Trojans take thriller over LaVille
File Photo by Robert Krizmanich
LAKEVILLE — Two of the area’s best squared off at Dale E. Cox gymnasium on Tuesday night and gave the fans their money’s worth but it was Triton able to make one more play and take a win over LaVille by a 49-48 final.
LaVille got outstanding performances up and down the lineup but in the end, Triton’s Julian Swanson would hit a short jumper with under ten seconds left on the clock and then make a big defensive play to ensure a Triton win.
“I thought Swanson did a really good job all game not just offensively but defensively,” said Triton coach Jason Groves. “Guarding (Lance) Edison on that last play and forcing the kick out.”
After Swanson’s jumper put the Trojans ahead, the Lancers would have one more shot with around five seconds. LaVille’s Edison tried to get to the basket but had to kick to the corner to Andre Gonzalez, whose three-pointer barely missed to give Triton the win.
Edison had an outstanding game for LaVille with 10 points, four rebounds, and a pair of assists and steals. Collin Czarnecki was just as good, with 23 points, five boards, and four assists to go with a pair of steals. Bradyn Foster was a force in the paint with seven rebounds and eight points.
Maybe the biggest play of the night was a cold-blooded three that Triton freshman Brady Wood buried with under 30 seconds left to put the Trojans within one.
“He’s played a lot of basketball and we trust him in situations like that as much as anybody,” said Groves. “There’s a reason he’s playing varsity as a freshman.”
Swanson ended the night with 15 points and three steals with Gage Riffle pacing the Trojans with four three-pointers on his way to 17 points. With two key components for Triton under the weather, the depth of the Trojan bench was crucial.
“We had a lot of guys off the bench don’t get to play a lot, and we had some sickness,” said Groves. “Dante (Workman) wasn’t feeling good at all. We didn’t think he was going to be able to play, but he tried to tough it out a little bit, Tanner Witt-Hoyo wasn’t 100 percent, and we had a lot of guys come off that bench and give us some valuable minutes.”
LaVille is now 6-4 and will be at Bremen on Friday night, a game you can hear on MAX 98.3. Triton is now 7-1 and has Glenn next Tuesday.
•TRITON 49, LAVILLE 48
at Dale E. Cox Gymnasium
Triton (49) — Patrick 2 0-0 4, Workman 0 0-0 0, Swanson 7 0-0 15, Overmyer 1 1-1 3, Large 0 0-0 0, Riffle 6 1-3 17, Reichert 0 0-0 0, Wood 1 3-5 6, McFarland 0 0-0 0, Quintana 0 0-0 0, Witt-Hoyo 0 2-2 2, Vaca 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 7-11 49.
LaVille (48) — Gonzalez 2 2-2 6, Edison 3 4-5 10, Allen 1 0-0 2, Czarnecki 9 4-4 23, Foster 3 2-2 8, Keb 0 0-0 0, Garrett 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 12-14 48.
3 Pt. FG — Triton 6 (Riffle 4), LaVille 1 (Czarnecki).
Rebounds — Triton 15 (Witt-Hoyo 3), LaVille 21 (Foster 7).
Assists — Triton 3 (Swanson 2), LaVille 9 (Czarnecki 4).
Steals — Triton 5 (Swanson 3), LaVille 7 (Edison, Czarnecki 2).
Turnovers — Triton 15, LaVille 12.
