Boys Basketball Wrap-Up: 1/9-1/14
The Trumansburg boys basketball program was supposed to be back in action on Tuesday, January 10th, but because of bad weather, the game was postponed until January 11th.
Both teams were up against the Marathon Olympians, a team in which the Raiders have done well against in recent years. This trend would continue for the varsity team, but found the JV side with a defeat at home. For Coach Meyers' team, defense was the concern as the Olympians were scoring transition buckets too easily. Meyers rallied his players at half, as they were pouring with passion to begin the second half, but the opposing Marathon side proved to be too much for the young JV Raiders side.The final score of the JV game was Jack Lincoln and Josiah Lopez voiced that the teams biggest problem right now is the lack of intensity. This JV team is loaded with talent and is looking to put their strengths together and go on a win streak in the next few games.
The varsity team went into the game with a 9-0 record, looking to start 10-0 for well over 5 years. The Raiders started out with a bang, as they ran a tip-off play to perfection, as Jake Shelley found Austin Grunder for a slam dunk on the first play of the game. The momentum was lopsided for the entirety of the game after that, as the Raiders had a balanced inside and outside attack. Grunder would lead the team in scoring with 30 points. Marcus Harrison also had a huge impact on the game, as he not only scored 13 points, but was a spark on the defensive side of things as well, collecting steals and rebounds. Some of the players that do not usually get a lot of minutes were all put in the game for significant minutes. These players came out with extreme focus, as they took over the game in their own way: Harrison was a spark on defense, Caleb Ladd played the role of facilitator, Jared Everhart spaced the floor, Mitch Denman was a huge physical presence and Isiah Black grabbed every rebound possible. This platoon played with emotion that the Raiders team is missing, as they continue to inspire the team on and off the court. The final score was 89-51, Trumansburg.
Up next for the program was a long trip to Union Springs on Friday. The Union Springs team has not known for their elite program, but had played IAC opponents with physicality and toughness all season long. They would not change their approach as the Raiders visited the Wolves.
The JV boys set out to up the intensity levels, but were unable to do so against the combination of offensive and defensive success for the Union Springs JV team. The Raiders would end up losing 71-41, but there were some positives from the game. The Raiders showed a huge improvement in the second half of the game, as they were able to find some weaknesses in the defense and produce baskets. Hudson Williamson kept his fellow teammates calm throughout the game, keeping his composure as the Raiders were down. Next up for the JV team is Moravia on Tuesday. Keep working boys!
After a slow first few minutes, the varsity team found themselves down 6-0, but there was no panic from the undefeated Raiders squad as Luke Richards and Dalton Kenney drilled a few three pointers, and Austin Grunder fought his way to the rim to take back the lead from the Wolves. In an offensive display, the Raiders would go on to beat Union Springs 71-64. Austin Grunder dropped 27 points and went 12-12 from the free throw line, Zeb Whitford and Jake Shelley contributed 13 points each, and Dalton Kenney and Luke Richards combined for 18 points. This was a big win for the Trumansburg team as they gain even more momentum heading into the biggest game of the season so far, Tuesday, at Moravia. Make sure you come out and support the boys. Go Raiders!
