Glenwood's upset bid comes up short against CS8-leader MacArthur
CHATHAM — Upset was in the toasty air inside Chatham Glenwood High School Friday night, as the Titans had the ball and a one-point lead with just over a minute left in overtime against Central State Eight Conference leader Decatur MacArthur.
But just as fast as the frigid gusty gales that whipped outside the gym all night, opportunity slipped away in the end as MacArthur literally and figuratively stole a 47-46 OT victory over the Titans.
This was a heartbreaker for the Titans as they led most of the game. And with time running out Glenwood had the ball in the hands of junior swingman Cameron Appenzeller, who was marvelous to that point with 19 points, 22 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Appenzeller made what seemed like a safe pass to guard Mason Marshall, but out of nowhere came MacArthur senior Sam Owens, whose steal, layup and conversion of a free throw after a foul gave the Generals a 46-44 lead.
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The Titans tied it back up, but MacArthur (15-2, 9-0 CS8) sophomore Sean Lee was fouled with 4.1 seconds left and got a fortunate bounce on a second free throw that proved the difference. Glenwood (11-8, 4-2) coach Todd Blakeman was proud of his players’ effort but bemoaned the missed opportunities to put the Generals away when the Titans had chances.
“We had a five-point lead (25-20) at the half, and I told the kids it should have been a 10-point lead,” Blakeman said. “We have to control the things we can control, and we just didn’t do that. I mean, we’re still growing as a team. … I’m extremely proud of our kids tonight, they played hard. But a couple turnovers late are going to hurt you and they end up killing you in the end.”
Stall strategy for Generals nearly backfires
Up by just one basket with 4:50 left in regulation, Generals coach Terise Bryson elected to go to a stall. For nearly two minutes, Generals senior guard M.J. Murphy (18 points) dribbled unguarded, which prompted thunderous booing from the Glenwood partisans. “Play the game!” some yelled.
“With the lead and with my guys that I have, I just said ‘Let’s play the odds,’” Bryson said.
The Generals had been running and had the Titans in foul trouble. Blakeman said he was happy with the stalling strategy employed by his opponent.
“I’ve seen that before, and it usually backfires. They lose their momentum,” Blakeman said. “It was a one-possession game and we were in foul trouble anyway, so I backed off.”
Indeed, the Generals turned the ball over and when the Titans scored the other way, senior guard Jack Dettro implored the crowd to stand up and let it all out.
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Owens to the rescue for MacArthur
Owens, a 6-2 senior, didn’t score in regulation. But pumped in five points in OT, none bigger than the steal and three-point play near the end. Because the Generals only had three team fouls, Owens said, his players were instructed by Bryson to play up more and maybe take more chances on a steal. Unlike the stall, this strategy paid off.
“We knew we had fouls to give, so it was a good opportunity for me to get up and get a steal and that’s what happened,” Owens said. “I play my role on the team and have a lot of guys that I want to look out for. I want to help our guys get to the next level, so I do what I’ve got to do.”
Adrian Dater is a freelance writer for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached through the sports department at sports@sj-r.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Central State Eight basketball: MacArthur overcomes Glenwood to stay unbeaten
