Sports
South Gallia Loses to Trimble Despite Stellar Third Quarter
By: Zoe Stitzer
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Trimble played fearless during the first half. They moved the ball, drove to the basket whenever they got the chance and even when they didn’t score, they drew the foul.
South Gallia got off to a slow start early on and was plagued by foul trouble throughout the game. This would greatly benefit Trimble and help guide their win, 49-42.
Nearly 50 percent of Trimble’s points came from free throws. South Gallia gave them plenty of opportunities, committing 14 shooting fouls.
“Coach focuses on shooting foul shots in practice, shooting foul shots when we’re tired, and making them count,” assistant coach Jeff Koons said.
Trimble consistently out-rebounded the Rebels, ending the half 22-10.
After halftime, a new team came out to face Trimble. The Rebels were tenacious going after the ball and dominated possession time the entire third quarter.
Garrett Saunders and Nick Hicks breathed new life into South Gallia’s offense. Saunders stopped dribbling the ball into the corner like he did in the first half, and his shots started falling. He scored 8 points in the third quarter, and Hicks scored two timely 3-pointers. The whole team pulled together defensively to hold Trimble. South Gallia put a dent in the gap, trailing Trimble by only 4 points at the end of the third quarter.
“We got a little complacent…We have got to be prepared from the first three minutes, and we weren’t quite prepared like we should have been. It caught up with us,” Koons said.
Although South Gallia kept the score close during the fourth quarter, even coming within a point of the Tomcats twice, it wasn’t enough to overtake Trimble.
Trimble’s willingness to throw themselves at the basket play after play, and their amazing foul record, shooting 76 percent from the line, won them the game tonight.
“They’re not selfish. They’re in it for we and not me,” Koons said.
Trimble will host Crooksville on Saturday to continue its success.