The McClain Tigers got their season started on the right foot Friday, November 30, at Hillsboro High School when they took on the East Clinton Astros in the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic and picked up the 50-38 win.
“Our grit, our determination, the defensive end of the floor. We would have like to have shot it better, we would have liked to executed better on the offensive end,” said McClain Head Coach Joe B. Stewart. “The fact of the matter was, more than anything else, I think our effort on the defensive end brought us a win and that’s a pretty good way to start.”
The game was a defensive showcase for both teams that saw the Tigers earn a 9-7 lead after one quarter of play and a 22-19 lead at half time.
In the third quarter the Astros really locked down on the Tigers and limited them to just four points from senior Devin Carter while scoring eight of their own to take a 27-26 lead into the fourth and final quarter of play.
McClain’s Kobe Penwell found a rhythm in the fourth quarter and he recorded all nine of his points in the frame to lead the Tigers to a 24 point outburst while they held the Astros to 11 points to swing a one point deficit into a 12 point victory.
Stewart talked about Penwell’s play in the fourth and how it affected the game, “Obviously once Kobe got it going and got a couple buckets, made some nice passes, now all of a sudden everybody is in the game.”
Score by quarters
MHS 9-13-4-14
ECHS 7-12-8-11
McClain: Penwell 3(1)-9; Cockerill 1(1)-1/2-6; Banks 2-2/5-6; Carter 5-5/5-15; Schluep 2-4; Mischal 3-0/1-6; Newkirk 0/2-0; Dehecq 2-0/1-4
Totals: 18(2)-8/16-50
East Clinton: B. Smith 2-1/3-5; Rolfe 1/2-1; J. Smith 2/2-2; Peterman (1)-3; Neanover 2(1)-7; Mitchell 2-0/1-4; Vadnais 5-10
Totals: 14(2)-4/10-38
Ryan Applegate is the sports editor for The Times-Gazette. Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.
