Late rally sends host Pirates into semis
GREENSBURG – The final score of Wednesday’s nightcap at Sectional 29 is a bit deceiving, though well earned by the host Greensburg Pirates.
South Dearborn senior Ryan Willoughby – the EIAC’s scoring leader for the 2022-23 campaign – had just tied the game at 36 with a little over five minutes remaining. But those would be the Knights’ final points of the contest as the Bucs finished on a triumphant 17-0 note to advance with a 53-36 win.
Greensburg senior Ki Dyer (2nd-leading scorer the conference) hit a three with an assist to classmate Abe Tebbe. The Pirates’ Class of 2023 proceeded in the scoring column, putting in Greensburg’s final 29 points. Grainger Maxwell made it 41-36 and Jeter Edwards completed a traditional 3-point play off a fast break before adding a pair of free throws. The Pirates had built a 46-36 lead.
A Maxwell blocked shot led to a FT trip for Dyer. The latter drove to the rim for two to make it a 49-36 affair. Dyer and Maxwell added two foul shots apiece for good measure.
It was all home team to start out as Greensburg climbed ahead 12-2. Sophomore Jack McKinsey hit twice in the early going (2 and 3) and junior Addison Barnes-Pettit dropped in a trey from the corner and two in transition. SD coach Patrick Cosgrove asked for time at 3:42. Dyer then scored off an inbound pass.
The Knights settled down rather well and gained the lead with 4:19 to go in the first half. A Zander Schwab three sparked the comeback and Willoughby got loose on a break. A runout for Willoughby ended the first frame at 13-10.
Breckin McCreary opened scoring in the second stanza, but it was Brodie Teke’s triple that put South ahead by two. The Knights’ run would reach 12 unanswered as Teke scored on a runout and Hudson Shackelford maneuvered down the lane for a pair. Dyer stopped the bleeding by hitting a trey.
SD broke down the Pirate defense for two layups late in the half – Shackelford and Willoughby. Edwards connected on a side 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 23-19 at intermission.
Dyer began the second half by burying a 3 from the top of the key. South then had four looks at the rim, with the last one going in for Adam Kunkel. Two foul shots by Willoughby had SD maintaining a 27-22 advantage. McKinsey cut it to three on a dribble drive and two Tebbe charities tied the game at 27. Two hoops by Shackelford (the second a triple from a Teke pass) aided the Knights in holding their lead as the fourth quarter loomed (32-31).
A cut to the rack by Edwards changed the lead early in the fourth and Dyer followed from distance. Jacob Daugherty’s jump shot preceded an SD timeout at 5:36.
Dyer led all scorers with 23 and Edwards tallied 10. McKinsey had 7, ABP 5 and Tebbe and Maxwell 4 each. Willoughby was tops for SD with a dozen. Shackelford scored 9, Teke 6, Schwab 3 and McCreary, Kunkel and Daugherty 2 each.
Greensburg (18-6) squares off with Lawrenceburg in Friday night’s second game. South Dearborn’s season ended at 15-9, a third consecutive winning campaign.
