Spartans cruise past Dogs
The Connersville Spartans hosted an EIAC matchup against Batesville on Saturday. The Bulldogs had the lead after the first quarter, but the Spartans pulled away to win their sixth game in a row.
Cole Pride got BHS on the board to start the game, Lucas Barron scored, then Pride hit a three-point basket, and Kade Kaiser scored twice to put Batesville ahead 10-3. Barron scored the next four points and Josh Williams scored for CHS to tie the game up with less than a minute to go in the period. Pride scored one more time and the Dogs led 12-10 after one period. Connersville started the second quarter on a 7-0 run, but Pride and Kaiser got the Dogs back in the game and it was tied at 17-17. Barron and Braxton Meyers scored, and Barron hit a freebie putting the Spartans up by five. Batesville got another Pride basket and a deep ball from Gus Prickel to tie the game up with two minutes to go in the half. The Spartans scored three more points to end the half up 25-22. Jack Grunkmeyer tied the game up to start the third quarter with a Batesville basket. Connersville then got a three from Williams and Meyers and Barron scored putting CHS up by four with three minutes to go in the period. Grunkmeyer scored for BHS and Carson Laker hit a field goal, but Connersville finished the frame with Meyers scoring again and two baskets from Blaine Hornsby to go up 38-32 through three quarters. Willams started the final period with a basket for CHS and Kaiser and Prickel scored to keep the Spartans from running away with the game. The Spartans finished the game outscoring the Dogs 8-4 over the final two minutes and earned a 51-41 EIAC victory to move to 4-0 in conference play and 11-3 overall. Batesville falls to 9-5 on the season and 2-2 in conference play.
Leading the way for Connersville was Barron who finished with 18-points, Williams added 16, Meyers 10, Hornsby 4, Gavin Pearson 3.
Batesville was led by Pride with 13, Kaiser 12, Prickel 6, Grunkmeyer 5, Sam Johnson 3, and Laker 2.
Batesville will face North Decatur (11-4) on Friday and the Spartans travel to Fortville to take on Mt. Vernon (10-5) on the same day.