BLOOMDALE — The struggles continued for Elmwood boys basketball team Friday night in a non-league game
against Old Fort.
The Royals were within four points, 49-44, with less than four minutes remaining in regulation.
However, the Stockaders made a 10-0 run on the way to a 58-48 victory. Old Fort improves to 7-0 and
Elmwood falls to 3-5.
“Going into the fourth quarter it was looking a little bleak for us,” Elmwood head coach Ty Traxler said.
“The kids came out and made some plays offensively and got some stops defensively.
“What it really came down to, we had two crucial turnovers that led to and-ones off offensive rebounds at
the other end,” Traxler continued. “That kind of put the nail in the coffin, so to speak.”
Elmwood used a 1-3-1 defense in the game in an effort to shutdown Old Fort’s Carson Steyer, 6-feet-3 and
Colin Nutter, 6-6. The two players combined for 20 points and Nutter had six rebounds. The Stockaders
got a big lift from Jordan Smith who came off the bench to score 16 points.
“Their size down the stretch killed us,” Traxler said.
The Royals got a game-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, from Zach Able and 11 points each from
Mason Lentz and Bryce Reynolds. Reynolds also had six rebounds.
“We have been waiting for him. He’s a really good spot-up shooter,” Traxler said about Akbe. “He got an
open look in the second quarter and you could see that it ballooned his confidence. He has not been
shooting well at all.”
Elmwood was hit hard with fouls as Old Fort went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 10, and the
Royals were 5-for-5.
“Not having (Josiah) Childress or (Nick) Weiss for all of the first half and about half of the second
half due to fouls was hard for us. And in addition to not having Kobe (Shank) our most physical
post-player who is with an injury. What Old Fort put together inside was tough to handle,” Traxler said.
The game was tied at 8 before Old Fort scored the final four points of the first quarter to take a 12-8
lead after eight minutes.
The Royals were able to tie the game three times in the second quarter, including 23-23. Old Fort closed
the half on a 7-2 run for a 30-25 lead at the intermission.
The Stockaders scored the final seven points in the third quarter for a 45-34 lead heading into the final
quarter.
With Old Fort holding a 48-36 lead, Abke hit two 3-pointers around a basket from Lentz to pull the Royals
to within 48-44. Then four different players scored for Old Fort to put the game away.
“Credit to our kids. They still battled and made it a game,” Traxler said. “When we make shots we are
good. When we don’t make shots it puts a lot of pressure on our defense.
“When you are play good offensive basketball teams you have to get stops somehow and we just didn’t get
stops at the right time,” he continued. “We were right there in a two-possession game when it mattered
the most, we just couldn’t make a play.”
Old Fort 12~18~15~13~58
Elmwood 8~17~9~14~48
OLD FORT
C. Steyer, 4-2—10; G. Steyer, 1-2-1—9; Clouse, 0-1—1; Havens, 2-2-0—10; Nutter, 4-2—10; Smith, 3-2-4—16;
Salas, 0-0—0; Miller, 1-0—2. TOTALS: 16-6-10—58.
ELMWOOD
Childress, 1-1—3; Lentz, 3-1-2—11; Abke, 3-3-2—17; Weiss, 1-0—2; Reynolds, 4-1-0—11; Lawson, 0-0—0; Beck,
1-0—2; Plouck, 1-0—2; Heiserman, 0-0—0. TOTALS: 14-5-5—48.
