TIPTON — Both sides of the rest-over-rust coin were on display when Tipton and Taylor hit the hardwood for a rare Monday night of boys basketball hoops.
A flurry of postponements left both squads sitting in limbo last weekend, but it was the Class 2A No. 4-ranked Blue Devils who played fresh and unaffected by the layoff, running away, 68-42, from a Titans squad that seemed out of character and never quite found its rhythm.
“We just got our butt kicked by a team who wanted it more than we did,” Taylor coach Jeff Fisher said. “I thought we were playing our best basketball of the season [two weeks ago], and then we came in here and laid an egg. We’re a better team than the way we played [Monday] night. This is a great group of guys and we’ve come a long way this season, but we need to get tougher mentally.”
Heading into the night, Taylor (10-5) had won five of its last six games including the Howard County championship, but Tipton (11-3) quickly put this one out of reach.
The Blue Devils opened the game with a 10-0 run, taking a 22-9 lead in the first eight minutes.
Tipton’s lead swelled to as high as 22 in the second quarter before the Devils settled for a 21-point cushion, 39-18, at the half.
Freshman Mike Crawford came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points for Tipton, while Greg Dickey and Alex Hutson followed with 15 each.
“This was a real good performance,” Tipton coach Brad Dickey said. “I think we were more comfortable being at home under the strange circumstances the weather has caused in the schedule. Overall, we’re continuing to show some good signs of progress.”
Taylor’s Reomey Northington went on a five-point tear to open the second half and cut the Blue Devil lead to 16, 39-23, but that’s as close as the Titans would get as Tipton held a 53-29 advantage at the third stop and pushed the lead as high as 32 in the fourth quarter before emptying its bench over the final three minutes.
“I don’t know how many times we’ve come over here and got ourselves down by 20 or more points at half-time,” Fisher said. “Then we go in and talk at the half about coming out and making ourselves proud. Well, we’re beyond that. We need to make ourselves proud as soon as we walk across the black line at the start of the game.”
Taylor struggled to find its shot throughout the contest, hitting 14 of 52 (27 percent). The Titans’ leading scorers, Northington and Drake Herr, entered the contest averaging 17.2 and 14.7 points respectively, but were held to 15 points combined on 5 of 19 shooting.
“I guarantee Taylor will shoot better if we see them again, and it’s quite possible we will in the sectional,” Brad Dickey said. “Those are good ball players who will find ways to improve from this game.”
Northington led the Titans with nine points. Tyler Simmons followed with seven, and Herr and Walter Wheeler each scored six.
Ethan Jacobs just missed a double-double for Tipton, finishing with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Connor Rich also netted eight points.
Both teams will be back on the court Thursday as Tipton travels to Carroll while Taylor visits Mid-Indiana Conference foe Maconaquah.
Sports
PREP BASKETBALL: Tipton roughs up Taylor
- Sports
-
-
Fritz, other friends help carry on Gabriel’s vision
Tony Gabriel was an easy pick for the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a four-sport standout at Taylor High School and later a seven-time state racquetball champion in singles and doubles.
-
Comets making progress
Much like any coach would expect in his first season leading a young team, Eastern baseball coach Nick Sale has helped his team deal with the growing pains that come with regime and philosophy changes.
-
Tipton survives M-G, savors softball sectional 3-peat
It looked like a blowout early and turned into a nail-biter late, but in the end, Friday’s Class 2A Eastern Sectional Softball final between Tipton and No. 3-ranked Madison-Grant turned out the same way as each of the previous two years.
-
Schubert wraps up standout collegiate track career
Megan Schubert could easily lament lost opportunities and think about ‘what if’ scenarios looking back at her track and field career at the University of Louisville.
-
Comets, Kats, Panthers sending athletes to state
After announcing his retirement late last week, Eastern boys track and field coach Paul Nicholson knew Thursday’s Kokomo Regional could be the final meet of his 43-year career. Senior Josiah Price and junior Grant Cole made sure it wasn’t.
-
New Western basketball coach is right at home
Bart Miller’s passion for Western basketball runs deep.
Miller, like his father and brother before him, played for the Panthers. He started and was the third-leading scorer on the Panthers’ 1990 Kokomo Sectional championship squad.
-
Tipton, Madison-Grant reach final of Eastern Sectional
Tipton’s softball team had enough to get past Elwood and into the championship of the Class 2A Eastern Sectional on Wednesday night. Friday night, the Blue Devils will need more to hoist the hardware.
-
Beeler, Hurst pitch Panthers into title game
Western softball pitchers Erika Beeler and Madi Hurst are getting their first meaningful postseason innings in the circle in this year’s Class 3A Twin Lakes Sectional, but unknowing spectators would never know.
-
Raiders hold off Wildkats
Kokomo and Harrison each had three hits after two innings of their Class 4A Lafayette Jeff Sectional game on Wednesday in Loeb Stadium.
Control problems for Kokomo starting pitcher Chase Hatfield allowed the Raiders to turn their three hits into four runs and they used those runs to earn a 6-5 win.
-
Benton C. turns back N’western
Northwestern’s baseball team saw an early lead disappear in a 7-5 loss to Benton Central in a Class 3A West Lafayette Sectional game Wednesday.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
