Graham 69 Alter 61
Falcons headed to state basketball tournament
Free-throw shooting propels Graham down the stretch in win.
What will it take for Graham to win the state title?
Monday, March 10, 2008
FAIRBORN — An opponent might be taller, faster, or more disciplined, but no opponent is going to be tougher than Graham High School.
The Falcons made 22-of-26 free throws, including all 10 in overtime as the Falcons beat Kettering Alter 69-61 in the Division II, Region 8 boys basketball final on Sunday, March 10.
Graham junior Josh Schuler drives to the basket during the Falcons 69-61 overtime win over Alter at Wright State's Ervin J. Nutter Center on Sunday. Alter started two players taller than 6-foot-6. The Falcons' tallest player is 6-3 forward Ethan Ward, but their determination Sunday overcame any lack of height.
"Free throws come down to toughness," Graham coach Brook Cupps said. "If you can focus at the end of the game, if you can put yourself in a stressful situation and you can still go up there and do what you need to do to make the shot, I think it's toughness."
Most of the 3,502 spectators at Wright State's Nutter Center were pro-Graham, and let the Falcons hear their support as they cut down the nets as regional champs. This is Graham's first trip to the boys basketball state tournament.
"I won't say I never thought about it," said Cupps, a 1995 Graham graduate. "It's always been a goal and it's something that you strive for and you work for. ... It's surreal. And, we've got practice (today). That's even better."
Graham (26-0, No. 5 in the state D-II poll) will play Toledo Libbey (23-2, No. 4) in a state semifinal at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
After Sunday's shooting effort, free throws and 3-pointers will be the Falcons' two primary scoring options heading to Columbus.
Guard Josh Schuler made five 3-pointers against Alter's 2-3 zone and scored a team-high 19 points. Austin Jones scored 18 points with three 3-pointers, and Ward scored 17.
"We know for the most part we're a good-shooting team," Schuler said. "We don't lose our confidence when we miss a couple. We know sooner or later we're going to start knocking some down."
In the first half, it was Alter (17-8) hitting all the shots. The Knights made 13-of-21 from the field (61.9 percent), led by Jamarre White's 14 points.
"We thought we could hurt them by being in the passing lanes," Cupps said. "But honestly, they did a better job of attacking us off the dribble, and we weren't rotating as well as we needed to in order to cut off those drives. They got too many shots at the basket in the first half."
The switch paid off — Alter made 8-of-20 in the second half (40 percent).
Meanwhile, Graham kept firing. Schuler's 3-pointer with 6:12 left in regulation put Graham up 48-47, its first lead of the game.
Thirty seconds later, Alter committed its seventh foul of the half, putting Graham in the bonus. Guard Ben Rosenberger went to the line to the roaring approval of the Graham crowd, and knocked down both tries.
The Falcons made 17 of their next 18 freebies, including 11 straight at the end of regulation and into overtime.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0366 or bplasters@coxohio.com.
Next Game
Who: Graham (26-0) vs. Toledo Libbey (23-2)
When: 10:45 a.m. Thursday
Where: Schottenstein Center
Radio: WKSW-FM (101.7)
Comments
By Anonamous Graham Freshman
March 12, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
I think all Graham will have to do is make them shoot bad shots outside and don’t let them get the ball down low and they should do fine. I hear they arn’t a very good shooting team so if they can keep them shooting beyond 3-point land it should all work out in the Falcons favor. Go Graham!!! Schuler your my idol and Jones you too!!!!!!!!
By Pistol Pete
March 10, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
I have watched Libbey 7 or 8 times this year and here is what I have seen.
Bufford does not get in foul trouble too often. The regional final is the 1st game in his career that he has fouled out of.
He shoots a very high % from all over the floor.
They have 7 players that all have college bodies 6-3 to 6-6. 5 of the 7 are Division 1 college talents but grades my hold them back. Most people around Toledo think Bufford is only the 3rd best athlete on the team.
By Brandon Dingey
March 10, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
GO GRAHAM!!!!!!!!!
By Brad Bovey
March 10, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Graham will have their hands full with Bufford. But i have read that he gets into foul trouble often and this can be the key for Graham towin. Can they get him in foul trouble? ABSOLUTELY! Graham’spost players can and will cause havok in the post. This is why i see that Graham willcome away witha “W” for the 27th time in a row. GO FALCONS!!!!