Cashion dethrones Eagles in OT
Roberts tip-in helps Wildcats end Hennessey’s 4-year run as conference champ
HE’S NOT WRONG - Cashion’s T.J. Roberts, pictured in a game earlier this season, had the winning bucket to lift his team past Hennessey and win the Three Rivers Conference regular season title. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone.shootproof.com]
When it comes to regular season crowns, Hennessey has been king of the Three Rivers Conference.
Cashion finally found a way to dethrone the Eagles last week.
T.J. Roberts’ putback with four seconds left in overtime helped propel Cashion to a 44-42 victory Wednesday at Hennessey.
The Wildcats upped their season mark to 20-1, which included a perfect 6-0 run through the conference regular season.
It was Cashion’s first regular-season conference crown.
Hennessey, which dropped to 15-5 and 5-1, had won four consecutive regular season titles in the TRC under coach Brady Page.
The game was originally scheduled for earlier this month, but potential hazardous weather forced its postponement.
With the playoffs looming, it was part of a busy week for both squads.
Cashion is in the midst of four games this week and five games in eight days. Hennessey was playing for the second of four straight days.
The Eagles got out quickly behind the shooting of Angel Rodriguez and Juan Dominguez.
Both hit early 3-pointers as Hennessey led 15-5.
Cashion chipped away and was within two points by halftime.
The deficit grew to six going into the fourth quarter, but Cashion took command down the stretch.
With time running out, Cashion’s Jonah Jenkins was fouled with his team up two.
The sophomore made 1 of 2 free throws before Hennessey’s Wade Vinson forced overtime with his game-tying 3-pointer.
The teams were still tied late when Roberts grabbed a miss and scored the goahead bucket.
Vance Raney then got a hand on Rodriguez’s long 3-point attempt to seal the win.
Rodriguez scored 17 to pace Hennessey. Dominguez added eight and Vinson seven.
Roberts’ 11 points was enough to lead Cashion.
Raney scored 10 and Jacob Woody nine.
“The guys really wanted to win this,” Cashion coach John Hardaway said. “I reminded them last week that Cashion had never won it, so it was a nice motivational nugget since the playoffs are already set and we are in the midst of such a tough stretch of games.”
That game was Cashion’s fourth straight in the conference. Included were last Friday against Watonga, Crescent on Monday and then last Tuesday’s 56-51 survival at home against Okarche.
The Wildcats were up 13 in the first half before Okarche made a second-half surge.
Alex Nabavi and Raney scored 12 apiece in the win.
Okarche got 18 points from Kaleb Harris and 15 from Joseph Schaefer.
Logan Kroener added 12 points.
“We had a chance,” coach Aaron West said of his Warriors.
Okarche’s regular season ended with a 13-12 mark.
The Warriors were 2-4 in the conference.
Cashion girls top Okarche, Hennessey, miss out on conference title
The logjam at the top of the Three Rivers Conference girls standings got cleared up last week.
Despite Cashion knocking off Okarche and Hennessey on consecutive days, the Lady Wildcats had to settle for runner-up.
That was sealed on Tuesday - ironically - with Cashion’s 38-34 victory against Okarche.
That win, coupled with its 47-31 victory Wednesday at Hennessey, gave Cashion a 5-1 conference record.
That lone loss came Monday when Cashion was defeated 49-40 at Crescent, which was also 5-1. Since Crescent beat Cashion head-to-head, the Lady Tigers earned the crown.
Okarche led the Lady Wildcats 25-21 at halftime, but the Lady Warriors got just eight shot attempts in the second half.
“Our defense was really good,” said Cashion coach Andrea Taylor.
That helped Cashion go on an 11-3 run in the third quarter and then preserve the lead down the stretch.
Kaitin Taylor made two late free throws to put her team at a two-possession advantage.
She scored nine in the win while Neeley Tilley-Bedick led the team with 11. Rachel McDowell scored
Rachel McDowell scored 11 for Okarche. The Lady Warriors ended their regular season with a 22-3 record that included a 4-2 mark in conference games.
Cashion followed that up with Wednesday’s 16-point win at Hennessey.
The Lady Eagles hung tough early, but Cashion outscored them in every quarter.
Brook Shelly scored 12 to lead a balanced Cashion attack. Taylor and Lauren Lamb scored nine apiece.
Skye Simunek scored 11 for Hennessey, which dropped to 8-12 overall.