North Putnam Cougars | Archive | March, 2009

Reprinted courtesy of:
Greencastle Baanner Graphic

 By DAN SHELTON Sports Writer

North Putnam senior Jerrett Ban collides with Speedway’s Kyle Linville in the lane at the Class 2A No. 46 South Putnam Sectional Wednesday. [Order this photo]

At half time when Brady Armstrong and the North Putnam Cougars were
down by one, they thought they had a chance to upset the sectional
favorite Speedway.

But found out fast in the second half why the Sparkplugs are the favorite.

After trailing 35-34 at the half, North Putnam lost to the Sparkplugs 73-54.

“Give them credit,” Armstrong said. “There is a reason they’re picked
to win the sectional. They are very long and athletic and it’s easier
to play basketball when you’re that.”

In the first half, the Cougars were doing everything right. They were
hitting their shots, shooting 63 percent on 12-of-19 shooting from the
field. They kept up with the tempo and rebounded the ball for second
chance shots and got within one of the lead.

But in the second half, Speedway came out firing on all cylinders.

“They turned up the tempo and were one step ahead of us the whole
time,” Armstrong said. “We contested shots and made them take the shots
we wanted them to take, but they were quicker than us and got all the
loose change.”

Speedway forced the Cougars to turn the ball over 20 times in Wednesday night’s game. Sixteen of those turnovers were steals.

“They just picked our pockets,” Armstrong said. “They are so long and
quick; it seemed like they had six hands coming out of their bodies the
way they were getting into the passing lanes.

“And we couldn’t get any of our shots to drop either,” he added.

The Cougars went from shooting 63 percent in the first half, to
shooting 25 percent from the floor on 5-for-20 shooting after the break.

Even with the Cougars going 16-for-19 from the foul line, Speedway’s momentum couldn’t be broken.

“They turned up the tempo and stay one step ahead of us,” Armstrong
said. “Rebounding wins championships and they just pounded us on the
glass.”

The Sparkplugs out-rebounded the Cougars 22-19, limiting the Cougars’ second shot chances.

Cougar Kyle Adams fires a shot over a Speedway defender during Wednesday’s contest. [Order this photo]

“No matter what we did, we just didn’t have and answer for them tonight,” Armstrong said.

Even though Armstrong watched his first season as the Cougars head
coach come to an abrupt end Wednesday, he was happy about one thing —
his team’s growth.

“We improved greatly over the season. We are a better team right now
than what we were during the county tournament,” Armstrong said. “We
wear 212 on the back of our shirts because that is what water boils at
and every one of those kids are 212.

“They gave it their all and for that I am proud of them,” Armstrong said.

The Cougars finished the season 4-17 and said goodbye to seven seniors
in Mitchell Crum, Kyle Alcorn, Jerrett Ban, Scott Hunt, Cory Dean,
Griffen Dalhstrom and Paul Enders.

Crum led the seniors in scoring with 21 points.

At the South Putnam Sectional

North Putnam (4-17, 2-4 WCC)

Wiltermood 0-0 0-0 0, Crum 6-9 7-7 21, Alcorn 1-4 4-4 7, Ban 1-1 2-2 4,
Dean 0-0 0-0 0, Adams 1-4 2-2 4, Dahlstrom 3-5 0-0 6, Jones 0-1 1-2 1,
Enders 0-0 0-0 0, Hedrick 0-4 0-0 0, Franklin 1-1 0-0 2, Hunt 4-8 0-2
8. Totals 17-37 FG, 16-19 FT, 53 TP.

Speedway (11-9, 6-0 WCC)

Linville 3-6 5-7 11, Daghe 2-4 0-0 5, West 0-1 0-0 0, Duman 0-0 0-0 0,
Avance 4-10 2-3 10, Hubbard 4-7 0-0 10, Coates 3-6 2-4 8, Lewis 8-15
4-6 20, Rosebrough 0-0 0-0 0, Eggert 4-5 0-1 8, Dial 0-0 0-0 0, Jenkins
1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-55 FG, 13-21 FT, 74 TP.

3-pt. FG – NP 3-9 (Crum 2-4, Alcorn 1-3, Jones 0-1, Hedrick 0-1), S
3-13 (Daghe 1-3, Avance 0-2, Hubbard 2-3, Lewis 0-4, Eggert 0-1).
Rebounds – NP 19 (Wiltermood 1, Crum 1, Alcorn 2, Ban 6, Adams 7,
Dahlstrom 1, Hunt 1), S 22 (Linville 4, Daghe 1, Duman 3, Avance 4,
Hubbard 1, Coates 3, Lewis 4, Eggert 2). Blocks — NP 2 (Adams 2), S 1
(Daghe 1). Assists — NP 6 (Crum 1, Alcorn 2, Ban 1, Dahlstrom 2), S 15
(Linville 4, Hubbard 5, Lewis 3, Eggert 3). Steals — NP 5 (Crum 2,
Jones 2, Franklin 1), S 16 (Linville 3, Daghe 2, Avance 1, Hubbard 2,
Coates 1, Lewis 3, Eggert 2, Dial 1, Jenkins 1). Total fouls — NP 18,
S 17. Fouled out — none. Turnovers – NP 20, S 9.

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