The PendletonHeights boys basketball team is starting to find its groove.
The Arabians dominated Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Greenfield-Central 70-31 on Friday night to record its fourth win in five games.
The win put PH above .500 for the first time this season at 7-6 and evened its Hoosier Heritage Conference record at 3-3. The Arabians are 6-2 in their last eight games.
The contest was competitive for a little more than a quarter as the Arabians held a modest 12-11 lead, but they turned up the effort on the defensive end, stayed patient on the offensive end, and made Greenfield-Central look like a grade school team.
PH went on a 15-0 second quarter run to stretch its lead to 31-17 at halftime. The Arabians carried that momentum into the second half when they put together an impressive stretch of basketball and blew the Cougars off the court.
Nathan Hendershot led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting and Ryan Albers scored a season-high 11 points. Those were the only two Arabians in double-figures, but Michael Maxwell, Kellen Dunham, and Patrick Obras contributed nine points apiece.
Kendall Waters had another solid performance at the point guard position as he scored eight points and dished at 12 assists. Waters was a key component in settling the team down and executing the offense.
PH has a pair of challenging games next week as it hosts HHC rival Yorktown and sectional opponent Muncie Central on back-to-back nights (Friday and Saturday). Both games start at 7:30 p.m.
The shots just weren’t falling, and the breaks failed to go the way of the Pendleton Heights boys basketball team.
They had their chances, but in the end it was Shelbyville breaking its seven-game losing streak as the Arabians fell 52-45.
Despite
trailing for most of the night, PH (5-6, 2-3) came up with timely stops
at the end of the game and fought its way back. The Arabians cut the
Shelbyville lead to three at 48-45 with 25 seconds remaining and got
the basketball back twice. But on both possessions, PH failed to come
up with the clutch plays necessary to come away with a win.
The
final time was the best opportunity for the Arabians as freshman
Kendall Waters brought the ball up the court and looked for
leading-scorer Nathan Hendershot on the left wing. But Hendershot
looked at the basket a split-second too early and watched the ball
bounce off his knee and out of bounds.
Shelbyville
would knock in its final four free throws to put the game out of reach.
The loss dropped PH back below .500 and virtually took any chance of a
Hoosier Heritage Conference title away.
Hendershot
finished with a team-high 18 points and Michael Maxwell added 10.
Shelbyville’s Thomas Abner led all scorers with 23 points and 10
rebounds.
There is good news and bad news for the Hoosier Heritage
Conference in the latest statewide poll. Rushville is ranked fifth among 3A
teams. That respect is certainly due the two loss Lions. However, Pendleton
Heights in nowhere to be seen in the 4A poll despite having defeated Rushville
earlier this month. A little respect for the Arabians is well over due.
Here is a look at the complete poll in all classes.
CLASS 4A
1. Ben Davis (20-0) 148 (13)
2. South Bend Washington (20-0) 137 (2)
3. Terre Haute South (15-0) 120
4. Hamilton Southeastern (16-1) 105
5. Jay County (16-0) 75
6. Fishers (16-2) 71
7. Plainfield (14-1) 64
8. Mooresville (15-1) 43
9. Carmel (14-3) 32
10. Elkhart Memorial (14-3) 11
11. Jeffersonville (64-3) 9
12. Decatur Central (13-5) 2
12. Floyd Central (15-2) 2
14. Lafayette Jefferson (14-4) 1
14. Seymour (13-4) 1
CLASS 3A
1. Benton Central (16-1) 140 (9)
2. Norwell (14-1) 112 (3)
2. Fort Wayne Elmhurst (15-2) 112
4. Vincennes Lincoln (15-2) 102 (2)
5. Rushville (12-3) 73 (1)
6. Wawasee (15-3) 56
7. Evansville Memorial (14-3) 48
8. Crawfordsville (16-2) 47
9. Gibson Southern (17-1) 45
10. Owen Valley (15-2) 33
11. Plymouth (13-4) 21
12. Greensburg (15-1) 12
13. Batesville (15-1) 10
14. North Harrison (15-3) 6
15. Calumet (15-2) 5
16. Mitchell (12-3) 2
17. Hamilton Heights (14-3) 1
CLASS 2A
1. Heritage Christian (17-0) 150 (15)
2. Oak Hill (17-1) 135
3. Garrett (16-1) 106
4. Taylor (17-3) 83
5. Fort Wayne Luers (13-4) 80
6. Speedway (14-1) 72
7. Lapel (13-2) 61
8. Austin (15-4) 55
9. Winchester (13-3) 45
10. Jimtown (13-3) 18
11. Wabash (14-3) 7
12. Brownstown (10-5) 5
13. Evansville Mater Dei (11-5) 2
13. Hagerstown (13-3) 2
13. Winamac (13-4) 2
16. North Posey (13-3) 1
16. Prairie Heights (15-3) 1
CLASS A
1. Vincennes Rivet (15-1) 123 (3)
2. Barr-Reeve (14-2) 117 (3)
3. Oregon-Davis (14-2) 115 (9)
4. White River Valley (14-3) 91
5. Turkey Run (15-2) 80
6. University (14-3) 72
7. Southern Wells (13-2) 49
8. Argos (11-2) 44 (1)
9. Northeast Dubois (14-3) 41
10. New Washington (14-3) 36
11. Lafayette Central Catholic (11-7) 17
12. Fort Wayne Canterbury (11-4) 16
13. Jac-Cen-Del (12-4) 9
14. Southwestern (Shelbyville) (8-6) 4
15. Randolph Southern (13-5) 3
15. Waldron (10-7) 3
17. Crothersville (13-4) 2
18. Kouts (12-3) 1
18. Borden (9-6) 1
18. South Central Elizabeth (7-10) 1
The shots just weren’t falling, and the breaks failed to go the way of the Pendleton Heights boys basketball team.
