Two points. That’s all Greensburg could muster in the second quarter at Macksville Saturday after leading by one after the first, en route to a 56-37 loss that might have left Coach Dave White wondering if his team had come into its two second quarter points via a safety, rather than basket.
Saying he didn’t feel his team got a “fair shake” because of the style of officiating, White indicated it was no accident Macksville won the game at the line, shooting 30 free throws to Greensburg’s 15.
Key to the Rangers grabbing a first quarter 14-13 lead was senior guard Eric White being able to deal with the Mustangs’ aggressive defensive play.
“Every time we’d try to drive we’d get hand checked hard and they’d body us up, but Eric doesn’t mind that kind of push, bump and grind play,” Coach White said later. “They’d drive just as hard to the bucket but we got continually whistled for fouls when we’d try to defend them. It made a difference.”
Critical to GHS’s first half fate was Eric White getting his second foul late in the first quarter, and then his third shortly after reentering the game in the second. White eventually fouled out, barely playing half the game, while senior post Dave Cesmat played the final quarter carrying four personals of his own.
Saying he couldn’t disagree with the opinion that the style of officiating had a direct bearing on the outcome of the game, White went on to point out Macksville is “a very good team” that “anyone will have a tough time beating when the game’s called like it was the other night. They’re a pretty darned good team, especially when you let it turn into a game of attrition.
“You don’t win the state football title without good athletes,” he continued.
Greensburg had little time to recover from what White termed a “physical and mental beating” with a twice rescheduled trip to Ashland moved the second time to Monday night, and a date the next night at Haviland. He gathered his team for a brief shoot-a-around and tape review Sunday afternoon.
“I told them Sunday it’s not necessarily a bad thing to lose to a good team,” he said. “You can learn and grow from a game like this, but at the same time, they were frustrated a bit too after watching the game film. I just have to hope we’re ready to come out and play hard at Ashland tonight.”
Though the setback at Macksville was the Rangers’ third loss of the season, none have come in league play, meaning GHS was still on track to win the league title with wins at Ashland and Haviland, those two teams having collectively won only three games on the season.
Girls win easily…
The Lady Rangers, meanwhile, had little trouble with the Lady ‘Stangs in the earlier game, cruising to a comfortable 56-25 win on the strength of 18 points from senior guard Kacey Fulton.
Greensburg held Macksville to single digit scoring in each of the four quarters while jumping to a commanding 34-14 halftime advantage. Nine GHS girls got into the scoring column while using only a single trey to reach their 56 points. Jena Clowers led Macksville with eight.
Greensburg, KS —
