South Central streaky in pair of losses at Vandalia Holiday Tournament

South Central had stretches of good play during losses to Flora and Wesclin in its first two games of the Vandalia Holiday Tournament, but until the Cougars play more consistently, wins could be hard to come by. Coach Rick Simmons said that there were positives in both a 55-45 loss to Flora on Monday and a 47-36 loss to Wesclin on Tuesday, but that the Cougars have yet to play well throughout a whole game. ‘We have to do some of the things that we have done in spurts more often,’ Simmons said. ‘We haven’t put together a complete game yet. We know we aren’t going to be perfect, but we need to limit turnovers and look for good shots.’ South Central has averaged nearly 15 turnovers per game and has shot just 33 percent from the field, including a 1-of-12 effort from 3-point range. The Cougars had their double day on Wednesday, and results of those games will be available at www.leaderunion.com by Thursday morning. Turnovers were especially felt against Wesclin, as the Cougars turned over the ball six times in the first three minutes of the game, giving the Warriors 11 of their first 13 points during a 13-0 run to open the game. Simmons said the Cougars struggled with the unfamiliar trap-zone defense that Wesclin employed, which allowed the Warriors to get several steals. When Wesclin switched to a man-to-man look in the second quarter, the Cougars were able to hit some shots and get back in the game. ‘We put ourselves in a deep hole,’ Simmons said. ‘We battled back and put ourselves in position to get all the way back.’ South Central used a 9-2 run through the middle of the second period to get within five of the Warriors at 18-13. Junior Fischer Tharp, who had a game-high 21 points, scored eight of South Central’s points during that run, and he looked like a leader while doing it. ‘He stepped up more than anybody,’ Simmons said. ‘He doesn’t do it by what he says, it’s what he does. He works his butt off, and its a matter of getting everybody else to jump on the bandwagon.’ Tharp, along with senior Colton Wilkins, also led the team in rebounds with seven. Junior Myles Yates earned two layups in the final 45 seconds of the first half to move South Central within four at 21-17, but Wesclin would dash the Cougars’ hopes for a comeback early in the third period. A 13-2 run over the first three minutes of the half put the Cougars behind, 37-22, and they were unable to threaten for the rest of the game. Wesclin vs. South Central Wesclin 47 South Central 36 SCHS: 4-13-9-10—36 WHS: 13-8-17-9—47 SCHS points: Tharp, 21; Yates, 10; Rudy Hablewitz, 4; Colby Bushue, 1. SCHS rebounds: Tharp, 7; Wilkins, 7; Yates, 5; Bushue, 1. Wesclin points: Kunz, 19; M. Klein, 13; Sopiars, 6; Wilken, 4; Deterding, 2; Takacs, 2; C. Klein, 1. Wesclin rebounds: Kunz, 11; M. Klein, 9; C. Klein, 3; Deterding, 2; Sopiars, 2; Haselhorst, 1. South Central vs. Flora The final margin was far less than when the teams met earlier in the season, but South Central still was unable to contain Flora during a 55-45 loss on Monday. Tharp had a double-double for the Cougars, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Hablewitz led the team with 16 points, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolves. They were led by Nick Painter, who had a double-double, with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Knapp and Ethan Leib each added 12 points on offense. At halftime, the Cougars trailed, 26-13, and it looked like it would be a repeat of Flora’s 53-28 win from earlier this season. The Cougars, however, continued to battle back throughout the second half, outscoring the Wolves in the second stanza, 32-29. ‘It seems like the first time we play them, they put a little hurt on us, but the next time we play, we do a little better,’ Simmons said. ‘We pushed the ball, which they weren’t expecting.’ South Central vs. Flora Flora 55 South Central 45 FHS: 14-12-19-10—55 SCHS: 7-6-18-14—45 SCHS points: Hablewitz, 16; Tharp, 12; Bushue, 6; Yates, 5; Luke Krajefska, 4; Wilkins, 2. SCHS rebounds: Tharp, 10; Hablewitz, 5; Bushue, 3; Wilkins, 3; Yates, 3. Flora points: Painter, 18; Knapp, 12; Leib, 12; Shehorn, 8; Taylor, 5. Flora rebounds: Painter, 12; Knapp, 5; Leib, 5; Shehorn, 5; Burgess, 3; Taylor, 3.

South Central junior Myles Yates shoots a floater over a Wesclin defender during a loss on Tuesday.

South Central’s Rudy Hablewitz looks to pass during a loss to Wesclin on Tuesday.