Cloverdale hoops evens record to .500

A strong offensive first half combined with a stingy defense proved to be all the Cloverdale boy's basketball team needed Thursday, as the Clovers rolled past North Putnam, 58-46. 

The win snapped a two game losing skid and got the Clovers to .500 heading into what Hart calls a tough stretch of games. As for North Putnam, the Cougars fell to 1-12 on the season.

"There are no easy games left for us, but that's part of it. We are getting better. The kids had a really good week, showed good poise and it was a good win for us," Hart told The Putnam County Post. 

Cloverdale came out hot from behind the arc, as Trey Schabel, Levi Johson and Tobias Hart all hit three pointers in the opening frame, as the Clovers held a 15=11 lead after the first quarter. 

The lead would swell to 29-20 at the half, as Johnson continued his hot play behind the arc, knocking down a pair of three pointers. 

The halftime break did little to cool the Clovers, who continued to shoot well and hold the Cougars at bay with their zone defense. 

Leading the way for Cloverdale was Schabel, who scored 16 points, while Johnson added 15. Jahaven Duncan added 14 and Ishamael Kiteka added nine for the Clovers. 

"Any good team has to have balance. Ish is a good kid, takes what the defense gives us and once we got the lead, we made the defense make a decision, and he was able to get more involved," Hart said.

North Putnam was paced by Owen Query, who overcame four fouls to finish with 15 points. Nolan Augusta added 11 and Kaden Helderman finished with nine points.  

At .500 now, the Clovers have turned their attention to several big goals, according to Hart. 

"We have had a really nice season. We have worked to get better. It is a good group of kids. We will see if we can get to 10 wins and go from there," he said.

And, there is the upcoming Putnam County Boy's Tournament Valentine's Day weekend, where Cloverdale will take on Greencastle.

"We are excited. It will be a fun game with Greencastle, and I am sure they want to get us. It will be four really competitive teams. There are four quality coaches in the Putnam County Tournament. The games will be hard played and you will have to grind out wins. Nothing will be given or easy," Hart said.