.png)
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
BUNKER HILL — The Peru boys basketball team’s streak in the Miami County Invitational has reached a decade, and Caston was the latest team to to be unable to stop the streak Thursday.
Matthew Roettger scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the second half to lead three players in double figures, and Tigers went on a 21-0 run covering the third and fourth quarters to beat the Comets 61-34 in the tournament title game at Maconaquah.
Alex Ross added 11 points, and Braxten Robbins had 10 for Peru. Xavier Turner had nine off the bench. Peru also outscored Caston 14-1 from the foul line.
Cain Schanlaub and Caleb Stinson scored 10 points each to share Caston high scoring honors. Jackson Rentschler added six.
Peru, ranked No. 7 in Class 3A, improved to 8-1. Caston fell to 2-6.
Stinson, Roettger and Robbins were all named to the all-tournament team.
Caston trailed by 12 at the half but cut the lead down to 29-23 on Stinson’s nifty driving, spinning banker in the paint. That came barely 30 seconds after Schanlaub taking a charging foul from Robbins energized the Caston bench.
But after Stinson’s basket, Caston would not score again for over five minutes.
Roettger hit two free throws with 3:28 left in the third quarter and two more free throws 18 seconds later. When Braxten Robbins completed a three-point play after an off-balance driving layup in transition, the lead was 13.
A Roettger steal and layup and Robbins’ circus layup led to another 3-point play and a 41-23 lead going into the fourth.
A Roettger driving scoop layup, a Roettger pullup 3-pointer, two Xavier Turner free throws and a Roettger driving banker completed the run and made it 50-23.
“I think we did a good job of coming out and doing some good things and being strong and physical and matching their physicality,” Caston coach Carl Davis said. “They do a great job of making you earn everything. And I thought we came out really strong and had a huge charge take there early. And then they got really aggressive, and we had some empty possessions where shots didn’t fall for us, and then we didn’t get stops on the other end. We put them on the line, and I think they shot 12 more free throws than we did tonight, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that they’re just extremely aggressive and do a good job of getting in the lane and getting contact.”
Both teams are known for their switching man-to-man defense, but Peru showed off more of a diamond press and forced 18 Caston turnovers.
“No, I like his much better than ours,” Peru coach Eric Thompson quipped when asked if the teams’ defenses were similar while also comparing his scheme to Davis’. “He’s way smarter than I am. I’m not as far advanced. He’s ‘A-team,’ and I’m rolling in the JV with ours on what we do.”
Thompson later extended his praise of Davis, now in his sixth year at Caston.
“Print this: Caston better fork out some money to keep or do something. Make sure he gets an extra lunch every day to keep him around because he’s one of the best out there. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves, at least in the win-loss when you look on John Harrell’s website.
“But he’s one of the best.”
Peru 61, Caston 34
CASTON (34) (2-6)
Talon Zeider 1 0-0 2, Caleb Stinson 4 0-0 10, Colby Pugh 1 0-0 3, Jackson Rentschler 3 0-1 6, Cain Schanlaub 5 0-0 10, Carter Clingler 0 0-0 0, Corbin Smith 0 0-0 0, Rowan Jellison 0 0-0 0, Brady Evans 0 0-0 0, Josh Evans 0 0-0 0, Evan Howard 0 0-0 0, Grant Yadon 1 1-2 3
TEAM: 15 1-3 34
PERU (61) (8-1)
Ian Potts 2 0-0 6, Gavin Eldridge 2 2-2 6, Braxten Robbins 3 4-4 10, Alex Ross 5 1-2 11, Matthew Roettger 6 4-4 17, Reis Bellar 1 0-0 2, Bryce Hill 0 0-0 0, Xavier Turner 3 3-3 9, Jaxson Manriquez 0 0-0 0, Oliver Rabe 0 0-0 0, Isaac Brailey 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 22 14-15 61
Three-point field goals:
Caston 3 (Stinson 2, Pugh),
Peru 3 (Potts 2, Roettger)
Total fouls: Caston 13, Peru 9
Turnovers: Caston 18, Peru 10
Score by quarters
Caston 5 8 10 11 – 34
Peru 11 14 16 20 – 61
Comentarios