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Versailles junior Keaton McEldowney looks to score in the second
quarter during a game
Friday with Marion Local. The Tigers remained
undefeated in conference play with a
56-41 victory. CNO Photos by
George Starks
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V-Tigers remain
undefeated in MAC play
Marion Local falls late
By George Starks
VERSAILLES- “I knew this was going not going to be easy. Marion Local
has the best defense in the MAC. It’s not always pretty. It was pretty
ugly tonight. It is what it is and you take what you can… I guess.
Marion Local plays great defense.”
Those were the words of Versailles head coach Travis Swank after the
Tigers dropped a 56-41 loss on Marion Local Friday in Midwest Athletic
Conference play.
The visiting Flyers gave the Tigers all they could handle and then some
for three quarters as Versailles trailed 15-13 after one but went up
26-18 at the break.
“I think we were ready to go tonight but we just didn’t execute,” said
Swank. “We missed our first lay-up of the game and that kinda set the
tone for the night. We missed a lot of easy ones that we normally hit
but that’s just the game of basketball at times. The ball doesn’t
always bounce your way.”
It was the Flyers defense that kept Versailles junior Justin Ahrens off
balance and frustrated most of the night.
On the flip side, it was the Tigers defense that shined in the second
quarter. Versailles held the Flyers to only three points in the frame
while scoring 13 in the same eight minutes.
“We’re a pretty good defensive team ourselves,” Swank pointed out. “At
times we get a little erratic and try to steal every pass but for the
most part, we’re playing pretty disciplined defense. We know if we want
to go far into the tournament and defend the MAC, we have to play
better defense.”
Despite a 20 point scoring night, the Ohio State bound Ahrens found the
going difficult most of the night. Coupled with the 10 points from his
brother, A.J., the tandem showed the ability to move the ball with some
crisp passes under the bucket.
“Justin has the ability to see the floor, and make passes most kids
can’t make,” Swank stated. “A.J. was ready for him especially in the
second half. I tell the guys all the time that you better have your
head on a swivel because it’s coming at you at a hundred miles an hour
and usually its right there.”
Holding a 41-31 lead after three, the Tigers started to pull away in
the final frame and keeping the Fylers at arm’s length to post the 14
point win.
“The final score will show we had a nice win but it doesn’t show how
hard it was to get,”
Now, the Tigers will battle Tri-Village today at Trent Arena in the
Flying to the Hoop Tournament in Kettering.
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Tiger senior Austin Knapke hits for two of his five points for
Versailles.
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