HOLMES TOWNSHIP — Just start calling the Tigers the Road Warriors.
It took a huge fourth quarter, a total team effort and strong defense, but once again Seneca East went on the road and got a victory in a very tough environment, beating Wynford 69-61 in the House of Thrills in Northern 10 Athletic Conference boys action Friday night.
Seneca East (7-3, 5-2 N10) trailed 46-45 heading into the final quarter. But hot shooting from Lucas Bordner and Luke Hicks led to a 24-point period and another huge win away from home.
The Tigers beat Colonel Crawford 46-40 in the Eagles Nest on Dec. 29 before dropping games at Margaretta and Mohawk.
Head coach Anthony Langhurst said his team embraced the atmosphere after a malfunctioning scoreboard forced the teams to move from the new gym to W.R. Donnenwirth Gymnasium.
“The kids are a little young to understand what a privilege it is to play in this gym, just all the good players and coaches. It was a great crowd and an exciting game. You know Wynford is super explosive and we’ve got some guys that can do some things,” he said.
“We were just lucky to make a few more shots than Wynford did tonight.”
Bordner, a 6-1 junior, led the way with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Hicks added 17, Aiden Hines 11 and Blake Foos 9. Hines also had 6 boards while Foos contributed 3 assists and 3 steals.
“There wasn’t a lot on the scouter. But on the whiteboard, I wrote the word ‘Composure.’ You know going into a new gym. Wynford’s got guys who are going to fill it up and go on runs. Just keep your composure,” Langhurst said.
Wynford (9-3, 4-3) head coach Mike Smith said his team played well early, taking an 18-11 lead after one but trailed at halftime when sophomore Luke Mason hit a shot to put Seneca East up 34-33.
“We didn’t defend real well. A lot of that is their shooting. They hit shots and they’re a good team,” Smith said. “They went over to Crawford and beat Crawford. It’s not like we’re losing to crappy teams.”
Wynford has lost to Carey, Colonel Crawford, and Seneca East.
“I just don’t know if three (league) losses will get us where we want to go. We learn life lessons and we got to figure it out and fix it. We had a good talk in the locker room, and we’ll figure it out.”
Leading the way for the Royals Wes Prenger with 19 points and Sam McMillan with 16 and 9 rebounds.
“We didn’t move our feet defensively. Nothing against them cause they forced us to do that. We’ve just got to get better defensively,” Smith said.
“Playing that 1-3-1 that they play you just don’t see that all the time. I thought our guards didn’t attack gaps. When we got it to the corner good things happened. We tended to rely on the three-point line too much tonight.”
The Royals hit 13-of-32 from beyond the arc. Seneca East made 9 of 24 attempts, with 5 coming in the second half.
The third quarter was fairly even, and Grant McGuire drained a three from the left wing to put the hosts ahead 46-45.
But the fourth quarter belonged to the Tigers, outscoring Wynford 24-15. Hicks had 10 points and Bordner 7 in that stanza.
“It was little things like hustle to the sidelines so I can get an extra word in or think about the next play. You could see it with our kids. They were helping each other out. It was a big team effort, no doubt about it,” Langhurst said.
Hicks and Ashton Warren traded treys with Seneca East taking a 59-56 lead before Bordner added a three of his own and Hicks his third of the quarter to put it out of reach.
“We talked about what didn’t we do against Mohawk that we can do tonight. Our team is a work in progress,” Langhurst said.
“Mohawk’s kind of the same thing with their shooters. It taught us you’ve got to find their shooters. Wynford’s going to get theirs because they’ve got guys that can shoot it even when you’re defending them well.”
Langhurst credited his seniors for the strong showing thus far.
“Our two underclassmen (Bordner and Mason) are special, and it starts with our seniors. They set the tone. It’s a special group. They’re jelling and when we’re good we’re kind of scary a little. We were good at times, and we put it together at the end.”
Smith recalled the ebbs and flows of his squad last season.
“You know, every team goes through some things like this. It’s not where I wanted us to be. You just can’t let it spiral. Last year we were kind of in the same boat. We got off to a decent start and then went into a little lull and then finished the season on a better note,” he said.
A few fundamental corrections are also needed, he said.
“We made too many long passes and tried to force it over them. Our two guards were too far apart out front. I don’t know if we’re just tired right now. We shouldn’t be. We’ll watch the tape and see.”
Seneca East hosts Arcadia Saturday night. Wynford travels to Marion Elgin on Tuesday.
Box score
Seneca East 69, Wynford 61
Seneca East 11 23 11 24 — 69
Wynford 18 15 13 15 — 61
Seneca East (7-3, 5-2 N10): Shots 26-57; 3-pt. shots 9-24 (Lucas Bordner 3, Lucas Hicks 3, Aiden Hines, Luke Mason, Blake Foos); Free throws 8-11; Rebounds 25 (Aiden Hines 6, Lucas Bordner 6); Turnovers 14. Scoring: Aiden Hines 4 2 11, Luke Mason 3 0 7, Lucas Bordner 8 3 22, Blake Foos 4 0 9, Lucas Hicks 6 2 17, Keeno Ruffing 1 1 3.
Wynford (9-3, 4-3 N10): Shots 21-54; 3-pt. shots 13-32 (Wes Prenger 5, Grant McGuire 4, Drew Johnson 2, Ashton Warren, James Rindfuss); Free throws 6-8; Rebounds 26 (Sam McMillan 9); Turnovers 16. Scoring: Ashton Warren 2 0 5, James Rindfuss 1 0 3, Wes Prenger 6 2 19, Grant McGuire 4 0 12, Drew Johnson 2 0 6, Sam McMillan 6 4 16.
JV: Wynford won.