MIAMI – The Grove Ridgerunners got a second chance in Saturday’s seventh place game in the Gold bracket at the NEO Invitational.
After losing to Southwest High School 56-55 on a buzzer-beating tip-in on Friday, Saturday’s contest against Springfield (Mo.) Central came down to the final minute. Grove (4-12) even led by the same 55-54 score with 47 seconds left. But the Ridgerunners finished things off on Saturday, making enough free throws down the stretch to secure the
“Toughness,” Grove head coach Zach Trimble said afterward. “These guys, they don’t give up. They get down and they just keep playing.”
The Ridgerunners also benefitted from good free throw shooting, making 13-of-17 at the line in the fourth quarter, with Reid Williams hitting 8-of-10.
“He’s been very good at the free throw line,” Trimble said of Williams. “He had a rough start there at the first of the season, but he’s come on strong.”
Williams finished with 11 points for the game, but the Ridgerunners struggled on offense in the first half and trailed 30-20 at halftime.
But just as he did on Friday, Spencer Londagin heated up from beyond the arc in the second half, shooting Grove back in the game. The junior guard hit three 3’s in the third quarter as Grove came back to tie the game at 41 by the end of the period.
“We were taking good shots and got some to go down in the second half,” Trimble said. “When that happens, guys get more energy and defense gets better.”
The Ridgerunners took their second lead of the contest one minute into the fourth, when Tyler Busch’s behind-the-back pass found Jake Spychalski under the basket for a three-point play to make it 44-43.
Central would take the lead for the final time with 2:42 left when Quatrevius Robinson converted a three-point play of his own, fouling Spychalski out of the game in the process. Spychalski finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Ridgerunners.
Busch would get the lead back for Grove when he was fouled on a three-point shot, hitting two free throws to make it 51-50 with 2:23 to play. The Ridgerunners would make 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. In a fitting end, Williams hit one-of-two free throws with four seconds left then stole a Central pass to end the game and snap a six-game losing streak.
“It was the same thing as yesterday, we just came out on the winning side today,” Trimble said. “Yesterday we were a rebound short. We played well.”
Robinson finished with 14 points for Central, while D’Angelo Bedell led the Bulldogs with 16.
Londagin finished with 12 for the Ridgerunners, while Busch had 11 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.
Grove girls finish 5th
The Grove Lady Ridgerunners bounced back from Thursday’s 48-37 loss to Guthrie with a pair of blowouts at the NEO Tournament in Miami.