They had their chances, but in the end it was Shelbyville breaking its seven-game losing streak as the Arabians fell 52-45.
Despite trailing for most of the night, PH (5-6, 2-3) came up with timely stops at the end of the game and fought its way back. The Arabians cut the Shelbyville lead to three at 48-45 with 25 seconds remaining and got the basketball back twice. But on both possessions, PH failed to come up with the clutch plays necessary to come away with a win.
The final time was the best opportunity for the Arabians as freshman Kendall Waters brought the ball up the court and looked for leading-scorer Nathan Hendershot on the left wing. But Hendershot looked at the basket a split-second too early and watched the ball bounce off his knee and out of bounds.
Shelbyville would knock in its final four free throws to put the game out of reach. The loss dropped PH back below .500 and virtually took any chance of a Hoosier Heritage Conference title away.
Hendershot finished with a team-high 18 points and Michael Maxwell added 10. Shelbyville’s Thomas Abner led all scorers with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Finally. The Pendleton Heights boys basketball team posted a signature and potentially season-changing win on Friday night by defeating Highland 54-43.
The Scots (8-5) are the 2009 Madison County champions and defeated Class 4A No. 10 Anderson to get there. But for once, everything went right for the Arabians.
Kendall Waters and Michael Maxwell played some of their best basketball of the season as they combined for 32 points and 11 rebounds.
Waters directed the offense from the point guard position all night and made several key plays late to secure the win.
The first came with 2:57 remaining and the Arabians ahead 39-32. The quick Highland guards played tight defense on Waters and he slipped near the sideline with two defenders on him. But he was able to keep his balance and his dribble as he drove the lane for a 3-point play.
The second play was equally as impressive and came only a minute later. Waters had lost his dribble and was looking for a pass but the Scots were overly aggressive and came above the 3-point arc. But the freshman point guard looked past them and found a wide open Nick Swartz underneath the basket for an easy layup.
Maxwell knocked in 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc in the contest including two in a row early in the second half. He scored a game-high 17 points and played all but eight seconds of the game.
The win sends PH to 6-6 on the season and gives them a large amount of momentum heading into the tail end of the season. As head coach Brian Hahn said after the game, “This was our county championship.”
1. The Lady Arabians finished as conference runner-up for the second consecutive year and third time in the past four seasons.
2. Pendleton Heights girls had seven conference champions in the twelve events, the most in 16 seasons.
3. Nikki
Weston won all four events, the only girl or boy in the meet to do so.
She won the 200 I.M. for the second consecutive year and won the 100
butterfly.
4. Autumn Brown won the 50 free.
5. Lacey Jackson won the 500 free.
6. Amberleigh Clauson was the runner-up in the 200 free.
7. Autumn Brown was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke.
8. Hannah Cochran won the runner-up in diving.
9. Autumn Brown, Nikki Weston, Amberleigh Clauson, and Jillyan Jackson won the Medley Relay.
10. The relay team of Nikki Weston, Amberleigh Clauson, Lacey Jackson, and Autumn Brown won the 400 Free Relay.
BOYS
1. The boys swimming and diving team finished in fifth place in the conference.
2. Jacob Childress won the 200 I.M. and the 100 backstroke.
3. Other finals finishers included: Jon Hales in the 200 free, Cody Thrasher in diving, Matt Short in the 500 free, and Andrzej Kenziora in the 100 backstroke.
Next Meet
1. Next PHHS meet: Tuesday, January 20 at 5:30 PM at New Castle
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