Camels Go 0 for 3 At CovCath
Posted On: December 20, 2014 Posted By: Gary Lemons
Wednesday night the Camels traveled to CovCath for their first road test of the year … and quite a test it was. The boys basketball teams took on the Colonels from Covington Catholic in a triple header. However it was a rough night for the purple and gold as they tasted defeat in all three matchups.
The Freshman Camels saw their perfect 5-0 record sustain its first blemish of the season as the Colonels defeated the Camels 50-29. The Camels trailed at the end of the first period 15-8, and CovCath continued to build on that lead throughout the game. The Camels were led by 8 points from Austin Hoeh. Joel Day and Tanner Clos both tallied 7 for Campbell County.
The JV contest was more closely contested as the teams battled each other and required an extra period to decide a winner. The Camels got down early and trailed 9-2, but a 7-0 Camel run tied the game at nine at the end of the first period.
In the 2nd period, back to back 3’s by Robert Marlow gave the Camels a 16-13 lead. A layup by Evan Zumwalde and 2 buckets inside from Mike Bezold made it 22-15. 2 free throws by Garren Bertsch closed out the scoring for the 1st half as the Camels led 24-15.
A Colonel 9-2 run to start the 3rd quarter trimmed the Camels lead to 2 at 26-24. However, a 3 by Bertsch and Marlows 3rd trey of the game quickly pushed the Camel lead back to 9. The Colonels responded with another run of their own aided by Camel turnovers tying the game at 33-33. The teams traded baskets in the 4th period with no team leading by more than a pair. With the Camels holding a slim lead and just over a minute to play, Garren Bertsch nailed a 3 pointer and was fouled on the play earning a rare 4 point play. With a 4 point lead and a minute or so to play, the Camels looked as if they would claim the victory. However a Camel foul led to 2 Colonel free throws and another Camel turnover allowed the Colonels to tie the game at 44. Joel Day calmly sank 2 free throws to give the Camels a short lead, but the Colonels countered with 2 more free throws of their own. The Camels had the last shot with the game tied at 46, but a Garren Bertsch shot in traffic and amidst contact failed to go sending the game to overtime. In the OT, the Colonels hit a quick 3 and then Camel miscues led to more points for CovCath who led by as many as 10. The Camels tried to battle back with 2 quick scores to cut the lead to 6. But time was not on the Camels side as they fouled to stop the clock and CovCath made free throws. A long 3 by Joel Day at the buzzer made the final score 58-53.
Garren Bertsch scored 22 for the Camels and Joel Day and Robert Marlow dropped in 9 points each. The Camels shot 50% from the 3-point line, but too many turnovers proved costly for the Camels. The Camels drop to 3-2 on the season and will play their next game in 2015.
In the nightcap, the Varsity Camels squared off with the defending state champions in a much anticipated game between the top teams in the 9th and 10th Regions. The Camels started well as Deondre Jackson slashed to the basket for two scores. The Colonels answered with scores to tie at 4-4. With the game tied at 6 a piece, the Camels went on an 11-0 run to take a 17-6 lead. CovCath answered with 6 straight points to end the quarter and cut the Camels lead to 17-12.
Midway through the 2nd period the Colonels were able to tie the game at 18-18 after a Camels turnover. Both teams continued to battle trading baskets with each other. With the score knotted at 25, the Camels missed some point blank shots and CovCath took advantage extending the lead to 30-25. After a free throw by Blake Losey, Deondre Jackson was fouled on a 3-point attempt and converted all three free throws to cut the lead to 30-29 at the half.
The Camels regained the lead to start the 3rd quarter after a Matt Wilson basket and a trey by Jackson. The lead was short-lived as CovCath benefitted from another Camels turnover to tie the game at 34-34. The score bounced back and forth, and at the end of 3 the Camels found themselves only down by a basket at 41-39.
It looked like the Camels were in great position and had a shot of knocking off the the “Sweet 16” champions, but the Colonels quickly gained back the momentum on an alley-oop dunk off of an inbounds play. The Colonels also turned up the defensive pressure forcing the Camels into several turnovers and quick shots. This, combined with a 12-0 Colonel run, seemed to dampen the Camels spirits and gave the Colonels a comfortable lead they would never relinquish. Fouls also mounted up on the Camels as backcourt mates Trent McGovney and Dre Jackson each picked up their 4th personal foul. As the Camels struggled to score, CovCath continued to pad its advantage building the lead to as many as 20. After trailing by only 2 at the end of the 3rd period, the Camels were outscored 24-6 in the 4th quarter. The final score of 65-46 was not indicative of how close the game truly was.
The Camels could only muster 35% shooting from the floor and 59% from the free throw line. Matt Wilson led the Camels in scoring with 17 hard earned points and 10 rebounds. Dre Jackson added 15 and Blake Losey 7. The Camels drop to 6-1 on the season and prepare to play in the US Bank Mike Murphy Classic at Mason County this weekend. The Camels’ first opponent will be Harrison County this Friday night at “The Fieldhouse”.
Posted In
Boys BasketballPosted By
Connect with Gary at glemons13@gmail.com
