Crothersville’s Curtis Thompson drives in under the basket for the shot during the 81-46 sectional loss to Edinburgh played at Edinburgh March 4, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Beau Napier drives to the basket during the 81-46 sectional loss to Edinburgh played at Edinburgh March 4, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Preston West drives to the basket during the 81-46 sectional loss to Edinburgh played at Edinburgh March 4, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
By Mike Beas
For The Tribune
EDINBURGH — Edinburgh took the floor for its Class A sectional game Friday night having won 20 games – three more than the other semifinalists combined.
Favored to eventually take home pieces of their own nets, the Lancers were by far the only show in town as evidenced by a capacity crowd.
Coach Keith Witty’s team, ranked seventh, took care of business in the night’s second game with an 81-46 victory over Crothersville as junior Caleb Dewey just missed a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds.
The Tigers finished with a 3-20 record, and were led by the 12 points and eight boards of 6-foot-1 junior Curtis Thompson, who was playing his first varsity contest of the season (he previously played junior varsity after transferring and had been ineligible).
Crothersville coach Bryant Layman, whose squad lost to the Lancers in the regular season, 72-32, knew his team had its work cut out.
“We knew it was a tall task,” Layman said. “We have a young basketball team. A very inexperienced basketball team. I was proud of them. Obviously, the emotions got to them in the second half when the game got opened up.
“We thought we had a chance if we could hit shots at the foul line. (Thompson) will be back next year, and we’ll be a good, young team.”
Edinburgh led at halftime, 33-19, with junior guard Jarrett Turner delivering two triples in the final 6.6 seconds to give the Lancers some much-needed breathing room.
His first, from the left wing, preceded a Crothersville turnover on the ensuing inbounds. Turner’s second offering, this one from the left baseline, dropped through the net at 0.3 for the 14-point spread.
Crothersville played tough most of the opening half, trailing by only three, 17-14, after a Matthew Clouse hoop at 4:09 of the second stanza. However, from that point, Edinburgh outscored the Tigers, 16-5.
Edinburgh kept its foot on the accelerator to open the third quarter, scoring the first 10 points to essentially put the game out of reach.
Two Lancers starters, 6-foot-4 senior Travis Jones, and Dewey, picked up their third fouls with 5:23 and 2:35 left before halftime, respectively.
The evening began with West Washington extending its season with a 72-39 decision over Medora.
Tonight’s 7 p.m. title matchup marks the second Lancers-Senators matchup this season. Edinburgh won in dramatic fashion during the regular season, eking out a 46-45 road triumph in double-overtime on Jan. 8.
“This will, I believe, be the fourth year in a row (West Washington) has been in the championship game,” Witty said. “And they’ve won it one of those (2019), so obviously, they’re going to want to get it again. Our game was really close with them. We didn’t shoot it well down there.
“Hopefully, we do a little better here at home. It’s going to be a battle.”
In the opener, Medora led after the first eight minutes, but West Washington dominated play the rest of the way to improve its record to 11-13.
Medora closes with a 4-20 mark.