ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Max Knisley poured in 34 points and Cameron Eckles made a free in the final seconds of the game Friday night to lift Washington to a 64-63 win over Clinton-Massie in South Central Ohio League boys basketball action.
Knisley was hot early, scoring 10 in the first period and 10 in the second period. He slowed a bit in the third period with just one 3-point basket.
In the fourth quarter, though, Knisley found the mark again, nailing a trio of 3-pointers and scoring 11 points in the quarter as the Blue Lions rallied for the win.
“He just made shot after shot,” said CM coach Dustin Eads. “He’s such a tough basketball player.”
But Eckles wore the laurel as hero. The 6-3 senior had 13 points for Washington but made 1 of 2 at the line with 4 seconds to play to break a 63-63 tie and give the visiting Blue Lions the lead, Eads said.
The Falcons then turned the ball over on the ensuing inbound play to seal the win for Washington.
Clinton-Massie falls to 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the SCOL.
Washington is now 7-2 overall and 5-1 in league play. The Blue Lions remain a game behind league front-runner Wilmington, 101-32 victors over Hillsboro Friday night.
“We had a chance and then watched it slip through our hands,” Eads lamented in his post-game comments. “It was a really hard-fought game. We’d get a little bit of a lead, then they’d fight back and get a lead. It was players from both teams making plays when they had to.
“It was a good high school basketball game, just unfortunately we didn’t get the last bucket.”
Noah Greathouse led the Falcons with 21 points, including 8 in the second quarter. Bailey LeForge added 12, 10 in the first half. Thomas Myers had 10 for the Falcons.
The teams combined for 16 3-pointers, 8 by both teams. Individually, Knisley drained 7 and Greathouse swished through 5.
SUMMARY
Dec 18, 2015
@Clinton-Massie High School
Washington 64 Clinton-Massie 63
WA 17.16.14.17…..64
CM 15.19.14.15…..63
(64) WASHINGTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Knisley 12-7-3-34 Proby 1-0-3-5 Taylor 1-0-1-3 Shaw 0-0-0-0 Eckles 6-0-1-13 Patton 1-1-4-7 K. Upthegrove 1-0-0-2 Wilson 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 22-8-12-65
(63) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Chowning 3-0-0-6 Greathouse 7-5-2-21 Uetrecht 2-1-3-8 C. Demler 0-0-0-0 Weiss 2-0-0-4 LeForge 3-2-4-12 Myers 5-0-0-10 Wolfe 1-0-0-2. TOTALS 23-8-9-63
FIELD GOALS: W 22-52; CM 23-40 (Greathouse 7-9 Myers 5-7 LeForge 3-5)
3 PT FIELD GOALS: W 8-19; CM 8-17 (Greathouse 5-6)
FREE THROWS: W 12-15; CM 9-13 (LeForge 4-4)
REBOUNDS: W-16; CM-25 (Myers 8, Uetrecht 6, LeForge 5)
ASSISTS: W-3; CM-20 (LeForge 8 Chowning 6)
STEALS: CM-4
BLOCKED SHOTS: CM-3 (Uetrecht 2)
TURNOVERS: W-10 CM-20
