NEW bbb Newark Orange
NEWARK ― For about 28 of the 32 minutes Thursday, Newark perfectly executed its game plan against a tall, talented and senior-dominated Olentangy Orange team.
But the Pioneers are unbeaten for a reason.
Riding the physical drives of 6-foot-3 senior guards Jordan Edwards and Elias Lewis, Orange finally got the ball inside and hit a sizzling 15-of-19 from the floor the second half (79 percent) en route to a 50-45 comeback win in the finals of the Newark Holiday Tournament.
“Our kids played with a lot of effort and did a great job the entire game of keeping them out of transition,” coach Jeff Quackenbush said after the Pioneers (10-0) rallied from a seven-point, third-quarter deficit and outscored Newark 17-11 down the stretch. “It just got away from us there those last four minutes,” he said. “They’re bigger and more athletic, and it’s hard to chase them down when they have the lead. And it’s hard to convert against them, because they’re such a long team.”
With Orange keying on Newark’s perimeter and senior point guard Grant Burkholder, coming off a career-high 31-point night Wednesday, juniors Ethan Stare and Steele Meister nearly dragged the Wildcats (7-3) across the finish line. Stare took the opening, nailing a 3 and scoring on a trio of third-quarter drives as Newark went up 30-23 midway through the third on Stare’s 3-point play. But Lewis then got inside for a basket, touching off a 10-2 surge that included an Edwards assist and driving layup as the Pioneers forged ahead 33-32 on a tip in by 6-5 sophomore Devin Brown.
Another drive by Stare put Newark ahead for the last time, 34-33 heading to the fourth. Orange then got its transition game going, freshman Levi Davis notching a 3-point play, Lewis scoring on a fast break and 6-5 Nick Chapman on a steal and breakaway as the Pioneers roared ahead 40-34.
Meister’s two foul shots with 5:27 kept the Wildcats within 40-38, but the visitors then charged back up 46-40 at the 3:05 mark. Even then, Newark had a chance. Meister turned his steal into a transition bucket, making it 46-42, and the Wildcats then forced a turnover. But two straight possessions resulted in a missed layup and turnover, and Orange finally sealed the deal.
In the first half, the Pioneers went just 7-of-20 from the field including only 3-of-12 on 3s. All three came in the first quarter as they led 15-11 before Stare made an acrobatic scoop shot at the buzzer. Newark’s tenacious defense continued, as Burkholder notched a floater, Meister converted a 3-point play, Stare scored on the break and Braylon Morris fed a cutting Burkholder for a layup and 22-19 halftime lead. But Orange attempted just two more 3s in the second half and attacked the baseline instead.
“When we’re shorter, we have to play that way on defense,” Quackenbush said of the first-half effort. “They’re tall, so they can see over the defense and pass the ball where they want to. We wanted to pressure them, and we did a good job of it.”
Amazingly, four Pioneers (Lewis, Edwards, Brown and Chapman) each scored 11 points as they finished 22-of-39 from the floor for 56 percent and held a 21-16 margin on the backboards. Lewis had six rebounds and three assists and Edwards handed out four assists.
Stare hit for a season-high 17 points, 13 coming in the second for Newark, which cooled to 8-of-20 shooting the second half and wound up 18-of-39 for 46 percent. After making 14-of-29 3s on Wednesday, Orange limited them to just 2-of-7 on Thursday. Meister added 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Burkholder was held to 10 points, all on two-pointers.
While disappointed with the loss, Quackenbush was not discouraged. “We’ve lost to maybe the two top teams in the Central District, Pickerington Central and Orange, and Liberty has been a surprise,” he said. “We scheduled a lot of quality teams, because our goal is to win league and district titles.”
“Our kids accepted the challenge tonight,” he added. “They definitely got better.”
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