Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Miami Trace has been on a quest for redemption this season.
After watching its rival, Washington, claim the FAC crown on its home floor last winter, the Panthers have been all business in league play, standing with a perfect league record after the first round of FAC competition.
Then, a curveball was suddenly thrown at their newfound success.
Head coach Ben Ackley was sidelined because of a heart attack on Dec. 29. Some teams would tend to struggle under those type of circumstances. However, that’s not the case for Ackley’s Panthers.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“It’s a bummer not having [Ackley] there, looking over and seeing him all the time,” Miami Trace’s Austin Boedeker said. “We’d definitely like to see him back on the court and coaching us again.”
So far, Miami Trace has played inspired and has won three of its first four games during Ackley’s absence. The team’s most recent win came in a 45-35 defeat of Chillicothe on Tuesday night, keeping the Panthers at the top of the FAC ranks.
“Coach Ackley was here tonight,” Panthers acting head coach Brian Southward said. “The guys saw him, and I think that got their spirits up a little more.”
Tale of the tape
Both squads struggled offensively to start, but a combined seven different players on both sides graced the score sheet in the opening period. Miami Trace’s lone 3-pointer in the first quarter came from Trey Robinette, giving the Panthers a 9-7 advantage.
Miami Trace (10-3, 6-0 FAC) would keep its foot on the gas to start the second, extending the lead to eight points late in the half. However, Chillicothe’s Andrew Hamman grabbed a rebound and kissed the ball off the glass as the halftime buzzer sounded, cutting the Panthers’ lead to 21-15 at the break.
“We started a little sluggish from the get-go,” Southward said. “It was the same thing we did at Chillicothe. It happened the same way until we got going.”
Coming out of the break, it seemed as though the Cavaliers (5-7, 1-5 FAC) smelled blood in the water, and they responded as such.
On its first possession of the half, Chillicothe fed Daniel Scissum down low, and Scissum turned around and found the bottom of the net. Cooper Stoneking and Cam Badger followed with their own baskets inside, and just like that, the game was tied at 21-21, just 1:43 into the half.
Southward had seen enough and, after he called a timeout, the Panthers flipped the switch back on.
Austin Boedeker went the entire first half without scoring, but after watching Miami Trace’s lead evaporate, the senior took over by scoring nine of his team’s 11 points in the frame. Behind that burst, the Panthers finished the third on an 11-2 run, carrying a 32-23 lead into the final eight minutes.
“We’re not selfish. We don’t care who scores,” Miami Trace’s Adam Guthrie said. “Whoever’s open, we’re going to find them.”
While Chillicothe tried to battle back, the Panthers had an answer to nearly everything. After milking the clock and knocking down their free throws down the stretch, MT completed the season sweep of the Cavaliers to keep its perfect league record intact.
“We’re becoming more of a team as the year goes on,” Boedeker added. “We’re sharing the ball more. We’re shooting a lot better. Overall, I think the team chemistry is coming together.”
Stat book
The Panthers were led in scoring by Boedeker and Guthrie, who contributed 11 points each. Following the two was Grant Guess, putting up eight points on the evening.
Stoneking led Chillicothe with 10 points, including two 3-pointers. Following Stoneking was Badger with nine points, Caydon Cox with seven, and Hamman with five.
What’s on tap
Both teams are back in action for FAC competition on Friday. The Cavaliers travel to Washington while Miami Trace hosts McClain.
“We beat [McClain] pretty good the last time. They’re going to come in here looking for revenge,” Boedeker said. “We just have to bear down in practice and take them head on.”
“McClain has been playing a lot better,” Southward said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re 0-5 in the league. We’ve got to come in here and be prepared.”
BOX SCORE
Chillicothe: 7-8-8-12 — 35
Miami Trace: 9-12-11-13 — 45
Chillicothe scoring: Stoneking 10, Badger 9, Cox 7, Hamman 5, Scissum 4
Miami Trace scoring: Boedeker 11, Guthrie 11, Guess 8, Osborne 5, Matthews 3, May 3, Salyers 3, Armstrong 1
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