Robert Smith
HAGERSTOWN, Ind. – It didn’t take long for the Northeastern boys basketball team to set the tone for a 60-34 victory over Hagerstown on Thursday night.
“It was there,” Northeastern’s Robert Smith said. “We literally stayed in the same defense because it was working.”
“We didn’t come out of that defense because they didn’t have an answer for it,” he continued. “All of our players were just in the right spots at the right time.”
The Class 2A No. 3 Knights forced eight Hagerstown turnovers in the first quarter, but Northeastern only led 10-9.
“I was proud of them defensively,” Northeastern Head Coach Brent Ross said. “Late, we might have got going a little too much as far as trying to get steals and getting out of rotation a little bit. I thought we were really disciplined early when they were trying to break the diamond press. They had a hard time trying to find a gap or an opening.”
“We’ve been working hard on our defense,” Ross continued. “I said at the start of the year that rebounding and defense were going to be something we had to get better at as the season goes on, and we’re turning the corner on that.”
By halftime, Northeastern built a 25-14 advantage over the Tigers (12-6, 5-1) on the way to a fourth win in a row.
“It seemed like every time we tried to throw a pass, it was a delayed pass, a pass they could anticipate well,” Hagerstown Head Coach Bobby Jones said. “We just didn’t attack very good on offense. Credit Northeastern for playing a very good defensive game.”
With 10 miscues in the third period, Hagerstown’s chances of a victory were slipping away as the Knights eventually led 44-23 heading into the final quarter.
Brent Ross
It was the 100th win for Ross at Northeastern, which puts the Knights in the driver’s seat in the TEC title chase as the only remaining unbeaten squad.
“This was the conference,” Ross said. “It’s that way the rest of the year. If (Hagerstown) would have won, the conference was over.”
“The kids know that,” continued Ross, who is 100-54 in his seventh season at Northeastern. “They take pride in it.”
For the Knights (14-3, 3-0), it was the 18th straight win in TEC play. Their last defeat in conference action was a 75-64 loss to Winchester in Fountain City on Feb. 15, 2013.
Robert Smith led Northeastern with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Bailey Stewart added 16 points for the Knights as he closed in on the 1,000-point plateau. Stewart, a transfer from National Trail in Ohio, has 232 points for the Knights this year and 998 in his career.
Northeastern’s top scorer at 20.9 PPG, Tyler Smith added 14 points with all of them in the second half. Nate Reynolds finished with just five points, but he led Northeastern with six steals, three blocks and three assists.
Isaiah Neal
Isaiah Neal led the Tigers with 10 points and six rebounds. Jalen Oliver added eight points and five rebounds.
“We got punched in the mouth and our guys didn’t respond real well to it,” Jones said. “We’ve got to go back to work and figure out where to find some mental toughness and play a little bit more gutsy basketball.”
Northeastern on the JV game 34-31 with Jalen Hillard leading the way with 11 points, Trent Weiss had 10 for the Tigers.
The Knights entertain Franklin County on Tuesday. Hagerstown faces Class 2A No. 1 Lapel next at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Box Score
NORTHEASTERN (14-3, 3-0) – Tyler Smith 5 4-4 14, Bailey Stewart 6 3-4 16, Robert Smith 9 1-3 20, Nate Reynolds 2 0-0 5, DaShawn Hampton 1 0-0 3, Kaleb Mikesell 0 0-0 0, Austin Clay 0 0-0 0, Harrison Rice 0 0-0 0, Jalen Hillard 0 2-2 2, Gabe Beatty 0 0-0 0, Quinton West 0 0-0 0, Alex Reynolds 0 0-0 0. Team – 23 10-13 60.
HAGERSTOWN (12-6, 5-1) – Mason Stitt 1 0-0 2, Jared Andis 2 0-0 4, Bret Templin 2 0-1 4, Isaiah Neal 3 4-6 10, Nate Combs 1 0-0 2, Jalen Oliver 3 1-2 8, Evan Hoover 0 2-4 2, Trent Weiss 1 0-0 2, Jordan Auker 0 0-0 0. Team – 13 7-13 34.
Northeastern 10 25 44 60
Hagerstown 9 14 23 34
3-pointers – Northeastern 4 (Stewart 1, R.Smith 1, N.Reynolds 1, Hampton 1), Hagerstown 1 (Oliver 1). Rebounds – Northeastern 28 (R.Smith 9), Hagerstown 28 (Neal 6). Turnovers – Northeastern 17, Hagerstown 27. Fouls – Northeastern 14, Hagerstown 12.