Connersville

On Saturday, your Connersville Spartans Freshman Boys Basketball team took their home court to face the visiting Muncie Central Bearcats. Coming into the contest, the boys knew that they would be tested physically like they had not been to this point of the season. The first quarter did not disappoint, as the Bearcats swarming pressure defense forced the Spartans into many early turnovers. However, the freshman also had success on defense early on, holding Muncie to 5 points for the quarter, shooting 2 for 10 from the field. The Bearcats took a 5-4 lead at the end of the first period. To begin the second, both teams were able to settle in and put the ball in the hoop. Andrew Miracle was able to provide a spark for the Spartans, scoring 6 points in the quarter while serving as an outlet to the continued pressure from Muncie. The Bearcats were able to convert in transition and put in several put backs from offensive rebounds to outscore the Spartans, 15-13 in the quarter. Muncie Central would take a 20-17 lead into the halftime intermission. Coach Neuman at the half: “I thought we had success in the first half with our gameplan defensively. We implemented a 1-3-1, something we thought Muncie Central might not have seen very much this season. The idea of protecting the rim and forcing them into outside shots worked early, we just struggled to keep them off of the glass. Offensively we knew turnovers would tell the story, we had a number of careless passes and did not match the physicality they brought on defense.” The third period got started as the Bearcats extended their lead behind a pair of three pointers by their sharp shooting guard. However, the Spartans continued to rally back, time after time cutting Muncie’s lead down to 3. While up by 6 on the final possession of the third period, the Spartans failed to get out to a shooter who would knock down a three at the buzzer to extend the Bearcats lead to 36 to 27 going into the last frame. The last shot of the third quarter seemed to be a precursor for the fourth for the visiting team, as Muncie would catch fire from the floor. Numerous turnovers by Connersville led to a number of easy baskets for the Bearcats. The Spartans did not have an answer for Muncie Central’s scoring outburst, mustering up just 4 points for the quarter. The Bearcats would close the game out and go on to win 58-21. Coach Neuman on the loss: “Despite the loss we learned a lot about ourselves through the course of the game. Our achilles heel this season has been turnovers and getting beat on the boards. When we lose those two categories, it is often reflected on the scoreboard. However, I am proud of how the boys hung around all game. They played an extremely skilled and deep team that forces you to play at their pace. The final score was not reflective of our game / effort.” Leading the way for the Spartans was Andrew Miracle, who showcased 15 points, 10 rebounds, to go along with 2 blocks. Following up was Carson Moore, who added 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Justin Kitchen also contributed 5 points, to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Zane Ellison followed that with 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Eli Smith rounded out scoring for the Spartans, scoring 2 points and adding a rebound. Gavin Mullins and Gavin Schneider added valuable minutes for the Spartans, with Mullins picking up 2 assists and a steal. Your Spartans move to 6-3 and will look to avenge this loss when they go on the road, January 6th to take on the Hauser Jets. Tipoff at 6.