Trojans’ horse
Chesterton rides Wadding’s effort to rebound win over Crown Point
Chesterton’s Jack Eaton knows the routine.
Find a spot outside the 3-point line, and Jake Wadding will make the appropriate pass.
Eaton and his teammates were in the right spots all night Friday for a much-needed 55-49 Duneland Athletic Conference win over Crown Point.
The Trojans (11-4, 2-1) had lost their last two games.
Wadding, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
That’s his typical game.
Getting eight points each from Eaton and Drew VanderWoude ended up being crucial for Chesterton.
Eaton, a 6-1 senior guard, made two 3-pointers. The Trojans shot 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
“We like to get the ball into Jake,” Eaton said. “He always makes the right read. He’s a good passer. He found me (Friday).”
Chesterton coach Marc Urban called it a possession-by-possession game. He figured his team would be in good shape by winning an extra defensive series or two and playing smart offensively.
The Trojans were efficient, shooting 15-for-26 from the floor and 21-for-24 from the free-throw line.
“We play our best when everyone steps up and makes a big play when they need to,” Urban said.
Chesterton gained control in the third quarter with an 18-11 stretch.
It was a critical moment. Crown Point (7-6, 2-1) trailed
26-19 with a little under three minutes left in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs scored the last eight points of the first half. Sam Snodgrass, who had 19 points, hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to build a 27-26 lead.
But a basket by VanderWoude with 3:44 left in the third quarter gave Chesterton a lead it never lost.
Crown Point coach Clint Swan agreed there were just a few plays that made the difference.
“Tip your hat to Chesterton,” Swan said. “They made the critical plays down the stretch. Our guys played hard.”
Wadding is always the key. He shot 6-for-8 from the floor.
“I thought we bottled him up sometimes, and then there were times when he got in space,” Swan said. “When he’s in space, he’s really good.”
For the Trojans, it was a necessary win. They lost last week to LaPorte on the road and they followed that Wednesday with a loss to Andrean.
Urban knows to stay in contention for the DAC title, his team has to keep winning.
“You can’t lose two (and win it),” he said.
Eaton said it was a good response after a tough week.
“This was a morale booster after Andrean and LaPorte,” he said. “We were locked in. We just got it done.”