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Jarod Meyer played an outstanding game for the Buccs as he scored 18 points.
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Team
Covington
Bethel
Tri-County North
Tri-Village
Twin Valley South
Newton
Franklin Monroe
Arcanum
National Trail
Ansonia
Mississinawa Valley
Bradford
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CCC
9-2
9-2
9-2
9-2
8-3
6-5
5-6
4-7
3-8
2-9
2-9
0-11
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ALL
16-4
16-4
16-4
14-6
15-5
10-10
9-11
5-15
5-15
4-16
3-17
0-20
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December 8, 2001 – TIPP CITY
The Covington Buccaneers went into the Devil's Den and snuck out with a 53-49 win. It wasn't easy for the Buccs as Tipp City brought some muscle to the court to go along with some physical play.
It was evident that the Red Devils were physically stronger from the outset. Their big bodies inside made it difficult for the Buccs to power their way to the hoop. The Buccs had to play smart and adapt to their opponent by playing with finesse when needed and power when the opportunity presented itself.
The entire game was close with the Buccs holding the lead throughout. Jarod Meyer nailed a couple of key shots early to get the Buccs going. The first period was back and forth with the Buccs holding a 16-14 lead with under 30 seconds to go in the period. Jason Meyer closed out the quarter with a strong drive to the basket to give the Buccs a 18-14 lead.
In the beginning of the second period it appeared as if the Buccs had too much firepower for the Red Devils. The Buccs increased their lead to 23-16 on a Bert Roeth 3-pointer and a lay-up off of a Clint Mohler steal. Tipp closed the margin to 23-21 before two free throws by Jason Meyer got the Buccs rolling again. A jump shot by Jason Meyer gave the Buccs a 29-23 lead at the half.
The Buccs came out in the third period and increased their lead to 10 points with 4:30 left. The Buccs continued to take the ball to the hoop but the Red Devils made each point difficult. Every time a Buccaneer player drove to the basket they had two or three Red Devils in their face. The Tipp defense kept them in the game as they closed the Buccs' lead to 7 points at the end of the third period.
Both teams picked up the intensity level in the fourth as Tipp slowly chipped away at the Buccs' narrow lead. With 4:30 left in the game the Buccs held a 5-point lead, 43-38. Jarod Meyer increased the Buccs lead back to 7 with 1:14 left but Tipp bounced right back with a 3-pointer to close the gap to 4 with 40 second left. Two free throws by Jason Meyer put the Buccs up 51-45 until the Red Devils caught the Buccs off guard and got an easy lay-up with 15 second left to make the score 51-47. Tipp had to foul which resulted in two Bert Roeth free throws that put the game out of reach for good at 53-47. Tipp closed out the scoring with two seconds left but it was too little, too late for the Red Devils.
On the night for the Buccs only four players reached the bottom of the net. Jason Meyer led all scorers with 21 points while Jarod Meyer knocked down 18. The Buccs only committed 4 turnovers the entire night and they sank 12 out of 12 from the foul line.
The Buccs improve to 3-1 overall and travel to Franklin Monroe next Friday for their fourth road game of the young season.
Scoring breakdown:
Jason Meyer – 21
Jarod Meyer – 18
Bert Roeth – 12
Clint Mohler – 2
Opponent Has A Familiar Face...
It had to bring back memories for Tipp City's head basketball coach, Matt Pond, as he watched his Red Devils play a team which wore his old colors. It also had to be a weird feeling to be trying to beat the school from his old stomping grounds.
There was a time when Matt Pond wore the black and white of the Covington Buccaneers. In the mid-eighties Pond was a standout football and basketball player for the Buccs. Those who remember Pond's playing days can recall that he loved contact. He liked hitting people, hard. He played basketball with a football player's mentality. He played aggressive and made his mark playing tough defense. He never had the smooth jump-shot and eye-popping offensive statistics but he played hard. He was physical, in your face and hard-nosed.
That's what his team brought to the table tonight against the Buccs. They were Matt Pond. They were hard-nosed and physical. They didn't play like "Prima-Donna's". They gave the Buccs all they could handle, and then some.
As the final seconds ticked off of the clock Matt Pond had to be proud. Although his team lost, he had to be proud of the way they played. He also had to be proud of his alma-mater as well. They played like the Buccs of the old days...like back when he played.
