By: Elise Hempker for Miami County 10
TROY HIGH SCHOOL – After a questionable first half, Troy’s Varsity Boys Basketball team was able to seal a 71-59 win over the Fairborn Skyhawks.
The Trojans got off to a messy start and just couldn’t seem to pull away in the first quarter. They put up 16 points which Fairborn easily matched.
“We had way too many turnovers and were rushing ourselves,” said Troy head coach, Mark Hess. “There were too many times we got caught watching and let guys run out in front of us.”
The second quarter was much of the same with a fast pace and a score at halftime of 37-38, Fairborn.
The second half was a different story. The Trojans came back from the break and were able to wear down the Fairborn defense and put up 22 points in the third quarter.
“This year, the first quarter has always been a little closer than I would’ve liked at times,” explained Hess. “But in the second half we’ve been able to wear teams down and get key stops.”
And that is exactly what they did Friday night. In the fourth quarter, Troy continued to force turnovers, shoot the ball well, and hold the Skyhawks to a 12 point lead to win 71-59.
What was key for the Trojans Friday night was their deep scoring abilities. Four of their seven scorers put up double digits, led by seniors Hollis Terrell who had 16 points and Isaac Phillips who had 15. Senior Nick Prince put up 13 and senior Noah Davis had 13.
“We have a bunch of guys that can score and it’s different guys every night,” said Hess. “I think that’s what makes us tough, they just play and they share the basketball.”
Juniors Kellen Miller contributed 8 points, Evan Kaiser added 5, and senior Konyae Foster had 2.
Looking forward to Butler, Hess says “Butler is going to want a slower pace and we’re going to try to use our depth and wear them out.”
The now 4-0 Trojans will travel to Butler to take on the 3-1 Aviators Tuesday, December 13 at 7:15PM.
BOX SCORE:
Fairborn – 16 – 22 – 10 – 11 – 59T
Troy – 16 – 21 – 22 – 12 – 71T
Troy Scoring:
Terrell – 16
Phillips – 15
Prince – 13
Davis – 12
Miller – 8
Kaiser – 5
Foster – 2
Fairborn Scoring:
Roschi – 17
Graham – 13
Bush – 9
Furman – 8
Davis Jr. – 7
Kennehan – 2
Warble – 2