“We did enough to be able to be victorious, but we talk constantly about how we’re more performance-based than outcome-based,” Shawnee coach Chris McGuire said. “I didn’t feel like we played well. I felt like our energy wasn’t there. I don’t know. I don’t know what it was. We just didn’t play like we normally have played for whatever reason. We talked (in the locker room) that we play Jonathan Alder (on Saturday) and its got to be turned around quick or we’re not going to like the result.”
Senior Ayden Robinson scored 15 points for Southeastern (4-4).
Shawnee took a 37-28 lead on a layup by Kyle Dingeman, but Southeastern went on a 12-3 run to grab a 40-39 advantage on a bucket by junior Blake Vollrath late in the fourth quarter.
Shawnee reclaimed the lead on a 3-pointer by Darian Dixon. Junior guard Connar Earles hit a free throw with 29.5 seconds remaining. Southeastern got the ball back with 10 seconds remaining, but junior Brennan Workman’s 3-point attempt to tie the game rimmed out.
“I give credit to Southeastern,” McGuire said. “They played really hard and came and competed.”
First win
Tecumseh snapped an eight-game losing streak, beating Greenon 59-41 in the second game of the day.
Tecumseh was coming off back-to-back strong performances against Piqua and Urbana, said coach Kyle Leathley.
“The last two weeks of practice have been really good,” he said. “Christmas break has been good. It’s no coincidence that you get that and you come and play a little bit better.”
Sophomore Chase Stafford scored a game-high 21 points, hitting four of Tecumseh’s seven 3-pointers in the game. Jon Stafford, Chase’s father, starred at Tecumseh and Wittenberg, scoring more than 1,000 points in his career for the Tigers.
“He’s a really good player,” Leathley said. “He’s a kid that really worked on his game. I’m sure playing here at Wittenberg means more to him with the history of his family here. He’s a good player and a great leader.”
Seniors Austin Clark and DJ Wehener each scored 11 points for Tecumseh (1-8). Griffin Turner scored 11 points for Greenon (2-5).
Building
One of the most exciting games of the day was the opener between Emmanuel Christian and Northeastern. Emmanuel Christian trailed 23-21 at the half, but fought back to win 48-38.
“It was the first time this season that only did we get the lead, but we were able to hold it and extend,” said Emmanuel Christian coach Brandon Peterson, who took over this season for longtime coach Danny Moore. “With as young as we are, I couldn’t say more about our team.”
Junior Jae Ferryman scored 18 points and sophomore Nate Hudson added 15 for Emmanuel Christian (3-7).
“We’re building,” Peterson said. “We’re super, super young. We came in with no expectations this season, so it’s been about seeing how far we can go. Of course, this is not the record we want to start with, but as we get ready to go into conference play, this is definitely good momentum.”
Jonathan Guevara scored a game-high 19 points for the Jets, which fell to 3-4 in Trevor Kushmaul’s first season as head coach.
“We’re getting there,” Kushmaul said. “They’re buying in, it’s just got to click.”
Building culture
Northwestern juniors Mile Estes and Ross Fultz each scored 10 points as the Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Catholic Central 53-42. Northwestern improved to 3-3 under new coach Ron Long. Long coached at Springfield last season.
“It’s going well, probably better than I expected in the way they’ve been responding,” Long said. “We didn’t come to build culture, we came to elevate it. It all starts and ends with those young men allowing us to teach them and allowing us to develop them on and off the court. They’re just being receptive to it.”
Sophomore Keegan Guenther scored a game-high 15 points for Catholic Central (1-7).
Run it back
Wittenberg University athletic director Brian Agler estimated more than 7,000 people attended the inaugural two-day event this week in Springfield. They’re already planning to host the event again in 2024.
“We’re going to do it again,” Agler said. “It probably cured a lot of cabin fever that was going on. You know how it is this time of year.”
As part of the event, Wittenberg awarded 10 $1,000 scholarships — one for each Clark County school — to an individual attending Wittenberg. Game One, a Holland, Ohio-based sports apparel company, also donated tournament shirts to each school as part of the event.
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