HOLMES TOWNSHIP — With the game on the line, it was a veteran, experienced basketball team that came out on top.
Colonel Crawford senior Jordan Fenner drove the lane in a tie basketball game and was fouled with 2.9 seconds left in the game.
Fenner missed the front end but calmly knocked down the second to give the Eagles a 55-54 win over Wynford Friday night at W.R. Donnenwirth Gymnasium.
With the win, the Eagles improved to 2-1 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and 4-1 overall. The Royals suffered their first conference loss and fell to 3-1, 4-2 overall.
Colonel Crawford coach David Sheldon said that, when it mattered, his veteran team didn’t panic.
“This is a veteran group we have,” Sheldon said. “Look at my three seniors, they have won 58 games the last three years. And they have been in tight games and have been in district tournaments and we just never panicked. We talk about one possession at a time.
“At the end of the game, when we got the lead, we did a good job, we just forgot to make three throws. If we make some free throws, it’s game, set and match but we have to concentrate a little bit better.”
Wynford coach Steve Mohr said that his team got down early, but he was pleased with the way his team came back.
“After six or seven minutes when we fell behind by 10, I thought we were a pretty good basketball team,” Mohr said. “We just didn’t make the plays, didn’t get the calls at the end.
“What makes me so happy to coach this team is we fell down by 10 and came roaring back and got the lead at the half. Then it was just back and forth in the second half and it seemed that whoever had the ball last was going to win. We got the ball with 2.9 seconds left but that wasn’t enough to get the quality shot we wanted to get.”
The game was nip-and-tuck the entire way but it was a Fenner free throw that gave the Eagles a 54-52 lead with 20.3 seconds left.
Wynford came down and ran their half-court offense to perfection, as post Gavin Leffler scored on a layup with 12 seconds left to tie the game at 54-54, setting up Fenner’s heroics at the end.
“I thought our post defense was good considering we have two young kids down there and we were right there against the most talented, most experienced, the most athletic and the most physically imposing team in the league,” Mohr said. “One call here or there, we could be celebrating.”
The Eagles scored the first nine points of the game and held a 19-7 lead late in the first period and led, 19-11, after one.
Then Wynford star Josh Crall took over. Crall scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second period as the Royals held a 31-29 lead at the half.
The Eagles held Crall to just five points in the second half and zero in the decisive fourth period.
“In the second quarter, Josh Crall put a show on,” Sheldon said. “A lot of those were tough shots and he hit four 3s and they were deep. He’s a great player.
“I grew up in this House of Thrills with my father and he’s one of the greats to come out of here,” Sheldon added. “He’s chasing Mike McGuire’s record and he hit some tough shots. We had three guys on him. In the third quarter, we made an adjustment and came out in a diamond and one and held him to five in the second half.
Gavin Feichtner scored 17 to lead the Eagles and Fenner added 13, but the Eagles stars were held to three baskets in the second half.
“We paid special attention to Feichtner and Fenner, but they scored too much early,” Mohr said. “I don’t think we did a really good job of keeping the ball out of their hands. Early, they were doing the scoring when our defensive emphasis was on them. It’s not the fault of the kids who were guarding them, they just did a good job of moving the ball.”
“Credit Wynford, they came out and chased us a little bit,” Sheldon said. “We really tried to attack them on the inside with the big fellow, Chase (Walker), and Carter Valentine stepped up and got us some big minutes.
“The other thing he did — Reis (Walker) was in foul trouble, so we put him on Crall and Carter stepped up defensively and he has the athleticism.”
Colonel Crawford won the junior varsity game, 70-28. Drayton Burkhart led the Eagles with 18 and Mason McKibben added 14. Carson Feichtner added 13. Trent Greene led Wynford with 11.
Box score
Colonel Crawford 19 10 14 12 — 55
Wynford 11 20 13 10 — 54
Colonel Crawford (4-1, 2-1 N10): Shots 19-41; 3-pt shots 4-14 (Gavin Feichtner 3, Jordan Fenner); Free throws 13-21; Rebounds 21 (Reis Walker 6); Turnovers 7. Scoring: Mason Studer 1 2 4, Reis Walker 3 0 6, Jordan Fenner 3 6 13, Brock Ritzhaupt 1 0 2, Carter Valentine 2 1 5, Gavin Feichtner 6 2 17, Chase Walker 3 2 8.
Wynford (4-2, 3-1 N10): Shots 19-43; 3-pt shots 5-17 (Josh Crall 4, Matt McBride); Free throws 11-17; Rebounds 21; Turnovers 7. Scoring: Matt McBride 2 2 7, Isaac Sterrett 1 0 2, Dustin Brady 6 0 12, Josh Crall 7 6 24, Jaron Filliater 2 0 4, Gavin Leffler 1 3 5.
JV: Colonel Crawford 70-28.