By Mike Frank
Examiner Sports Writer
There’s never a good time to be shorthanded in sports.
Bellefontaine lost 58-39 to London in Central Buckeye Conference boys basketball action Friday night, snapping a three-game win streak.
However, the Chieftains were playing without two of their main components, point guard Braylon Newcomb (who was on a college visit) and guard Jacob Salyer (who was out due to illness).
London jumped ahead in the first quarter to a double digit lead, but Bellefontaine fought back and got it to a five-point spread at the half. However, a run to start the third and another later in that quarter gave the Red Raiders all the breathing room they needed.
Bellefontaine is now 2-3 in the CBC and 7-6 overall.
“I thought we competed really well,” said Chiefs coach Henry Stolly. “We didn’t get off to a great start. We didn’t shoot the ball real well.”
He noted that London denied them getting the ball inside to the post. “That second half we struggled guarding their dribble, and they got around us a lot. So we just need to go back to the drawing board and look at things we can do defensively.”
Grayson Lotts had 13 points on the night for Bellefontaine, and A.J. Conaway had eight. Conaway, Jamison Clement and Blake Loomis all had significant playing time Friday.
For London, June Turner had 23 points, while Luke Johnson added 10 and Colin Nickell scored seven.
Turner opened the scoring for London, then Nickell hit a three-pointer. They would add a couple more scores for a 9-0 lead.
Bellefontaine finally broke its drought with just over two minutes to go son a three in the corner by Lotts. That would be their only points of the period, with London hitting a couple more shots to go up 13-3.
Scores by Conaway, Patrick Stolly and Jair Mundy cut that gap down to three points in the second quarter.
Johnson hit for three points then Nickell had a long two for the Red Raiders.
After C.J. Butler had a basket and foul shot with 2:30 to play, the teams traded 3-pointers in the final minute to leave London ahead 21-16.
London wasted no time in the third period, going on a 8-0 run and pushing the gap to 13. Bellefontaine would be held to a pair of free throws by Lotts with 5:28 to go and a jumper in the lane from Conaway over the next stretch.
Turner then heated up for London, scoring three of their next five baskets. Mundy made a three-pointer, but scores by Turner and Baylor Kennell made it 45-23 going to the fourth.
The fourth period would be balanced in terms of team scoring, with Bellefontaine putting up 16 as both sides turned to the benches. The Chieftains managed to hit a couple of three-pointers in the final stages.
“It’s up and down, you’re just going to have to deal with that adversity and bounce back and I think our kids will do that, they’re pretty solid,” said Stolly.
Bellefontaine won the JV contests, by scores of 43-39 with 16 points by Josh Phillips, and 51-48 with 14 by Sam Jenkins, 13 by Tyler Rossey, and 10 by Tiler Monnin.
Bellefontaine hosts North Union on Tuesday night, then travels to Urbana next Friday.
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In other boys hoops action Friday:
Lakers fall to North Union
Indian Lake lost 55-48 to visiting North Union in CBC play.
Brodey Reisinger had 19 points for the Lakers. Avery Pequignot and Colin Bendler each scored eight.
The Wildcats led 23-17 after the first quarter. The Lakers had a one-point edge in the second, but were still behind, 33-28.
North Union had a six-point advantage in the third and held on from there, with the fourth being a defensive battle.
North Union won the JV game 65-45, with Brady Golliday scoring 11 for Indian Lake.
Indian Lake (4-1 CBC, 5-6 overall) is back in action tonight at home against Shawnee.
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Raiders lose to Northwestern
Northwestern defeated host Benjamin Logan 51-44 in league play.
Ethan Miller had 13 points, Maddox Vermillion scored eight and Diesel Baughman added seven.
Ben Logan stayed with the Warriors in the first half and was ahead 27-26 at the break. But Northwestern cracked down in the third and fourth, holding Ben Logan to single digits in each period.
Ben Logan’s JV came out a winner 37-28. Baughman had 12 points and Carter Fay added six. The freshmen won 56-19, with 14 points by Owen Stratton and 11 by Adam Tinsman.
Ben Logan (0-6 CBC, 1-12) will be at Kenton Ridge on Tuesday night.
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WL-S tops W. Jefferson
West Liberty-Salem earned a 38-27 win at West Jefferson Friday night in the OHC.
Isaiah Reames had 13 points, Caleb Hershberger 11 and Sutton Wilcoxon seven for the Tigers.
In the JV contest, WL-S won 54-26. Tucker Searles and Brayan Gullett scored nine points each, with eight others recording at least two points.
West Liberty-Salem (7-3 OHC, 7-5 overall) will face River Valley on Monday at Ohio Dominican University.
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Pirates drop game to Bethel
Riverside lost 52-43 to visiting Bethel in Three Rivers Conference action.
Jaxon Woods had 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Gavin Osborne scored 13 points. Brody Orsborne had seven assists and two steals, and Damien Smith contributed five points and three rebounds.
Riverside led 22-20 at halftime, but Bethel outscored them 19-9 in the third and kept things even in the fourth.
The JV lost 56-44. Syler Clark had nine points and 10 rebounds. Justin Mazariegos, David Gross, Colton Hurley and Cooper Crouch all had seven points each.
The freshman team lost 30-22. Gabe Steineman scored nine and Aiden Fout six.