Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Wyatt Maize, Jensen Davis Take Over Fourth Quarter; Shamrocks Beat Pattonsburg

Wyatt Maize and Jensen Davis took over the fourth quarter for North Harrison's junior high boys Monday and the Shamrocks came away with the 46-40 win over Pattonsburg. It looked like a long night for the Shamrocks at first as Bill Pottorff's relentless pressure defense started taking its toll early and Reagan Coin had the hot hand for the Panthers, who raced out to a 12-2 lead at the 2:04 mark of the first quarter.

But all of a sudden, the Shamrocks realized that if they attacked the basket, they could get on the line, and Pattonsburg could not afford to foul as they dressed out only eight players for Monday's game. North Harrison started chipping away at the free throw line, with both Maize and Davis making shots from there, and Davis capitalizing on a steal and Maize hitting a baseline jumper. By the end of the first quarter, the Panther lead was nearly gone and North Harrison only trailed 12-11.

Maize scored off a Ryker Fortner steal to put the Shamrocks ahead for the first time at 13-12, but then picked up his third foul as Drake Sperry, Pattonsburg's best post player, converted a three point play to make it 15-13. But the rest of the Shamrocks held the fort and free throws and a 3-pointer by Jensen Davis put the Shamrocks back in front 20-17. Brandon Heath's steal tied it up again at 20, but Ryker Forter's inside shot off a pass from Gage Fortner put the Shamrocks ahead 22-20 at the half.

Wyatt Maize came back in the third quarter and did not foul out; his steal put the Shamrocks ahead 30-27. But once again, Pattonsburg tied it back up after Aden Woodward's steal at the end of three quarters/

A foul at the start of the fourth quarter proved costly to Pattonsburg; it was called on #11, but there is no such number listed in the program or dressed out; after a conference, the referees gave the foul to Reagan Coin, who had anchored the Panther squad all night; that was his fourth foul. The teams traded buckets, with Maize scoring off a drive after getting a pass from Ryker Fortner; Reagan Coin, playing with four fouls, got loose in transition, but Fortner and Maize connected again to give North Harrison a 34-32 lead.

Then, as North Harrison was pressing, Gage Fortner took a charge on Reagan Coin, handing him his fifth foul. Without Pattonsburg's most physical player on the floor, it was all Shamrocks from there although Pattonsburg fought hard until the end. Wyatt Maize drove and scored to give North Harrison some separation at 36-32. 

Brandon Heath made two free throws for Pattonsburg to cut it to 36-34, but then Gage Fortner hit Wyatt Maize backdoor and then Jensen Davis got a steal after a Tate Richardson tip. Kellan Craig hit a free throw, missed the second, but Wyatt Maize was there for the offensive board and Jensen Davis made use of the extra possession by hitting two free throws with 34 seconds to make it 43-34.

But then Drake Sperry, normally a post player, stepped out and hit a 3-pointer to make it 43-37, still two possessions with 28 seconds left. Jensen Davis hit both his free throws and then Maize answered Sperry's second triple with another free throw at the end.

Wyatt Maize and Jensen Davis took over the fourth quarter by scoring 15 points for the Shamrocks. Maize had 19 and Davis 16. Gage Fortner had 4, Kellan Craig 3, and Ryker Fortner and Dalton Guy 2 each.

Tate Richardson had 1 rejection.

One factor in the Shamrock win was the rebounding; after getting only 10 in the first half, they got 17 in the second. One player who stepped up his game in the second half was Kellan Craig; he got 6 out of his 7 rebounds in the second half. Gage Fortner had 6, Jensen Davis 5, Dalton Guy and Ryker Fortner 3 each, Tate Richardson 2, and Ryker Fortner 1.

Ryker Fortner had 5 assists. Wyatt Maize and Gage Fortner had 3 each, Tate Richardson and Jensen Davis 2 each, and Dalton Guy 1.

Gage Fortner had 5 tips. Ryker Fortner had 3, Jensen Davis, Tate Richardson, and Wyatt Maize 3 each, and Kellan Craig and Dalton Guy 1 each.

Ryker Fortner had 5 steals. Gage Fortner and Wyatt Maize had 4 each, Jensen Davis had 2, and Dalton Guy 1.

One of the most important stats of the game was the turnovers. Despite facing nonstop pressure from Bill Pottorff's squad, the Shamrocks only turned it over 11 times that game.

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