Manchester hangs tough, but Trimble takes care of business
By: Andrew Woods
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GLOUSTER, Ohio (WOUB) – On paper, a game between a 3-17 team and a 14-9 team is not supposed to be competitive. Yet the Manchester Greyhounds (3-18) threw all they had into their game against the Trimble Tomcats (15-9). The Greyhounds used their strong full-court press to flummox Trimble throughout the game. However, the Tomcats remained strong, using their balanced offense and solid defense to win 58-40 and advance to the semifinals of the Division VII Southeast one district tournament.
Manchester and Trimble both set a defensive tone early. Although both Trimble and Manchester went on 6-0 runs early, both teams kept each other in check when they were not on a run. After Manchester tied the game at 8-8, Trimble had a wakeup call. The Tomcats scored 10 points in the last 1:31 of the first quarter to take an 18-8 lead.
Although Trimble extended their run to 14-0 early, Manchester hung in the game thanks to their strong defense. However, the Greyhounds struggled with shots throughout the first half.
Manchester made four of their 25 field goal attempts in the first half. That was thanks to Trimble’s strong defense, which forced ten turnovers in the first half and ensured the Tomcats stayed in the lead despite many opportunities for Manchester.
After the game, Trimble head coach Josh Lavy talked about how the team emphasized defense from the beginning of the season. He said “We’ve been focusing a log on defense in practice. We’ve done it from day one.” Tabler also emphasized how Trimble tried to keep teams from scoring in the paint.
Despite Trimble’s strong defense, toward the end of the half, Manchester got a few shots to fall and dropped Trimble’s lead to 28-15.
After halftime, Trimble came out firing and went on an 11-0 run. The Tomcats defense also came out strong, allowing fewer shot opportunities than they did in the first half. Manchester continued to hang in the game, but Trimble kept extending their lead. By the end of the third quarter, Trimble was up 50-25.
Manchester continued to fight to the end, but Trimble’s lead turned out to be too much to overcome as the Tomcats won 58-40.
Trimble’s charge was led by a balanced attack. Senior Rilynn Fouts and sophomore Brooklyn Burdette both scored 15 points. Lavy talked about Trimble’s depth after the game, saying “It’s great when you can pull some kids off the bench and they’re going to contribute.” He also said that strong play from his depth pieces was what he needed to see during the playoffs.
Despite losing the game, Manchester’s defense put on a show. The Greyhounds forced 25 turnovers and dominated on the glass. Lavy said that to reduce the number of turnovers, Trimble “had to translate it in practice and try to take care of them things.”
In the regional semifinals, Trimble will face a familiar opponent. The Tomcats will play South Gallia at Valley High School on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. When the two last played, Trimble defeated South Gallia 52-39 thanks to a monster 16-0 run midway through the game.