Botkins’ Collin Doseck attacks the rim past a Jackson Center defender for two of his game-high 17 points in Friday’s win over the Tigers. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Not for the offensive-minded, Botkins used its defense and clutch free throw shooting in the fourth quarter to win a see-saw Shelby County League matchup with Jackson Center, 42-39.
A tale of two perspectives, perhaps.
In the end, Botkins coach Phil Groves was beaming about his defense and his team’s clutch shooting at the foul line.
Jackson Center coach Aaron Klopfenstein was bemoaning missed opportunities…open shots…that woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’ won the game.
But close doesn’t count, and making shots did as Botkins withstood a classic Shelby County League defensive contest Friday night to win 42-39 over Jackson Center, improving to 6-1 overall, while dropping Jackson Center to 3-2. And no doubt it raised some questions as to when the shots…er, points…are going to come.
For the second time in a week, Klopfenstein’s Tigers failed to crack the 40-point mark, and not for lack of opportunity. The shots were there, despite Botkins’ heavy-handed defense, but they just didn’t fall.
“We had our opportunities,” Klopfenstein fumed afterwards. “We just didn’t capitalize. I haven’t seen an official shot chart yet, and I’m not sure I want to. We trust our guys to take shots, and over the course of the season we’re going to make those shots. But we didn’t make them tonight.”
Botkins’ defense was on point, and physical…swarming JC’s Reed Platfoot (above).
Phil Groves might have disagreed, despite a couple of wide-open misses late that would have tied the game in regulation, with Jackson Center’s final possession of the game. The Trojans’ defensive effort had been masterful, energetic…and exhausting to the frustrated Tigers.
“Points were at a premium for both teams tonight,” said Groves outside his locker room, following a rousing celebration inside that could be heard at the midcourt line. “But I thought our kids played well defensively, and really showed a lot of grit and determination for 32 minutes.”
Unofficially, Botkins narrowly outshot Jackson Center percentage-wise, 42% to 39%, and the scoreboard reflected how hard it would be to score after just eight minutes…7 to 4, Botkins.
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Little changed in the second quarter as the Trojans went to the halftime locker room with a 15-14 lead. No doubt, there were probably a few nodding off in the upper reaches of the balcony…from lack of action!
But that quickly changed at the start of the second half.
Botkins scored the first four points…Jackson Center answered the next four. Botkins guard Collin Doseck scored 6 of his team-high 17 points in the quarter, while JC’s Reed Platfoot and Lucas Heitkamp would answer with 4 points each, and enough to affect four lead changes along the way. Outscoring Botkins 13-12, the score was tied at 27-27 entering the fourth.
Coaches rave about senior leadership, and how there’s just no substitute for experience and the courage to compete. Once again…Collin Doseck.
The Trojans’ senior would ignite for 7 points over the final eight minutes. And after teammate Colton Pleiman muscled his way to the rim at the two-minute mark to take a 37-34 Botkins lead, Doseck would go to the foul line five times in the final two minutes and hit all five attempts, finishing with 17 points.
Still, Jackson Center, true to Klopfenstein’s words, had its opportunities.
Colton Pleiman’s bucket gave Botkins a 37-34 lead in the fourth quarter.
After Botkins’ Eli Pitts had hit two free throws of his own to take a 40-36 lead with 27 seconds left in the game, Jackson’s Preston Serr came down and coolly knocked in a deep three from the corner to cut the lead to 40-39.
But forced to foul, Jackson Center had to foul Doseck, who hit the final two of what would be seven consecutive from the line in the second half…42-39, Botkins…and there were 18 seconds left in regulation.
The Tigers brought the ball across the time line, and got a look at a three-point attempt from the wing that would have tied. It clanked off the rim and Reed Platfoot ran it down with 5 seconds left. Calling their final timeout, Jackson needed a three to win. Heitkamp and Serr were both covered and the ball found its way to Platfoot, who had a wide-open look from the top of the circle as time ran out. It hit the front of rim, ricocheted away, and Botkins had survived…thanks to Collin Doseck.
He finished with a game-high 17 points, joined by Eli Pitts with 10, Colton Pleiman with 6, and Noah Topp had 5. James Steinke finished the scoring with 3.
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For Jackson Center, Reed Platfoot had 14, Lucas Heitkamp finished with 8, Preston Serr had 6, Carter Klopfenstein had 5, and Cooper Hartle had 3.
“I spend a lot of time working on free throws,” Collin Doseck answered, afterwards. “I know that late in the game we’re going to need them. That’s when they count.”
There’s a sign inside the locker room door at Botkins that reads, The Difference In Winning And Losing Is This Much...showing a narrow gap between a thumb and forefinger. Who knows? After Friday Phil Groves might replace the thumb and forefinger with a picture of Doseck.
It didn’t go….but Reed Platfoot had this open look to tie the game in regulation as time ran out.
“Collin’s our guy,” smiled Groves. “He makes us go and he’s the pied piper for us. Late in the game we obviously want the ball in his hands, but tonight I wouldn’t overlook Eli Pitts knocking down two big free throws of his own down the stretch, as well. I have confidence in all my guys late in the game.”
And if Doseck’s 14-point second half was the difference in the game, Groves’ defense certainly set the table for him…as did Klopfenstein’s for Jackson Center. The difference was made shots, compared to missed opportunity.
“We preach playing with toughness and grit every day,” added Groves. “It’s one of the values that we cling to, and so far we’ve performed well with that. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort.”
As was Aaron Klopfenstein of his own kids.
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Frustrated with their inability to score predictably so far, they’ve broken 50 points just once and are averaging 41.8 points per game. Friday was physical and the luck of a shot made, or a call, had turned its back on the Tigers.
“We had our chances, but it’s hard when you have five turnovers in the second quarter and those led to quick opportunities for them. We were solid when we played in the half court, but the transition buckets hurt.”
Botkins left them little margin for error, and the box score will show that Jackson Center was anything but perfect. But on nights when the shots fall Klopfenstein concedes that you don’t have to be perfect.
However, he would have liked to have had some…even one…on Friday.
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