Musketeer boys stab Panthers

By Brooke Apple, bapple
Published:  Thursday, February 7, 2008 (9 months, 2 weeks ago)
Print

FORT JENNINGS — The Fort Jennings Musketeers played host to the McComb Panthers for a Tuesday night boys game at The Fort and pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 66-45 conquest.
In the first quarter, both teams came out a little sluggish, struggling for points until about halfway through. Fort Jennings struggled handling the ball and getting their hands on rebounds. Aaron Chandler got into early foul trouble, with Drew Mesker getting more playing time to help out the hosts. Derek Geise (24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) picked it up halfway through the first quarter, tallying six of Jennings’ 16 points in the quarter. Solomon George (9 points) had key baskets to keep the Panthers close by. The Musketeers came up with the lead at the buzzer, 16-11.
“In the first half, we were not aggressive on the boards, fumbled the ball around and it did not help when Chandler got into foul trouble. The second half, we settled down and started playing solid with finding the open people,” stated Jennings coach John Von Sossan.
McComb came out strong in the second quarter as Chase Drewes (11 points) came down three possessions in a row and drained a 3-pointer from three different spots, leading the Panthers into a 24-20 advantage. After a timeout by the Musketeers, they came out stronger to put some points on the board and got the lead as Geise added two points to make it 26-24. Fort Jennings held the Panthers scoreless in the final 4-plus minutes of the first half, allowing the Musketeers to take a 6-point advantage into the locker rooms, 30-26.
“We played hard as our kids always do but we have a hard time shooting and a lack of height which caught up to us in the second half,” stated McComb coach Aaron Roth.
The third quarter was a close-fought battle for points but the Musketeers managed to score one more. Chandler came out strong, scoring five of their 15 points in the quarter. Geise once again had a strong quarter, once more managing six points. George was assisted in scoring in the period by several teammates, especially Kevan Westenbarger (8 points, 7 rebounds), who tallied four. The Musketeers held a 45-38 lead going into the final quarter.
“Geise had a good game. This was a tough matchup, as we do not guard well in man-to-man defense as we played in a zone. They used an odd and even with their shooters, which kept them in the game for three quarters,” added Von Sossan.
The Musketeers really played hard the whole second half; once they got a 10-point lead, Von Sossan put in his extra players to get some playing time. They helped the Musketeers score 21 points in the final quarter. Before they came in, Trevor Von Sossan (12 points) had eight points to keep the Panthers from catching up to them, while the defense held the Panthers to seven points.
“Drewes had a couple of 3-pointers to help us stay in it some but no one was consistent, especially when we do not have shooters,” added Roth.
Jennings canned 27-of-50 shots (2-of-6 3s) for 54 percent and 10-of-15 free throws (66.7%). They grabbed 29 boards and added seven turnovers. Jared Horstman added nine markers and four assists.
McComb dropped in 18-of-51 (7-of-22 long range) for 35 percent and 2-of-4 singles (50%). They collected 14 boards and added eight miscues. Cody Rader dished off six assists.
The Musketeers (11-7) entertains Pandora-Gilboa on Saturday for their Parents’ Night activities. The Panthers (9-8) battle Van Buren on Friday.
In JV action, the Musketeers prevailed 37-27.
Cory Schimmoeller (21 points) led the Musketeers (6-11) to their lead, having all 12 of their fourth-quarter points. The Panthers were topped by Taylor Hanes with nine as they fall to 8-10.

0 Reader Responses to “Musketeer boys stab Panthers”

Complete the form below to leave a response of your own.