The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Middies alone atop GMC after win

Middletown fights off East 45-35 behind McKnight’s 20 points.

Frazier’s home run lifts Reds to 5th straight win
10:20 a.m.
Spartans head to regional final
5/24/12
Fenwick’s tourney run ends in regional semis
5/24/12
2 Middie jumpers qualify for state
5/24/12
College baseball: Miami tops Toledo in MAC tourney
5/23/12
> More sports headlines

2:33 AM Wednesday, January 25, 2012

By Rick Cassano

Staff Writer

LIBERTY TWP. — Josh Andrews took the positive road Tuesday night.

Middletown High School’s 45-35 victory over Lakota East may not have been scintillating, but road wins rarely come easily in the Greater Miami Conference, and this one left the Middies boys basketball team alone in first place after Mason lost to Princeton 70-66 on Tuesday.

“I liked how we didn’t lose sight of taking care of business and getting a quality win on the road,” said Andrews, whose unit improved to 10-4 overall and 7-1 in the GMC. “I’m not frustrated. We played hard. We played unselfish. We just didn’t shoot it worth a lick.”

Middletown’s shooting touch was less than golden against the pace-setting Thunderhawks. They slowed the Middies all night with their zone defense and scrappy play.

The visitors shot 42.9 percent from the field. That’s not horrendous, but they were 1-of-12 from 3-point range and 8-of-17 at the charity stripe.

“We did everything we could to change that pace, but you’ve got to score some to do it,” Andrews said. “We make one or two 3s and they’ve got to come out of that zone.”

Geovonie McKnight scored eight of his 20 points in the last seven minutes for the Middies. Vincent Edwards continued his double-double consistency with 11 points and 12 rebounds, also adding five assists.

Zach Edwards had 10 boards, four steals and two assists.

“You can’t have pretty wins all the time,” said McKnight, shrugging. “We knew they’d try to play this way, and they got back really good. I was kind of surprised how close the game was, but I wasn’t worried about losing.”

Middletown ended a two-game losing streak heading into Friday’s game at Oak Hills, while East (5-9, 2-6) lost for the fourth straight time.

Still, Thunderhawks coach Wally Vickers liked much of what he saw from his young crew.

“We were happy with everything except shots made,” said Vickers, with East shooting 31.0 percent from the floor. “We got good looks and had the guys we wanted shooting it.”

The Thunderhawks fell behind for good (10-8) late in the first quarter, yet they were still as close as 36-33 with 2:30 left.

The Middies ran off the next seven points to ice the win.

Robbie Harpring (12) and Dylan Lowry (9) topped the scoring for East, which hosts Princeton on Friday.

“We’re making strides,” Vickers said. “We just hope the kids don’t get discouraged and lose sight of the big picture.”

Share this article