in the fourth quarter came from the free-throw line as they went 4-8 from the stripe. Down three with little time on the clock, I called a play to set up a drive or three point opportunity for the tie. The play did not materialize the way I intended however and Greenfield finished the game with a lay-up to end it. As the coach, I need to do a better job of getting the boys ready for that situation when it presents itself. We will continue to work and learn from the tough defeat as we move forward. Leading the way for Connersville was Bryson Walker with 13 points followed by Desmond Shipman with 7. Leo Moyer added 5 points while Harper Buckles and Alec Lakes each chipped in 3. Noah Frost and Anthony Becker each gave valuable minutes and tossed in a bucket as well. Connersville is now 11-2 on the year as they head into the break. The Spartans will be back in action December 29th when they travel to Batesville for the St. Louis Invitational.