Rebels erase double-digit deficit to beat St. Clair
By MATT KING\Daily Journal Sports Writer
Dec 10, 2005 - 23:48:01 CST
PARK HILLS - The Central Rebels overcame a dismal start with an inspired comeback effort on Saturday, digging out of a big early deficit to earn a 72-63 win over St. Clair during action at the Rotary Shoot-out.
Five players scored in double figures to symbolize a balanced effort by the Rebels, who shot an impressive 6-14 from three-point range. Sophomores Dominic Petty and Brian Gross shared the long-range honors with three triples apiece.
The opening minutes would not be indicative of the final outcome as St. Clair exploded to a 13-0 lead, highlighted by three-pointers from Travis Johnson and Jordan Flora. The Bulldogs hit 4-5 from the perimeter in the opening quarter, but was just 1-18 over the remainder of the game.
The Rebels began the night cold with four turnovers and seven missed field goal attempts before scoring their first points, but a triple from Gross sparked a momentous 11-0 scoring run to tighten the game.
St. Clair answered back with another flurry to close the first period. Johnson posted up inside for a pair of scores to extend the margin to 23-13.
Despite committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Central (4-3) managed to stay within striking distance with their long-range accuracy. Gross buried an open three after catching a long skip pass, and Ryan McFarland turned an offensive putback into a conventional three-point play to trim the halftime deficit to 33-27.
The Bulldogs executed two nice entry passes to center Zeke Schupp in the opening minute of the third, but the Central defense seized the momentum from there with improved rebounding and defense near the basket.
Corey Beard hauled in a long outlet pass for a transition layup, and McFarland cashed in on a fourth-chance opportunity to draw the Rebels closer. Another timely three-pointer by Gross cut the difference to two.
Justin Forsythe made a midcourt steal and raced the other way to give Central its first lead late, but a three from Ryan Sheldon sent a 45-45 tie into the final stanza.
Central set the tone for the stretch run with back-to-back transition baskets by Dustin Jones and Beard for a four-point advantage. The Rebels then broke up an interior pass, and Petty connected again from long range to make it 55-48 with 5:15 left.
Johnson turned a steal into two free throws for a two-point spread, but jumpers from Aaron Bates and Jones restored some breathing room. The Rebels ended a stalled possession with a wide-open layup by Gross, and a series of free throws put the game away.
Gross scored a team-high 15 points and McFarland added 13 points and nine rebounds to pace Central. Johnson collected 16 points and Schupp posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards for St. Clair.
St. Clair 23 10 12 18 - 63
Central 13 14 18 27 - 72
SCORING:
St. Clair - Johnson 16, Schupp 14, Flora 13, Stolle 8, Deason 5, Schmitt 4, Sheldon 3.
3-point FG - Flora 2, Stolle, Johnson, Sheldon.
Central - Gross 15, McFarland 13, Beard 12, Jones 11, Petty 10, Forsythe 8, Bates 2, Watkins 1.
3-point FG - Petty 3, Gross 3.
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Five players scored in double figures to symbolize a balanced effort by the Rebels, who shot an impressive 6-14 from three-point range. Sophomores Dominic Petty and Brian Gross shared the long-range honors with three triples apiece.
The opening minutes would not be indicative of the final outcome as St. Clair exploded to a 13-0 lead, highlighted by three-pointers from Travis Johnson and Jordan Flora. The Bulldogs hit 4-5 from the perimeter in the opening quarter, but was just 1-18 over the remainder of the game.
The Rebels began the night cold with four turnovers and seven missed field goal attempts before scoring their first points, but a triple from Gross sparked a momentous 11-0 scoring run to tighten the game.
St. Clair answered back with another flurry to close the first period. Johnson posted up inside for a pair of scores to extend the margin to 23-13.
Despite committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Central (4-3) managed to stay within striking distance with their long-range accuracy. Gross buried an open three after catching a long skip pass, and Ryan McFarland turned an offensive putback into a conventional three-point play to trim the halftime deficit to 33-27.
The Bulldogs executed two nice entry passes to center Zeke Schupp in the opening minute of the third, but the Central defense seized the momentum from there with improved rebounding and defense near the basket.
Corey Beard hauled in a long outlet pass for a transition layup, and McFarland cashed in on a fourth-chance opportunity to draw the Rebels closer. Another timely three-pointer by Gross cut the difference to two.
Justin Forsythe made a midcourt steal and raced the other way to give Central its first lead late, but a three from Ryan Sheldon sent a 45-45 tie into the final stanza.
Central set the tone for the stretch run with back-to-back transition baskets by Dustin Jones and Beard for a four-point advantage. The Rebels then broke up an interior pass, and Petty connected again from long range to make it 55-48 with 5:15 left.
Johnson turned a steal into two free throws for a two-point spread, but jumpers from Aaron Bates and Jones restored some breathing room. The Rebels ended a stalled possession with a wide-open layup by Gross, and a series of free throws put the game away.
Gross scored a team-high 15 points and McFarland added 13 points and nine rebounds to pace Central. Johnson collected 16 points and Schupp posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards for St. Clair.
St. Clair 23 10 12 18 - 63
Central 13 14 18 27 - 72
SCORING:
St. Clair - Johnson 16, Schupp 14, Flora 13, Stolle 8, Deason 5, Schmitt 4, Sheldon 3.
3-point FG - Flora 2, Stolle, Johnson, Sheldon.
Central - Gross 15, McFarland 13, Beard 12, Jones 11, Petty 10, Forsythe 8, Bates 2, Watkins 1.
3-point FG - Petty 3, Gross 3.