Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — In the late stages of Friday night’s game, Chillicothe had one thing on its mind: finish the job.
In their last three contests, the Cavaliers were able to hang around with the opposition, only to fall short in the end.
Desperately needing a win against Hillsboro, Chillicothe wanted to show that it could get the job done in close games, and it did just that.
Four Cavaliers, all of whom are returning starters, reached double-digit scoring figures and propelled their team to a 62-56 win over the Indians to begin the FAC slate.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“We had a tough three losses, and every game, we felt like we were in them. Tonight, we put it together, came in and won a game,” Chillicothe’s Andrew Hamman said. “We were up big in the last two, but we just couldn’t finish them out. Tonight, we finished it.”
Despite hoping for a fast start, Chillicothe (2-3, 1-0 FAC) found itself behind just as the game started — literally.
A technical foul during warmups sent Hillsboro’s Tate Davis to the free throw line before any time was taken off the clock. Davis split the difference to give the Indians a 1-0 lead to start the game.
From there, Chillicothe would go ice cold from the field for the first four minutes as Hillsboro expanded its lead to 5-0. However, the Cavaliers finally got things going in the closing minutes as Caydon Cox and Daniel Scissum each put up five points in the frame to give the Cavaliers a 10-9 lead.
Momentum was still up for grabs, however, and it belonged to Hillsboro in the second quarter.
The Indians (2-1, 0-1 FAC) picked up the tempo in the frame and took advantage of numerous defensive miscues from Chillicothe. Using a combination of Jack Howland and Xander Lake inside, Hillsboro soared in front on the scoreboard and brought a 26-21 lead into the intermission.
But when Chillicothe came out of the locker room, it seemed like a brand new team.
“Coach [Pat] Beard, at halftime, said we just have to trust each other, trust the process, and don’t play one-on-one,” Cox said. “Run through the offense, go through each other and trust your teammates.”
PHOTOS: Images from Chillicothe’s win over Hillsboro
The Cavaliers played fast on both sides of the ball coming out of the half and slowly worked their way back in front. Eight points in the quarter from Cam Badger and contributions from Cox, Hamman and Cooper Stoneking, lifted Chillicothe to a 20-point quarter and Beards’ group enjoyed a 41-34 lead late.
However, Howland wasn’t going to let the game slip from his team that easily.
In the closing minute of the third, he drew a foul before splitting the difference at the stripe. Then, with the third quarter clock winding down, Howland corralled a rebound and dribbled to half court before successfully heaving the ball into the basket as the horn sounded, cutting Chillicothe’s lead to 41-38.
The Indians smelled blood in the water and continued the attack in the fourth. Howland took the ball on the opening possession and knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 41-41. The teams then played to a tie at 44-44 with the game’s outcome completely up for grabs.
It looked as if this was going to be the same Chillicothe team from its three losses – a team that would compete in a close game but couldn’t finish the task at hand.
Caydon Cox had other plans, though.
After his team took a two-point lead, Cox stole the ball and had the rest of the floor all to himself. He’d finish the fast-break with a thunderous two-handed slam, sparking an eruption from the crowd to give his team momentum and a 48-44 lead with 5:04 left.
The Cavaliers saw the finish line in sight and stayed in pedal to the metal mode.
Although Hillsboro kept it close, Chillicothe made some important defensive stops down the stretch. Offensively, the Cavaliers continued to share the wealth as five players graced the score sheet – allowing them to hold on for a 62-56 victory and giving them their first 1-0 start in FAC play since 2019.
“We really like each other and we always play well together. This is pretty much the same team as last year,” Hamman said. “We’re all really good friends and we just love playing basketball together.”
On the stat sheet, Cox led the Cavaliers with 16 points. Badger followed with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Hamman finished with 12 points and Stoneking put up 11.
For the Indians, Jake Howland led all scorers with 24 points. Xander Lake finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Tate Davis also contributed 13 points and seven rebounds of his own.
Both teams will continue their FAC slates on the road in their next games on Tuesday. Hillsboro looks to bounce back as it travels to Washington, while Chillicothe will square off with Miami Trace.
“We’re taking things one game at a time. We just have to believe in ourselves and believe in our teammates,” Cox said. “We have to trust each other and believe that we’re the best team on the floor every time we play.”
BOX SCORE
Hillsboro: 9-17-12-18 — 56
Chillicothe: 10-11-20-21 — 62
Hillsboro: 18-42 FG, 16-19 FT, 27 rebounds (Lake 11), 7 assists (Davis, Howland 3). Scoring: Howland 24, Lake 15, Davis 13, Dumpert 2, Hunter 2
Chillicothe: 22-55 FG, 14-20 FT, 23 rebounds (Badger 7), 9 assists (Stoneking 3). Scoring: Cox 16, Badger 14, Hamman 12, Stoneking 11, Scissum 5, Miller 4
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