Senators’ Great Start Too Much For Bobcats To Overcome

The Washington Township Senators came into the Bobcat Den ready to roll from the start, and were able to catch the host Bobcats on their heels early. From the opening tip, the Porter County Conference team, under head coach Scott Bowersock, were flying on both ends of the floor, using aggressive defense to lead to many of their scoring opportunities.

The Bobcats would be a bit shellshocked at the start, with the incredible display of overall athleticism by the Senators, who had jumped out to a 22-8 first quarter lead. The bulk of the Senators success on the offensive end of the floor would come from 6’7 Senior forward Austin Darnell, who was able to score 15 of his game-high 32 points in the first half, which included a rim shaking two-handed slam dunk. It would be the defense of the Senators that would have the ‘Cats frustrated throughout the ballgame, as Washington Township played a smothering full court defense, coming up with 8 steals in the first half. Oregon-Davis would begin to calm down as the half progressed, and began handling the defensive pressure of the Senators with more poise and control. The second quarter would see the Bobcats outscored just 17-14, proving to the crowd, and themselves, that they could compete in the ballgame.

The third quarter would prove the same as the second, with the Bobcats continuing to gain confidence as they, once again, played even with the Senators, with each team scoring sixteen points in the third, to make it a 55-38 score heading into the final quarter. Dylan Murphy would begin to come alive for the Bobcats, as he would score 9 of his team high 12 points in the final two quarters. The first quarter deficit, however, would be too much for the Bobcats to overcome, despite an incredible effort in the final three quarters. By the end of the game, the Bobcats would see eight different individuals in the scoring column while the Senators would have seven. To emphasize how much of an advantage the Senators built for themselves in the first quarter, if one takes away the first quarter altogether, the score was 50-44 in favor of Washington Township the final three quarters. Meaning, when the Bobcats play with confidence and fully believing in themselves, they can compete with anyone!

Washington Township’s Austin Darnell would be named the Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the Game on WKVI, as he poured in 32 points, to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and hit 10-13 at the free throw line. The Bobcats will be back in action on February 21st, when they travel to Lakeland Christian, while the Senators will be back at it on the 21st as well when they play host to Whiting.

Game Statistics

Scoring

Oregon-Davis(50): Dennis Cooley Jr.-9, Nolan Green-3, Garrett Weil-9, Jared Bryan-5, Connor Danford-2, Braden Swanson-8, Ryan Pitts Jr.-2, Dylan Murphy-12

Washington Twp(72): Steven Hernandez-11, Nicholas Sears-2, Allen Naji-6, Chaz Brown-2, James Hernandez-15, Austin Darnell-32, Andrew Brinkley-2

3-Point Shots Made

Oregon-Davis(7): Dennis Cooley Jr-3, Jared Bryan-1, Dylan Murphy-2

Washington Twp(1): Steven Hernandez

Free Throws

Washington Twp: 17-26 65%

Oregon-Davis: 9-14 64%

Rebounding

Washington Twp(19): Tyler Hachey-1, Steven Hernandez-3, Allen Naji-2, Chaz Brown-2, Jams Hernandez-1, Austin Darnell-6, Andrew Brinkley-3

Oregon-Davis(15): Dennis Cooley Jr-1, Cameron Taylor-2, Nolan Green-1, Garrett Weil-3, Jared Bryan-3, Connor Danford-1, Ryan Pitts Jr-1, Dylan Murphy-4

Steals

Washington Twp(17): Tyler Hachey-1, Steven Hernandez-3, Nicholas Sears-1, Allen Naji-2, Chaz Brown-3, James Hernandez-3, Austin Darnell-3, Andrew Brinkley-1

Oregon-Davis(12): Dennis Cooley Jr-1, Nolan Green-2, Garrett Weil-1, Jared Bryan-2, Connor Danford-1, Braden Swanson-1, Dylan Murphy-4

*Statistical Information In This Article Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*