By Todd Lancaster
One of the easy ways to help yourself win a close game is to make free throws. And that is exactly what New Harmony did in their 64-57 overtime win over Washington Catholic in the Birdcage on Saturday.
The Rappites made 17-21 charity tosses, in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter through the overtime period, to keep the Cardinals at bay. In fact NH was 23-30 and made more than two times as many shots as WC took in the game.
Along with solid free throw shooting, New Harmony also was able to unleash 6-5 senior Robert Perry in the paint all night, for 29 points, 11-12 from the free throw line and seven rebounds, to help the Rappites to their 10th win of the season.
However, the game didn’t always look like it was going to turn in New Harmony’s direction. WC lead at the end of the first three stops, including a fairly dominant first half.
WC junior Austin Jarrett had half of his team-leading 20 points in the first quarter, WC was able to pull out from a 4-4 tie to a 15-7 first quarter lead. WC also got a bucket from Matt Stuart and a trey from Luke Mitchell.
Adam Joyce led the second quarter scoring for WC, going 5-6 from the free throw line, Mitchell added four more points, along with buckets from Harrison Holmes and Jarrett. However, New Harmony would keep from getting blown out of the quarter with 3-point shooting. Blane Worman and Wes Scherziner knocked down three treys in the quarter and WC was only able to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.
“They hit 3s in the first half and killed us inside in the second half,” said WC coach Bill Brown.”
Things began to change in the third quarter, WC would start the quarter shooting just 3-13 from the floor. In fact, WC would shoot just 37 percent for the game. The 3-point shooting was even worse, going just 3-12 in the game, including a half-court shot at the end of the game.
“We got away from being patient and moving the ball. We took six 3-point shots in the first half and we only want to take six to eight for the game.
“I don’t care if we take an open 3 after the fourth or fifth pass, but we were settling for 3s after one pass. We are not a 3-point shooting team.”
New Harmony took its first lead of the game at 35-34 and led 37-35 after a 16-5 run, before WC scored the last five points of the quarter to go into the final eight minutes up, 40-37.
“Things changed to start the second half,” said Brown. “We talked about coming out with intensity, matching their intensity and we just didn’t do it.
“We went from being a defensive team early in the year to a team that can’t guard anyone. We have guys who think they don’t have to guard anybody.”
The game see-sawed through the fourth quarter.
With a 1:46 left WC stole the ball and looked like it would have a chance to extend its lead to three points, but New Harmony stole the ball right back and Worman made a pair of free throws that gave NH the one-point lead. Holmes added a bucket that made it 48-47, but Perry hit a free throw and sent the game into overtime.
“It goes back to the mental part of this game. There were several occasions tonight, and it has happened in every game since Christmas, where we came out of a huddle and we had two or three guys who don’t know what is going on or what I just said,” added Brown.
During the OT, WC was forced to foul and New Harmony was able to ice the game, going 16-20 pushing the lead to 64-54, before Mitchell made a half-court shot at the buzzer.
Jarrett led WC with 20, Holmes ended the game with 11, while Mitchell had 10 and Stuart added nine. Joyce rounded out the scoring with seven. WC won the battle of the boards, out rebounding NH, 45-30. Jarrett led all rebounders with 11, giving him a double-double for the night.
There was no JV game played.
