Nashville JV downs Chester at Murphy tournament

<span>MURPHYSBORO -- The halftime deficit was just a bit too much for the Chester JV to overcome in a 60-49 loss to Nashville in Saturday's opening round of the Murphysboro Sophomore Boys Basketball Tournament.</span>

<span>Nick Heffernan scored 20 points and Drake Bollman chipped in 12, but Chester (12-9) found itself trailing by 14, 34-20, at halftime.</span>

<span>"He's an offensive genius really," Chester coach Jake Cowan said of Heffernan. "He can score the ball at will, there's nobody that can guard him.</span>

<span>"He's just such a dynamic offensive player."</span>

<span>Chester scored the first six points of the game, but Nashville (15-1) responded with a 16-4 run to take a six-point lead into the second quarter.</span>

<span>A layup by Hornets' sophomore Brandon Schnitker gave Nashville a 21-10 advantage with 6:21 left before halftime.</span>

<span>"(Nashville) got hot there right before the end of the half," Cowan said. "It just put us in a hole and made us go out of what we originally wanted to do.</span>

<span>"They shot the ball well, nothing you can do sometimes."</span>

<span>Nashville freshman Bryce Bultman scored 20 points for the Hornets, while Schnitker added 12. Chester started chipping away at the Hornets' lead midway through the third quarter when Josh Haberberger hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Yellow Jackets' deficit to 40-31.</span>

<span>Haberberger finished with six points for Chester, who will face Class 5A Marion on Monday at 5 p.m. in an elimination game. Marion fell to Pinckneyville, 57-45, in Saturday's 9 a.m. game.</span>

<span>"It's a test," Cowan said. "You have to see where these guys are at for next year. I told them in the locker room this isn't about this year, it's about getting you guys ready for next year.</span>

<span>"You guys are going to be going up against the big boys next year, so it's a good test for us."</span>

<span>Nashville took a 44-35 advantage into the fourth quarter, but Chester fought back again in narrowing the Hornets' lead to five, 46-41, on a 3-pointer from Colin Wingerter with 6:51 remaining.</span>

<span>Nashville responded once more, putting together an 11-5 run to put the game out of reach.</span>

<span>"We knew we had to guard very well," Cowan said. "Nashville's traditionally so well-coached and we knew they were going to be fundamentally sound.</span>

<span>"We knew that we couldn't get into an up-and-down game with them and had to slow it down a little bit and get great shots every time down the floor."</span>