Riders hold off Indians

ST. MARYS - The comeback came up short for Fort Recovery.

After trailing St. Marys most of the game, including by five at the start of the fourth and by four with 3:47 left, the Indians made a late charge to tie the game at 45 with 1:10 left. But LeTrey Williams gave the Roughriders back the lead and the Indians turned the ball over on the next possession, setting up a 53-45 St. Marys victory in the boys basketball season opener at Grand Lake Health System Court.

"We've got to figure out how to put the ball in the hole," Fort Recovery coach Jim Melton said. "We struggled from the free throw line, I believe at one stretch we were 1-for-7. Missed a lot of wide open looks. Took us a little while to get settled in, settled down a little bit. There was some nerves early on. But I love the fight in our team."

After Cale Rammel tied the game at 45, Williams took the ball all the way down the court and drove to the basket for a 47-45 lead. On the next possession, a botched pass ended up in Williams' hands, and Jadin Davis hit two free throws that all but put the game out of reach.

Brandon Bowers added a dunk with eight seconds left and Williams hit two free throws for the final margin.

"Our kids, they just sucked it up and kept playing, kept playing, kept playing," St. Marys coach Dan Hegemier said. "That's what you got to do."

St. Marys (1-0) led most of the way after gaining a three-point lead late in the first off a pair of Indians turnovers. Fort Recovery was able to hang around, though, and the Roughriders' inability to put the game out of reach nearly cost them.

"We've got to stop turning the ball over," Hegemier said. "The time at the end of the third and start of the fourth, we made some stupid turnovers. It's a young season, we've got a lot to learn."

Fort Recovery came on strong defensively in the fourth quarter to key the late surge. Of St. Marys' 14 turnovers, five came in the fourth quarter.

But the Indians gave back as many possessions as they gained, finishing with 16 turnovers that kept the offense from getting into a rhythm.

"We've got to take care of the basketball," Melton said. "That's what it boils down to, our execution and valuing the basketball."

St. Marys went to a zone in the second half, but in the final minute, the Roughriders went back to a man defense and got three takeaways to put the game on ice.

"When we went to the zone, it took them a while to figure out what we were doing, and then they got a couple easy looks," Hegemier said. "But we had to go to the zone. I hate playing zones, but we had to go to the zone tonight."

Much of the production for St. Marys came from the backcourt of Williams and Davis, who combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds.

"Our guys weren't dialed in like they should have been on (Davis)," Melton said. "We knew what his strengths were and kind of let him get away from us a little bit. We know he's a lefty and likes to drive to the hole left, and he can shoot a little too."

But the big matchup was inside, where 6-9 1/2 sophomore Austin Parks took on 6-6 senior Brian Bihn. Bihn's physical style largely won the battle in the paint for the Indians, but Parks and forward Bowers were able to put up key points and give the Roughriders enough balance to pull out the win.

"Austin was really nervous at the start of the game," Hegemier said. "The Bihn boy, he's a big human being. He was a tough load for us tonight."

St. Marys will face Marion Local tonight in Maria Stein, while Fort Recovery has a week off before looking to rebound against Monroe Central of Indiana.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Melton said.