Connersville

The Connersville Spartans Freshman Boys Basketball team hit the road Monday to take on the Monroe Central Golden Bears. The Spartans were eager for a bounce back performance after their last road outing. Right away Connersville was able to get into a rhythm offensively behind a pair of three pointers by Eli Smith and Justin Kitchen. However, Monroe Central was able to trade baskets with the Spartans, with Connersville taking an 11-10 lead into the second period. In the second, the freshman cooled off, relying on a pair of baskets by Carson Moore to keep them within striking distance. Monroe Central, sparked by 2 three pointers from their big man, managed to outscore the Spartans 9-6 in the second, taking a 19-17 lead into the Halftime Intermission. Coach Neuman at the half: “Even though we were down at the break, we felt good about where we were at. Monroe was running a 1-3-1 defense which was something we have struggled against this season and therefore, something we have worked on. We were getting good looks, they were bound to start falling. Defensively, we had to get out to their shooters faster, they hit a couple of tough contested shots that had made the difference to that point.” Coming out of the break, the Golden Bears went on a quick 5-0 run to push their advantage to 7. However, the young Spartans kept their composure and picked up their intensity on defense to force several Monroe Central turnovers. Connersville then went on a 7-0 run of their own, to even things out at 24-24 heading into the 4th. The fourth quarter was very physical play, showing the determination from both teams. From then on, the Spartans hung their hat on the defensive side of the court and held the Golden Bears to just 3 points in the quarter. Connersville made several big plays down the stretch, including back to back three pointers by Eli Smith and Zane Ellison, and a game sealing free throw in the final seconds by Justin Kitchen. The Spartans would go on to win, 32-27! Leading the Spartans in scoring was Eli Smith with 11 points, to go along with 3 steals and an assist. Following up was Zane Ellison who had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and great on ball defense ALL game! Carson Moore added 6 points for the Spartans, grabbing 4 rebounds, to go along with 1 assist, a steal, and a blocked shot. Justin Kitchen contributed 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a blocked shot. He also handled the ball well versus the opponents pressure. Andrew Miracle scored 3 points, adding 3 rebounds, and 2 steals for the Spartans. Gavin Mullins added valuable minutes off of the bench, grabbing 3 rebounds, while collecting 2 steals and a blocked shot. Gavin Schneider and Adam Allen also gave the Spartans a boost, adding a steal and a rebound each. Your Freshman Spartans are now 6-2 and head back home after Christmas to take on the Muncie Central Bearcats on Saturday, December 27th, in the Connersville Fieldhouse. Tipoff at 1:00 p.m.