Tough night on the road for Plymouth
By Rusty Nixon
Sports Editor
SYRACUSE — It was a tough night for Plymouth’s Pilgrims as they took an NLC loss at Wawasee by a 46-39 final.
Plymouth played well early in the game taking a 14-8 lead in the first quarter only to fall behind in the second with four key turnovers turning into points and a 23-20 halftime lead for Wawasee.
“Overall we got off to a good start. Then we let them score 15 in the second,” said Plymouth coach Ryan Bales. “It’s that killer instinct that we need to put a team down, and that’s partly why we are at where we are at. We haven’t had a lead that we’ve kept too often through this season. We seem to have forgotten how to play in some of those moments.”
Some hot shooting from beyond the arc in that quarter helped the Pilgrims jump to a lead. A pair of three’s by Nolan Bales and one each by Cam Weidner and Davis Wray had the Warriors on their heels. In the second quarter they would recover.
Ethan Carey took his team on his shoulders with three three’s a couple of steals and an assists to spur Wawasee and hit Keaton Dukes with a breakaway in the final three seconds to give the Warriors the lead.
“We continue to have chances and I don’t know. It’s like the same game on rewind,” said Bales. “It’s not from a lack of effort. It’s the execution piece in key moments and there are so many things.”
“Basketball is so fast you just have to be ready to make that basketball play,” he said. “Down the stretch they made the basketball plays. They made the ball go in the basket.”
Dukes used his half ending bucket to spur him to a big third quarter and Grant Brooks was big in the fourth as the Pilgrims were able to cut back the Wawasee lead but could never get all the way back.
Bales led Plymouth with 15 points. Dukes was Wawasee’s top scorer with 18.
“Unfortunately there were times when we didn’t even get a shot,” said Bales. “Those are the killers when you come down and run some half court offense and get nothing. There are times when we are just missing guys that are open or not executing a pass and catch, a drive and kick. At times we do it really well.”
“There are some positive things but some key moments that come down to a couple of possession game here and there. That was the difference.”
•WAWASEE 46, PLYMOUTH 39
At Wawasee
Plymouth 14 20 30 39
Wawasee 8 23 34 46
Plymouth (39) — Weidner 1 0-0 3, Bales 4 4-5 15, Yoder 2 0-0 4, Wray 3 0-0 7, Strain 2 2-2 6, Feece 0 2-2 2, Aker 0 0-0 0, Mills 0 0-0 0, Sheeley 1 0-0 2. Totals 8 8-9 39.
Wawasee (46) — Salazar 0 2-4 2, Brooks 6 0-0 12, Welty 0 0-0 0, Carey 4 0-0 11, Dukes 8 0-0 18, Beer 0 2-4 2, Roberson 1 1-2 4. Totals 19 4-9 46.
Rebounds — Plymouth 17 (Yoder 4), Wawasee 17 (Salazar, Brooks 4)
Assists — Plymouth 5 (Feece 2), Wawasee 4 (Carey 2).
Steals — Plymouth 4 (Wray 2), Wawasee 8 (Carey 3).
Turnovers — Plymouth 13, Wawasee 11.
Fouls (Fouled out) — Plymouth 13 (Wray, Yoder), Wawasee
