MADISON
Seymour’s boys basketball will finish last in the Hoosier Hills Conference standings for the 2018-19 season.
A slow start by the Owls led to a 70-40 loss against Madison at Connor K. Salm Gymnasium Thursday.
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Falling to the Cubs, the Owls dropped to 0-7 in HHC play.
After hitting two of its first three shots, the Owls’ offense stalled for 11 minutes.
From the 5:43-mark in the first quarter to 2:27 was left in the half, the Owls (3-13) missed 16 straight shots and attempted no free throws.
Down 6-5, the Cubs (10-5, 2-2 HHC) went on a 12-0 run in the final 4:10 of the first quarter to lead 16-5.
The Cubs went on a 9-0 spree to commence the second quarter, behind five points by Cooper Yancey, to push the score to 25-5 with 2:50 on the clock.
Jayden Brown stopped the Owls’ drought with a basket, but the Cubs immediately responded with a 3-pointer by Yancey.
After Jack Roberts scored off a steal, Brown buried a deep 3-pointer as time expired for the Owls.
At intermission, the Owls trailed 31-12. SHS shot 5-for-24 from the field while the Cubs hit 11 of 22 attempts in the first 16 minutes.
Yancey led all scorers with 14 points at the break.
“We just weren’t playing hard,” Seymour coach Tyler Phillips of the first half. “We came out and played lackadaisical and went through the motions. I think we expected to show up and win because we have historically. I told them that wasn’t going to be the case, and that this wasn’t their dad’s Madison team. They didn’t believe me, and now they do.”
The Cubs outscored the Owls 11-4 through the first three minutes of the third quarter before the visitors gained some momentum.
Back-to-back baskets by Brown spurred a 12-5 run by the Owls.
However, in the final 1:12 of the period, the Cubs scored seven unanswered points to take a 54-28 lead into the final eight minutes of play.
Madison went on an 11-2 run to open the fourth quarter before coasting to the win.
Yancey led all scorers with 28 points and Luke Miller chipped in 12. Yancey finished 9-for-15 from the field, including 6-for-8 from 3-point.
Brown topped the Owls with 11 points and Montana Suits added eight off the bench in the second half.
The Owls were outrebounded 24-20 and had 16 turnovers to the Cubs’ 11.
From the field, the Owls were 16-for-45 while the Cubs shot 20-for-45. The Cubs made 10 total 3-pointers in the game.
“I told them I hope this hurts,” Phillips said. “They weren’t mentally prepared. I asked them how many of them knew the scouting report from front to back, and none of them did. Madison came out and played harder than they did, and there’s no excuse for that. I told them it hurts, and that we need to get motivated by it.”
Seymour has never won an HHC title in boys hoops since joining the conference in 1997.
The last time the Owls went winless in HHC play was during the 2013-14 season, under former coach Kyle Clough.
Phillips said he feels his team is better than the 0-7 HHC record.
“It’s a lot better team than that. When we constantly have to preach about playing with effort and purpose, it’s not going to show,” he said. “We have to play with some intensity. I need to have five guys that play like Montana (Suits) did that second half.”
The Owls will host Salem Saturday afternoon.