BASKETBALL: Indians salvage second with win over Vandalia
DU QUOIN, IL - After enduring a heartbreaking defeat in Friday's game with Flora, the Indians avoided suffering deja vu on Saturday, holding off Vandalia 56-53 to claim second place in the 2012 Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic at DHS's Anders Gymnasium.
Brenden Fred earned the Classic's Most Valuable Player Award, scoring 54 points in Du Quoin's three games. He had 16 against Vandalia - all in the second half.
"Fred had some looks in the first half that didn't go down," said Indians head coach Gabe Sveda. "He got a couple of easy buckets in there in the low post and on some cuts that kind of opened the game up for him. He knocked down some outside shots then and things started to fall. Credit our kids to finding him and getting him the ball."
Neither team led by more than five in the opening half in the Classic's finale on Saturday night. Vandalia led 19-15 with 4:23 left in the second quarter, but Daulton Donoghue scored on a fast break and Austin Mapps buried a three to give Du Quoin a brief advantage.
The Vandals went on a 7-1 run and were up 26-21 with under a minute to go, but Austin Mansker took to the baseline for a lay-up and Spencer Cook hit a pair of free throws to pull the Indians to within a point at the break.
Fred remained without a point until midway through the third quarter when he suddenly caught fire. The senior scored ten points in the period and beat the buzzer to keep it a one point game at 41-40 Vandals.
With Vandalia up 45-44, the Indians briefly looked like they were going to put the game away with a run. Fred scored four points during a 10-0 spurt for Du Quoin that ended with Deeja Cole's pull-up jumper just inside of three minutes to go in the game.
The Indians led 54-45 with the ball, but a turnover started an unfortunate chain of events that resulted in eight straight for Vandalia. A three-point play and a three-pointer sandwiched around an Indian turnover brought the Vandals to within 54-53, then Fred stepped out of bounds with 17 seconds on the clock trying to escape the trap by Vandalia.
The Vandals gave the ball right back with a turnover of their own, setting up two Fred free throws with 5.4 to play. Vandalia's Leyton Godoyo got a good look at a potential tying three, but it was off the mark.
"We just fought, both teams were fighting," Sveda said. "We were lucky enough to pull away at the end, we still turned it over a bit, (but) I'm proud of our kids for pulling together."
"These kids fight, they provide the effort, they're unselfish. We've got to iron some things out offensively and with rebounding, but overall I thought it was pretty good."
Fred's 16 points led the way for Du Quoin, Daulton Beltz added 12, Cole 8, Cook and Daulton Donoghue 7, Mapps 5, Mansker 3.
The Indians' hopes of a Tip-Off crown were thwarted on Friday night by Flora. The eventual event champion Wolves rallied from down 31-24 at halftime to claim the win 53-51 using a 17-10 fourth quarter that included a key four-point play and several Du Quoin turnovers.
Beltz had 13 points to lead DHS and was joined in double figures by Mapps with 12 (2 three-pointers) and Fred with 11. Mansker finished with 7 points before fouling out, Cook had 4, Cole and John Erwin 2.
Ethan Lieb had 16 points to lead four Flora players in double digits.
Mapps, Beltz, Leib, and Fred were joined by Colton Woosley (Vandalia), Chase Woosley (Vandalia), Terion Taylor (Cairo), Tim Ritchey (Vandalia), Devante Johnson (Cairo), Blake Shehorn (Flora), and Christian Taylor (Flora) on the All-Tournament Team for the 15th Annual Tip-Off Classic. Godoyo was given the Sportsmanship Award.
The Indians (2-1) will take on Anna-Jonesboro at home this Friday night in their last home game until January 4th.