Text size: 
GREEN MACHINE -- Seneca reclaims Plano title
12/31/2008, 2:33 am
Comment on this story |
Print this story | Email this story
J.T. Pedelty, jtpedelty@mywebtimes.com, 815-673-6356
|
PLANO— Early in Tuesday night's championship game of the 46th Annual Plano Christmas Classic, a particularly vocal Putnam County fan mockingly wondered aloud — very aloud — what made Seneca star Seth Evans such a good player.
Print this storyBe careful what you wish for. Evans drained a college-range 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining to give the Fighting Irish the lead for good and put a dagger in the upset-minded Putnam County Panthers here late Tuesday night in Plano, as Seneca claimed its fourth Classic title in the past five years, 47-40. Those three points turned a 40-39 deficit into a 42-40 advantage and were just three of a game-high 25 for Evans, who also earned his third appearance on the Plano all-tournament team and third consecutive Harley Pope MVPAward. "I wasn't even really thinking about it,"Evans said of his game-winning shot which started Seneca on a game-ending 8-0 run."I was thinking more about getting it inside to one of our big guys. The ball bounced out and got passed to, I believe it was Andy (Supergan) at the 3-point arc. I tried setting my guy up because I knew if I could get off him my guy would be stuck behind Andy, which he was. I found a little opening and just took it, because I knew we might not get a better shot. "As it went through I just thought, 'OK, get back on defense and hope to heck they don't score.' "The main (difference) was tonight's game was in a championship atmosphere. It's all about excitement and the fans. This place was packed, and I like the adversity. The thing I liked best about it was Putnam County's fans yelling at me or yelling at my team. You can hear all the agony in their voices ... because it's such a big game. It's so fun to be in." It was another in a stretch of somewhat surprisingly close calls for the top-seeded Irish (11-0) in the Plano Classic, as No. 2 -seeded Putnam County stayed within striking distance the entire contest after suffering through a slow start. The Panthers (9-2) finally caught Seneca and took their first lead with 2:50 to play in the fourth quarter on center Anthony Ahlers' short jumper off an inbounds play, making it 38-37 in favor of PC. Another Ahlers' bucket a minute and nine seconds later gave the Panthers their final lead of the evening, 40-39, to set up Evans' game-winning shot. "I thought we played some good defense," said first-year PCcoach Jeff Herkelman. "Evans ended up with 25, but I thought we still played pretty good defense on him. He had to work for everything he got. "We went ahead 40-39 and then they hit that big 3. We started rushing, we got in a hurry, and then we got behind more and didn't look at the clock and realize we still had time. It's learning. Games like this are only going to make us better down the stretch." Seneca iced the game by draining 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch, including two from Supergan, two from Evans and one from big man Sam Hoster. As a team the Irish shot 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the free-throw line to complement a 46.7-percent (14-of-30) night from the field. "I think (the key stretch was) when they took their last lead,"said Irish coach Doug Evans."We hadn't been in that situation before, and I think we responded well because we got that 3 and then came back and pounded it in and got a couple free throws, and that was five quick points after they had taken the lead. "Getting the lead there was so huge, because if we get that lead (at that point of the game) you know what we're going to do: We're going to make them come out and get us and foul us or look for layups. ... If we can get a lead there, rarely have we lost lately." Along with Seth Evans' selection, Supergan was named to the all-tournament team, capping off a great week in Plano with a 15-point, seven-rebound effort in the championship. Also making the all-tourney team were Putnam County's two standouts: Ahlers, after a 12-point, five-rebound title game, and swingman Kevin Fay, after pouring in 20 points. Seth Evans finished with all three of the game's steals, as the teams combined for just eight total turnovers. Seneca led 22-19 at the half and 33-32 heading into the fourth quarter. "Tonight, and also after the Plano game, we said we needed some adversity,"Doug Evans said of his team's close calls in winning their first Plano championship since having their three-year run broken by Hall a year ago."Our first two or three big games we've played this year, everything was going our way. We were clicking, jumping out to 15-point leads and just kind of cruising. This tournament hasn't been that way at all. "We haven't been clicking that way, and people have been coming after us, playing hard. Everybody we played (gave us) really hard-played games, and I think the adversity of these types of games can make you better. Whether you win or lose — and you'd rather win — but either way you learn from that." Seneca 47, Putnam County 40 SENECA (47) — Supergan 4-6 7-11 15, Evans 8-18 6-7 25, Hoster 0-0 3-4 3, Adkins 0-1 0-0 0, Applebee 1-1 0-0 2, Peterson 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-1 0-0 0, Misener 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 14-30 16-22 47. PUTNAM COUNTY (40) — Haun 1-5 0-0 2, Crite 2-3 0-0 4, Fay 6-15 6-6 20, Ahlers 5-10 2-4 12, Passini 1-4 0-0 2, Bogner 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 15-40 8-10 40. Seneca (11-0) 14 8 11 14 — 47 PC (9-2) 7 12 13 8 — 40 3-point goals — Seneca 3-9 (Evans 3-6, Supergan 0-1, Adkins 0-1, Walsh 0-1); PC 2-11 (Fay 2-5, Haun 0-2, Passini 0-1, Bogner 0-1). Rebounds — Seneca 17 (Supergan 7); PC 15 (Fay 5, Ahlers 5). Assists — Seneca 6 (Evans 3, Walsh 3); PC 7 (Passini 3). Steals — Seneca 3 (Evans 3); PC 0. Blocks — Seneca 2 (Applebee, Walsh); PC 2 (Haun, Passini). Turnovers — Seneca 4; PC 4. Total fouls (fouled out) — Seneca 14; PC 15 (Haun). |
|
|
Photo: Jeremy Reed |
|
|
Photo: Jeremy Reed Tournament MVP Seth Evans of Seneca is bombarded by Putnam County defenders at the start of Tuesday’s Plano Christmas Classic championship game. Evans netted 25 points as the Fighting Irish won the title for the fourth time in five years. |
|
|
Photo: Jeremy Reed Seneca's Sam Hoster goes to the basket and draws a foul Tuesday night in Plano. |
