Bill Dickey makes a pass for one of Covington's 26 assists.

2007-08 BASKETBALL LINKS MEET THE 07-08 BUCCANEERS MEET THE 07-08 LADY BUCCS MEET THE 07-08 CHEERLEADERS

2007-08 SCHEDULE 11/01/07 12/08/07 12/14/07 12/18/07 12/21/07 12/22/07 12/29/07 01/04/08 01/05/08 01/11/08 01/12/08 01/18/08 01/19/08 01/22/08 01/25/08 01/26/08 01/29/08 02/01/08 02/02/08 02/08/08 02/19/08 Versailles @ National Trail @ Bethel Ansonia @ Tri-Village Marion Local Russia Newton @ Milton Union @ Mississinawa @ New Bremen Franklin Monroe @ Anna Miami East @ Bradford @ Fairlawn Arcanum Twin Valley South Delphos St. John's @ Tri-County North SECTIONALS 34-30 44-52 61-68 43-57 40-46 26-54 36-59 52-60 53-62 62-54 30-49 41-44 41-73 48-44 70-36 49-43 34-55 55-57 38-61 52-54 33-46 2007-08 CCC STANDINGS Team CCC ALL Twin Valley South 10-1 15-3 Tri-Village 8-1 13-3 Arcanum 8-2 11-6 Franklin Monroe 8-2 10-7 Miami East 6-3 10-6 Bethel 5-4 7-7 Ansonia 5-4 8-8 Covington 3-9 5-15 National Trail 3-7 3-13 Newton 3-6 3-12 Mississinawa Valley 3-8 4-12 Tri-County North 2-8 5-12 Bradford 0-9 1-14

January 25, 2008 – BRADFORD
Sometimes, when a team is struggling to find confidence, all it takes to get over the hump is a big win.

Tuesday's victory over Miami East was the big win Covington needed, which is evident by the confidence the Buccaneers showed in a 70-36 victory over Bradford, Friday.

"We played very well tonight and a lot of that has to do with the confidence we gained against East," said Covington coach Roger Craft. "The kids knew they were close because a lot of our games went down to the wire. I think that win did a lot for our confidence."

That confidence led to a dominant first half as the Buccaneers score 22 points in each of the first two frames and shot an impressive 71% in the second quarter.

This led to a 44-18 half time lead.

"We shot the ball well because we did a nice job of moving the ball around," Craft explained. "The kids did a great job of making the extra pass to get us some easy shots. We made good choices with the basketball and it was fun to watch."

Covington retained command with a 15-7 scoring advantage in the third quarter as Craft utilized the second half to get his entire varsity line-up on the floor.

Senior J.J. Thompson and sophomore Ben Christian both had a significant impact off the bench.

Thompson scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds before fouling out late in the game.

"It was good to be able to see J.J. play for an entire half," said Craft. "He's the heart and sole of this team. He gives everything he's got every day in practice and does everything we ask of him. He's just a great kid."

Christian led Covington in scoring with 15 points and matched Kody Thiebeau with a team-high eight rebounds.

"It's fun to see a sophomore grow as a player," Craft said. "He's worked hard and earned his playing time. He's playing with confidence right now and it shows on the floor."

Christian was the lone Buccaneer to score in double figures, which shows offensive balance and the unselfishness this team played with considering the 70 points put on the scoreboard.

"That's something when you score 70 points and have 10 of 11 players score points," said Craft. "There's no selfishness in this team. They're a close group and that's probably why we've been able to overcome some of the things we've faced this year."

Bradford was sparked by Trey Sanderson with a game-high 16 points, while Logan Looker had a team-high five rebounds.

Covington converted on 30 of 70 field goal attempts for 43%, while Bradford shot 10 of 49 for 20%.

The Buccaneers also controlled the boards 47-20 and held a 19-12 advantage on the offensive glass.

Bradford committed 20 turnovers to 14 for Covington, while the Buccs recorded a season-high 26 assists.

"It was nice to see the kids play relaxed and have fun," Craft closed.

Covington improves to 4-11 overall and 3-6 in the Cross County Conference, while Bradford drops to 1-14 and 0-9 in the CCC.

The Buccs look to make it three in a row Saturday at Fairlawn, while Bradford hosts Northridge.

Scoring by Quarters:
Covington ...........22.......44.......59......70
Bradford ...............6.......18.......25......36

Covington Scoring:
Ben Christian - 15
Kody Thiebeau - 9
Bill Dickey - 8
Andy Sparks - 8
Adam Craft - 7
Nate Lavey - 6
Eric Beckstedt - 4
J.J. Thompson - 4
Nate Lavey - 4
Jordy Meyer - 2
Jordy Burelison - 2

Bradford Scoring:
Trey Sanderson - 16
Douglas Canan - 4
Logan Looker - 3
Chris Vogler - 3
Cody Shafer - 2
Keagan Aukerman - 2
Sean Wood - 2
Phillip Jones - 1
Brock Wysong - 1
Daniel Phillips - 1
Josh Williams - 1

Three-Point Scoring:
Covington: Thiebeau (2), Beckstedt (1)
Bradford: Vogler (1)