GREENFIELD — The Cougars had a choice to make: pack the paint to neutralize Avon’s athleticism or play a more conventional defense that guards the 3-point line with equal importance.
Despite playing the percentages correctly, the visiting Orioles made the Cougars pay. Behind 15 3-pointers, Avon defeated Greenfield-Central on Thursday, 92-67.
“What I can do after a game like that is give a ton of credit to my players,” Cougars coach Lukas Haworth said afterward. “They did a great job sticking to the game plan and doing what I was asking of them. With a team of (Avon’s) athleticism, that’s a choice you have to make, and they made us pay.”
The game started with a glimmer of hope, as Caleb Mundell and Jacob Cochran helped the Cougars to a quick seven points. But then Avon made five 3-pointers in the remainder of the quarter. At one point, senior Wendell DeMyers had made his first four threes, even while being fouled on the last one.
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DeMyers finished with a game-leading 27 points.
The Cougars could have given up following that bit of bad luck, but they fought back in the second quarter, getting the deficit to single digits. Cochran, who would finish with a team-leading 21 points, sparked the Cougars’ fight.
“He’s been playing really well these past few weeks,” Haworth said. “He always wants to be perfect at everything, but tonight he was just playing in the flow of the game and is becoming a complete player.”
The Cougars were unable to sustain their pressure, as Avon continued to make shots at a high rate. They finished the game with 15 3-point shots made, which was more than enough to keep the Cougars at bay during the second half.
There are positives in ending a season playing a tough foe, as the Orioles were, according to Haworth.
“We’ve got one of the most balanced and skilled sectionals in the state,” Haworth said. “Facing teams with athleticism like this before our particular sectional really hones us in for sectional play and the skill we will see there. We aren’t one for moral victories here, but running with a team like this will give us confidence going into the sectional.”
The Cougars have one more regular season game remaining, as they travel to Plainfield next Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
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Avon 92, Greenfield-Central 67
AHS;31;16;18;28;-;92
GC;17;19;11;20;-;67
Greenfield-Central (4-18) – Cochran 5 8-8 21, B. Mundell 5 4-5 16, Hunt 2 3-4 8, McIntire 2 0-0 6, Rose 2 2-2 6, C. Mundell 2 1-2 5, VanDuyn 0 4-4 4, O’Connor 0 1-2 1. Totals: 18 22-27 67.
Avon (11-9) – DeMyers 10 1-2 27, Miller 5 0-0 15, Brewer 5 1-1 11, Carroll 4 0-2 9, Harris 3 1-1 7, Rinehart 3 1-2 7, McCray 2 0-2 6, Davis 1 1-2 3, Saravia 1 0-0 3, Short 1 0-0 2. Totals: 35 5-12 92.
3-pointers: Greenfield-Central 8 (Cochran 3, McIntire, B. Mundell 2, Hunt 1), Avon 15 (DeMyers 6, Miller 5, McCray 2, Carroll, Saravia 1).
Rebounds: Greenfield-Central 15 (McIntire, B. Mundell, Rose 3, Cochran, O’Connor, Wheeler 2), Avon 19 (DeMyers 6, Rinehart 5, Carroll, Harris 3, Davis, Miller 1).
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