Bulldogs Fall to Mount Carmel at Sectional

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Published on February 28 2018 6:59 am
Last Updated on February 28 2018 1:07 pm
Written by Millie Lange

ROBINSON -- There wasn't a whole lot Effingham St. Anthony High School could have done against Mount Carmel in the first half of the Class 2A Robinson Boys Basketball Sectional Tuesday evening.

The Golden Aces came out hot and almost everything they threw up near the basket went it. Finishing with 62.5 percent shooting in that first half, Mount Carmel took a 32-19 halftime lead and went on for a 78-66 victory.

Although Mount Carmel slowed down in the third quarter, St. Anthony couldn't take advantage until the final period when the Bulldogs mounted a furious rally.

Trailing by 15 going into the final quarter, the Bulldogs pulled within five points with 2:54 on the clock when Alex Beesley knocked in a three-pointer. But then it was time to march to the free throw line for Mount Carmel and the Golden Aces did not miss. They were 22 of 29 in that final quarter for 75 percent and that was the game.

But the troubles began in that opening quarter as Mount Carmel raced out to an 8-0 lead. Jackson Marcotte, a 6-foot-7 senior, started Mount Carmel off in the right direction with the first basket of the contest then knocked in the second shot. Blake Golden put in two free throws and Austin Rager nailed a basket.

St. Anthony's Jack Nuxoll finally stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer but the Bulldogs could muster only two of 11 from the field while Mount Carmel hit four of six shots and were seven of eight at the free throw line. Mount Carmel led 15-7 at the end of the quarter.

Then it was three-point time as the Golden Aces knocked in four of six and finished with six of 10 from the field and a 32-19 halftime lead. Brayden Stipp nailed three of three from trifecta land while Bret Doan put in a three-pointer. Mount Carmel hit 62.5 percent in the first half from the field and 88.8 percent from the free throw line.

St. Anthony could muster only seven of 22 from the field for 31.8 percent and hit fifty percent from the free throw line with four of eight.

Mount Carmel had a slight 14-12 third quarter edge, slowing down tremendously from the field. St. Anthony couldn't take advantage, shooting only four of 12.

The Bulldogs started chipping away at the lead after trailing by 17 as the fourth quarter opened. In the run, Jack Nuxoll nailed a three-pointer and Cade Walsh banged in two free throws, a two-pointer and nailed a three-pointer. With 2:54 showing, Beesley put in a trifecta and pulled the score within striking distance at five.

But an old-fashioned three-point play by Doan and a basket by Rager put the lead back to 10. St. Anthony's Adam Levitt hit two free throws with 1:59 showing and the lead was nine and that's the closest the Bulldogs got the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs lost three players who fouled out in the final quarter as Mount Carmel marched to the free throw line, hitting 34 of a whopping 44.

St. Anthony had three players in double figures. Beesley led the way with 16 points while Nuxoll added 15 and Levitt 10. The Bulldogs had a terrible time with sickness through the regional and sectional. Brandon Runge and Alex Deters both had the flu with Runge suffering through during the regional at Vandalia and Deters sick Tuesday. Walsh also injured an ankle in the Vandalia Regional and continue to play through that at the sectional.

Mount Carmel was led by Brayden Stipp, a 6-foot senior, with 26 points. He hit six of eight from the field, including three of four from three-point range, and was 11 of 13 at the line. Marcotte finished with 18 points as he hit four of six from the field and 10 of 13 at the line. Rager tallied 16 with five of eight from the field and six of six at the line. Rager also led in rebounds with eight.

St. Anthony ended the season with a 27-4 record while Mount Carmel advanced with a 19-11 mark. The Golden Aces move into the championship game Friday at 7 p.m.

Tonight's contest will feature Teutopolis against Eldorado at 7 p.m. The winner advances to meet Mount Carmel Friday.

Class 2A Robinson Sectional

MOUNT CARMEL (78)

Rager 5-8 6-6 16, Marcotte 4-6 10-13 18, Be. Stipp 0-1 0-0 0, Br. Stipp 6-8 11-13 26, Doan 2-7 2-3 7, Golden 2-4 4-6 8, Applebey 1-1 1-3 3, Brown 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 20-35 FG (57.1) 34-44 FT (77.2)

ST. ANTHONY (66)

Walsh 2-9 2-3 7, Deters 3-9 0-0 6, Nuxoll 4-7 5-8 15, Levitt 3-10 4-4 10, Beesley 6-8 1-3 16, Ludwig 2-6 0-0 4, Dust 2-4 2-4 6, Runge 1-3 0-0 2, Wall 0-0 0-0 0, Lawrence 0-0 0-0 0, Milleville 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 23-57 FG (40.3) 14-22 FT (63.6)

Mount Carmel             15    17    14    32    --    78

St. Anthony                   7    12    12    35    --    66

3-point FG -- Mount Carmel 4-11 (Be. Stipp 0-1, Br. Stipp 3-4, Doan 1-5, Golden 0-1), St. Anthony 6-22 (Walsh 1-5, Deters 0-4, Nuxoll 2-4, Levitt 0-1, Beesley 3-5, Ludwig 0-1, Runge 0-1, Milleville 0-1). Rebounds -- Mount Carmel 25 (Rager 8, Marcotte 6), St. Anthony 21 (Levitt 8). Turnovers -- Mount Carmel 9. St. Anthony 8.