Southern defeats Belpre, takes control of TVC-Hocking conference race
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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RACINE, Ohio (WOUB) – The Southern Tornadoes hosted the Belpre Golden Eagles for a match between the top two squads for the TVC-Hocking boys. After a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Tornadoes were able to pull away to secure a comfortable 64-56 win over the Golden Eagles. The win gave Southern sole possession of the top of the conference where they have yet to lose. For Belpre, it was their 7th loss in eight games.
In the first quarter, it was a struggle for both teams to get going offensively. It was almost three minutes before either team got on the scoreboard. In the scrappy early going, Southern’s excellent transition offense and defense allowed them to get the advantage. Junior guard Andre Chandler was the catalyst for this style of play, contributing 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Head coach Jeff Caldwell praised their abilities in transition saying, “Having a couple of good guards helps. Jake [Wickline], Kase [Nelson] and Andre [Chandler] of course, running the point. It makes you be a team that can get out and go.”
After a grinding first, Chandler and company began to expand their advantage over the Golden Eagles. Kase Nelson proved to be a sharpshooter for the Tornadoes, sinking two of five three pointers in his 17-point performance. The Golden Eagles leaned on senior Chris Copen to lead the way, and he had an efficient 16 point, eight rebound and three assist performance. Despite the best efforts of Copen, the Tornadoes continued to pull away behind their speed and capability to stretch the floor. Heading into the half, the Tornadoes were ahead 28-19 over the Golden Eagles.
Belpre was able to stabilize the scoring in the third quarter, but they were unable to make much headway into the Tornadoes’ lead. Malik Currie and Nasaih Spencer proved pivotal for the Golden Eagles in the second half. But, it was not enough to make a dent in the lead for Southern. In addition, the quarter began to bleed the depth of Belpre. The Tornadoes dominated the glass on both sides of the ball, spearheaded by Landon Everson with 14 rebounds and eight points.
In the fourth, Belpre found another gear. With some clutch three-point shooting, the Golden Eagles brought the deficit all the way down to two points, but they would not ever pass the Tornadoes. More fouls caused the Belpre to see their first losses to foul trouble as Southern managed to knock down clutch shots and free throws to put the game on ice. The Tornadoes rebuilt their lead en route to a 64-56 victory. With the win, Southern locks down sole possession of first place in the conference. In late January, the Southern Tornadoes are in the driver’s seat to win their first Hocking title since 2014.