PUTNAMVILLE — The Clay City Eels and the South Putnam Eagles, the teams that got the ball inside most often, advanced to the championship game of the Eagle Holiday Classic at South Putnam High School on Friday night.
Clay City forwards Will Kennedy and Jordan Defore combined for 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Eels’ 60-52 victory over Cascade in the opening game.
Five South Putnam players scored in double figures, as the Eagles overpowered the shorthanded North Vermillion Falcons 75-59 in the second game.
Like many other high school basketball games on today’s schedule, South Putnam officials moved up the game times so fans can get home in time to watch the Indianapolis Colts’ NFL playoff game. The consolation game between North Vermillion and Cascade will start at 4 p.m., followed by the championship game between Clay City and South Putnam at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Playing for the first time in two weeks, Clay City never trailed Cascade. Kennedy scored seven of his 13 points in the first quarter, while Defore scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Eels hold off the Cadets.
“Our kids did a better job as far as having some purpose of getting it inside and getting it to the basket. I thought we attacked the basket fairly well and looked to get it inside,” Clay City coach Grant McVay said.
Cascade got within two, 23-21 in the second quarter, but two free throws by Levi Seymour and a Logan Higgins layoff off a slick pass from Braxton Griffith gave Clay City a 27-21 halftime lead.
“[Kennedy] was a real presence for us in the middle [in the first quarter]. He hit a 3, but it was a wide-open 3,” McVay said.
Clay City took a 41-35 lead into the fourth quarter and gradually built its lead to 14 points, 52-38 on a Kennedy-Defore eruption. Defore hit two free throws and Kennedy followed with a basket. Defore put back a rebound and scored a lay up and added another free throw that put the Eels up by 14 with 3:09 to play.
“[Defore] really did a lot of good things for us tonight,” McVay said.
In game two, North Vermillion took the floor without 6-6 center Ryan Buchhaas, who was suspended one game for a team rules issue, according to coach Mike Ahrens.
South Putnam took advantage of the open middle with Conor Frame (12 points), Adam Masters (11), Noah Boswell (11) and Dayne Nelson (10) scoring all but three of their points inside. That foursome was complemented by guard Cameron Chestnut with 17 points, including two 3-pointers.
“We have big strong kids. We try to get a couple [ball] reversals every time down the floor [and] a couple of post touches every time. We feel of we do that it’s going to open up our outside [shots] and also we can take advantage inside,” South Putnam coach Micah Elliott said.
North Vermillion was led by Jacob Rankin with 18 points, followed by guards Zach Jumps and Scott Leigh with 14 points each.
South Putnam, leading 14-10 at the first stop and 31-25 at halftime, built a 46-30 lead midway through the third quarter when Chestnut hit a 3.
But that’s where the Falcons drew the line.
North Vermillion put together a 10-1 run to get back within seven, 47-40, with 1:16 left in the quarter. Rankin scored the run with two points, followed by deuces from Lane Clark and Scott Leigh. Jumps capped the Falcons flight with two baskets and the margin was now seven points with more than a quarter to play.
But free throws by South Putnam’s Frame and bucket from Nelson gave the Eagles a 53-43 lead going into the fourth quarter. Boswell scored the first six points of the last period and the Eagles were in control to stay.
“It was too big of a mountain to climb. The game was so physical to begin with. I was real proud of them [for] how hard they played. They didn’t back down. We knew it was going to be a physical game.
That’s the way they played,” North Vermillion’s Ahrens said.
CASCADE (52) — Waggoner 2-4 0-0 5, Arthur 1-5 0-0 2, Heimansohn 4-5 0-0 8, Guthrie 5-10 1-3 12, Spencer 2-9 0-0 5, Pelley 3-3 2-4 8, Dunn 5-8 0-1 10, Alltop 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 22-46 FG, 5-10 FT, 52 TP.
CLAY CITY (60) — Kennedy 4-11 4-4 13, Defore 4-7 3-5 11, Seymour 2-3 2-2 6, Griffith 3-10 1-2 9, Rhodes 1-2 0-0 3, Heffner 2-5 1-2 5, Newton 0-0 2-2 2, Higgins 5-7 1-1 11. Totals 21-45 FG, 14-18 FT, 60 TP.
