Tipp knocks off Troy, Xenia in MVL action

Tippecanoe used a 10-2 run over the final 3:24 of the game last week to earn a 57-44 boys basketball victory over their rivals from the north, the Troy Trojans, to remain unbeaten in conference play.

The Trojans pulled to within three with 5:44 left before Bryton Otto scored four quick points to extend the Tipp lead to 47-40. But Troy did not walk away quietly. They closed the gap to five points with 2:48 remaining before the Red Devils' defense held Troy scoreless over the final 2:58, escaping with the big Miami Valley League victory.

“I was pleased with us defensively. We did a good job rebounding the ball and not giving them too many second chance opportunities,” Tipp coach Brock Moon. “The name of the game was we had way too many turnovers. That is our second game in a row. I don’t think we played as well as we did against DeSales on the offensive end. We had 16 turnovers to their four, and we had to be close to 20 tonight. We need to learn to take care of the ball, I told the guys, we play too good a basketball game to give them free possessions, and that is how it went tonight.”

Tipp also shot well from the free throw line, shooting 18-20 from the line, which was huge for a close game.

“Our goal has always been to make more free throws than our opponent shoots,” Moon said. “That was successful tonight, and it matters to hit those.”

Troy led most of the first period before the Red Devils would take the lead early in the second.  Hudson Ganger knocked down a shot to send Tipp on an 8-0 run to start the second quarter, giving them a 20-13 lead. The Red Devils held a five point lead at halftime.

The Trojans cut the deficit to 29-26 midway through the third period, but CJ Bailey knocked down four free throws. Otto scored to make it 33-26. Ganger then made it a ten point game with another three, but Troy would not go away, keeping it close in the fourth.

Otto led Tipp in scoring with 25 points, with 14 for Bailey and 10 for Ganger. 

*Tipp defeated Xenia on Friday night 63-47 to remain unbeaten in the MVL this season. Bailey and Ganger each scored 17 to lead Tipp, and combined for eight three-point shots in this game. Turner added 12 and Otto ten for the Red Devils.