No. 8 Fredericktown had a lead going into the fourth quarter against No. 6 Fairbanks in the opening round of the Division III Central 2 sectional playoffs on Feb. 27, but the Panthers were able to mount a comeback and take a 45-43 victory.
“Just didn't make enough plays down the stretch offensively or defensively,” said Coach Derek Dibling. “The guys effort was tremendous but in the end we just didn't have enough things go our way.
Gavin Toombs opened up the game with a fast break layup coming off a steal where he went coast to coast to put the Freddies up 2-0. Brode Davis and Trevor Bellman then hit back-to-back threes to put the Freddies up 8-0 to start the game. The Panthers woke up and battled back in the quarter, however, and it was an 11-9 Freddy lead after one.
In he second quarter, Fairbanks outscored Fredericktown 13-11 to make it a 22-22 game at halftime. Toombs hit a three just before the half closed out to tie up the game.
In the third quarter Fredericktown went up 27-26 on a three by Bellman with 6:50 on the clock. Toombs then hit a layup to go up 29-26. As time wound down in the quarter, Fredericktown increased their lead to 38-31 on a three for Bradyn Clevenger.
Up 41-38, Toombs showed off his defense with a high flying rejection to keep a three point lead. The ball went out of bounds and made it Panther ball, but just seconds later he recorded another block. The Panthers ended up outscoring the Freddies 45-43 down the stretch, however, and walked away with the two point win.
Fredericktown shot 37.8% as a team, and went 5-for-17 from three. They had a 24-19 defensive board advantage, but Fairbanks led in offensive rebounds 15-5. Fairbanks forced them to turn the ball over 17 times compared to 11 for the Panthers, which proved to be a key factor.
The Freddies were led by their first team All-KMAC duo of Toombs and Blake Sipes. Toombs led the Freddies with 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, a steal and an assist. Sipes had 10 points, four boards, three assists and a steal. Bellman had nine points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Carson Rinehart had six points, two boards and two steals. Brode Davis and Clevenger each had a three in the game. Davis added five boards and a steal, while Clevenger had three rebounds and an assist.
“Tough way to go down but really proud of the way our guys battled, fought and dealt with adversity,” Dibling said.
This year’s Freddy squad had the tough task of losing seven seniors to graduation the year prior, making them a very young team with very little leadership to start. They battled and grew throughout the season, ultimately tying for the KMAC title and going 13-9 overall.
“To overcome that and win the league and have guys step into new roles was something I was pleased with,” Dibling said. “I thought our growth this year was really good and guys figured out that winning is tough and it requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice.”
Toombs and Sipes were first team All-KMAC and first team District 11. Toombs averaged 17 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and just under a block per game. Sipes was at 14.8 points, 5.9 boards, 1.9 assists and just under two steals per game.
Carson Rinehart was KMAC honorable mention and second team All-District. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.4 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and one block per game.
Trevor Bellman was District 11 honorable mention and KMAC All-Academic. He averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals.
Davis was also a key player with 5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
“Blake Sipes and Gavin Toombs led the way this year,” Dibling said. “Not only in scoring but rebounding as well. Our trio of guards in Brode Davis, Trevor Bellman, and Carson Rinehart stepped up in big ways at different times this year and each found ways to impact the game in different ways.
The team says farewell to their three seniors in Bellman, Grant Hartley and Well Streby who were all integral in the team’s success through leadership and performance alike.
“It's always a sad day when you lose a group of seniors that you've been with for the last 4 plus years and this group is no different,” said Dibling. “I’m proud of the strides they've made and I love how they've each left their mark on the program in different ways. There's not a doubt in my mind that Trevor Bellman, Grant Hartley and Will Streby are going to be successful down the road and we thank them for helping make Fredericktown basketball what it is.”
