Sectional pairings
ARGOS - Sectionals for high school boys basketball don’t begin for another week, but there was a good preview of it Saturday night at Phil Weybright Gymnasium.
Before a pumped up crowd that looked and sounded much larger than the pandemic max of 300, No. 12 argos held off No. 13 Triton, 51-39, in a battle of Class 1a heavyweights who could play for the Sectional 50 hardware on March 6.
“The intensity was there like a sectional,” said argos head coach Gordon Mosson, whose squad has now won seven straight. “It was nice having the crowd again. Both teams are fairly equal and both teams played hard. Triton has a nice team, but I’m proud of our team.”
The Dragons looked fresh and focused from the opening tip, not showing any effects coming off their mentally and physically draining overtime win over North Judson just 24 hours earlier. Facing the speedy, guard-oriented Trojans it was argos that came out pressing and changing defenses.
“We haven’t done much of that this year, but sometimes you have to bring out the old things you’ve done in the past,” Mosson added. “Our intention was to get them thinking instead of just playing, maybe slow them down a little bit. at times it was effective.”
Like the first quarter. a 7-0 run was followed shortly thereafter by a 6-0 spurt and the home team threatened to make it a runaway before a Tyson Yates jumper at the buzzer kept Triton within six, 13-7.
Freshman reserve Sean Richard provided a spark - and rebounds and four points - off the bench as the argos lead reached 23-11 midway through the second period. John Gardner (5) and Yates (4) then led a 9-2 response by Triton to cut the lead to five before JJ Morris nailed a 3 at the buzzer for a 28-20 halftime advantage for the Dragons.
Triton’s ashton Oviedo, held scoreless in the first half, had six of his seven points during the third frame, but the argos lead was still six heading to the fourth period.