Arcanum wins second overtime in as many games to go 3-0 with early season win over the Dixie Greyhounds
ARCANUM – The Arcanum Trojans stayed perfect on the season with a 3-0 record winning its second overtime in as many games with a 46-45 victory over the visiting Dixie Greyhounds.
“I don’t know if my heart can handle this,” Arcanum coach, Roger McEldowney said with a chuckle. “They found a way – kids just kept battling.”
“When we need it some body has delivered,” added McEldowney. “That’s the way it’s been these first three games. A lot of times its different people but as a team collectively they’ve played defense.”
After a slow first quarter start the Trojans battled back to take a 16-14 advantage after one period of play getting balanced scoring with Nick Sharritts and Chase Werling each scoring 4-points, 3-points each from Bryson Sharp (3-pointer) and Chad Pitzer and a Garrett Garno basket.
“He’s been making big plays,” McEldowney said of Sharp. “It is really fun to see these guys grow, and grow in their confidence and make big plays in games like this.”
Period No. 2 went to Dixie 10-6 sending the teams to the break with the Greyhounds holding a 24-22 lead. Sharritts accounted for 4-points and Garno 2-points.
The second half proved to be a low scoring defensive battle with Arcanum getting a bucket and free throw from Werling and a Sharritts basket to outscore Dixie 5-4 in third quarter play sending the WOAC matchup to the fourth with Arcanum trailing 28-27.
Garno accounted for all seven Trojans fourth quarter points including a late 3-pointer to pull the Trojans even from a 34-31 deficit with time winding down sending the game to overtime.
“He was amazing,” McEldowney said of Garno. “That 3 he hit was just incredible – it didn’t hardly hit the net. He played so hard. We put him on the Butts kid and he shadowed him all night and really played him hard. A lot of times he doesn’t have anything left on the offensive end and he made it happen for us in the fourth quarter.”
The Trojans came out strong in OT to lead 41-34 with 1:40 showing on the game clock. A Dixie basket made it a 41-36 Arcanum lead with the Greyhounds calling a quick timeout. With 1:24 showing Arcanum put its lead back to 7-points with Werling going 2-2 at the charity stripe and a 43-36 Trojans advantage.
The final minute of the game saw Pitzer going 2-2 at the line while Dixie was canning three 3-pointer to knot the score at 45-45. With time running out, the Trojans worked the ball into Werling to take a foul and hit the back end of two free throws with 0:03.3 on the clock and a 46-45 Arcanum lead.
“We try to use our post players (6’5” Werling and 6’5” Sharritts),” noted McEldowney. “They have good size and have pretty good moves they came really hard at us they stated on the boards hard and just kept battling and we got just enough to win
A desperation Greyhounds midcourt shot missed the mark giving Arcanum the overtime win keeping a perfect season intact.
“They came back on us – hit some tough shots,” Coach McEldowney stated. “We weren’t rattle though. I said, ‘we’re going to run it down here and try to get the last shot and hopefully we make it,’ and Chase got fouled and made one of them – our “D” was good enough at the end.”
BOXSCORE
ARCANUM 46, DIXIE 45
ARCANUM – N. Sharritts 12, G. Garno 11, C. Werling 10, B. Sharp 8, C. Pitzer 5 – TOTALS 14 9-18 3 56
DIXIE – C. Hawk 16, J. Butt 15, A. Grauman 6, C. Sexton 6, K. Huffman 2 – TOTALS 11 8-8 5 45
3-POINTERS
Arcanum 3 (B. Sharp 2, G. Garno 1)
Dixie 5 (J. Butt 3, A. Grauman 2)
SCORE by QUARTERS
16-06-05-07-12 46 Arcanum
14-10-04-06-11 45 Dixie
