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Coach Tucker, Toronto register first win of season at Buckeye Local

CONNORVILLE — In a game that points at the line came at a premium, it was at the foul line that Toronto converted two of only three free throws in the final seconds then held on to register a thrilling 35-33 win over Buckeye Local on Friday.

It was the season opener for both squads. Coach Sean Tucker’s Red Knights will go after No. 2 on Friday when they travel to Bridgeport to take on the Bulldogs. Coach Greg Haberfield’s Panthers are in action at home Tuesday hosting Bellaire

“We went a little flat offensively, but our offense is going to come. These guys are learning a whole new offensive system and we told these guys that they will get better,” Tucker said after the win.

“The thing that we shot ourselves in the foot with tonight was our free throws,” the Red Knight coach emphasized. “We were three for 18 at the line and one of the things we work on at practice, especially when we are tired is free throws. We do that drill where you have to make 50 free throws in five minutes and that’s on me. They were just rushing themselves too much at the line.”

“I’m so proud of these kids,” Tucker added. “They have so much fight and you can see a total transformation from how these kids looked in July and how they look now defensively. Hold a team in the 30s, that’s what we want. Our offense will come.”

“We know we can score more than 30, we have guys that can do that, and we want t o hold teams in the 30s and not get in track meets with teams. One thing about this team, they are tough as nails. They will dive on the floor. They will run through a wall.”

It as the defensive play and the struggles at the line by both teams that kept the scoring down in the first half. Buckeye managed just a three-pointer by Brad Cost as the hosts lone goal in the first frame and the Knights had only two-pointers by Ty West and Nolan Clegg as Toronto led 5-4 in the first.

In the second frame, a trey by Jake Keenan and a deuce by West push the Knights lead to 10-4. Buckeye countered with a Michael McCain bucket and after a Clegg bucket and a West dunk, the Panthers kept close at 14-8 as Cost dropping in a pair at the stripe. Sean Millard’s score off a rebound and Jeremiah Seaman’s trey around a Toronto three-pointer by Sante Carducci closed the half with the visitors leading 19-13.

After Matt Carducci opened the third with a put-back for the Panthers, Toronto scored seven straight for its biggest lead of the game at 26-15. Buckeye countered with two at the line by Carducci and five straight by Millard. After the third buzzer, the Knights’ lead stood at 28-24.

Not many points were scored in the final frame, but the hosts did open the session with two by Millard through the lane and another at the line and two charity markers by Shane Heitz two put the Panthers ahead by 29-28. Toronto bounced back with a three-pointer by Keenan and a deuce by Clegg to go back on top by 33-29. Millard sank two at the line, Keenan countered with one at the stripe and after Carducci scored from the floor for Buckeye, the Knights sealed it with a foul conversion by Sante Carducci.

“I was really impressed with our effort,” Haberfield said after the tough loss. “We got down in the first half, but bounced back. Once we moved the ball around on the perimeter, they opened up inside and I think they started to get a little timid and the second half kind of opened up for us.”

“We knew after the first half they were playing aggressive, but I think that aggressive play came back to haunt them.”

Only two players in the game reached double figures, Millard led Buckeye with 13 and West led Toronto with 11.

Toronto 35, Buckeye Local 33

TORONTO: Tr. West 1 0-0 2, Ty West 5 0-3 11, Z. Gulcynski 0 0-0 0, L. Gulcynski 1 1-4 3, Carducci 2 1-4 6, Clegg 3 0-3 6,  Keenan 2 1-4 7. TOTALS: 14-31 3-18 35. 3-pointers: Keenan 2, L. Gulcynski, Ty West.

BUCKEYE LOCAL: Dwyer 0 0-0 0, Millard 4 5-8 13, Cost 1 2-4 5, McCain 1 0-0 2, Heitz 0 4-6 4, Seaman 1 0-0 3, Carducci 2 2-6 6. TOTALS: 9-39 13-24 33. 3-pointers: Cost, Seaman.

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