Survive and advance for Tipp boys

Coming into their game, the question would be who would step up and help lead the Tippecanoe boys basketball in their sectional tournament opener against Stebbins last week.

Tipp’s leading scorer CJ Bailey is out indefinitely with a foot injury and Jackson Davis was ill, meaning some lineup shifting for the Red Devils.

The Red Devils survived with a late free throw and advanced to the second round with a 54-53 victory over Stebbins to battle through the adversity and get the win.

“It was huge to get the first win. A lot of guys played a lot of minutes they haven’t played all year,” Tipp coach Brock Moon said. “I thought guys stepped up and it is definitely a learning experience. I told the guys it has no effect on the next round if you win by one or win by 30.”

Colin Turner led the Red Devils with 18 points, one of three players in double figures. Also scoring for the Red Devils was Hudson Ganger and Preston Zumwalt each with ten points.

The Red Devils came out with a slow start. Mason Barlow lit up Tippecanoe with the first 11 points of the game for Sidney as they led 11-5 with two minutes left in the quarter. Tipp bounced back with a score from Ganger and a big three in the closing seconds from Dominic Moyer to close the deficit for the Red Devils to 13-10.

The second period belonged to Tipp, as they took the lead at 6:05 on a score from Turner and began a 17-0 run to open their lead to 32-15 in the late stages of the first half. Turner did most of the damage with nine points, and the Red Devils led by 13 heading into the half.

Tipp maintained their double digit lead in the third period before Stebbins started to cut into the lead during the fourth period. Following a big three from Zumwalt at 6:46, the Red Devils were held scoreless until the 1:04 mark of the game. By then, it was a one point lead.

Stebbins tied the game with 50 seconds left before Turner connected on a free throw on his drive to the rim with 2.3 seconds left. A free throw and a last second stop gave Tipp the victory.

“We came out flat and once we started to press, it gave us some energy,” Moon said. “Their first five or six baskets were in transition so once we settled down that helped us.”

“We have a week to gameplan, and I think tonight was important for guys who played a lot of minutes who normally don’t.”