December 31, 1999

Columbian survives furious comeback try by Bellevue

By John Montgomery
Sports Writer

BELLEVUE -- Previously unbeaten Bellevue turned what could have been blowout loss into an exciting game Thursday, but Columbian still found a way to hang on for a 66-57 Northern Ohio League victory.

It was the 3-point shot that let the Redmen crawl back into the game, but it was the never-say-die attitude of the Tornadoes that let Columbian earn the hard-fought win.

Columbian led 40-17 with three minutes to go in the third quarter after Chris Brooks popped in a jumper from the left baseline for two of his 14 points on the night.

It was a lead the Tornadoes (3-3, 2-2) had slowly built all through the game, but just when it looked like they would run away with win, Bellevue rallied back in a big way.

The Redmen, who fell to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the NOL, scored five points in the last 27.7 seconds of the third quarter off a Pete Lepley layup and foul shot and Kevin Meyer's putback off a rebound with six seconds before the final period to make it 40-22.

Greg Hoke put the Tornadoes up 42-22 in the opening minute of the final period with a reverse layup, but Bellevue started launching 3-pointers on just about every trip down court in a desperate attempt to get back in the game.

And it worked.

The Redmen hit five of their seven treys on the night in the final period on the way to outscoring Columbian 35-26 in the fourth quarter.

It was shooting and scoring explosion Columbian coach Matt Hutchinson knew the Redmen were capable of doing.

"Bellevue's a very good 3-point shooting team," he said. "They are very dangerous and very streaky. I thought we did a really good job in the first half of contesting their perimeter shots. I was a little disappointed in the second half.

"What was happening was that we were allowing dribble penetration, which was forcing us to rotate up a little bit and opening up their perimeter game."

Bellevue worked that offensive schemed practically to perfection in the fourth quarter.

Shaun Hill started it by nailing one of his three treys with 7:32 to play in the game to cut Columbian's lead to 42-25.

After David Price used a baby hook in the lane to put the Tornadoes up 44-25, the Redmen narrowed the gap to 44-30 off a jumper by Ben Falknor, who had 10 points, and a 3-pointer by Josh Maas.

Another bucket by Price, who had eight rebounds and 14 points, gave Columbian a 46-30 edge, but the Redmen went on a 10-0 run over the next 1:14.

Maas nailed two foul shots and two Falknor free throws were sandwiched between a pair of 3-pointers by Hill, who ended with 11 points.

Suddenly, the Redmen trailed just 46-40, just two trips down the court with their offense, with 4:48 to go.

Another foul shot by Maas moments later had Bellevue down by only five.

Brooks put Columbian up 48-41 with a jumper from the left baseline with 4:27 to play, but the Redmen responded with Maas putting in two of his 10 points on the night from the low post at the four-minute mark.

But that was a close as Bellevue would get.

Columbian broke the Bellevue press eight seconds later, with Brooks scoring on a layup. Jason Gottfried hit a foul shot, Price put back a rebound and Brooks dropped in a pair of free throws to give Columbian a 55-43 advantage with 2:55 to play.

But neither team rested on their laurels from there.

Maas hit a pair of foul shots for Bellevue, which were answered with two by Todd Focht, who ended with a game-high 20 points.

Falknor bombed in a 3-pointer for the Redmen, Focht put in a layup for Columbian and Lepley scored off a drive for Bellevue to trim the Tornadoes' lead to 59-50 with 1:57 to go.

After Focht hit a foul shot with 1:26 left in the game for Columbian, Adam Wright of Bellevue and Focht traded baskets from down low to make it 63-52 Columbian with 57 seconds to play.

Columbian had a chance to increase the lead when Brooks stepped to the foul line with 47.9 seconds left in the game. But he missed both chances at the double bonus free throws.

Bellevue raced downcourt and Wright converted a rebound into a score and hit a foul shot with 21.7 seconds to go to make it 62-55.

Bellevue was forced to foul and sent Brian Eachus to the line with 20.7 ticks on the clock.

Although the Tornadoes shot a paltry 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the foul line on the night, Eachus nailed both of his attempts for a 64-55 lead.

Columbian all but iced the game by keeping the Redmen scoreless until 6 seconds to play when Wright scored from the lane.

An intentional foul on Wright led to Gottfried hitting a foul shot and giving the Tornadoes the ball with 5.3 seconds to play.

Another foul by Falknor led to Focht dropping in Columbian's last point from the foul line with 3.7 ticks left on the clock.