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Franklin Monroe sophomore Ethan Conley netted 21 points Tuesday to lead
all scores in a
72-41 victory over Mississinawa Valley. CNO File Photo
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Strong third
quarter powers FM past MV
By George Starks
UNION CITY- If basketball was determined within the first 16 minutes,
the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks would still have lost but the
outcome would have been one that coach Tim Barga might have been a
little more settling with.
At the end of the opening half, the home standing Hawks were right in
the thick of things, down only by a 30-26 count.
Franklin Monroe went on a 21-8 scoring barrage in the third quarter and
would eventually bury Mississinawa Valley, 72-41 in Cross County
Conference action Tuesday.
“I don’t think we played poorly in the first half,” said Jets coach
Troy Myers. “We didn’t make good shot choices. Our best player was
taking shots in the first half and they weren’t going in. We were
getting good looks but they just weren’t falling. We did do some things
in the second half that I wanted to do. Getting the ball into the post
was one of them. By doing this early in the second half, it allowed us
to establish ourselves there.”
Taking a four point lead into the break, it was sophomore Ethan Conley
that had carried the load for the Jets, scoring half of the FM point
total of 30.
In the end, the Jets put four in double figures as the youngest of the
Conley boys had 21 to lead the way while senior Mason Conley netted
eleven.
Trailing 15-12 after one, the Jets went on a 10-2 run to open the
second frame, taking a 22-17 advantage early.
The Hawks would storm back, never letting the Jets out of their sights,
only to trail by four at the break.
It was a third quarter scene that was all too familiar for Barga.
“The third quarter every game hurts us,” said Barga. “It’s turnover
after turnover, and we just don’t have anyone who wants to control the
game on the court.”
If the third quarter wasn’t enough, Barga had to watch his kids lose
the fourth frame by a 21-7 count to fall by 31 points.
With four in double figures, Myers was pleased with the attack on
offense.
“It was nice to get a balanced scoring attack and nearly five guys in
double figures tonight,” Myers stated. “I thought we were a little
selfish in the first half and I didn’t we had good ball movement. It
was touching out best player’s hands, but it wasn’t moving as much as
we wanted it to. In the second half, it moved, we got it inside, and
Kam did some work. Then we got it outside and knocked down threes.”
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