Rodich, Anderson keep Sheridan rolling with rout of Coshocton
THORNVILLE — Four straight losses to open January could have derailed Sheridan's season.
Instead, the Generals have responded and made it four straight wins after a 63-35 rout of Coshocton in Friday's Muskingum Valley League crossover at Glen Hursey Gymnasium.
The game was ended with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter.
Raine Rodich collected 13 of his team-high 17 points in the first quarter, and Evan Anderson made a trio of first-half 3s on his way to a 15-point performance for Sheridan (9-6, 6-4).
"This is our best win since we beat Fairfield Union about a month ago," Sheridan coach Doug Fisher said. "Raine came out and played well, and Evan has been struggling from 3 and hit three big ones. We'll take this one, build on it and get ready for Philo on Tuesday."
Sheridan gelling at the right time
There were question marks entering the season with only a few lettermen back. The Generals battled through an up-and-down opening month with several new players on the varsity squad.
Yet Rodich believes the adversity the Generals faced has proven beneficial.
"We came together after those losses. There was a different sense with us, and we started playing like we know how," Rodich said. "A lot of guys have stepped up. The sophomores have played their roles well, and everyone is doing their part.
"Being one of the leaders, I'm trying to keep the energy up and push guys," added the senior guard. "At practice, I'm cheering these guys on, and we're rooting for each other. We've built a family atmosphere, and we know we're in this together."
Defense sparks Generals
Sheridan took an 18-13 lead through one quarter on Anderson's 3 at the horn, but the Generals took to the defensive end in the second quarter.
The Redskins (9-5, 5-4) opened the stanza with a putback by Antwone Johns, but they only scored on three on their final 10 possessions of the quarter, which included three turnovers.
Sheridan took advantage. Anderson scored eight straight with a pair of 3s to stretch the lead to 26-17. Logan Russell added a hoop, and Anderson made four free throws to send the Generals into the half with a 33-21 halftime advantage.
Colton Conkle was held to five points in the first half and only had eight in the game, while Johns led the winners with 10 points. No other Redskin had more than six.
"We had a few different defenses planned, but our zone was working, and we leaned on that," Fisher said. "We slowed down Conkle and didn't give up a lot of easy looks. It's a credit to our guys for getting after them."
Sheridan scored on its first five possessions of the third to build a 44-24 lead and put the game out of reach as Coshocton had a pair of turnovers to open the quarter.
Tyce Whiteman started Sheridan's 12-3 run with a triple, and Russell scored seven straight as he finished with 13 points.
"We knew they had a tough team, but we wanted to take Conkle away. We used our pressure to force some turnovers and get in transition," Rodich noted. "We wanted to attack on offense. I made some shots early, and Evan hit some big 3s. That forced them to come out on us, and we were able to take advantage of it."
bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Balanced Sheridan overwhelms Coshocton for fourth straight win
