Mules refuse to go along with Hornets' upset bid

ADVANCE -- Upset-minded Advance enjoyed a lead at halftime, thanks to its sizzling shooting.

But Bernie, ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 2, silenced the Hornets' offense in the third quarter.

The Mules held Advance to two points in the third quarter, and held off the Hornets 57-52 in boys basketball action Friday.

"We just stalled," Advance senior David VanGennip said. "The offense wasn't there. We went into a slump."

The Mules (11-1) forced the Hornets to shoot 10 percent (1 of 10) in the third quarter after they hit 54 percent (13 of 24) of their shots in the first half.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.comAdvance's Blake Seabaugh keeps the ball away from Bernie's Jake Owens as Bernie's Jake Welch and Daniel Becking defend during the second quarter Friday at Advance.

"The thing we emphasized all year was defense," Bernie coach Brad Botsch said. "We tried a few things in the first half that didn't really work. They got some good shots off the few traps that we tried to spring. I think in the third quarter, the kids really were able to get it together and show some guts. They took a lot of pride in stopping them in the third quarter. We were really proud of the kids for their third-quarter effort."

Bernie sophomore Jordan McGown took over in the second half to help spark the Mules' offense. He scored eight of his team's 10 points in the third quarter. He answered that by hitting his first two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and finished with another eight in the fourth. He scored a game-high 23 points.

"I was feeling pretty good," McGowan said. "My teammates fed me a lot. I'm glad that things were just happening good. They worked to get me open."

VanGennip said he was impressed by McGowan's shooting, and that the sophomore's hot hand caught the Hornets by surprise.

"We weren't really looking for him," said VanGennip, who scored 18 points. "We should have, but we just didn't pick him up. We didn't know if we were in a zone or man sometimes, and we just left him open. But we'll cover him next time."

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.comAdvance's Tyler Slinkard is blocked by Bernie's Jake Owens, left, and Jake Welch in the first quarter Friday at Advance.

Blake Lingle hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Advance a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, its first lead of the game. The Hornets led for much of the second quarter, thanks to shooting 75 percent (7 of 12) from the field. But they clung to a 29-25 lead at the intermission.

The 10-minute break cooled the Hornets' shooting as they missed their first five shots in the third quarter.

"It's frustrating," VanGennip said. "Keep shooting and keep shooting is all that you can do. But we just kept missing and getting down and down."

Advance only turned the ball over twice in the third quarter, but its shots wouldn't fall.

"Our team played really strong man-to-man defense," McGowan said of the third quarter. "We just shut them down. We played great."

Bernie opened an 11-point lead with 4 minutes left in the fourth, but Advance refused to wilt. The Hornets cut the deficit to 56-52 with 18 seconds left after a couple of Bernie turnovers, which came after point guard Jake Welch had fouled out.

"We knew we had a chance," VanGennip said. "Coach said our shooting would improve and get up and pressure them and they'd fold. But they didn't."

@z_agate_HSbasketball_linescore:Bernie12131022--57

Advance1316221--52

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:BERNIE (57) -- Daniel Becking 5, Zach Curry 7, Jordan McGowan 23, Jake Owens 9, Quinton Stevens 8, Jeremy Walker 2, Jake Welch 3. FG 18, FT 13-18, F 11. (3-pointers: Stevens 2, McGowan 5, Curry 1. Fouled out: Welch)

ADVANCE (52) -- Jacob Bond 6, Blake Lingle 12, Blake Seabaugh 4, Cody VanGennip 4, David VanGennip 18, Matt Ware 8. FG 21, FT 5-7, F 17. (3-pointers: Lingle 3, D. VanGennip 2. Fouled out: None)

JV -- Advance won.