Hurricane rallies for 3rd straight win 64-60

0

WILMINGTON – Make it three consecutive wins for the Wilmington boys basketball team. Rallying from a halftime deficit, the Hurricane defeated Goshen 64-60 in SBAAC American Division play Friday night at Fred Summers Court.

The win puts the Hurricane at 5-4 overall and a 3-1 in the American Division. The loss drops Goshen to 4-6 overall, 1-3 in conference play.

Goshen held a 28-27 lead at the intermission, but a 15-10 third quarter effort by Wilmington propelled the Hurricane to a 42-38 lead after three quarters.

Wilmington steadily extended the lead to double digits, thanks to some long-distance shooting off the bench by Willie Morris, who connected for three treys. Wilmington also cashed in at the free throw line, converting 20 of 23 attempts, including a 14 for 15 in the final period.

Chris Custis pushed the WHS lead to 11 (52-41) with 3:35 to go in regulation. Goshen kept the pressure on, chipping away at the margin. Non-starter Josh Hice had 19 points off the bench, including 10 in the final period.

Hice connected on a corner jumper as the buzzer sounded, with the Hurricane hanging on to claim the four-point winning margin.

“We get ahead by 11 or 12 points, yet we don’t put them away,” WHS head coach Michael Noszka said. “Shooting as many times as we did at the free throw line, you would think we could extend it to a bigger lead, but you look up and they (Goshen) are within seven, or six or even five points. We have to quit fouling and giving them chances to get back in the game.”

After turning it over 12 times in the first half, WHS did a better job protecting the ball in the second half, turning it over just five times.

In the scorebook, Cameron Coomer paced the Hurricane attack with 20 points, including seven in the opening period, and eight more in the final period. Coomer was deadly at the charity stripe in the final quarter, going 7 for 7.

Morris coming off the bench added 13 points. Matt Butcher also scored 13, with 10 coming in the second and third quarters.

Noszka feels his squad is showing improvement but needs to keep getting better.

“The kids are really working hard and deserve to get a chance to play for a championship. That’s our goal, but we have to keep getting better,” he said.

The Hurricane will travel to Beavercreek for a non-league contest with the Beavers Tuesday night.

SUMMARY

G 16.12.10.22…..60

W 15.12.15.22…..64

(60) GOSHEN (2fg-3ft-ft-tp) Ashcraft 0-1-1-4, Slusher 3-0-3-9, Bradley 0-0-0-0, Kollmorgen 1-1-0-5,Moore 2-2-1-11, Hice 4-5-0-19, Webster 0-1-0-3, Hill 1-1-0-5.

Team Totals: 11-11-5-60.

(64) WILMINGTON (2fg-3fg-ft-tp) Morris 0-3-4-13, Coomer 2-3-7-20, Sweeney 0-1-0-3, Custis 1-0-3-5, Anicic 0-2-0-6, Jacobyansky 0-0-4-4, Butcher 4-1-2-13.

Team Totals: 7-10-20-64.

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_gosh_MilesBurtonME.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_butchercustissamMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_coomer2MEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_coomerMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_custisMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_jacobyanskyMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_markoanicicMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_matthewbutcher2MEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_matthewbutcherMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_morris2MEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_morrissweeneyMEgosh.jpg

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/01/web1_BBK_wilm_noszkaMEgosh.jpg

By Bill Liermann

WNJ Sports Writer

Bill Liermann covers college and high school sports for the News Journal. Follow him on Twitter @lierjet.

No posts to display