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By PAUL BEITLER
Sports Editor
The Norwell Knights concluded their Northeast Hoosier Conference season Thursday night with a 62-49 loss to the Homestead Spartans at the Castle.
A stretch of self-inflicted mistakes by the Knights early in the third period allowed the Spartans to jump out to a 14-point lead that led to Norwell’s downfall.
“We just made some poor decisions,” said Norwell coach Ty Platt.
Still, the Knights did not give up.
“We still battled. I was really pleased with how hard we battled. A bounce here or there, and take away some of those unforced things, and it’s a different ballgame,” Platt interjected.
Homestead, 11-6 and 5-1 in the NHC, pulled away in the third period with an 8-0 run that put Norwell behind 42-28.
Then the Spartans kicked off the fourth period with an 8-2 spurt to build a 53-38 advantage.
Norwell, now 4-12 and ending up 0-7 in conference, tried to battle back. The Knights went on an 11-4 run to cut Homestead’s lead to 57-49 with 1:37 to go, but the Spartans countered at the free-throw line.
In the final stretch, Jono Cobb made five of six free throws to ice the Knights.
Homestead coach Chris Johnson came into the game knowing that the Knights would not back down.
“We had to make sure that we sustained their pressure and withheld their runs,” said Johnson.
Johnson’s main instruction for his team was to set screens for his big trio of Cobb, Grant Leiendecker and Jeff Grabowski.
“We did that a number of times, especially with Grabowski and he gets layups,” said Johnson.
Cobb finished the game with 20 to lead the Spartans, while Leiendecker and Grabowski each added 13.
Homestead used an 8-0 spurt early in the game to take a 12-4 lead.
Just as the Knights were trying to answer the Spartans, Norwell sophomore forward Chandler Harnish sprained an ankle on a drive to the basket with 1:49 to play in the first period.
He missed the rest of the half and came back out at halftime.
“Obviously we need a healthy Chandler Harnish. I know he gutted it out, but he wasn’t the same in the second half because of that injury,” said Platt.
Harnish did not score, but other players stepped up. Justin Imel came off the bench to score 12 points. Freshman Ryne Otis came in for Harnish and drew praise from Platt for adding 8 points.
“I thought Shawn Mygrant played really well,” added Platt.
Leading the scoring for Norwell was junior guard Clay Dafforn with 16 on 5 of 19 from the field and 4 of 4 at the line.
With Harnish in the trainer’s room, his teammates rallied to close a 17-8 gap to 17-15 with 6:55 to go in the second period.
Homestead, however, came right back with a 10-2 run to go ahead 27-17 with 3:18 to play in the half.
Once again the Knights battled back to cut Homestead’s lead to 32-28 on a three-point shot by Imel.
The Knights just needed to be more careful with their passes. They turned the ball over 11 times in the first half and five times in the third period. Through the same time frame Homestead had seven turnovers.
Homestead also outplayed Norwell on the boards 29-25. Leiendecker grabbed 8 rebounds and Cobb 7. Matt Terhune had 6 and Ben Rodriguez 5 for Norwell.
Norwell now focuses on wrapping up the regular season with four non-conference opponents before the sectional tournament begins. The Knights kick off the final drive at home Tuesday against South Adams. Then they go to Woodlan next Friday.
“We’re going to try to take the positives and build on them,” said Platt. “Our team has had to overcome some things, and some things are building some character in all of us. We are still together and there is no quit in these guys.”
Prior to the varsity game, the Knights’ reserve squad came through with a gutsy effort and pulled out a 41-38 victory.
Scott Woodward led the Knights with 10 points. Kreigh Williams added 9, Klayton Reed 8, Seth Eisaman 6, Nathan Archbold 4, Rhett Goodmiller 2 and Andrew Harris 2.
Kyle Leiendecker had 13 for Homestead and Nick Wirtner 10.
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