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Hurricanes nip Neshannock
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A win is a win is win. In a season so far where wins have not been as plentiful as in the past the Hurricanes will take one even if it is over a AA team in the Neshannock Lancers. Meeting the Lancers in the second game of the Night of Champions event held at Westminster College as a fund raiser for the New Castle YMCA, the Canes eeked out a win over the Lancers 49-47. Neshannock with an inside presence of 6’4" and 6’5" and deadly three point shooting had amassed at 6-1 record on the season and would have liked nothing more than to knock off the big guy on the Lawrence County block. New Castle got 22 points from Chris Cain and just enough free throw shooting in the fourth quarter to gain the victory. Devin Taylor started the scoring for the Canes just 11 seconds in. The Canes opened the game in a "diamond and one" with Donovon Jones chasing Bob Preston but Neshannock elected to hold the ball on the outside rather than play against it. The Canes then came out of it and moved back to their 2-3 zone. Neshannock responded at 5:44 with a bucket by Jeff Genkinger. With New Castle controlling the boards early scored on a Taylor put-back at 5:12 putting the Canes back on top. After the teams exchanged turnovers Genkinger scored again knotting the game at four at 3:55. The Canes missed a ‘three’ and the Lancers Mike Kobal scored to put Neshannock on top 6-4. Another Canes’ missed ‘three’ led to another Kobal score this time a ‘three’ from the corner and Neshannock led 9-4 at 2:46. After another Hurricanes’ miss Cain was fouled while shooting. He hit one of two free throws narrowing the gap. The Canes with full court pressure caused a turnover by the Lancers and Kennan Moore hit a ‘three’ getting the Canes within one, 9-8. The New Castle pressure led to a steal and Cain scored at 1:37 giving New Castle the lead 10-9. After another steal the Hurricanes missed a shot, then the Lancers’ Genkinger scored again to give Neshannock the lead after one quarter, 11-10. To start the second quarter the Hurricanes employed their half court trap and it immediately showed dividends as a Lancer turnover led to a Taylor ‘three’ and the Canes led 13-11. Following a miss by Neshannock, Brian Bober scored putting the Hurricanes ahead 15-11 at 6:15. Neshannock scored at 5:59 getting back within two. A Canes’ turnover led to an easy looking basket by the Lancers when Taylor flew to the hoop and blocked the shot causing the ball to bounce off the backboard. The Canes grabbed it and were off and running. David Richards hit Cain with a pass and Cain converted putting New Castle up 17-13. New Castle’s trap again led to a steal but a Canes’ turnover gave it right back to the Lancers. Each team missed two ‘threes’ over the next minute and a half creating lots of action but no points. Neshannock broke the ice with two free throws at 3:40 getting back to within two of the Hurricanes 17-15. A quick steal by the Lancers led to a hoop and the game was tied at 17 at the 3:15 mark of the second quarter. New Castle regained the lead at 1:18 on a score by Cain after each team had again missed several shots. The Lancers launched two more unsuccessful ‘threes’ then Cain scored again with just nine seconds to play in the half giving New Castle a 21-17 halftime lead. A steal by the Hurricanes to open the third quarter led to a basket by Taylor at 6:53. The Lancers missed and Cain then scored at 6:44 to up the lead to 25-17. Another Lancer miss and another Cain hoop put New Castle up by 10, 27-17 at 5:55. Neshannock roared right back though, hitting a ‘three’ then a ‘two’ and after a steal another ‘three’ and were back to within two, 27-25 at the 3:55 mark. Moore answered with a ‘three’ for the Canes making it 30-15 at 3:33. Neshannock still playing hard crashed the boards to get several second shots and stole the ball twice but got only one hoop out of it and closed to within three, 30-27 at 2:45. Cain scored at 2:17 and again a minute later spreading New Castle’s lead to 34-27. Neshannock didn’t quit though and made one of two free throws at the 59 second mark. They grabbed the rebound from the missed shot and were fouled again. This time they made both free throws and closed to within four, 34-30. The Lancers stole the ball on the Canes next possession and hit a ‘two’ and trailed by only two, 34-32 after three quarters. Cain scored to open the fourth period and was fouled. He made the free throw putting the Hurricanes ahead by five, 37-32. Neshannock made a ‘three’ at 7:06 and following a New Castle turnover scored again to tie the game at 37, at 6:36. Richards made the front end of a one-and-one putting the Canes back on top and following a Hurricanes’ steal Moore scored giving New Castle a three point lead 40-37. Neshannock missed their next shot but New Castle turned it right back over the Lancers and they were fouled. The Lancers made the front of the one-and-one and the Hurricanes grabbed the rebound. Neshannock quickly stole the ball back and hit a ‘three’ to take the lead 41-40 at the 4:22 mark of the fourth period. Neshannock again stole the ball from the Canes but threw it away giving New Castle possession. Richards was fouled again, and again made only the front end of the one-and-one but tied the score at 41 with 3:58 left to play. After a Lancers’ miss Cain was fouled. He made both shots of the one-and-one putting the Hurricanes ahead 43-41 at 3:29. Neshannock then made both shots of a one-and-one at 2:52 to tie the game at 43. At 2:48 Richards was back at the free throw line, this time shooting two. This time he drained them both giving the lead back to New Castle 45-43. Following a Lancers miss on a ‘three’ Taylor scored for New Castle putting the Canes ahead 47-43 at 2:12. After a Lancer turnover and a Hurricanes’ miss Brian Bober was fouled with just 54 seconds left and went to the line to shoot two. He missed them both and Neshannock responded with a score with 38 seconds to go narrowing the lead to 47-45. Bober was fouled on the inbounds play and again went to the line to shoot two. He again missed them both. New Castle was called for a foul on the rebound and the Lancers went to the line for a one-and-one but missed the first shot and the Canes grabbed the rebound. Richards was fouled on the play and went to the line with 27 seconds left to shoot two and the Canes leading 47-45. He made the second of the two giving New Castle a three point lead. Neshannock then scored with six seconds to play to close within one, 48-47. Taylor was fouled on the inbounds play going to the free throw line to shoot two with just five seconds left. He made his first but missed the second leaving only a two point margin. The Lancers inbounded to Bobby Preston who went the length of the court and missed a runner from just inside the arc as time expired to keep the game from going to overtime.
Chris Cain led the Hurricanes with 22 points while Taylor added 12 and seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Kennedy Catholic beat Blackhawk 62-28 in the opening game of the evening.
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2003/04 Schedule Section Standings
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