Cascade 13 8 14 17 — 52
Clay City 19 8 14 19 — 60
3-point goals — Cas 3-10 (Waggoner 1-2, Guthrie 1-2, Spencer 1-5, Alltop 0-1), CC 4-11 ( Griffith 2-5, Rhodes 1-2, Kennedy 1-3, Defore 0-1). Total fouls: Cas 19, CC 13. Turnovers — Cas 17, CC 15. Rebounds: Cas 24 (Pelley, Dunn 5), CC 31 (Kennedy 8).
NORTH VERMILLION (59) — Rankin 7-17 2-3 18, Clore 1-2 1-2 3, Clark 3-5 2-2 8, Jumps 5-18 4-4 14, Goins 0-1 0-0 0, Morgan 0-2 0-0 0, Allen 1-2 0-0 2, Leigh 5-12 0-0 14. Totals 22-59 FG, 9-11 FT, 59 TP.
SOUTH PUTNAM (75) — Dean 2-3 0-2 4, Boswell 3-10 5-5 11, Masters 5-9 1-2 11, Frame 4-11 3-4 12, Chestnut 6-11 3-5 17, Nelson 4-8 2-4 10, Cash 2-9 1-2 6, Vickery 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 28-63 FG, 15-24 FT, 75 TP.
North Vermillion 10 15 18 16 — 59
South Putnam 14 17 22 22 — 75
3-point goals — NV 6-20 (Leigh 4-9, Rankin 2-8, Morgan 0-1, Jumps 0-1, Goins 0-1), SP 4-12 (Chestnut 2-7, Frame 1-2, Cash 1-2, Boswell 0-1). Total
fouls: NV 19, SP 14. Fouled out — none. Turnovers — NV 9, SP 7. Rebounds: NV 34 (Clark 10), SP 42 (Boswell 9, Masters 8).
Next — At 4 p.m. today at South Putnam High School , Cascade (1-5) plays North Vermillion (3-4) and at 5:30 p.m., Clay City (3-3) plays South Putnam (3-5).
High School
Clay City, South Putnam to play for Eagle Holiday Classic championship
- High School
-
-
South’s Lough to wrestle for state title
The day didn’t start in a promising fashion for Wabash Valley high school wrestlers at the Evansville Semistate in Ford Center on Saturday — but it got better as it went along.
-
TERRE HAUTE NORTH SECTIONAL: Mooresville tops South for fourth straight title
For Terre Haute South High School girls basketball fans, it might sound good that the Braves did not miss a shot in the first four minutes of their Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional championship game Saturday.
-
BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan rebounds from tough start for title
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Sullivan struggled mightily in the first half, eerily reminiscent of its eventual elimination in the final seconds of overtime by Edgewood in last year’s Class 3A girls basketball sectional. -
CLAY CITY SECTIONAL: Eels take third straight sectional crown
Clay City stood up to the pressure and to the Shakamak Lakers on Saturday night to win a third straight Class A sectional championship in the Eel Dome.
-
NORTH VERMILLION SECTIONAL: Twenty years in the waiting
The Super Bowl came to a new city. A presidential election was ongoing. And Riverton Parke won a girls basketball sectional.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Rox clinch WRC
Class A No. 8-ranked Rockville knocked off Attica 50-35 in boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon, clinching the Wabash River Conference championship in the process.
-
THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
-
OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
-
BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
-
North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
-
South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
-
South runs into talented North Central team
Terre Haute South players and coaches knew when they got off the bus Saturday afternoon that they couldn’t run with the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Indianapolis North Central Panthers.
But they tried anyway. -
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
-
O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
Matt O’Leary poured in a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half, to lead Terre Haute North to a dominant 69-46 home victory over Center Grove in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon.
-
Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
-
Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
-
South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
-
Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
-
Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
-
State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
-
South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
-
Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
-
They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
-
Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
-
Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
-
Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
-
Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
- More High School Headlines
-
South’s Lough to wrestle for state title








