Northwestern won the Class 2A boys basketball state championship two seasons ago. Tipton is hoping to match that accomplishment next month in the 2009 tournament.
The squads displayed the kind of defensive intensity that has made them successful in their game Friday night.
Class 2A No. 2-ranked Tipton turned back Northwestern 42-30 on the Purple Tigers’ home floor in a game that offered postseason-like intensity. The Blue Devils led by just three points at halftime and by five points early in the fourth quarter before pulling away late.
“This is a good [Northwestern] team that has played very well lately and we played in one of the toughest environments in this area, so I am very proud of our effort,” Tipton coach Travis Daugherty said. “Hopefully we can use this to keep building toward something good.”
Tipton improved to 14-2 while Northwestern dropped to 9-5.
The Blue Devils held the Tigers to 12 of 35 shooting from the field overall and 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
“You’re kind of forced to try to handle them inside 1-on-1 or give up the perimeter shot,” Daugherty said. “Our inside guys did a good job of battling against some big, strong kids and I thought our guards played very hard and executed the plan well.”
The Blue Devils finished 16 of 32 from the field, but nothing came easy. The Tigers held Derek Elston and Greg Dickey, the Devils’ top two scorers, to a combined 15 points.
“Our goal was not for the score to be that low. I know it appeared to be, but it was not our goal for the score to be that low,” Northwestern coach Jim Gish said. “Defensively, both teams played really well in the first half. I thought we did a good job of taking away their major weapons, but they had some guys step up. [Jason] Dye hit three [3-pointers] and he was one of the guys we were playing off of. You have to give him credit.”
Tipton led 16-12 after the first quarter and 26-23 at halftime. Northwestern saw its chances for an upset slip away early in the third quarter when its first five possessions ended in four turnovers and a missed field goal. Tipton took advantage to go up 30-23.
“Against a team like Tipton, you can’t throw the ball away four times, get one contested shot, and expect to stay in it because their offensive firepower is too potent,” Gish said.
Northwestern center Jimmy McKee scored inside early in the fourth quarter to bring the Tigers within five, 33-28, but they came no closer. The Devils took two minutes off the clock before committing a turnover, but the Tigers followed with a turnover of their own and Elston hit a driving jumper to make it 35-28 at 4:16.
The Tigers had three chances to draw closer, but came away empty. The Blue Devils’ Kyle Coleman scored seven points in the final 1:20 to put the game away.
Coleman finished with a game-high 13 points. Elston added 11 points.
Daugherty saw room for offensive improvement.
“We’re still too loose with the ball sometimes. There are passes getting tipped that shouldn’t be tipped. We have to continue to improve our passing and set one another up better,” Daugherty said. “One thing I do think we did, when we had opportunities around the basket, we got the ball in the basket. … That was big for us.”
Jimmy Corcoran and Zech Sanders scored seven points apiece to lead the Tigers. McKee added six points and a game-high six rebounds.
Northwestern finished with 15 turnovers, six more than its opponent.
“Defensively, I felt like we had a pretty good game plan coming in and the kids did a good job of playing into the game plan. But turnovers [proved costly]. They scored 42 points and I’d be remiss if I didn’t think 10 or 12 those came from turnovers. We just have to take care of the basketball,” Gish said.
• In the JV game, Tipton took a 55-45 win. The Blue Devils improved to 11-1 while the Tigers dropped to 12-2.
Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
HOOPS: Blue Devils prevail in defensive grinder
Tipton turns back Northwestern’s upset bid
- Sports
-
-
Eastern netters fall to defending state champions
Carmel’s girls tennis team lived up to its billing Tuesday in the Kokomo Regional semifinal round.
-
Hursh silences Comets
Eastern softball coach Jerry Haines looked out to an empty field after his squad lost 1-0 to Tipton on Tuesday night in the first round of the Class 2A Eastern Sectional and made an observation that may as well have been a warning.
-
Eastern’s girls track, tennis set for regional action today
Eastern ranks No. 4 among the five Howard County high schools in enrollment — but it is clearly No. 1 when it comes to 2012 girls spring sports.
-
Local softball squads eye demanding sectionals
In any sport, the postseason is a proving ground.
This week in Greentown, whomever emerges from the proving ground of the Class 2A Eastern Softball Sectional will be legit. No questions asked.
-
Bacon sizzles on Kokomo dirt track
One word to describe the racing action Sunday night at the Kokomo Speedway is, Wow.
-
Western, NW, tackle sectional
The IHSAA state softball tournament opens today and very quickly, the contenders will rise to the surface.
Western surfaced and flourished in last year’s postseason. The Panthers won the Class 3A Twin Lakes Sectional, then captured regional hardware the following week.
-
Chevrolet power dominates Pole Day
It has been seven years since a Chevrolet power plant has been in competition at the Indianapolis 500, but the “bowtie” brand made its return memorable by taking the top eight spots during Saturday qualifying.
-
Eastern beats Kokomo to repeat as tennis sectional champion
Eastern nearly swept the court clean against Kokomo in Friday’s local girls tennis sectional final, taking the first three points of the afternoon on the way to a 4-1 win on the Wildkats’ courts.
-
Former Lady Kat great Hendrix is moving up
Kokomo’s DeUnna Hendrix is the new women’s basketball coach at High Point University, an NCAA Division I school and a member of the Big South Conference. High Point is located in North Carolina.
-
Kokomo withstands Eastern’s challenge to win boys track sectional
Heading into Thursday’s IHSAA boys track and field sectional at Kokomo’s Walter Cross Field, Eastern appeared to have the depth to strongly challenge the host Wildkats as they attempted to chase down their third straight sectional title.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Eastern netters fall to defending state champions
HP to Cut 27,000 Jobs, Save Up to $3.5B
Inquiry Hears Wider Secret Service Misbehavior
Parents Skeptical of FAMU Hazing Probe Statement
Md. 911 Dispatcher Caught Sleeping on Job
Raw Video: Toddler Trapped in Washing Machine
Iowa Man With Zebra, Parrot in Truck Gets DUI
Egyptians Pick New President in Free Election
Secret Service Boss: 'I Apologize'
Giant Bull Head Draws Drivers to South Dakota
Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
