GC Basketball: Blooming Grove girls, boys both reach title game in BG Tournament
Dec. 3—BLOOMING GROVE — Blooming Grove's Lions and Lady Lions both won again Friday as both teams swept their way into Saturday's title games of the Blooming Grove Tournament.
Jarrod Shaffer's Lady Lions came through with a big 35-32 victory over Itasca to go 3-0 over the first two days of the tournament and will now face Tyler Grace in the girls championship game at noon Saturday.
Eric Blenden's Lions also swept three games in two days, capping off the run with a 53-42 victory over Axtell to earn a spot in the boys championship game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Bosqueville.
That's a combined 6-0 tournament run for the Lady Lions, who are now 6-2 after avenging a one-point loss to Itasca last month, and the Lions, who are off to a 5-1 start, losing only to powerhouse Grandview (60-54) in their second game of the season.
"This is one of the better starts for the boys and girls teams combined at Blooming Grove in a while," said Blenden, who came to the Grove to coach the Lions last year."
He's right, just as right as both teams have been in their own tournament. Shaffer's Lady Lions have won with a hustling, aggressive defense (they allowed a total of 29 points against Wortham and Buffalo on Thursday) and won a gritty game against Itasca, allowing just 32 points.
Blenden's Lions have looked better and better each game this season, spreading the wealth as three players — Timmy Hamilton, Emmanuel Rosas and Jace Trull —have stepped up to lead the scoring.
Trull and Hamilton led the way Friday. Trull had an impressive double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds and Hamilton, scored a dozen points and pulled down 14 rebounds, carving out his own double-double against Axtell.
Rosas finished with 11 points, Ben Baumgartner and Noah Hutchinson scored four points each, Keegan Hurford dropped in three and Kelton Bell and Preston Atkiesson scored two points.
But it was the toughness of the Lions, who took some big charges and played their best in the closing minutes Friday, that pleased Blenden.
"We had a four-to-five point lead in the fourth quarter," Blenden said. "Then in the last three minutes we put the game away. It was the best job we've done this year as far as closing a game.
"We played really solid basketball, hit free throws and took some charges — Hurford and Trull took some big charges (in the closing minutes). We're taking good shots and these kids are really buying into playing defense. This was a huge win for us, putting us into the championship game."
