The Fairborn Paper

TIPP CITY — Every time the Greenon came close to eclipsing Tippecanoe’s lead in a CBC crossover game last Saturday, Brandon Ervin put a stop to it.

Tippecanoe’s 6-5 center added 30 points and 14 rebounds, scored in critical times — including a basket in the fourth quarter after Greenon had come within one point — and led the Red Devils (6-7, 3-3 CBC Kenton Trail) to a 71-62 win over the Knights (7-6, 3-3 CBC Mad River).
“We couldn’t stop him,” Greenon head coach Tim Lacy said after the game. “He’s a nice player and we couldn’t stop him. But we lost this game through our own mistakes. We had plenty of chances and open looks that we didn’t finish on.”

Greenon came within one point with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer from Josh Pilcher. Ervin scored on a short jump shot ten seconds later, and Greenon never came closer than three points the rest of the game.

Ervin got 30 points on a basket with 35 seconds left, capping off a 4-0 run in the last minute for Tippecanoe to finish off Greenon.

Lacy said that, despite the loss, Greenon’s competitiveness in the game was indicative of the progress the team has made this season. The Knights’ seven wins matches the amount of wins they had in the previous two seasons combined.

“I was disappointed, but not disappointed in their effort,” Lacy said. “The adversity these seniors have overcome in the last three years is remarkable. We are in games and playing hard in each game. We’re a couple of possessions going our way tonight from winning this game.”

Greenon shot 46 percent from the field in the game, going 20-for-36 (55%) from two-point range. Lacy said the Knights missed too many shots to beat Tippecanoe.

“We got some looks that we just didn’t shoot it in,” Lacy said. “They’re all competitors and they know they missed it. We made a run at them, but (the shots) didn’t fall.”
Anthony Colletti, a 6-0 junior guard, led Greenon with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Colletti, a first-year player for Greenon, averages 20 points per game and 12 rebounds per game and is top in both categories in the Central Buckeye Conference.

Colletti fought against Ervin in the post during many possessions and scored most of his points on penetration.

“He’s listed at 6-foot-1, but he’s 6-foot,” Lacy said. “There are very few 6-foot players that average 11 rebounds per game. He’s a hard working kid in games and in practice. He’s constantly trying to get better. He’s always going after the ball, and that’s hard to coach.”

Greenon led 5-4 three minutes into the game, but the Red Devils went on a 5-0 run midway through the first quarter to take a 9-5 lead. Greenon never recaptured the lead.

The Knights tied the game at 25-25 with a minute left in the second quarter, but Tippecanoe scored twice in the final minute, including one basket from Ervin, to take a 29-25 halftime lead.

Lacy said Greenon’s improvement in shooting will be the key for it to compete for the Mad River Division title. Greenon hosts Graham (6-4, 4-2) in a key league game this Friday. The Knights beat Graham 42-39 on Dec. 16.

“The big thing will be to try and get more consistent on our shooting,” Lacy said. “I think any great basketball team is consistent on their defense and consistent in their shooting. You’re going to have off nights shooting, but you have to bounce back. We’ve got to bounce back from tonight.”