Dec. 7, 2015
Rival on the Hardwood
by THS Media Bri Savidge
Two teams trotted out onto the court, both with the same mission. The student sections from both schools roared to life as the players took the court. It was the annual I-Town showdown, the rivalry game between foes Truman and Chrisman. After warmups, the National Anthem, and player introductions, it was showtime.
Truman senior guard Derek Sykes stared down Chrisman senior forward Ronnie Cravens as both lined up in the center circle for the tip off. Time seemed to stand still as the referee blew his whistle and tossed the ball high above the opponents as both players skied into the air. Truman won the tipoff and scored two quick points with a layup from senior Reid Titus, but Chrisman answered back immediately with a bucket of their own, tying the score at 2-2. The game continued to be neck and neck, with Chrisman holding a 28-27 edge over the Pats at halftime.
The second half was a different story. After a strong third quarter where the determined Patriots outscored the Bears 21-16, Truman closed out the game with an impressive fourth quarter and earned a 69-55 victory.
“We worked really hard in practice and watched film of what kind of offense they run,” senior Tyler Hickert said. “We keyed in on their main players and talked about how to shut them down.”
Leading the way for the Pats,Titus scored 25 points, 15 of which came from the free throw line, where he shot 88 percent. Sykes also had an impressive statline for the night, with 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists while senior Dalton Eighmey chipped in 11 points.
Truman senior guard Derek Sykes stared down Chrisman senior forward Ronnie Cravens as both lined up in the center circle for the tip off. Time seemed to stand still as the referee blew his whistle and tossed the ball high above the opponents as both players skied into the air. Truman won the tipoff and scored two quick points with a layup from senior Reid Titus, but Chrisman answered back immediately with a bucket of their own, tying the score at 2-2. The game continued to be neck and neck, with Chrisman holding a 28-27 edge over the Pats at halftime.
The second half was a different story. After a strong third quarter where the determined Patriots outscored the Bears 21-16, Truman closed out the game with an impressive fourth quarter and earned a 69-55 victory.
“We worked really hard in practice and watched film of what kind of offense they run,” senior Tyler Hickert said. “We keyed in on their main players and talked about how to shut them down.”
Leading the way for the Pats,Titus scored 25 points, 15 of which came from the free throw line, where he shot 88 percent. Sykes also had an impressive statline for the night, with 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists while senior Dalton Eighmey chipped in 11 points.
“The atmosphere of the game was truly amazing,” Eighmey said, after a stellar performance. “I’m glad I could help keep the trophy here at Truman.”