Versailles’ Jace Watren reaches for the rim and two of his 10 points in Saturday’s 64-45 win over Tipp City. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Unbeaten now in seven starts, Versailles turned up the heat on both ends Saturday night to hand Tipp it’s first loss of the season.
Tipp City, OH – If you know basketball you know that the lack of any one of the following…offense, transition defense, rebounding, shot selection…any one of ’em can get you beat. Cost you a ballgame.
In the case of Brock Moon’s Tipp Red Devils Saturday night, they checked all the boxes in suffering their first loss of the season, to Versailles, 64-45.
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“We struggled,” said Moon, post-game. “We couldn’t get loose balls, we got beat up on the glass, didn’t score for an entire quarter…a combination of things that we challenged our kids to do. So credit to Versailles. They played hard, they got most of the loose balls, and they made some plays.”
It amounted to a laundry list of things to work on when Tipp next convenes for practice. And, it was a valuable reminder – confirmation – for Travis Swank’s 7-0 Versailles Tigers. Do one or two of these things and it might be the difference in the ball game.
Do ’em all…and there’s no question you’re going to win!
A young group with just one senior starting, Swank’s Tigers made a strong run in last spring’s Division III tournament and did it exactly the way they dominated Tipp on Saturday night.
They played aggressive defense.
They created turnovers – loose balls.
Versailles’ Drake Ahrens rips the ball away from Tipp’s Clin Turner during Saturday’s non-conference win over the Red Devils.
They scored in transition off those turnovers.
They ran the offense, shared the basketball, and took good shots in rhythm.
They shot a high enough percentage from the perimeter to open up one drive after another to the rim.
And they beat Tipp to every meaningful offensive rebound in the game.
Still, Moon’s Red Devils made enough shots in the first quarter to trail by a point, 14-13.
And after watching Versailles sprint to a 10-0 run in the second to open a 28-17 lead, Tipp’s CJ Bailey canned a pair of threes and scored10 points for the quarter to close the gap to 32-27 by halftime.
But Versailles in 2024-’25 is athletic, mercurial, and capable of blowing you up in the matter of three bad possessions, and that’s exactly how they started the third quarter.
Drake Ahrens, Jace Watren, and Blake Monnin combined for 12 points, Versailles scored 14 while holding Tipp scoreless for the entire eight minutes…and it was game, set, and match – 46-27 to start the fourth quarter.
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“We’re a pretty good team,” said Drake Ahrens, later. “Tipp’s a pretty good team, this was a good win. We’ve got shooters, we’ve got good ball skills…good players. We’ve improved a lot [since last year].”
If all that’s true, it bodes well for a warm winter in Versailles.
Tipp’s Jackson Davis is a step late in closing on Versailles’ Blake Monnin. Monnin would finish with 20 points.
It’s obviously a team that’s grown up since last spring, and in the case of Ahrens, he credits a season of football for helping him get bigger and stronger.
“I played football and got stronger. I can jump higher now, do some things I couldn’t do before. And Jace can jump out of the gym. We’ve got some crazy-good athletes.”
Tipp hardly threw in the towel, in fact coming back in the fourth to find some of their shooting touch to score 17 points.
But for their 45 points on the night, few came from inside 15 feet. For Tipp, it was a matter of jump shots, or no shots at all, as Versailles’ athleticism and quickness short-circuited drives to the rim. Tipp finished shooting just 32% from the field.
Versailles feasted off turnovers and 16 points in transition, and shot 54% from the field to score 64. Impressively, Ahrens (20), Watren (10) and Monnin (20) combined to score 50 of those points. Travis Swank smiled afterwards in appreciation.
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“I think it’s sustainable,” he said, speaking of multiple players capable of scoring in double figures. “We’ve got other scorers who can step up and make shots if you take one or two of those guys away. Tonight was good to see because we did so many of the things we focus on to be successful.
“We’re athletic,” he reiterated. “We’re capable of making plays, winning with defense when we have to, and with the offense when we have it.”
Ahrens, Watren, and Monnin scored 50, while Ethan Wilker had 6, Jack Borchers had 4, and Carson Bergman and Cam Ahrens each had 2.
Tipp’s CJ Bailey puts his head down and drives for 2 of his team-high 19 points.
For Tipp, CJ Bailey led with 19 points, Colin Turner chipped in 17, but then the falloff…
Preston Zumwalt, AJ Jergens and Jackson Davis would combine to score their remaining 9 points.
With a week off to refocus, Tipp (6-1) resumes Miami Valley League play in Sidney next Friday night.
“It’s been a good 7-0,” said Swank, as he considered his team’s start and the heavy lifting ahead.
Versailles opens MAC play with Marion Local next Friday.
With a lot of things you’d want to see from a basketball team – offense, defense, rebounding, and they play to win.
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