HOWARD – As the East Knox boys basketball team ran off 12 consecutive points and went on a 20-2 run in the third quarter of a 46-33 win over Utica in non-league play on Monday, Dec. 28; something clicked.
The Bulldogs (3-4), who picked up their second straight win, seemed to find their footing offensively, and it happened with a little adversity. East Knox was missing one of its starters in Terry Jacobs because of COVID-19 protocols.
“It starts with our ability to score the ball,” East Knox coach Ryan Powell said. “We struggle with that sometimes and it starts with confidence. We were down our third-leading scorer (against Utica) and some kids stepped up and played pretty well.”
East Knox has already run the gamut of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference’s top teams in Centerburg, Fredericktown and Cardington-Lincoln — losing to the Pirates on a miracle shot at the last second in double-overtime.
“We were in all three of those game, we just didn’t finish,” senior Weston Melick said. “We just played three really good teams early and we’re not very experienced. We lost a lot last year. But now we’re getting comfortable, getting in a groove and it’s starting to feel good again.”
Melick took over in the third quarter against Utica, knocking down a pair of 3s — including one in the final seconds — to put the Bulldogs ahead 37-28 after trailing 24-17 at the break.
“I just pulled him to the side and said, ‘Terry’s not here; you’re gonna have to score tonight,’” Powell said. “He doesn’t really need help being told to take more shots, which is good.”
“(Jacobs) is part of our offense; he’s like a piece to the puzzle,” Melick said.
Melick finished with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals; and Shane Knepp added 14 points, four steals, three rebounds and a pair of helpers — converting seven of eight free throws for the game to help his cause.
But it was the defense that really stood out. After Utica hit four 3-pointers in the first half — including two from Beau Dunlap off the bench — to take its lead, East Knox allowed just four second-half field goals and none from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs had seven steals and won the rebounding battle 16-13 in the second half.
Sam Whitney had a game-high nine rebounds and added a pair of steals and a block to go with four points.
Collin McCullough, Sean McCutcheon and Dunlap all hit 3-pointers as Utica pushed its lead as high as nine in the second quarter. But shots stopped falling after that.
“We knew we had to continue to rebound the ball the way we (did in the first half); and sure enough, two of their first three baskets of the third quarter were off offensive rebounds,” Utica coach Brian Radabaugh said. “We just missed a bunch of open shots (in the second half), and we compounded it by getting frustrated. So we’ve got some work to do mentally.”
Zach Heckman scored seven points and added four rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists to lead Utica; which had eight different players crack the scoring column. Dunlap and Seth Cooper finished with six points apiece, and Cooper added five boards.
